For Parents
On Sunday, Ps Andy talked about what a disciple actually is — and the answer is simpler than we might think: a learner. Using the story of a blind man healed by Jesus and Peter’s big moment of getting it both right and wrong, Andy showed us that following Jesus means staying humble and teachable, not just collecting Bible knowledge. The big challenge for all of us is this: are we open to Jesus still teaching us, or have we quietly decided we already know enough?
This week’s tip: aim for about 15 minutes a night with phones face-down on the bench. You can do one night, two nights, or all three — whatever fits your week. Each night works on its own, but they build nicely if you do them in order.
The Big Idea
A disciple of Jesus is always a learner — and we never graduate.
Memory Verse
“The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.” — Luke 6:40
Fun way to learn it: Try the echo game. One person says a short chunk and everyone else echoes it back with a matching action — point up for “the teacher,” point to yourself for “the student,” then stretch tall for “fully trained,” and do your best to copy whoever is leading for “like their teacher.” Swap the leader each night until everyone can do it from memory.
Night One
Do you ever think you’ve got it all figured out?
Warm Up
Would you rather have to learn a brand new skill every single week for the rest of your life, or have to do exactly the same thing every day forever with no new challenges? Everyone answers, then ask: what would actually be harder?
Story Time
Luke 6:39–40 and Mark 8:22–26
Jesus and his friends were walking through a town called Bethsaida when some people brought a man to him who couldn’t see at all. Jesus took the man by the hand and led him gently outside the village. He placed his hands on the man’s eyes and asked, “Can you see anything?” The man squinted and looked around. “I can see people,” he said slowly, “but they look like trees walking about.” So Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes once more, and this time when the man opened them, everything was sharp and clear and bright. He could see perfectly. Later that same day, Jesus sat with his disciples and said something that sounded like a riddle: “Can a blind person lead another blind person? Won’t they both fall into a ditch?” Then he said this: the student is not above the teacher, but when a student is fully trained, they will become like their teacher. Jesus wasn’t being harsh — he was painting a picture. Following someone who can’t see where they’re going is dangerous. But following the right teacher, and actually learning from them? That changes everything.
Talk About It
- Little ones: When you don’t know how to do something — like tie your shoes or ride your bike — who do you ask for help?
- Older kids: Have you ever thought you knew how to do something and then found out you were doing it wrong the whole time? What happened?
- Everyone: What does it feel like to be a beginner at something? Is it fun, embarrassing, or a bit of both?
- Grown-ups, your turn: Is there something in life right now where you’re realising you still have a lot to learn? Be honest!
Try It
Tonight before bed, everyone tries to do something with their non-dominant hand — brush teeth, pour a glass of water, write their name. Bring it back to the table tomorrow and talk about how it felt to be a beginner again. That feeling? That’s what Jesus is inviting us into every single day.
Pray Together
Go around the table. Each person finishes this sentence out loud: “Jesus, I want to learn from you about…” Then one person closes with: “Lord, help us to always be learners. Amen.”
Night Two
Even when you’re right, you might be missing the bigger picture.
Warm Up
Play “Zoom In, Zoom Out.” One person describes something in super close-up detail — like just one tiny part of it — and everyone else guesses what the whole thing is. Start easy: the tip of a dog’s nose, the laces on a footy boot, the corner of a Weet-Bix box. What does this game teach us about seeing the full picture?
Story Time
Mark 8:27–33
One day Jesus turned to his disciples and asked them a question: “Who do people say I am?” The disciples called out different answers — some people thought he was John the Baptist come back, others thought he was the great prophet Elijah. Then Jesus looked at them and asked something much more direct: “But what about you — who do you say I am?” Peter didn’t hesitate for a second. “You are the Messiah,” he said. And he was absolutely right. Jesus was the promised Saviour the whole world had been waiting for. But then something surprising happened. Jesus began to explain what being the Messiah actually meant — that he would suffer, be rejected, and be killed, and then three days later rise to life again. Peter grabbed Jesus by the arm and pulled him aside. “No, no, no,” Peter said, basically telling Jesus he had it wrong. Peter had seen part of the picture — but not the whole thing. And Jesus looked at his disciples and said firmly to Peter, “You’re not thinking about what God wants, only what people want.” Peter got the headline right but missed the whole story underneath it.
Talk About It
- Little ones: Have you ever been so sure about something and then found out there was more to the story than you thought?
- Older kids: Why do you think Peter found it so hard to hear what Jesus was telling him, even though Peter really did love Jesus?
- Everyone: Is it harder to learn something new, or to change something you already thought you knew?
- Grown-ups, your turn: Has God ever shown you something that changed how you understood your faith? What was that like?
Try It
Find a jigsaw puzzle in the house — or even just tip out some pieces onto the table. Look at just five random pieces and try to guess what the whole picture is. Then look at the box. How different was your guess from the real image? Talk about how following Jesus is like seeing more and more of the puzzle the longer we walk with him.
Pray Together
Each person prays one honest sentence starting with: “God, help me to see…” It can be about anything — a situation, a person, something you’re confused about. Finish together: “Lord, you see the whole picture. Help us to trust you. Amen.”
Night Three
The goal isn’t just knowing more — it’s becoming more like Jesus.
Warm Up
Play copycat for two minutes. One person is the leader and moves around slowly — scratching their nose, rolling their shoulders, tapping the table — and everyone else has to copy them exactly. Then swap leaders. After the game, ask: what would it look like if you followed Jesus so closely that people could tell just by watching you?
Story Time
Mark 8:34–35 and Acts 17:10–12
After Jesus corrected Peter, he called the whole crowd around him. He looked at everyone — not just the twelve disciples — and said, “Whoever wants to follow me must give up chasing their own way, pick up their cross, and come after me. Whoever tries to hold on to their own life will lose it, but whoever gives their life up for me and for the good news will find it.” Following Jesus, he was saying, is not about being comfortable. It is about choosing him, even when it costs something. Later on, after Jesus had risen and the disciples were spreading his message everywhere, a group called the Bereans showed everyone what great learning looks like. When the apostle Paul came to their town and taught them about Jesus, they didn’t just nod and go home. They went away and searched the scriptures every single day to check whether what Paul said was true. They were hungry to know. They asked questions. They dug in. And because of that eagerness, many of them came to believe. That is what a disciple looks like — not someone who knows everything, but someone who keeps leaning in.
Talk About It
- Little ones: If you wanted to be just like your favourite person, what would you do to try to act like them?
- Older kids: Ps Andy said that information is not the same as formation — knowing something is not the same as it actually changing you. What do you think that means?
- Everyone: What is one thing about the way Jesus lived that you would love to be more like?
- Grown-ups, your turn: What is one habit or practice that has actually helped you grow closer to Jesus — not just know more about him?
Try It
This week’s challenge: each person picks one small thing to do differently to follow Jesus more closely — maybe being quicker to say sorry, putting the phone down first and reading or praying, or looking for one way to be kind at school or work. Write it on a sticky note and put it somewhere you’ll see it every morning. Check back in at dinner on the weekend and share how it went.
Pray Together
Sit quietly for just thirty seconds — no talking. Then each person says out loud: “Jesus, what are you teaching me right now?” You don’t have to have an answer. Just ask the question honestly. Close with: “Lord, we want to be your learners. Shape us to be more like you. Amen.”
