Leader’s guide · 12 weeks
Leader’s guide: The Life of Antony (For Teens)
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This guide takes your group through “The Life of Antony (For Teens)” in twelve weeks, one chapter a week. It retells the story Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, wrote about Antony of Egypt, who heard one Gospel reading as a young man, gave away everything and spent the rest of a very long life following Christ in the desert. It is written for teens aged about 13 to 18 and suits a youth group, a homeschool or a small group. Antony’s world is strange to us, but his questions are not: what to do with a Bible verse, how to fight temptation, where God is in a hard time, and what really deserves our admiration.
Each session takes about 30 to 40 minutes. Open by saying the memory verse together (3 minutes). Read the chapter, either aloud together or beforehand at home (8–10 minutes). Talk through the chapter’s three questions, which come with answers to help you (10 minutes). Do the activity (10 minutes). Then close by praying the chapter’s prayer, or one of your own (2 minutes).
To prepare, read the chapter yourself and look over the activity, since most weeks need nothing more than paper and pens. Some chapters need a careful, pastoral touch. Chapter 1 begins with Antony losing both his parents, so be aware of anyone in your group who has been bereaved. Chapters 3, 4 and 7 talk about temptation, including sexual temptation, and about spiritual attack; keep the talk calm and centred on Christ’s victory, never invite anyone to share private struggles aloud, and make sure the group knows they can come to you or another trusted adult. Chapter 6 describes Antony’s extreme fasting and the book is clear that God does not ask us to starve or punish ourselves; if anyone seems to be restricting food or harming themselves, follow your church’s safeguarding procedures. Chapter 8 asks teens to think about death, and chapter 10 about persecution and bullying, so watch for anyone who finds those themes heavy and follow up privately.
Week 1 — The Sermon That Changed Everything
After both his parents die, the young Antony walks into church and hears Jesus tell the rich young man to sell what he has, give to the poor and follow him. He feels the verse is meant for him, gives away his family’s three hundred acres, sells the rest for the poor after providing for his sister, and later gives away the remainder too. The chapter also introduces Athanasius, the bishop who wrote Antony’s story while hiding among the desert monks. The big idea: Antony heard Jesus’ words and acted on them straight away, and every Christian is called to take Jesus’ words that seriously.
“Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” — Matthew 19:21 (KJV)
Memory verse
Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
Matthew 19:21
Talk together
What happened to Antony when he was about eighteen or twenty?
Both his parents died, leaving him responsible for their farm and his little sister.
What Bible passage did Antony hear in church?
Jesus’ words to the rich young man: go and sell what you have, give to the poor, and come and follow me.
How did Antony provide for his sister?
He kept a little money back for her and arranged for her to be cared for and brought up by trusted Christian women.
Activity
One Verse, One Action
You will need: Bibles and paper
- Give everyone a Gospel passage to skim for three minutes, such as Matthew 5:1–16, Luke 6:27–36 or Luke 12:22–34.
- Ask each person to pick one sentence that seems to speak directly to them, as Antony’s verse did, and write it down.
- Under it, have them write one practical thing they could do about it in the next 48 hours.
- Invite anyone who wishes to read out their verse and action; others can keep theirs private.
- Agree to ask each other next week how it went.
Week 2 — Learning from Everyone
When Antony begins his new life, he learns from an old man in the next village and seeks out every godly person nearby, going “like the prudent bee” to gather one good quality from each: graciousness, prayer, freedom from anger, kindness, patience and love. He works with his hands, gives away what he does not need, and listens so carefully to Scripture that his memory serves him for books. The big idea: almost every Christian has something to teach us, and humble people keep learning from everyone.
“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” — Proverbs 13:20 (KJV)
Memory verse
Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
Proverbs 13:20
Talk together
What picture does Athanasius use for how Antony learned from others?
A prudent bee, going out to collect good things from each person.
Name three qualities Antony learned from different people.
Any three of: graciousness, constant prayer, freedom from anger, kindness, patience, gentleness, love for Christ and for others.
What did Antony do with the money he earned?
He spent part on bread for himself and gave the rest to the needy.
Activity
The Prudent Bee
You will need: Paper and pens
- Draw a simple honeycomb of six cells on a sheet of paper.
- In each cell, write the first name or initials of a Christian you know, such as a grandparent, a leader or a friend.
- Next to each name, write one quality you admire in them, like Antony’s list of graciousness, prayer, patience and kindness.
- Circle the one quality you most want to grow in yourself this week.
- Decide how you will learn it: a question to ask that person, or a habit to copy.
Week 3 — The First Fight
The devil tries to turn the young Antony back, first with thoughts of the money he gave away, worry for his sister, wanting admiration and comfort, and the feeling that following God is too hard, then with sexual temptation. Antony fights back with prayer, faith and by filling his mind with Christ, and Athanasius insists the victory was “the Saviour’s work in Antony.” The chapter stresses that temptation is not the same as sin, and that a struggle that feels out of control should be shared with a trusted adult. The big idea: Jesus wins the victory in us when we bring our temptations to him again and again.
