Take a Second for Come Follow Me

Paul retells his experience on the road to Damascus twice in this week's Come Follow Me chapters. He is going to share his testimony with the same mob that tried to kill him in Acts 21 as well as King Agrippa II -- who happens to be the great-grandson of the Herod that killed all of the children in an attempt to stop the coming Messiah. What do you make of Agrippa's statement: "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian."? Do you think he was saying that Paul and nearly convinced him? Or, like some modern-day translators, do you think he was being sarcastic? As a teaching idea for Come Follow Me this week, whether in your family or a gospel doctrine class, ask your class how they might describe a group of people that had nearly beaten them to a pulp. Notice what Paul calls the mob in Acts 22. Why does Paul choose those three words to describe his persecutors? What do you learn about Paul from that verse? In what ways is Paul teaching us about Jesus Christ in that single verse?

Stephen becomes the first martyr after the Resurrection / Saul becomes Paul / Ananias is tested Wow, there is so much going on this week. For example, we will dive into the fact that the Lord doesn't expect Saul to change at his core, but rather, take who he already is as an individual and simply align that with Gospel principles. We will discuss how often the Lord allows us to test our faith because of the people we are around. So, thanks for joining us and lets get going.

The book of Acts (or Acts of the Apostles) is perhaps one of the most applicable and significant books of scripture for Latter-day Saints. When we discuss the "restoration" of Christ's New Testament Church, it is the model established in Acts that we are referring to. It is the model of a Church led by the Savior Jesus Christ through Apostolic keys.This week we have the opportunity to discuss prophetic process to revelation, prophetic fallibility, Pentecost, changing Church culture and challenges to growth, as well as the personal accountability to being honest with Priesthood leaders and others in our lives.

The empty tomb is the most significant symbol in Latter-day Saint theology -- in any Christian theology really! The Resurrection of the Lord, Jesus Christ, makes God's plan possible. It may well be the most overlooked and under-appreciated doctrine. And yet, the act of breaking the bonds of death is the central act making our return to live with God possible.

We get to begin our study of the last week of the Savior's mortal ministry and the important teachings leading up to the Lord's atoning sacrifice.

What became of the rich young ruler that went sad after the Savior invited him to give away all that he had? A great teaching idea for this week's Come Follow Me discussion would be to give the class (or your family) the opportunity to write out three different endings to the story: (1) he goes home and does it right away (just because he was sad doesn't mean he didn't do what the Savior asked him to do); (2) he goes home and refuses at first, but eventually does it; (3) he never gives it away. Talk about what outcomes might come from each possible outcome and why?Have you ever wished that you could have joined the Church later in life so that you might have had the chance to experienced a little bit of sin before making your covenants with the Lord? Well, if you have, you certainly are not alone. However, you might change your mind after today's discussion about the parable of the Laborers.

The lost parables provide significant perspective on how God expects His disciples to feel towards the repentant sinner -- even those that haven't completed the repentance process yet. Additionally, Stuart and I discuss whether or not we believe there is a flock of 99. Is it possible that this flock that "needs no repentance" is a myth that Jesus was using to grab the Pharisees' attention?

Take a Second for Come Follow Me. This week we go through the Savior's counsel on how to get a testimony of his doctrine and His gentle concern for the woman caught in adultery and the hypocritical Pharisees.

The Good Samaritan. How do you read this story? Is it about how you should treat others? Is the story about Jesus saving Adam and Eve from the effects of the Fall? Stuart and I go into both possibilities. Below are the links that I mention in the video.Forgive others video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne1LVbLPA98Jack Welch's article: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2007/02/the-good-samaritan-forgotten-symbols?lang=eng

"Why teach in parables? To hide the real meaning. That's right. To hide the meaning. Why would Jesus want to hide the meaning of his parables from the people listening?"What a great conversation that might be in a Come Follow Me discussion group this week. If you have any ideas, please leave them in the comments below. Please make sure to check out the link to the Joseph Smith quotes about the parables and how the connect to the restoration of the gospel. You can find them in the Come Follow Me 2023 manual for Individuals and Families. Also, you should check out this video on the parable of the wheat and tares. (You can skip the first few seconds with clips of bugs) Your class/family might enjoy it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K301BL0-vKs

Hey everyone, welcome back to Take a Second for Come Follow Me. So glad we get to join you for a little Come Follow Me study this week. This week we get to talk about coming to Christ for yourself; how John the Baptist was more than just a prophet; sign seeking vs. sign recognizing; easy and heavy burdens; and so much more.

