Come, Follow Me for Teens

Josh Downs
  • 5.0 (199)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

Come, Follow Me for Teens is a weekly podcast built around the Come, Follow Me curriculum and designed especially for teenagers, parents of teenagers, youth leaders, and teachers. Each episode takes the week’s scripture study and focuses on three clear gospel principles, using stories, questions, experiences, and practical application to help teenagers understand not only what the scriptures teach, but how those teachings can make a difference in their own lives. Episodes are intentionally shorter, engaging, and easy to use for personal study, family discussion, youth lessons, or class preparation. Most importantly, the goal of Come, Follow Me for Teens is to help young people come closer to Jesus Christ, recognize His influence in their lives, and discover how the gospel can help them navigate the experiences and challenges they face every day.

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  1. 18h ago

    Isaiah 50-57 I He Hath Borne Our Griefs, and Carried Our Sorrows

    This week’s episode studies Isaiah 50–57 and the theme “He Hath Borne Our Griefs, and Carried Our Sorrows.” We begin with one of the clearest prophecies of Jesus Christ’s Atonement in the Old Testament: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.” Isaiah shows us that the Savior carries more than the burden of sin. He also understands grief, sorrow, pain, weakness, fear, and the heavy things that simply come with mortality. We’ll talk about why some burdens become almost unbearable—not because they were enormous when we first picked them up, but because we have been trying to carry them alone for too long. We’ll also look at Adam and Eve hiding from God after their transgression and what the Lord’s question “Adam, where art thou?” can teach us about repentance. Sometimes repentance is an invitation to stop hiding and let Jesus Christ carry what we cannot. Next, Isaiah gives another powerful promise: “With everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee.” We’ll talk about what happens when we sincerely repent, try again, and still find ourselves struggling with weakness. The Lord promises: “As often as my people repent will I forgive them.” That does not mean sin does not matter. It means our repeated need for repentance does not exhaust the Savior’s mercy. Through Alma the Younger’s story and Isaiah’s words “I have seen his ways, and will heal him,” we’ll explore why God may be far more patient with us than we are with ourselves. Finally, Isaiah asks: “Wherefore do ye spend … for that which satisfieth not?” We’ll talk about the things we genuinely thirst for—love, belonging, peace, relief, identity, forgiveness, and purpose—and the many imitations the world offers to satisfy those needs. Using Moses’ experience with God, the Savior’s conversation with the woman at the well, and a familiar Captain Crunch story, we’ll explore why the best defense against spiritual counterfeits is becoming deeply familiar with what is real. This week’s invitation: Come with the burden. Come again when you fall. Come thirsty. Jesus Christ carries our griefs and sorrows. His kindness is everlasting. And He offers the living water that can actually satisfy the soul. • Get this week’s Isaiah 50–57 Study & Teaching Guide:https://joshdowns.com/cfm-resources/p/isaiah-50-57-he-hath-borne-our-griefs-and-carried-our-sorrows Get this week’s FSY Discussion Guide: Oct. Week 2 | The Word of Wisdom https://joshdowns.com/fsy-discussion-guides/p/october-week-2-word-of-wisdom • Join the Come Follow Me for Teens membership for full access to weekly lessons, early episodes, Teaching Tips, FSY Discussion Guides, devotionals, and more: https://joshdowns.com/cfm-membership

    Isaiah 50-57 I He Hath Borne Our Griefs, and Carried Our Sorrows

  2. 3d ago • Subscribers Only

    Teaching Tips | Isaiah 50-57

    Subscriber-only Teaching Tips for Isaiah 50–57. If you’re teaching teenagers this week, this episode walks through how I would actually teach the three main principles from Isaiah 50–57 in a discussion-centered way. We’ll look at how to use the water bottle object lesson to teach Isaiah 53 and the burdens Christ carries, how to talk about repeated repentance without creating guilt or shame, and how to help youth recognize spiritual counterfeits by becoming more familiar with the real peace Jesus Christ offers. I’ll also share the questions I would ask, the places I would slow down and let youth talk, and which principle I would choose if I only had 25 minutes. The goal is simple: fewer notes, better questions, and more room for young people to discover, share, and testify for themselves.

