Matthew 4:19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 

Jesus invites us not to be just fans, but rather followers of His!  There is a point where all of us move from an enthusiastic admirer to being all in with Jesus.  A disciple is all in to who Jesus claimed to be.  Our enthusiasm is only possible when we realize that God went all in for me!   

Q: What do you think a disciple is/does?  

Q: When you think of a “Christian,” what comes to mind?  Describe him/her. 

Looking in the Bible for a definition of the word “Christian” is really not that helpful.  But, you know what’s really interesting?  Although the word Christian is only used 3 times in the Bible, the word “Disciple” is used more than 250 times! 

Read Matthew 19:21, 27-30 

Q:  What level of sacrifice does Jesus say it takes to follow him?  

Q: A disciple of Christ is called to live all in! What hesitation or reservations might this bring? Why is it difficult to commit to being all in?  

Matthew 11:28 – Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest  

Picture oxen tied together with a yoke, plowing a field.  What does it make you think of?  What emotions does this image stir inside of you?  If you are anything like me, it makes me think of hard labor and work.  It seems kind of ironic that Jesus uses this metaphor as a picture of our relationship to him.    

Read Matthew 11:28-30  

Q: How does this passage relate to my relationship with Jesus?  

Q: The yoke teaches us that we weren’t designed to carry the yoke on our own. Jesus is the one that joins our yoke.  What would be/is your current burden? How do you normally try and relieve your burdens?  

Q:  The yoke teaches us that we are called to learn from his leading.  How does Jesus describe his teaching in these verses?  How would this of compared with the teaching of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day?  How do you interpret His teachings today?  

Q:  The yoke teaches us that Jesus does the hard work with and for us. There is a bit of irony, the yoke was an instrument for work, what rest is Jesus talking about?  If you replaced the word rest with rejuvenation, how would it change your perception of this passage? 

Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 

A disciple is all in for Jesus.   They consider the cost of following Jesus worth the reward that awaits (vs. 28-32).  An all-in disciple has an unrivalled love of Jesus (v. 26).  His first priority is to please God and every other desire and relationship fits accordingly.  An all-in disciple embraces the gospel that costs nothing but demands everything (v. 27).  An all-in disciple understands that everything is His and surrenders what others consider mine for the sake of His (v.33).  

Read Luke 14:25-33  

Q:  What point was Jesus making in his two short parables?  What did your consideration of following Jesus look like?    

Q:  Why is a hasty, emotional decision not a wise one in terms of following Jesus?  How do we personally share the gospel with others without making it sound easy and shallow?    

Q:  What three conditions did Jesus give for being his disciple?  

Q:  Explain what Jesus meant when he said his disciples must hate their families?  How can/could your relationship with Jesus compete with your relationship with your family?  

Q:  What would it mean for a disciple to carry his or her own cross?  How has sacrifice and risk been a part of following Jesus for you personally?  

Q:  How might possessions hinder a person from going all in for Jesus?  How do we move from considering my possessions as mine to His?  

Q:  Of the three conditions of a disciple found in this passage, which personally is the most challenging?  

Q: What counsel would you give to a friend who truly thought the conditions of following Jesus were too hard?  How would you explain the reward of following Him? 

Matthew 4:19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 

Read John 1:40-47, Matthew 9:9-10 and Matthew 4:12-25 

In today’s reading you will learn about Jesus beginning to share his message, as fulfilled by the prophet Isaiah. You will also see How Jesus called his disciples to get up and follow him. In was through their profession that He would explain what it meant to follow Him.  It is in this calling that He would begin to set a precedent for all people as to what it meant to surrender and live their life for Him.  This section serves as a crucial part of what it means to follow Jesus for us today.    

Q: Whom did Jesus call to be his disciples? What were they doing?   

Q: How did these men respond to the calling of Jesus? How might you have responded to Jesus calling you?  

Q: When Jesus called on his disciples to follow him, it says they left immediately and followed him. Is there something God is calling you to leave so that you can best follow him?   