Today we get to discuss the woman with the issue of blood, Jarius' daughter, and access to God's power. The healing power of Jesus Christ is a fundamental part of the gospel message from the New Testament. He went around healing physical issues as evidence of His ultimate mission to remedy all spiritual ailments. In Mark 5, there is an account of two unique girls/women. One, having suffered with a bleeding issue for over 12 years and the second facing a much more recent, but also more life-threatening illness. Jesus Christ comes to the aid of the second, but the first woman seeks Christ.

Jesus Christ is THE healer. President Howard W. Hunter said that anything Christ touches lives. This week we get to spend time focusing on a number of different circumstances where President Hunter's words are realized. As you study the Savior's healing touch, ask yourself, "Out of all the miracles that Jesus Christ must have performed during his ministry, why did this one make it into the recorded word of God?" In each of these experiences, there is something for us to learn about the Savior and our relationship with Him.

The Sermon on the Mount PART 2! As the Savior continues His sermon, it is important to remember that there is no break in the sermon between chapter 5 and 6 or 6 and 7. Scholars have broken the sermon into chapters to make reading and digesting the sermon easier. The themes, however likely carry through from chapter to chapter. With that in mind, we should consider the apparent contradiction in the Savior's message. In chapter 5, Jesus said, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. . . . Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works..." (vs 14, 16)Then, in chapter 6, he says that we should serve others and say our prays in secret and not let anyone know when we are fasting.Well what is it? Should we do our good works in public or should we keep them hidden? In this discussion, Stuart and I discuss this and the impact of our motivations on our good works as well as a tip from Elder Robert D. Hales on how to measure our motives. Another great point from this epic sermon is the idea of judging others. The Joseph Smith Translation seems to make allowances for "righteous" judgment, but what is that and what does it look like?

What is your favorite beatitude? If you could pick one to perfect, which one would it be and why? Leave a comment below and see if you choose the same one as others.Is it the Sermon on the Mount? or the Sermon on the Plain? Was it the same sermon or different sermons or the same sermon given at two different times? Do you ever wonder if we are asking the wrong questions? Maybe, just maybe, it would be more worth while if we started asking how we are doing at living the sermon rather than debating the location of the sermon. Well, in this episode of Take a Second for Come Follow Me, Brother Black and I will delve into both sets of questions. This week, we get to study the introduction to the Savior's great sermon (all geography aside).

John most significant purpose was to show that Jesus Christ was God made flesh. After illustrating that Jesus was both with God and was God in the premortal life, John begins his record with a number of signs (or miracles) that demonstrate the Savior's power over the elements and his ability to know the individuals He teaches as only a God can know them. Today we will cover the account of Jesus turning water into wine at the marriage in Cana and highlight the faith of the servants. These unnamed stalwarts provide a great example of acting in faith even in the absence of evidence. Then, Brother Black and I briefly touch on some insights we found about Christ from His interaction with Nicodemus. There are some incredible insights about the Holy Ghost and what we can look for in our own lives when trying to identify the Spirit's influence. Finally, we get to dive into the Savior's conversation with the woman at the well. It is no coincidence that the woman is a Samaritan and that the Savior found a quiet opportunity to approach her privately, without the intrusive and possibly judgmental looks and questions of others.

This week in Come Follow Me, we get to discuss the temptations of Christ, His early disciples, and the beginning stages of the Savior's ministry. There are several instructive patterns in the experiences that Jesus Christ has with the adversary in Matthew 4 & Luke 4. Notice the kind of temptations; consider the reasons that it would be wrong for Jesus to act on the temptations (i.e. is there anything inherently evil about turning stones into bread -- nope); notice the Savior's method for escaping temptation and overcoming the adversary.Brother Black and I also discuss some of the interesting facts about the Savior's ministry.

Introduction to Mark and why he wrote his Gospel. Mark was very intentional about how he introduced us to Jesus Christ. We also address the baptism of Jesus Christ and why He was baptized with the people and in the same manner as the people. On the covenant path, Christ is both a traveler and the guide. This week we get to focus on Jesus' invitation to leave behind our daily worries and take upon us His cross and burdens.