“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” — 1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV)
Memory verse
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13
Talk together
What kinds of thoughts did the devil first use to tempt Antony?
Memories of his wealth, worry for his sister, missing relatives, love of money and glory, desire for nice food and an easy life, and the thought that following God was too hard.
How did Antony fight temptation?
With prayer, with faith, and by filling his mind with Christ and with what really mattered.
Whose work does Athanasius say the victory was?
The Saviour’s work in Antony.
Activity
Answering the Dust
You will need: Paper and pens
- As a group, list on one sheet the kinds of thoughts Antony faced: regrets, worry, wanting to be admired, wanting an easy life, thinking it is all too hard.
- Talk about which of these thoughts teens commonly face today, without anyone naming their own private struggles.
- Working in pairs, write a one-line prayer that could answer each kind of thought, like “Jesus, you are better than this. Help me.”
- Have each person copy the prayer they find most useful onto a small card to keep, and keep anything personal to themselves.
Week 4 — “Where Were You?”
Living alone in an old tomb, Antony is attacked so violently one night that a friend finds him as if dead, yet he asks to be carried straight back and calls out that nothing shall separate him from the love of Christ. When light breaks through and the attack ends, he honestly asks, “Where wert thou?” and hears the answer, “Antony, I was here, but I waited to see thy fight.” The chapter tells the story to show that Christ is stronger than any power of darkness, and encourages anyone in a frightening or painful time not to face it alone. The big idea: even when we cannot feel him, God is with us, and nothing can separate us from his love.
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” — Romans 8:38–39 (KJV)
Memory verse
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38–39
Talk together
What did Antony do after he was carried back to the village?
He asked his friend to carry him straight back to the tombs, where he prayed and declared that nothing would separate him from the love of Christ.
What honest question did Antony ask when the attack ended?
“Where wert thou? Why didst thou not appear at the beginning to make my pains to cease?”
What answer did he hear?
“Antony, I was here, but I waited to see thy fight.”
Activity
Nothing Can Separate
You will need: Bibles, paper and pens
- Read Romans 8:35–39 aloud together.
- As a group, list every threat Paul names in those verses, then add modern ones teens might face, such as loneliness, failure or illness.
- Talk about Antony’s honest question, “Where were you?”, and why it is fine to ask God that.
- Have each person write privately one hard thing they might bring to God, then write over it the words “I was here.”
- Close by saying the memory verse together.
Week 5 — Gold in the Road
On his way further into the desert, Antony sees what looks like a silver dish lying in the road, reasons that it is a trick, and it vanishes. Then he finds real gold scattered on the road and runs past it “as though he were going over fire,” because he knows his own heart could be pulled back to what he had given up. The chapter notes that money is not evil in itself, but the love of money is a root of evil, and that sometimes the wisest response to temptation is to get away quickly. The big idea: guard your heart by running from what pulls it away from God, and keep God as your treasure.
“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” — 1 Timothy 6:10 (KJV)
Memory verse
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
1 Timothy 6:10
Talk together
How did Antony reason about the silver dish?
Nobody would carry a large silver dish through an empty desert, and if it had been dropped someone would have come back for it, so he decided it was a trick.
What did Antony do when he saw real gold in the road?
He passed it by as though going over fire, not even turning round, and ran to get away from the place.
Why is running away from some temptations wise?
Because stopping to look can start to pull our hearts back towards the things we have given up.
Activity
Gold in the Road
You will need: Slips of paper and pens
- Have everyone write on separate slips some things that could be “gold in the road” for teens: money, popularity, a new phone, a relationship, more stuff.
- Lay the slips out and, as a group, sort them into “good gifts” and “can pull the heart away”, noticing that most belong in both piles.
- Talk about why Antony ran past the gold rather than stopping to argue with himself.
- Ask everyone to decide privately on one thing they will give away this week, whether money, a possession or time, and to pray as they do it, “Lord, you are my treasure.”
Week 6 — Twenty Years Alone
Antony walls himself into an abandoned fort for nearly twenty years, and when his friends finally break down the door, he comes out healthy, calm and balanced, neither puffed up nor thrown by the crowds. He then comforts the sad, helps people make peace and urges everyone to prefer the love of Christ to anything in the world. The chapter warns clearly that his extreme fasting was a special calling in a different time and that God does not ask us to starve or punish our bodies, while drawing out the real lesson: time alone with God makes us steadier and readies us to serve. The big idea: time alone with God and service of others go together.
“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” — Matthew 6:6 (KJV)
Memory verse
But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:6
Talk together
How long did Antony stay in the old fort?
