Bring Someone with You
Posted by Karah
Pause
Thank God for how He is transforming you. Ask Him to give you a heart for those who need to know Jesus.
The last few weeks, you’ve learned that Jesus’ followers are transformed by the Holy Spirit, called to a new way of life, and humbly aware that their salvation is found in Christ—not their own merit, effort, or good works. Today, you’ll learn another important truth about disciples: they bring people to Jesus. Read John 1:35-42 in your Bible.
“He first found his own brother Simon and told him, ‘We have found the Messiah!’ (which means “Anointed One”), and he brought Simon to Jesus. When Jesus saw him, He said, ‘You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas’ (which means “Rock”).” —John 1:41-42
Next to each quote below, record why it was an important step in the process of Andrew bringing Simon to Jesus:
“followed Jesus” (v. 37)-
“Rabbi, where are you staying?” (v. 38)-
“stayed with Him that day” (v. 39)-
“found his own brother” (v. 41)-
“brought Simon to Jesus” (v. 42)-
Andrew met the Messiah and couldn’t keep the good news to himself. Who has been an Andrew in your life? How?
Andrew didn’t try to reason or argue his brother into believing. He simply invited Peter to come and see. What might be some ways we could invite people to come and experience Jesus for themselves?
Respond
Think about the people who have been Andrews in your life. Thank God for each one. Consider thanking those people personally.
Who are the people in your life who need to experience Jesus? Pray for each one by name, asking God for opportunities to share your hope in Christ.
Sharing your faith isn’t about browbeating, arguing, or using guilt to force someone to accept Jesus’ invitation. It’s about presenting Jesus and trusting the Holy Spirit to do the work of changing hearts. Ask God to prepare peoples’ hearts and give you the opportunity to talk to them about Jesus.
For further study, read Matthew 28:16-20 and Mark 2:1-12.
Behind the Story
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the Synoptic Gospels (“synoptic” means “seen together” or “seen with”). These three Gospels tend to view Jesus’s life and ministry from the same angle. John approached the story from an entirely different angle and uses a very different writing style than the other Gospels. Earlier this week in Mark 1, we studied Jesus calling Andrew and Simon as they were fishing. Many scholars believe that the event in Mark and the one in John’s Gospel describe two separate events with John recounting the disciples’ conversion and Mark recording their call to service.
The Point
Disciples bring others to Jesus.
Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Camp Ridgecrest Alumni and Friends, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Weekly Devotions