John is the most unique of the four gospels. Nearly 90% of his material is unique to himself. His writing style is interesting because he never refers to himself by name and he does not try and offer a historical approach to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Instead, John tries to establish the divinity of Christ by showing his God-like power in mortality. It is quite apparent, more so than in the other gospel, that John is writing from a post-resurrection perspective. Take for example, the additional commentary whenever Judas Iscariot is mentioned. It is clear that, by the time John is writing his gospel, Judas has betrayed the Savior and John is not trying to withhold that until the event in the record.

There are so many different ideas surrounding the nativity of Jesus Christ, and many of them cannot be found in the scriptures. In addition to the things that we add to the story that are not there, it seems surprising how many people we overlook or misread when examining the birth-story of our Savior.One of the most powerful teaching tools when approaching the scriptures is to place yourself in the story. Find circumstances that are similar to where you find yourself in this moment. Do you feel like you have been waiting for a certain blessing for a very long time -- maybe so long that you are not sure it is ever going to come? Well, then pay special attention to Anna in Luke 2 this week. Or, on the other hand, maybe you feel like you have been trying so hard to find the Savior, but it just seems like it is just too hard or too far away. Then your story lines up with the wise men. Whatever story you resonate with this week, spend some time considering what those individuals did to find the Christ-child. And remember the fact that everyone searching for Jesus Christ with pure intentions finds Him.

As we move into the New Testament this year for Come Follow Me, don't forget what you learned and loved from the Old Testament. There is a good chance it will come back and bless you this year as you study the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and His Apostles.

The Old Testament Prophet, Malachi, is really known for two things: 1) tithing and 2) family history. But there is so much lost when we remove those two teachings from the context of Malachi's message. There is a thread that weaves itself through the entire book about returning to God and coming to know God as our Father. 

Haggai returned to Jerusalem after the long exile in Babylon and, like his fellow Jews, was thrilled to begin the process of rebuilding the temple. He begins to preach repentance to the people when let off on the process and begin to focus more on their own situations and houses than the Lord's House. Zechariah adds some great and powerful insights on the temple and its purpose for the Lord's disciples.

We are going to focus on the many facets of God's personality through the eyes of the both the wicked and the just.

The Old Testament prophet, Amos, has two very familiar and popular scriptures (Amos 3:7 and Amos 8:11). It is important to remember that, while the individual verses are powerful, understanding the context and the surrounding verses adds even more depth and meaning.

We get to see the gentle side of the Savior in this week's podcast. For all the talk about a merciless Jehovah, that is not what comes to the surface this week through the words of two Old Testament prophets. Hosea and Joel both point out that, even though we have no claim on the Lord's mercy because we have repeatedly broken our covenants with Him, the Lord promises to extend mercy and love for ever.

Daniel is such a great story for 21st Century Latter-day Saints. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah are young men living "behind enemy lines," as President Boyd K. Packer put it -- literally. Despite the efforts of the Babylonian government to babylonianize them, these young men provide us with the model of how to live in Babylon without sacrificing the standards of the Lord. They do a great job of holding to their standards while still building solid and healthy relationships with those that don't hold the same religious beliefs. In this episode, we dive into why staying true to our standards is so important by examining what Daniel's dedication and determination made possible for him later in life.

We are taking a new spin on our podcast today. We are going to try and hit as many power scriptures from Ezekiel as possible. So, while we don't spend as much time with each scripture block, Stuart and I were able to cover way more of Ezekiel's teachings. So, enjoy the ride as we explore the insights and principles of the gospel through the teachings of the deported prophet Ezekiel.

What does it mean to vote with your feet or put your money where your mouth is? Well, however you describe those two common phrases, that is exactly what Jeremiah does in this weeks Come Follow Me chapters. Even though Jeremiah knows that he will not see Jerusalem freed from its Babylonian bondage, he steps up and purchases land as the ultimate vote of confidence in the Lord's promise of eventual redemption. Because of his faith in the Lord's promises, Jeremiah is able to retain his hope even while lamenting (Lamentations). As you go through the chapters this week, pay close attention to the "I will" promises that the Lord gives to the faithful. Jeremiah's purchase of the land is also a beautiful type and shadow of Christ. As you read, consider the role of Jeremiah redeeming the inheritances of his cousin from within prison. Such a great story. I am sure you will love the insights from the end of Jeremiah and the book of Lamentations this week.

