Memory Text: Hebrews 11:1 KJV “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Sunday – The First Calls
John 1:35-51 CEV “35 The next day, John was there again, and two of his followers were with him. 36 When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, "Here is the Lamb of God!" 37 ¶ John’s two followers heard him, and they went with Jesus. 38 When Jesus turned and saw them, he asked, "What do you want?" They answered, "Rabbi, where do you live?" The Hebrew word "Rabbi" means "Teacher." 39 Jesus replied, "Come and see!" It was already about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him and saw where he lived. So they stayed on for the rest of the day. 40 One of the two men who had heard John and had gone with Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother and tell him, "We have found the Messiah!" The Hebrew word "Messiah" means the same as the Greek word "Christ." 42 Andrew brought his brother to Jesus. And when Jesus saw him, he said, "Simon son of John, you will be called Cephas." This name can be translated as "Peter." 43 ¶ The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. There he met Philip, who was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. Jesus said to Philip, "Come with me." 44 (SEE 1:43) 45 Philip then found Nathanael and said, "We have found the one that Moses and the Prophets wrote about. He is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth." 46 Nathanael asked, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip answered, "Come and see." 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said, "Here is a true descendant of our ancestor Israel. And he isn’t deceitful." 48 "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." 49 Nathanael said, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God and the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus answered, "Did you believe me just because I said that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see something even greater. 51 I tell you for certain that you will see heaven open and God’s angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man."”
John 1:39 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES Come and see. This was a kind and gracious answer. He did not put them off to some future period. Then, as now, he was willing that they should come at once and enjoy the full opportunity which they desired of his conversation. Jesus is ever ready to admit those who seek him to his presence and favour.
John 1:44 COMMENTARY BY MATTHEW HENRY All who desire to profit by the word of God, must beware of prejudices against places, or denominations of men. They should examine for themselves, and they will sometimes find good where they looked for none.

Monday – The First Call in Matthew and Mark
Matthew 4:18-22 God’s Word to the Nations “18 ¶ As he was walking along the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and Andrew. They were throwing a net into the sea because they were fishermen. 19 Jesus said to them, "Come, follow me! I will teach you how to catch people instead of fish." 20 They immediately left their nets and followed him. 21 As Jesus went on, he saw two other brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee preparing their nets to go fishing. He called them, 22 and they immediately left the boat and their father and followed Jesus.”
Mark 1:16-20 God’s Word to the Nations “16 As he was going along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the sea because they were fishermen. 17 Jesus said to them, "Come, follow me! I will teach you how to catch people instead of fish." 18 They immediately left their nets and followed him. 19 As Jesus went on a little farther, he saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat preparing their nets to go fishing. 20 He immediately called them, and they left their father Zebedee and the hired men in the boat and followed Jesus.”
Mark 1:20 COMMENTARY ROBINSON’S NT WORD PICTURES Zebedee and his two sons evidently had an extensive business in co-operation with Andrew and Simon. Mark alone has this detail of the hired servants left with Zebedee. They left the boat and their father with the hired servants. The business would go on while they left and became permanent followers of Jesus. Many a young man has faced precisely this problem when he entered the ministry. Could he leave father and mother, brothers and sisters, while he went forth to college and seminary to become a fisher of men? Not the least of the sacrifices made in the education of young preachers is that made by the home folks who have additional burdens to bear because the young preacher is no longer a bread-winner at home. Most young preachers joyfully carry on such burdens after entering the ministry.
The same principle is repeated elsewhere in the Bible:
Genesis 12:1 KJ21 “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee.”
1 Kings 19:19-21 KJ21 “19 ¶ So he departed from thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth; and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, "Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee." And he said unto him, "Go back again, for what have I done to thee?" 21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slew them and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.”
Philippians 3:8 KJ21 “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but dung, that I may win Christ”
Hebrews 11:24 KJ21 “By faith Moses, when he had come of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,”

Tuesday – The Call in Luke
Luke 5:1-11 NIV “1 ¶ One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2 he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." 5 Simon answered, "Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men." 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.”
Luke 5:8 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES We are not worthy to be with him, to be reckoned among his friends, or to dwell in heaven with him; but he came to seek the lost and to save the impure. He graciously condescends to dwell with those who are humble and contrite, though they are conscious that they are not worthy of his presence.
How does Peter’s response show the essence of discipleship?
Isaiah 53:6 NRSV “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Romans 5:16-21 NRSV “16 And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. 17 If, because of the one man’s trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. 19 For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 But law came in, with the result that the trespass multiplied; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, just as sin exercised dominion in death, so grace might also exercise dominion through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
1 John 1:7-9 NRSV “7 but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 ¶ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Wednesday – The Call of Levi Matthew
Matthew 5:46 NKJV “"For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?”
Matthew 9:10-11 NKJV “10 Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, [that] behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw [it], they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"”
Matthew 9:11 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE The self-righteous Pharisees considered it equal to legal defilement to sit in company with tax-gatherers and heathens. It is certain that those who fear God should not associate, through choice, with the workers of iniquity, and should only be found with them when transacting their secular business requires it, or when they have the prospect of doing good to their souls.
Mark 2:16 NKJV “And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How [is it] that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"”
Luke 18:10-11 NKJV “10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men——extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.”
Luke 18:11 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES Extortioners. Rapacious; avaricious; who take away the goods of others by force and violence. It means, also, those who take advantage of the necessities of others, the poor and the oppressed, and extort their property.

Thursday – The Calling
Hebrews 11:1 CEV “Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see.”
These texts show that the disciples didn’t realize Christ’s mission:
Mark 10:35-40 BBE “35 And there came to him James and John, the sons of Zebedee, saying to him, Master, will you give us whatever may be our request? 36 And he said to them, What would you have me do for you? 37 And they said to him, Let us be seated, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory. 38 But Jesus said to them, You have no knowledge of what you are saying. Are you able to take of my cup? or to undergo the baptism which I am to undergo? 39 And they said to him, We are able. And Jesus said to them, You will take of the cup from which I take; and the baptism which I am about to undergo you will undergo: 40 But to be seated at my right hand or at my left is not for me to give: but it is for those for whom it has been made ready.”
John 18:10 ESV “Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)”
Acts 1:6 Holman “So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, at this time are You restoring the kingdom to Israel?””