"If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31-32)

"If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31-32).

To "follow the Lord" is to acknowledge, obey, act and live from Him (see Apocalypse Explained 864).

How can we become disciples or followers of the Lord? We do not have the Lord present with us in the way the twelve disciples and other followers did. But we do have the Lord’s teachings in His Word, showing us what is good and true. If we listen to the Lord speaking in His Word, we will be instructed just as Peter, John, James, and the others were. And though we cannot follow the Lord physically as He journeyed through Galilee and into Jerusalem, the Lord is leading us throughout our lives. He cares for us tenderly, ever trying to help us see the truth that can make us free (John 8:32). It is when we commit out lives to the Lord’s truths that we become His disciples and begin to experience the true freedom that can only come from following Him.

Highlights for this month include

Quotes from the Lord's Word about the Disciples and Discipleship

"Follow Me" a sermon by the Rev. Peter M. Buss, Jr.
Are we willing to keep the commandments of the Lord and allow Him to direct our day to day lives with the same level of devotion as the disciples?

Prayers for Teens on Being True Disciples of the Lord

An Overview of Projects and Activities for Families
Projects and activities about The Lord Calls His Disciples, Sending Out the Disciples, Helping Establish a New Church, Becoming a Disciple of the Lord, and The Church. 

"The Story of the Twelve Apostles" a talk for children by an unknown author.

 Disciples of the Lord Mobile Project (for ages 9-12) (PDF)
Print out the figures of the twelve disciples and follow the directions to assemble into a mobile, first writing the name of each disciples on the back. Note: Ths project is part of series of Family Lessons with a family talk and activities for five different age levels. 

 The Twelve Disciples song by Lori Odhner (PDF) 

 Follow Me Project (for ages 4-7) (PDF)
When the Lord called Simon and his brother, Andrew, they immediately left their fishing nets and followed Him. Children can illustrate this with a collage made with a slit between a boat and the Lord. Attach Simon and Andrew to a craft stick to move them along the slit and reenact the story.

 Food for Thought on Discipleship (for teens and adults) (PDF)
Read quotations from the New Testament and from the Heavenly Doctrine relating to discipleship and then answer the True-False questions as a springboard for discussion.

 Sending the Disciples Throughout Heaven (for all ages) (PDF)
Make a collage of the Lord sending out His twelve disciples in heaven to preach the gospel that "The Lord God Jesus Christ reigns."

 Sunday School Lesson on the First Disciples (for ages 6-9) (PDF)
This lesson from the Glenview New Church suggests making a simple collage of the Lord calling Peter and Andrew, using paper, goldfish crackers, netting (from a bag of onions or purchased from fabric store), and other materials.