What difference does it make when you understand that God knows you perfectly when you consider the circumstances (both pleasant and otherwise) of your life? Neal A. Maxwell assured us that God "has given at least equal attention to placement of each of us in precise human orbits" as He gave to the placement of the star that whose light would signal the birth of His Son in Bethlehem. One of the great lessons from Jeremiah is the fact that God knows each of us and has placed us in "human orbits" meant to perfectly take advantage of our talents and abilities as well as serve as the necessary mortal tutorials.

Today we get to focus on the fast and the sabbath day and I have a confession to make about fasting. These two critical aspects of our worship are often overlooked as ways to center our lives on Christ and to find the strength we need to endure to the end. This week in Come Follow Me, we will also dive into the Savior's return in robes of red and the symbolic connection between His red robes and our white robes of righteousness.

Today, Stuart and I dive into some of what I consider the most “Christian” of the Old Testament verses and prophecies of Isaiah.While I see Jesus Christ in the 53rd Chapter of Isaiah, I also understand that entire religions don't read these verses and see the connection to Jesus that I see. I fully admit that I intentionally look for the Savior in these Old Testament passages and, largely because of that effort, I feel a deep connection to the verses that so vividly point to His suffering in my behalf. His willingness to pay for my redemption with His life and His death.

Teaching tip for these chapters: Find a theme and run with it. Stuart and I both got excited about some of the themes from these chapters in Isaiah. If you are struggling to teach the Isaiah chapters for Come Follow Me in you ward, family, or just a small group, consider focusing on just one theme and then exploring it. Don't worry about the different paths that Isaiah might take away from what you are focusing on. You won't have time to cover everything anyway.

There is always something new in the book of Isaiah, and this week was no different for me. Stuart and I get to discuss some new ideas within the words of Isaiah with the story of Eliakim and Shebna. Eliakim is a type and shadow of the Savior, Jesus Christ.

There are so many reasons to look forward to the writings of Isaiah. While there are several sections of the book of Isaiah that are difficult to figure out or completely wrap my head around, that should not diminish our excitement about the rest of the book. These earliest chapters are some of my favorite. I am sorry for the background noise. Somehow, the microphone settings got skewed and captured way too much background sound in the student lounge at the Pocatello Institute. Thanks for joining us on Take a Second for Come Follow Me and the first week of Isaiah. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.

Proverbs is filled with little flecks of gold nuggets of wisdom. However, many of them may seem so small or trivial that some might miss the benefits. One challenge to these words of wisdom is the fact that we often struggle to see the wisdom due to living in a mortal or fallen world -- "under the sun" as the author of Ecclesiastes put it. The messiness of mortality can cause some of us to feel like God is not listening and not keeping his promises. We address these concerns and some of our favorite nuggets in this episode of Take a Second for Come Follow Me.

In this episode we dive into reasons that we can trust God to forgive and why God is so good at forgiving. With perfect understanding of not only what we do, but also why we do the things we do, God is in a perfect position to exercise patience and forgiveness when we do not measure up to our full potential (which is always and it is also okay).We also address the Psalmists effort in 136 to drill into our minds the fact that "his mercy endureth forever" and how we can do a better job of exercising faith in God. As we remember what God has done for us in the past, we will be more prepared to exercise faith in Him moving forward.

Stuart and I dive into Psalms 51. This Psalm gives us a very personal look into David's emotions after his reality check with the prophet, Nathan. Perhaps for the first time, David saw his sins clearly because of the prophet's personal parable. It may have been the first time that David really considered the trauma that he had inflicted on so many people. As you read Psalm 51 for Come Follow Me this week, consider all of the things that David asks the Lord to do for him. Then ask the following questions: 1) what does the request tell you about how David is feeling? 2) What does each request teach us about the actual consequence of sinful behavior? 3) What does the request teach us about how Christ can help us in our own situations? Finally, make sure you spend some time with verses 16 and 17. Ask yourself why Christ wants us to do things in the gospel such as ordinances, ministering, and repenting on a regular basis. Why did he want people in David's day to make sacrifices? It wasn't because the sacrifice actually made repentance possible. The whole focus was meant to bring the people closer to God and help them build a relationship with Him.

There are so many reasons to look forward to the writings of Isaiah. While there are several sections of the book of Isaiah that are difficult to figure out or completely wrap my head around, that should not diminish our excitement about the rest of the book. These earliest chapters are some of my favorite. I am sorry for the background noise. Somehow, the microphone settings got skewed and captured way too much background sound in the student lounge at the Pocatello Institute. Thanks for joining us on Take a Second for Come Follow Me and the first week of Isaiah. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.