Looking Ahead: Following Jesus the Teacher
Month 3: Come, Follow Me · Family Worship
Today's Scripture
Read together: Mark 3:14 & Matthew 5:1-2
14 He appointed twelve of them, whom He designated as apostles, to accompany Him, to be sent out to preach, — Mark 3:14
1 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain and sat down. His disciples came to Him, 2 and He began to teach them, saying: — Matthew 5:1-2
Memory Verse
“He appointed twelve of them, whom He designated as apostles, to accompany Him, to be sent out to preach,”— Mark 3:14 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: 2 Samuel 24; 1 Kings 1-2
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 90 of 365 — the kingdom passes to Solomon as David's life closes.)The Heart of It
Tonight closes our month and opens a door. Jesus chose the Twelve "that they might be with Him." Then He sat them down to learn (). In , He goes up the mountain. His disciples gather close, and "He opened His mouth and taught them" (). The men who left their nets are about to hear the most famous teaching ever given. It's the Sermon on the Mount. They followed first. Now they listen. That is the shape of the whole journey ahead of us. We come to Jesus, and then He begins to teach us how to live.
The word "disciple" simply means learner. A disciple is someone who stays close enough to the Teacher to be changed by what He says. Notice the order in . With Him comes before sent out. Jesus doesn't hand us a list of rules from a distance. He draws us near and teaches us with love, so His words reshape our hearts from the inside. As we step into the next chapter of this devotional, we are not graduating from "follow." We're going deeper into it. We're sitting down at the feet of Jesus to learn what life in His kingdom really looks like. The best is still ahead.
Around the Table
Jesus picked twelve friends to be with Him. And then He taught them. He wants to teach us too!
Let's do it: Sit down close together like the disciples did, and say: "Teach us, Jesus, we're listening!"
A "disciple" means a learner. Jesus' friends followed Him first, then sat down to learn from Him.
Let's talk: What is one thing you'd love to learn from Jesus this coming month?
The order matters: "with Him" comes before "sent out." Being near Jesus comes before doing things for Him.
Let's go deeper: Why does Jesus put being with Him first? How could you stay closer to Him as our family starts the next part of this journey?
💬 Conversation Starter
Who is a teacher or coach you really listened to? Why did you trust them enough to do what they said? Jesus is the Teacher worth listening to most of all.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
People of many beliefs admire Jesus as a great teacher. But a merely good teacher doesn't claim to forgive sins or rise from the dead. Jesus did both. We can be gentle and confident here. His teaching is wonderful precisely because He is exactly who He said He was ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
It's easy to rush past a month like this one. But a deliberate "looking ahead" night sets your family's expectations for what's coming. The Sermon on the Mount is just over the horizon. It is not a self-improvement program. It is Jesus describing the life of the kingdom for people He has already called His own. That sequence is belong, then become. It guards your home from two ditches. On one side is cold legalism. On the other is cheap, undemanding faith. Your kids learn obedience best not as a price for acceptance, but as the natural fruit of being near Jesus. As you lead them into Christ's teaching in the weeks ahead, take a learner's posture yourself. A father who is still sitting at the Teacher's feet is the most persuasive sermon your children will ever hear.
Draws on: John Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You for teaching us to follow Jesus. Draw us close to Him. Help us be with Him before we ever try to do anything for Him. Open our ears to His words. Make our hearts ready to obey. In Jesus' name, amen."
A disciple is a learner. So I'll stay close to Jesus and let His words change me.