The Gospel of John- Part 4: Jesus Calls His Disciples - John 1v35-51// January 25th, 2026
Teaching overview
Riley Taylor’s sermon on John 1:35–51 explored the calling of Jesus’s first disciples and what it truly means to follow Him today. Riley emphasized that everyone is being shaped by something, and discipleship to Jesus is an intentional, life-shaping relationship that disrupts old patterns, reorients our hopes, and invites us to trust the God who already knows and seeks us. The invitation was to move from passive formation by culture to active apprenticeship under Jesus as our true Rabbi.
Our prayer for your Community
Jesus, help us to see clearly who or what has been shaping our lives, and give us the courage to choose You as our true Rabbi. This week, lead us from passivity into intentional following, trusting that You already know us, seek us, and are at work transforming us.
Group questions and further meditations:
Who Is Forming Me Right Now?
Meditation:
Riley reminded us that everyone is being discipled by something—whether we choose it or not. Following Jesus begins with honestly naming the voices, habits, and pressures that are shaping our values and decisions.
Questions:
When you think about your daily life, who or what has the most influence on how you think and act right now? What makes it easy to live in a passive, “status quo”, status in our lives?
In what ways have you been intentional—or passive—about letting Jesus shape you? How can you allow Jesus to form you in your life, right now?
2. When Following Jesus Disrupts My Comfort
Meditation:
The first disciples had to leave behind familiar routines, expectations, dreams, hopes, and even thier identities to follow Jesus. Discipleship often disrupts what feels comfortable in order to form something new and life-giving.
Questions:
Where do you sense Jesus inviting you to let go of an old pattern, habit, or expectation?
What makes change difficult for you, and how might trust in Jesus reshape that fear? How do we handle disruptions in our lives? How has God reoriented your hopes and dreams in different aspects of your life(job, family, relationships)?
3. Being Known by the God Who Calls Me
Meditation:
Jesus’ words to Nathanael remind us that discipleship is not about proving ourselves, but responding to a God who already sees and knows us. We follow not to earn God’s attention, but because He has already sought us out.
Questions:
How does it change your view of discipleship to know that God is the one who initiates the relationship?
What might it look like this week to respond to Jesus with trust rather than striving? What ways can we know God and understand how he sees us, and loves us. How do you see God working in your life, friendships, relationships or career?
