Bringing a Friend to Jesus
Month 2: The King Steps Forward · Loving Others
Today's Scripture
Read together: John 1:40-42
40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus. 41 He first found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated as Christ). 42 Andrew brought him to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated as Peter).
Memory Verse
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”— John 1:29 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Deuteronomy 8-10
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 50 of 365 — Moses warns Israel to remember God in days of plenty.)The Heart of It
Andrew had just spent a day with Jesus. And the very first thing he did was go and find his brother. "He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, 'We have found the Messiah!'" Then comes the most important little line. "And he brought him to Jesus." Andrew didn't have all the answers yet. He had only known Jesus for a day. But he knew enough to grab someone he loved and bring him along. And look what came of it. The brother he brought was Simon. Jesus renamed him Peter, and one day Peter would preach to thousands. Andrew never gets famous in the story. He is almost always called "the one who brought Peter." But heaven remembers the bringers.
This is how love works in God's family. When we find something wonderful, love makes us want to share it. And the most wonderful thing we will ever find is Jesus. You don't need a seminary degree or a perfect speech to bring someone to Him. Andrew just said, "We've found Him. Come with me." The people closest to us are often the ones God puts in our reach and no one else's. They are our brothers, our sisters, our neighbors, our friends. To love others most deeply means more than being nice to them. It means wanting them to know the One who takes away the sin of the world. Today we learn from Andrew. Find someone you love, and bring them to Jesus.
Around the Table
Andrew was so happy about Jesus that he ran to get his brother. When you love someone, you want them to know about Jesus too!
Let's do it: Take someone's hand and gently "bring" them across the room. Say, "Come meet Jesus! He's the best!"
Andrew had only known Jesus for one day, but he still went and got his brother. You don't have to know everything to introduce a friend to Jesus.
Let's talk: Who is one friend or family member you'd love to know Jesus? What could you say to them?
Andrew is mostly remembered as "the one who brought Peter." Quiet faithfulness behind the scenes can change history in ways we never see.
Let's go deeper: Sharing Jesus can feel scary. What makes it hard for you? And what did Andrew show us about keeping it simple?
💬 Conversation Starter
When you discover something amazing, like a game, a snack, or a song, who's the first person you run to tell? Why them?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
People sometimes think you have to be an expert to talk about your faith. But Andrew shows us the opposite. You simply share what you've found, and you invite someone to meet Jesus for themselves. Sharing the gospel is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. It is honest, humble, and within anyone's reach.
For Dad · Go Deeper
Notice that the Gospel spread through relationships from its very first day. Andrew went to Simon. Philip went to Nathanael. It moved brother to brother and friend to friend. The most natural mission field your children will ever have is the people who already love them. Your task isn't to turn them into pressuring salesmen. It is to cultivate hearts so glad about Jesus that sharing Him feels like sharing good news, not selling a product. And it begins at home. Are you an Andrew to your own children, gently and persistently bringing them to Jesus, and not just to church or to good behavior? Remember too that Andrew brought Peter, then stepped into the background. Faithful fathers do a lot of bringing and very little spotlight-seeking. Pray for the "Peters" your quiet, ordinary children may one day become. And keep doing the unglamorous, eternal work of bringing people to Jesus.
Draws on: Rebecca Manley Pippert, Out of the Saltshaker and Into the World; Mark Dever, The Gospel and Personal Evangelism.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You for everyone who brought us to Jesus. Make us like Andrew. Make us so glad about You that we can't help inviting others. Put a friend on each of our hearts, and help us bring them to You. In Jesus' name, amen."
Like Andrew, I don't need all the answers. I just need to bring someone I love to Jesus.