"Follow Me" — Jesus Calls Friends
Month 5: Jesus — God With Us · Loving Others
Today's Scripture
Read together: Matthew 4:18-22
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 And at once they left their nets and followed Him. 21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.
Memory Verse
“And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!””— Matthew 3:17 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: 2 Samuel 22–24; Psalm 57
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time.The Heart of It
Jesus could have started His work all alone. Instead, almost the first thing He did was gather some friends. He was walking by the Sea of Galilee. He saw two brothers, Peter and Andrew, throwing their fishing nets. He called out, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men" (). A little farther on, He called James and John. They were mending their nets with their father. And here is the wonder. "They immediately left their nets and followed Him." Jesus didn't pick the famous or the powerful. He chose ordinary working men. And He chose to do His work together with them.
That tells us something beautiful about Jesus, and about us. He came to be "God with us." He builds a family of followers, not a crowd of strangers. He still says, "Follow Me." And He still means the same thing. Come walk with Me, and I'll teach you to bring others along too. "Fishers of men" simply means people who help other people find Jesus. Your kids don't have to wait until they're grown to do that. We love others the way Jesus did in small ways. We invite a lonely classmate to play. We tell a friend why our family loves Jesus. We are the kind of friend who points toward Him. Following Jesus is never a trip we take alone. He calls us, and then He sends us to others.
Around the Table
Jesus made friends! He said, "Follow Me," and the fishermen came right away.
Let's do it: Play follow-the-leader around the room, then say, "We follow Jesus!"
"Fishers of men" means helping other people get to know Jesus.
Let's talk: Who is one friend you could invite to church or tell about Jesus?
Jesus chose ordinary people, not celebrities. He called them to follow Him and to bring others along too.
Let's go deeper: What might it cost you to "leave your nets" and put following Jesus first?
💬 Conversation Starter
Who is the best friend-maker you know? What do they do that makes people feel welcome? Jesus was the very best at this.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Some people ask why we'd trust the word of fishermen about Jesus. But that's part of what makes them strong witnesses. These plain, unschooled men knew Jesus firsthand. They walked with Him for years. And later they died rather than deny what they saw. People who saw it with their own eyes, and had nothing to gain, make some of the best witnesses of all. ()
For Dad · Go Deeper
In the Gospels, discipleship is about relationship before it is about information. Jesus "called to Him those He Himself wanted… that they might be with Him" (). Mission flowed out of being with Him. That's the order for your home too. Your children become followers of Jesus mostly by being with people who follow Jesus closely, starting with you. Don't outsource it to programs alone. The everyday rhythm of walking, eating, and talking with Christ together is exactly how He made disciples. And notice His tenderness. He met these men in their ordinary work and gave it new meaning. Jesus does the same with our ordinary, unglamorous days as parents.
Draws on: Sam Rainer, The Surprising Return of the Local Church.
Let's Pray Together
"Jesus, thank You for calling ordinary people to follow You. Thank You for calling us too. Make our family good friends who help others find You. Show us someone to love and invite this week. In Your name, amen."
Following Jesus means walking with Him. And it means bringing others along with us.