Nearly twenty years.
What surprised people when Antony came out?
He was neither fat nor thin but just the same as before, and his soul was calm and balanced, neither gloomy nor puffed up.
Should we copy Antony’s extreme fasting and isolation?
No; God does not ask us to harm our bodies or cut ourselves off from people, but we can learn the value of time alone with God.
Activity
Find Your Closet
You will need: Paper and pens
- Ask everyone to list the noises that fill an ordinary day, such as notifications, music, messages and other people’s opinions.
- Talk about what Antony gained from time alone with God, and the book’s warning that we are not to copy his fasting or cut ourselves off from people.
- Have each person plan a “closet”: a place, a time and ten minutes without their phone, every day this week.
- Spend three minutes in silence together now as a short practice, then share in one word how it felt.
Week 7 — Don’t Be Afraid
Antony gives his followers a long, practical talk: goodness is not far away, since “we have no need to depart from home for the sake of the kingdom of heaven,” and virtue needs only our willingness with God’s help. He teaches that evil spirits are real but have little power over those who belong to Christ, and gives a test: evil brings confusion and fear, while God’s presence comes quietly and brings joy, gladness and courage. The big idea: we need neither be fascinated by evil nor afraid of it, because Jesus has defeated every power of darkness.
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” — James 4:7 (KJV)
Memory verse
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7
Talk together
Why did Antony say we don’t need to travel far to become good?
Because the kingdom of heaven is within us, and virtue needs only our willingness with God’s help.
What did Antony teach about the devil and evil spirits?
That they are real but have little power over those who belong to Christ, so Christians should not be afraid.
How did Antony say we can recognise God’s presence?
It comes quietly and gently, bringing joy, gladness and courage to the soul.
Activity
Antony’s Test
You will need: Paper and pens
- Draw two columns headed “Confusion, fear and turmoil” and “Quiet joy, gladness and courage”.
- As a group, suggest everyday things teens might watch, read, hear or do, and talk about which column each tends to push us toward.
- Discuss the two mistakes the chapter names: being fascinated by the dark side, and living in fear of it.
- Practise saying James 4:7 aloud together, followed by the prayer “Jesus, you have won. I belong to you. I will not be afraid.”
Week 8 — As Though Today Were the Last
Antony teaches people to “live as though dying daily”: to wake thinking they may not live till evening, and sleep thinking they may not wake. Far from being gloomy, he says this frees us from grudges, greed and bad desires, and reminds us that life is short beside eternity and that whatever we give up for God is tiny compared with what he gives. The chapter is careful to say this is not about being morbid, and that anyone frightened or low about death should talk to someone. The big idea: every day is a gift, so live it well, with no grudges and no unfinished business with God or others.
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” — Psalm 90:12 (KJV)
Memory verse
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12
Talk together
What did Antony mean by living “as though dying daily”?
Treating each day as possibly our last, so that we do not sin, hold grudges or chase earthly treasure.
What did Antony say about the price of eternal life?
That while everything in the world is sold at its price, the promise of eternal life is bought for a trifle.
What practical things does living as though dying daily help us do?
Forgive everyone, avoid greed and bad desires, and live each day ready for God.
Activity
Unfinished Business
You will need: Paper and pens
- Ask: if today were your last day, what would you want to do? Let people call out general answers, such as saying sorry, saying thank you, praying or telling someone you love them.
- Talk about why Antony thought living this way would stop us holding grudges.
- Have each person write privately one piece of unfinished business they could settle this week, such as someone to forgive, a thank-you to say or an apology to make.
- Encourage them to settle it before they sleep, as Antony advised, and to ask God for help.
Week 9 — Write It Down
Antony teaches people not to let the sun go down on any sin, but to look back over each day, stop any sin they find, and give thanks without pride when they have done well. Though he never learned to read and write, he suggests keeping a written record of our actions as if we were going to show it to a friend, because it helps us be honest. The chapter cautions that this is not about beating ourselves up, and that a journal should include thankfulness and signs of God’s grace too. The big idea: a simple daily review helps us stay honest and close to God.
“Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” — Ephesians 4:26 (KJV)
Memory verse
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.
Ephesians 4:26
Talk together
How did Antony apply “let not the sun go down upon your wrath”?
To every sin, not just anger: we should not let a day end without dealing with any sin.
Why did Antony suggest writing down our actions and thoughts?
Because imagining that others will read it makes us more honest and careful, helping us avoid sin.
What was Antony’s simple daily counsel to the monks?
Believe on the Lord and love him, pray continually, avoid vainglory, sing psalms before sleep and on waking, and hold Scripture in your heart.
Activity
Three Lines a Day
You will need: A small notebook or paper for each person, and pens
- Read out Antony’s daily counsel: believe on the Lord and love him, pray continually, avoid vainglory, sing psalms before sleep and on waking, and hold the commandments of Scripture in your heart.