    Teaching Tips | Isaiah 50-57

  3. Sep 27

    Isaiah 40-49 I Comfort Ye My People

    This week’s episode studies Isaiah 40–49 and the theme “Comfort Ye My People.” We begin with one of the Lord’s most repeated promises in these chapters: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee.” Isaiah does not promise that we will avoid every difficult circumstance. Instead, the Lord says, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee.” We’ll talk about why fear can make us forget what we already know about God and why faith sometimes means rehearsing His promises instead of continually rehearsing the problem. Next, Isaiah describes being “chosen… in the furnace of affliction.” We’ll explore the difference between simply going through something difficult and allowing Jesus Christ to refine us through it. Not every painful experience is caused by God, but through Christ, adversity can still develop courage, patience, compassion, humility, and trust. Drawing on Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s teachings about “soul-stretching experiences” and the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, we’ll talk about why sometimes Christ delivers us from the furnace—and sometimes He meets us in it. Finally, Isaiah gives one of scripture’s most personal assurances: “Yet will I not forget thee.” “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.” We’ll talk about what it means to feel forgotten by God and why that feeling is not the same as actually being forgotten. When circumstances make us wonder whether heaven still sees us, Isaiah gives us somewhere to look: His hands. This week’s message: When I’m afraid, He is with me. When I’m in the furnace, He can refine me. When I feel forgotten, He remembers me. • Get this week’s Isaiah 40-49 Study & Teaching Guide: https://joshdowns.com/cfm-resources/p/isaiah-40-49-comfort-ye-my-people • Join the Come Follow Me for Teens membership for full access to weekly lessons, early episodes, Teaching Tips, FSY Discussion Guides, devotionals, and more: https://joshdowns.com/cfm-membership

    Isaiah 40-49 I Comfort Ye My People

  4. Sep 25 • Subscribers Only

    Teaching Tips | Isaiah 40-49

    Teaching Isaiah 40–49 this week? In this subscriber-only Teaching Tips episode, I walk through how I would teach three of the strongest principles in these chapters: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee.” “I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.” “I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.” We’ll look at practical ways to help youth connect these verses to real life through strong discussion questions, simple analogies, personal reflection, and experience-based application. I’ll share ways to help teenagers talk about fear without making them feel guilty for being afraid, how to teach adversity without implying that God causes every painful experience, and how to help youth recognize that feeling forgotten by God is not the same thing as actually being forgotten by Him. We’ll also look at a few simple teaching moves you can use right away, including questions like: What does fear make us forget? What is the difference between going through something and being refined through it? What difference would it make to know that something continually before you is also continually before God? If you’re a parent, teacher, or youth leader preparing to teach this week, this episode is designed to help you walk into that conversation with a clearer plan, better questions, and a stronger focus on helping youth discover Jesus Christ in their own experiences.

    Teaching Tips | Isaiah 40-49

  5. Sep 20

    Isaiah 13-35 I A Marvellous Work an

    This week’s episode studies Isaiah 13–35 and the theme “A Marvellous Work and a Wonder.” We begin with Isaiah’s warning about Babylon, which he describes as “the glory of kingdoms.” Babylon looked powerful, beautiful, and secure, but Isaiah makes one thing clear: anything built on pride and worldliness will eventually fall. We’ll talk about why that matters for teenagers living in a world that constantly invites them to measure their worth by appearance, possessions, popularity, success, and the opinions of other people. There is nothing wrong with enjoying nice things, but the danger begins when those things start answering the question: Who am I, and how much am I worth? The world keeps moving the measuring stick. God does not. Next, we turn to Isaiah 29 and his prophecy of “the words of a book.” Isaiah says that through those words, the deaf will hear, the blind will see out of darkness, and “the meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord.” We’ll explore how these verses point toward the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and, even more importantly, what the Book of Mormon is meant to do in our lives. It is meant to help us see more clearly, hear God more fully, come out of confusion, and draw our hearts closer to Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon has already come forth into the world. The question is: Will we allow its words to come forth in us? Finally, Isaiah declares: “I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder.” In Isaiah 35, that marvelous work reaches people with weak hands, feeble knees, and fearful hearts with this promise: “Be strong, fear not … your God will come … he will come and save you.” Drawing on Elder Brook P. Hales’s message “Mortality Works!”, Elder Patrick Kearon’s teaching that God’s plan is designed to bring His children home, and Elder J. Devn Cornish’s message “Am I Good Enough? Will I Make It?”, we’ll talk about why struggle does not mean God has stopped working. Being unfinished is not the same as being hopeless. Sometimes our hands feel weak. Sometimes our hearts feel fearful. Sometimes we cannot yet see what God is doing. But Isaiah’s message is full of hope: Babylon falls. God’s word helps us see. And God is still doing a marvelous work in us. • Get this week’s Isaiah 13–35 Study & Teaching Guide:https://joshdowns.com/cfm-resources/p/isaiah-13-35-study-teaching-guide • Join the Come Follow Me for Teens membership for full access to weekly lessons, early episodes, Teaching Tips, FSY Discussion Guides, devotionals, and more: https://joshdowns.com/cfm-membership

