Don’t forget to record your impressions and read the ideas outlined in the new Come, Follow Me manuals on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Bible Video
Scripture Insight
This week’s scriptural insight comes from Verse by Verse: Volume 1 by Andrew C. Skinner and D. Kelly Ogden.
Corn is a British English word meaning grain, which is the meaning also of the Greek term. Passing through a field of grain and being hungry, Jesus and disciples rubbed grain in their hands, which some rabbis considered threshing, and blew the chaff away, which the same rabbis considered winnowing, causing Jesus and his disciples to desecrate the Sabbath—according to those Jewish leaders. What they had done was actually not against the law but specifically provided for: “When thou comest into the standing corn [Hebrew, “grain”] of thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbor’s standing corn” (Deuteronomy 23:25). In fact, that is still the custom in modern Israel.
Study Ideas
These ideas and topics are compiled from Come, Follow Me and have been adapted for specific situations. Check out the manuals online for more ideas, or come up with your own as you study!
For couples:
This week’s study focuses a lot on the mission of the original apostles. After reading this week’s chapters, consider spending some time as a couple reviewing the direction that the Lord gave His apostles in the New Testament and review some of the counsel that modern-day apostles have given us today. You may even want to pick one piece of counsel or a challenge from the most recent conference to work on together as a couple this week.
For singles:
Consider gathering a study group this week and focusing on Matthew 10:17–20. These verses counsel the apostles that they will be interrogated because of their faith, which is something that can still happen today. As you read these verses together, you might observe how the Lord instructed the apostles to handle these situations and take turns sharing experiences of when you have been felt persecuted for your faith and how you handled it. What can you learn from the scriptures and each other’s experiences? Perhaps you can take time to write down some of these experiences when you are done discussing.
For families with young children:
Consider focusing on Matthew 11:28–30 during your family study this week. The image of oxen in the Come, Follow Me–For Individuals and Families may provide a good illustration of these scriptures to your children and may even lend itself to an object lesson by having your children try to pull something heavy by themselves and then with someone else. As you focus on these scriptures, you could emphasize that just as they need help sometimes, so do you, and Jesus is there to help us all do hard things.
For families with teens:
How to keep the Sabbath day holy is an individual and family decision. As you read this week’s chapters, consider focusing on the difference between the way that the Pharisees viewed the Sabbath and the way that the Lord viewed it. This might be a great time to discuss with your children what the purpose of the Sabbath is and begin to (or continue to) give them opportunities to make their own decisions about the appropriateness of the activities they choose to participate in on the Sabbath. Perhaps you can discuss with each other what traditions or rules your family has around the Sabbath that might be distracting you from its real purpose and counsel together on how to adjust them.
Stay in the loop on Come, Follow Me discussions and insights throughout the week by following the Brightly BeamsInstagram account, or check out this week's related Come, Follow Me FHE lesson: He Will Give You Rest.
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