Sent Out to Follow and to Send
Month 12: Risen & Sending · Family Worship
Today's Scripture
Read together: Matthew 28:18-20 & John 20:21
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” — Matthew 28:18-20
21 Again Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you.” — John 20:21
Memory Verse
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””— Matthew 28:19-20 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Revelation 20-22
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Day 365 of 365 — the very end: a new heaven, a new earth, and "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!)The Heart of It
Here we are, the last day of the year. And the whole story comes to rest in two short sentences from the risen Jesus. To His gathered friends He breathes, "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you" (). And on the mountain He commands, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations." Put those two together and you have the shape of the Christian life. We are followers who become senders. Jesus found us so that we could go and help others find Him. Every disciple is a sent one. The same Father who sent the Son into the world now sends us. He sends us by the Spirit, under the authority of the King, with the promise that Jesus is "with you always, even to the end of the age."
That is where a whole year in the Gospels has been pointing. We started with a baby in Bethlehem. We walked the dusty roads with Jesus. We watched His teaching, His miracles, His cross, His empty tomb. And it all lands right here. Follow Me, and I will send you. The Christian story doesn't end with us safely tucked away. It ends with us sent out in joy. So as this book closes, the mission opens. Keep following Jesus. Keep being filled with His Spirit. And keep handing this good news on to the next person, the next child, the next generation. A disciple who makes disciples. That has been the goal all along. And by God's grace, that is who your family is becoming.
Around the Table
Jesus says, "I send you!" That means He has a job for you. Follow Him, and tell others that He loves them. And He is with you every single day!
Let's do it: March in place and chant together, "I follow Jesus, and Jesus sends me!"
Jesus found us so we could help others find Him. We follow Him, and we send the good news to others.
Let's talk: Looking back over this whole year, what is one thing about Jesus you most want to tell someone else?
"As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." The mission flows from the Father, through Jesus, to us, by the Spirit. Followers become senders.
Let's go deeper: Now that the year is over, what does it look like for you, not just Mom and Dad, to live as someone Jesus has sent?
💬 Conversation Starter
We have spent a whole year following Jesus together! What is your single favorite thing you learned about Him? And who could you share it with this week?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says… "Christianity only survives because parents pass it to their kids — it's just inherited, not true." Kindly: every belief gets passed along by the people who hold it. Even atheism does. That is how all knowledge travels, and it says nothing about whether a thing is true. And Christianity actually spread fastest among adults who had never heard it. They were won over by eyewitnesses to the resurrection. We don't pass on our faith just because it's a family tradition. We pass it on because we are convinced Jesus really rose, really reigns, and really sends us (). And we always invite. We never force. Because real faith is a free, willing "yes" to Jesus.
For Dad · Go Deeper
You've reached the end of a year of leading family worship. That is no small thing. Let the final word be both a sending and an encouragement. The Great Commission is not a program. It is a way of life that begins at your own table and ripples outward. The most strategic mission field you will ever steward is the small congregation that calls you "Dad." But hear this clearly, in the Arminian, gospel-first lane we have walked all year. You cannot decide your children into the kingdom, and you were never meant to. Salvation is God's gracious gift. It is received by a real and free response of faith. Your calling is to keep setting Jesus before them. Keep being filled with the Spirit yourself. Keep inviting, warmly and without pressure. Then trust the Lord of the harvest with the increase. Whatever this year held, whether full days, missed days, or distracted days, Jesus' last promise still stands over your home. "Lo, I am with you always." Keep following. Keep sending. He is with you to the very end.
Draws on: Voddie Baucham, Family Driven Faith; and the whole counsel of "A Daily Disciple."
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You for this whole year of walking with Jesus. You sent Your Son, and now He sends us. Fill our family with Your Spirit. Give us courage to go. Help us follow Jesus all our days. And help us lead others to follow Him too. You are with us always. In Jesus' name. Amen."
Jesus found me so He could send me. I'll follow Him all my life and help others do the same.