- Show the three-line journal: one thing I am thankful for, one place I struggled, one prayer for tomorrow.
- Give everyone five quiet minutes to write their three lines for today, for their eyes only.
- Talk about how to keep the habit going this week, and how to stop it turning into a list of failures.
Week 10 — Standing with the Persecuted
When the emperor Maximinus persecutes Christians in 311, Antony goes to Alexandria to stand with those who are suffering, visiting believers in prisons and mines, encouraging those on trial and staying with the condemned. When the governor orders monks out of the city, Antony washes his cloak and stands where the governor will see him, refusing to be frightened into abandoning his friends. The chapter applies this to praying for persecuted Christians today and to standing with people who are picked on, wisely and with the help of a trusted adult. The big idea: love does not look away from suffering, but goes toward it.
“Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.” — Hebrews 13:3 (KJV)
Memory verse
Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.
Hebrews 13:3
Talk together
What did Antony do during the persecution of 311?
He went to Alexandria and cared for arrested Christians in the prisons and mines, encouraged those on trial, and stayed with those condemned until the end.
What did Antony do when the governor ordered monks to leave the courts and the city?
He washed his cloak and stood the next day in a high place where the governor would see him, showing he was not afraid.
How can we follow Hebrews 13:3 today?
By praying for and supporting persecuted Christians, and by standing with people near us who are suffering, wisely and with help from trusted adults.
Activity
Standing With
You will need: Paper and pens, and a phone or atlas to look up a country if available
- As a group, choose one country where Christians face persecution today and find out a few facts about it together.
- Write three short prayers for believers there, and agree to pray them each day this week.
- Then talk about what it looks like at school to stand with someone who is being picked on or left out, without putting yourself in danger.
- Make a short list together of wise actions, such as sitting with them, refusing to join in, or telling a trusted adult.
Week 11 — Mind or Letters?
Educated visitors come to test or mock Antony, who never learned to read, and he answers them by asking, “which is first, mind or letters?”, showing that true wisdom comes from knowing God and not only from books. The chapter is clear that he was not against education, and notes that his manners were graceful and his speech seasoned with salt. When the emperor Constantine writes to him, Antony tells the excited monks to wonder instead that God has spoken to us through his Son, and replies urging the emperors to remember Christ the true King and care for justice and the poor. The big idea: Antony was not impressed by fame or status, but by God.
“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” — 1 Corinthians 1:27 (KJV)
Memory verse
But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.
1 Corinthians 1:27
Talk together
What question did Antony ask people who mocked his lack of education?
Which comes first, mind or letters, and which causes which?
How did Antony react to letters from the emperors?
He told the monks not to be astonished, since an emperor is just a man, but to wonder that God has spoken to us through his Son.
What did Antony advise the emperors?
To remember that Christ alone is the true and eternal King, and to be merciful, just and caring towards the poor.
Activity
What Really Impresses
You will need: Paper and pens
- Ask the group to list people our culture is most impressed by: celebrities, influencers, athletes, the very rich or clever.
- Read out Antony’s words: “Do not be astonished if an emperor writes to us, for he is a man; but rather wonder that God wrote the Law for men and has spoken to us through His own Son.”
- In pairs, imagine a famous person sent you a message, and talk about how you would honestly react.
- As a group, write a short list of things about God that deserve more wonder than any celebrity.
Week 12 — The Old Man’s Sheepskin
Antony lives to about 105, still strong and cheerful, always insisting that it was Christ, not he, who healed people. Dying, he tells his two companions to keep going as if just beginning, to “ever breathe Christ” and live as though dying daily, asks to be buried quietly, and leaves his sheepskin and old cloak to Athanasius. He dies with his face full of joy, and his fame spreads across the world solely because of his love for God. The big idea: a faithful life begins with hearing Jesus speak and saying yes, and keeps going to the end.
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” — 2 Timothy 4:7 (KJV)
Memory verse
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:7
Talk together
Who did Antony say healed people through his prayers?
Christ, not himself.
What did Antony mean by “ever breathe Christ”?
To let Christ fill every moment of life, just as we breathe without stopping.
What did Antony leave to Athanasius?
One of his sheepskins, and the cloak he was lying on, which Athanasius had given him new and which had grown old with him.
Activity
Ever Breathe Christ
You will need: Small cards and pens
- Look back over the twelve weeks and have everyone name one moment from Antony’s life that stuck with them.
- Write “Ever breathe Christ” on a card to keep somewhere you will see it.
- As a group, list regular moments in a day when you could turn your thoughts to Jesus, such as waking, eating, travelling and going to sleep.
- Have each person write privately one “yes” to Jesus they want to carry on from this study, and keep it with the card.