The Gospel Project at Home: Jesus' First Followers
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Read Scripture
Read all or parts of John 1:35-51 from your Bible or watch the Bible story video.
Preschool Bible Story Video
Elementary Bible Story Video
Talk About Scripture
Have you ever played “Follow the Leader?” In the game, one person is the leader, and the rest of the group must imitate whatever actions he or she does. If the leader jumps up and down, then the group must jump up and down. If the leader clucks like a chicken, everyone must also cluck like a chicken. The point of the game is to pay special attention to the leader and mimic what they do.
Thinking about the rules of this game helps us understand what Jesus meant when He said to the disciples, “Follow Me.” Jesus was inviting them to walk with Him and watch Him teach people about the kingdom of God. Along the way, Jesus would also be teaching them and showing them how He is the Son of God. Then, Jesus would give them power and opportunity to share in the work of telling others about the kingdom of God.
One day, these followers of Jesus would have the chance to tell the world the good news about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. This small group of disciples led to hundreds of followers, and after Jesus’ resurrection the number of believers grew into the thousands! Today, there are billions of people who have accepted the invitation to believe in Jesus and follow Him!
Jesus still calls people to follow Him today as His disciples. Everyone who repents and trusts that Jesus died and rose again for their sins is His disciple. Jesus is worth following, no matter what we have to leave behind.
Pray: Jesus, You are the Son of God. You are the King who lived a perfect life, died as a sacrifice for sin, and rose again as the King above all kings. Help us believe in this good news and to share it with the world who needs to hear it. Amen.
Learn Scripture
Preschool Scripture Music Video
Elementary Scripture Music Video
Family Prayer
Mornings: Think about the invitation Jesus gives when He says, “Follow Me.” Ask Him to give you courage to accept the invitation and strength to continue following Him even when it’s difficult. What does it mean to follow Jesus? How does accepting His invitation change our priorities?
Evenings: Praise God for the promise that when we share the gospel and teach others from His Word, it always fulfills His purposes. The Bible is powerful, and the truth of Jesus can change lives. Pray for those who have never heard, and for those who have never believed, to be changed by the power of the gospel.
Family Activities
For Fun: Host a family dance party. Call out the name of a family member to show off their unique dance moves and have the rest of the family imitate those moves. Allow each family member to lead the dance party at least once. Talk with kids about what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Remind them that it begins with faith in Him and leads us to a mission of telling others about Him.
To Serve: Pray for unreached people groups around the world. Pray for the people, for missionaries who are attempting to reach those people, and for the good news of Jesus to be revealed to all these groups of people.
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