Q: When you look at the lives of the disciples, how would you say their choice to be a disciple was different than a modern-day internship? What level of sacrifice did they have to give?  

Q: Being a disciple of Christ while he lived on the earth was a full-time thing. Do you think this calling has changed almost 2000 years later? If so, how?  

Q: What might it take to change our thinking from being a part-time disciple to an all-in disciple?  

Matthew 4:19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 

Matthew 4:12-25 

Q:  Discipleship is following Jesus.  Disciple making (or fishing for people) is asking others to follow you as you follow Jesus?  How are discipleship and disciple making related?  How are they different?  

Q:  Followers of Jesus fish for people.  Fishing for people is the equivalent of what Matthew shares at the end of his book, referred to as “making disciples.”  Think about this…if I am not making disciples, then I am not fishing for people. If I am not fishing for people, am I really following Jesus?  What do you think?    

Read Matthew 28:16-20  

Q: What do you think Jesus meant by He has all authority in verse 18?   

Q: What did Jesus command His followers to do and what did he promise to do?  Why is this such an important distinction?   

Q: How does it make you feel that Jesus has said He will always be with you? How does this empower you?   

Q: What fears or anxieties might you have about reaching out to people to make disciples? 

Matthew 4:19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 

Read Matthew 5:1-12  

The beatitudes present a standard that would be unreasonable for someone to achieve without grace and the assistance of God’s Holy Spirit.  The attitudes and attributes presented in this section should grow in increasing measure as we grow closer with Jesus and reflect his image.  

Q: Which of these attributes are present in your life?  In which ones do you need to grow?  

Q: What is the reward promised to the person with these attributes?  

Q: How would having these attributes make you the salt and light to the world?  

Read Matthew 5:13-16  

As long as a candle burns brightly, you cannot see the char on the wick.  Once it is extinguished, the black is obvious and ugly.  Our lives are best seen when we allow Christ to allow us to be a light to the world.  The ugliness is hidden by his beauty and we shine brightly, allowing Jesus to make sense.    

Q: As the salt of the earth we inject ourselves into not isolate ourselves from what is decaying!  What would it look like for you to inject yourself into the lives of people around you who have not said Yes to Jesus?  

Q: What opportunities are you aware of currently in which you could show love to them?  

Q: What should be the result of our good works according to this passage? (v.16)    

Matthew 4:19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 

Read Matthew 5:17-48  

Pharisees were teachers of the law who prided themselves on being perfect.  They studied the law and in their opinion and followed every detail.  They judged others by how they observed them keeping the rules, often finding their neighbor guilty of breaking the law.  

Q: What is meant by the example of washing the outside of the cup?    

Q: Have you washed the inside of your cup or are you just whitewashed on the outside?  

Q: In what sense does God compare anger to murder?  Should you be more concerned with your anger? If so, in what settings?    

Q:  Have you allowed lust to reign in your life?  If so, how can you begin eradicating it in your life?  

Q:  Do you have anyone that you struggle to pray goodwill towards or for?  If so, have you ever considered that they may be an enemy this passage is talking about?  

Matthew 4:19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 

Read Matthew 6:1-4  

Q:  How does Jesus differentiate between a right and wrong kind of giving?   

Q:  What should be our proper motive in giving?  How do we assess our motive in giving?   

Read Matthew 6:5-14  

Q: We are told to seek first the kingdom of heaven and his righteousness – how can you do this on a daily basis?  

Q: Thankfulness and recognition of what God has blessed you with is an antidote for worry and anxiety.  List three things you are thankful for today.  Make this a daily habit of thanking God for three things he has given you – realizing all you have is from him.  

Read Matthew 6:16-24  

Q: How should heavenly rewards impact our understanding of worldly wealth?  

Read Matthew 6:25-35  

Q: Worry and anxiety are sins that we often excuse because we attribute them solely to our human nature.   We think it is impossible to not worry or be anxious – it is just who we are.  What does this passage say about worry?  

Matthew 4:19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 

Read Matthew 7:1-20   

Judging others often seems to be an automatic response.   When we judge, we often compare another’s weaknesses against our strengths.  Drawing conclusions on a circumstance that we do not possess all the facts or have knowledge of motive makes us wrong many times.    

