You Matter More Than You Think – June 19, 2026

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Read: Matthew 9:35–10:8

[Jesus] said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Matthew 9:35–10:8 (selected verses)

You Matter More Than You Think

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Quick: How many of the twelve apostles can you name?

Maybe you remembered Peter, John, or Matthew. But what about Thaddaeus? Or Simon the Zealot? Did you know there were actually two disciples named James and two named Simon? Don’t worry if you can’t remember all their names. Most people can’t! That might seem surprising because the disciples were Jesus’ closest followers. The Bible doesn’t actually tell us much about them. There’s a reason for that. The Bible isn’t about them; it’s about Jesus and the salvation that he was bringing into the world.

But that does NOT mean those disciples were unimportant. Jesus taught them, traveled with them, and gave them two incredible jobs to do.

First, Jesus told them to PRAY for more workers to share God’s Word. Jesus said there were many people ready to hear about him—like a huge field ready for harvest. So, Jesus told his disciples to “beg” God to send more workers into the field.

Then right after Jesus told them to pray for workers, Jesus sent THEM out to be the workers! Those disciples traveled all over the world telling people about Jesus. Some went to faraway countries (Italy, Africa, India). Some faced danger. Some were laughed at or hurt because they believed in Jesus. But they kept sharing the good news anyway.

And even though most people today don’t know much about those disciples, billions of people know about Jesus because of them. That teaches us something important: You do not have to be famous to matter.

Maybe someday people won’t remember your name hundreds of years from now. That’s okay. God can still use you in wonderful ways right now. Here are your two incredible jobs:

• First, you can pray for missionaries, pastors, teachers, and Christians who share Jesus with others. And you can also be part of the answer to your own prayer when you tell someone about Jesus yourself.
• Second, every time you show kindness, invite someone to church, tell a friend about Jesus, or remind someone that God loves them, God is using YOU too.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I believe that you love the world and want all people to believe in Jesus. Please send more people out to share that message. And Father, give me a chance to be the answer to that prayer as you give me opportunities to share my faith, too. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

• Which disciples of Jesus can you remember?
• What important job did Jesus give his disciples?

Questions for Elementary Age Children

• Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful.” What do you think he meant by that?
• Who is someone God has used to teach you about Jesus?

Questions for Middle School and Above

• Why is it encouraging to know that you don’t have to be famous to matter to God?
• Jesus told the disciples to pray for workers and then sent them out to work. What lesson does that teach us?

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