Lesson 25 Teacher Material

Striving to Be a Faithful Disciple of Jesus Christ

Being a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ is worth every effort because “His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come” (“The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org). In this lesson, students will identify what the Lord requires of His disciples. They will also consider what they can do to become a more committed and faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.

Suggestions for Teaching

Jesus Christ invites us to be His disciples.

Consider displaying a picture of Jesus washing His Apostles’ feet, and ask one or two students to share how they might feel if the Savior washed their feet.

You might display the following questions and ask students to ponder them for a minute:

• What can I learn about the attributes of the Savior from His actions toward His Apostles? How can I better emulate these Christlike qualities?

Explain that these types of questions are ones we can ask ourselves as we strive to be better disciples of Jesus Christ. A disciple of Christ is someone who follows the Savior and lives His teachings (see Doctrine and Covenants 41:5). After the Savior washed His Apostles’ feet, He taught them more about discipleship.

Invite students to review John 13:14–17, 34–35; 14:15 and complete the following statement: A disciple of Jesus Christ …

Invite some students to share their completed statements, which could include such phrases as “serves others,” “loves others,” and “keeps His commandments.” As students respond, you could ask follow-up questions, such as these:

• Who from the scriptures or your own life exemplifies this kind of discipleship? How has his or her example affected you?

Improving Our Teaching and Learning

Provide students opportunities for self-evaluation. Self-evaluation can be a helpful tool for personal growth. In some cases, however, it may lead students to feel guilty or discouraged. Remind students as they complete the following self-evaluation to be patient with and kind to themselves. The Lord has said, “I will be merciful unto your weakness” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:14).

You could display or provide students with a copy of the following self-evaluation.

Discipleship Self-Evaluation

Jesus Christ and His Everlasting Gospel Teacher Material—Lesson 25

Consider each statement and rate yourself using the following scale: 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = somewhat disagree, 3 = neither agree nor disagree, 4 = somewhat agree, and 5 = strongly agree.

1. I sincerely strive to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

2. I try to keep the Savior’s commandments every day.

3. I try to love and serve those around me as Jesus Christ would.

4. I strive to sacrifice worldly desires to follow the Savior.

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After students have had time to record their responses, invite them to take a few minutes to ponder what they learn from this self-evaluation.

Share with students that the Savior invited a rich young ruler to do his own self-evaluation. Invite a student to summarize the story of this young man (see section 2 of the preparation material), or you could watch “Christ and the Rich Young Ruler” (2:26).

• What is significant about the question “What lack I yet?”? (Matthew 19:20). Why is it important for all disciples of Jesus Christ to ask this question?

Invite students to read Mark 10:21, looking for how Mark described the Savior’s feelings about this rich young ruler.

• How can feeling the Savior’s love help you when you discover something you need to change?

• What does it mean to “take up [your] cross” and follow Jesus Christ? (You may want to review Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 16:25–26 [in the Bible appendix] and the statement by Elder Ulisses Soares from section 2 of the preparation material.)

You could then have students review the statement by Elder Larry R. Lawrence in section 2 of the preparation material. Then display the following questions, and invite students to record their thoughts about the question they find most relevant:

• What is keeping you from progressing spiritually?

• How can you show the Lord your desire to take up your cross and follow Him?

• Is there anything you feel you need to sacrifice at this time to be a better disciple of Jesus Christ?

The Lord strengthens His disciples.

You could display the following statement by President James E. Faust and invite students to look for blessings that are promised to those willing to pay the price of discipleship:

Many think that the price of discipleship is too costly and too burdensome. For some, it involves giving up too much. But the cross is not as heavy as it appears to be. Through obedience we acquire much greater strength to carry it.

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30). (James E. Faust, “Discipleship,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2006, 22)

You could ask students to work with a partner or in small groups and have them review Romans 8:16–18, 28, 35, 38–39. Invite them to look for truths that could help them as they face the challenges of discipleship. (Students may identify truths like the following: If we are faithful disciples, we can become joint-heirs with Jesus Christ and be glorified with Him. If we love God, all things will work together for our good.)

As students share the truths they found, consider asking the following questions:

• How might believing we can become a joint-heir with Jesus Christ help us to remain faithful disciples? (You could review 2 Nephi 9:18. It may be important to point out that a joint-heir receives an equal inheritance with another [see Doctrine and Covenants 76:50, 55–59; 84:38].)

• How has your love for God and His love for you sustained you when the path of discipleship has been difficult?

To conclude class, you could share your testimony of the principles of discipleship you discussed as a class. Or you could watch “Living the Gospel Joyful” (1:40) with President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then a member of the First Presidency.

For Next Time

To encourage students to read the preparation material for the next class, consider sending them a brief message about Christlike attributes, such as the following: To enrich your study of the preparation material for lesson 26, you could watch “Christlike Attributes” (2:53).