Q: Has anyone ever judged you based on a mistake, or impression, or bad decision you made?   

Q: Why do you think it’s easy for us to find flaws in other people? Why is it easy to judge someone based on what we see on the outside?  

Q: Why does God tell us not to judge?   Think of a person you have difficulty judging – how can you make steps today to correct this thinking pattern?  

Q: Ask – Seek – Knock:   This passage speaks to persistence – keep on asking; keep on seeking; keep on knocking.  How could this change the way you pray?   What are the promises for persistence?  

Matthew 4:19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 

Read Matthew 7:21-29  

Jesus tells us to have a firm foundation on the Word of God so we can recognize false prophets.  Often the false prophets in 2018 are not out and out adversarial but just ideas that do not conform to the Word of God.  Consider trends like “if it feels good do it” or “this is right for me”.  Political correctness often involves whitewashing issues that run against the Word of God and it is easy to begin to embrace these notions and make them a part of our life without realizing them.  

Q:  If the house represents the way you live your life, how important is it to have a good foundation?   

Q:  What/Who should this foundation be based on?   

Q: The firm foundation of God’s word allows our house to be brought into alignment.  What are some thought trends in society that are counter to the Word of God?    

Q: What steps should you be taking to help make sure you are building on a good foundation?   

Q:  How is your personal study and growth in the word of God?  You are doing this study guide, that is great!  Is there anything else that may help you grow in the knowledge of God and His story?  

A disciple is all in for Jesus and follows Him by knowing it, living it and giving it away! Disciples know it by embracing what Jesus taught.  God wants us to know Him, and knowing the story of Jesus is inseparable from knowing God. When we look in the Bible, we come face to face with Jesus. Disciples live it by living the way Jesus did.  God calls us to live our lives in a manner that is reflective of His life.  Once we know how Jesus lived, we can begin to imitate His life. We value community where we help each other to live and to love like Jesus.  Disciples give it away by making disciples.  God desires for us to give away the story and hope of Jesus. We must reach out to those around us—whether in our own backyard or across the globe. We’re not here for ourselves… 

Read Romans 1:16, 3:22-23, 5:6-8, 6:23, 10:9-10  

Q: What is “it” 1:16?  How does the gospel have power?  

Q:  Based upon these verses what would be a summary of the gospel (good news)?  

Q: What do these verses say about how we measure up to God’s standard of righteousness? How does that make you feel?   

Q: What do these verses say to you about who God is and how He views you?   

Q Why do you think it Is hard for some to accept God’s forgiveness as a gift?  Do you personally struggle with this and why?  

A disciple is all-in to what Jesus says in His Word.  Jesus says I am all-in if I hold to his teachings.  For us to hold to His teachings, we need to first hear His teachings!  In order to hold to His teachings I also need to heed to what He said.  Jesus is asking us to take steps of obedience in following Him and it begins with understanding His heart and His motives.  Disciples follow Jesus by holding to His truth! 

Read John 8:31-32  

Q: What condition does Jesus give for being his disciple?  What is entailed with being able to hold to His teachings? 

Read John 5:16-47  

Q:  What did the religious teachers know about Jesus?  

Q: Is it possible to know about Jesus, but not know Jesus?   

Q: How do we safeguard our lives to keep us from knowing about Jesus, but not knowing Him?  

Q: Do you think it would be easier to follow Jesus if you felt like you knew Him more? What might be keeping you from knowing more about Him?   

Read James 1:21-25  

Q:  In verse 21, what are believers to put aside or remove?  What are we to replace this filthiness with?  

Q:  What might it mean for a disciple to accept the Word that is implanted (already) in his/her life?  

Q:  What is the result of accepting the word planted in you?  How will accepting (or obeying) the Word save a disciple’s life from damage or destruction in this life?   

Q:  In what ways is only hearing the Word of God like looking in the mirror?    

Q:  Compare and contrast the hearer with the doer?  What is the result of being a doer of the word?  How can you make your personal time alone with God to be more of a doer experience than a hearer experience? 

A disciple is all-in to how Jesus lived His life.  Love is how Jesus lived and God’s indispensable quality is love.  God’s love was best demonstrated through Jesus and embracing the love of Jesus is the catalyst for our love towards others.   

Read John 13:34-35 & 1 John 4:7-11  

Q: What condition does Jesus give for being his disciple?  What does he attach to His command to love one another?  

Q:  What is a proper definition of love as defined by Jesus?  How has he modeled and demonstrated His love? How does loving others differ from always saying yes to other’s demands and being able to say no?    

Q: How does your view of yourself affect your ability to love others?  If someone is having trouble loving others, what should be the first place for them to start?  

Read Romans 12:1-2 & 2 Corinthians 3:18  

Q: What is Paul saying about transformation in these verses?   

Q: Why is it so easy to conform to what is going on in the world around you?  

Q: What challenges might you face if you are actively trying to transform your mind to live a holy life for God?   

Q: Why do you think you can be so easily de-sensitized to sin? How can you make sure you focus on being aware of this so sin doesn’t creep back into your life?   

Q: Who really helps you be able to transform to be more like Christ? 

A follower of Jesus extends what they have experienced.  The amazing grace and love of God compels us to love and extend that love to others.  Our natural inclination is to extend the kindness that we have been shown.  Our natural inclination is to extend the mercy that we have been shown.  As His children and His ambassadors, we have this message of good news that is available for all people! 

Read 2 Corinthians 5:6-21  

Q: What does Paul say to keep in perspective? Where does he say he’d prefer to be?   

Q: How might it change your perspective when you stay focused on the fact that you are only on this earth for a short time? How does thinking about eternity help you maximize your time here on earth?  

Q: What should properly motivate and compel you to love others?  

Q: How does seeing yourself as an ambassador of Christ change the manner in which you live?  

Read Matthew 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:24; Mark 6:34, 10:42-45  

Q: What do you notice about the way Jesus feels when he is confronted by the needs of others?    

Q:  Where does Jesus state that greatness is found?   

Q: What opportunities to care for others (in the past and also presently) has God placed in your path?  

Q: How do you guard your heart against becoming calloused and prejudiced in regards to the needs of others?   

Q: What personal sacrifices have you made in order to serve others?  

An all-in disciple produces lots of lasting fruit!  Producing lots of lasting fruit in my life is only possible by pursuing a friendship with Jesus.  We press into Jesus when pruning comes.  Friendship with Jesus transforms my character.  Friendship with Jesus rearranges my conduct.  God producing fruit in my life brings much attention to God and benefits the lives of other people! 

Read John 15:1-17 

Q: What condition does Jesus give for being his disciple?  What is fruit in this passage?  Why does the passage so strongly highlight the connection to the vine and remaining in him to produce fruit?    

Q:  Compare and contrast someone who decorates the outside of their life with morality or acts of service versus someone who has connected their life, mind and heart with Jesus?  

Q: We cannot bear fruit, let alone lasting fruit, if we do not remain in Jesus.  How have you seen this to be true in your life?  

Q: Friendship with Jesus is remaining connected to the vine.  What does it look like to pursue a friendship with Jesus?  

Q: The gardener prunes every branch so that it can bear more fruit.  God will never cut away anything I need but only what will hinder me from producing more good and lasting fruit.  Think back on your walk with Christ, what is something that God has pruned or you felt convicted to remove because it hindered the amount of fruit that you were able to produce?  

Q:  How has your character changed through your friendship with Jesus?  What aspect of your character is God working on at the moment?  

Q:  Conduct in this passage is making disciples.  What does it look like to make disciples? How has your conduct been rearranged (being busy about your friend’s business) through your friendship with Jesus?    

Q: Whom is one person that you would be willing to commit to pray for and actively seek to form a disciple making relationship with?    

Q:  If the fruit of your life is produced by remaining connected to the vine, how have you seen it bring much attention to God and benefit others?