  6. Sep 20 • Subscribers Only

    Teaching Tips | Isaiah 13-35

    This week’s Teaching Tips focuses on helping youth move beyond simply understanding Isaiah’s teachings and connect them to real life. We’ll look at ways to discuss the world’s shifting measures of worth, help youth experience the Book of Mormon as a source of clarity and spiritual direction, and teach the hopeful truth that being unfinished does not mean they are failing. You’ll also find practical questions, relatable scenarios, and discussion approaches designed to help youth recognize how Jesus Christ is already working in their lives.

    Teaching Tips | Isaiah 13-35

  7. Sep 14 • Subscribers Only

    Teaching Tips | Isaiah 1-12

    Teaching Isaiah does not have to feel intimidating. In this week’s **Teaching Tips** episode, I share practical ways to help teenagers discover the most meaningful truths in Isaiah 1–12 without turning the lesson into a lecture. We’ll look at simple ways to teach Isaiah’s promise that sins “as scarlet” can become “white as snow,” help youth explore what the Savior’s names—**Immanuel, Counsellor, Mighty God, and Prince of Peace**—can mean in their own lives, and use Isaiah 11 to begin a meaningful conversation about becoming peacemakers. You’ll also hear discussion questions, object lesson ideas, teen-life scenarios, and simple applications you can use in a classroom or at home. The goal is not to explain everything Isaiah wrote. It is to help youth discover what Isaiah teaches about Jesus Christ—and give them room to talk about what that means in their own lives.

    Teaching Tips | Isaiah 1-12

  8. Sep 13

    Isaiah I God is My Salvation

    This week’s episode studies Isaiah 1–12 and the theme “God is My Salvation.” We begin with one of Isaiah’s most hopeful promises: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” We’ll explore what this teaches about repentance, grace, and the power of Jesus Christ to help us begin again. Through Corianton’s story, teachings from President Jeffrey R. Holland and Elder Patrick Kearon, and a personal experience with repentance, we’ll talk about why our mistakes do not have to become our identity. The Savior’s invitation is not, “Come after you have fixed everything.” It is: “Come now.” Next, we look at some of Isaiah’s powerful names for Jesus Christ: Immanuel. Counsellor. The Mighty God. The Everlasting Father. The Prince of Peace. Each name teaches us something about who He is and what He can personally become in our lives. We’ll also consider what it means to take His name upon ourselves and ask: If I carry the name of Jesus Christ, what should that begin to change about the way I live? Finally, Isaiah looks forward to a day when: “They shall not hurt nor destroy … for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord.” We’ll explore why knowing Jesus Christ more deeply should lead to greater peace in the way we treat others—and even in the way we treat ourselves after making mistakes. Drawing on President Russell M. Nelson’s invitation to become peacemakers, the story of Chris Williams choosing forgiveness, and Brad Wilcox’s teaching from “Worthiness Is Not Flawlessness,” we’ll consider how the knowledge of the Prince of Peace can begin changing our hearts now. Isaiah begins with scarlet. But scarlet is not the end of the sentence. Snow is. And because of Jesus Christ, our worst chapter does not have to be the end of our story. • Get this week’s Isaiah 1–12 Study & Teaching Guide:https://joshdowns.com/cfm-resources/p/isaiah-1-12-study-teaching-guide • Join the Come Follow Me for Teens membership for full access to weekly lessons, early episodes, Teaching Tips, FSY Discussion Guides, devotionals, and more: https://joshdowns.com/cfm-membership

See All (201)

5
out of 5
199 Ratings

About

Come, Follow Me for Teens is a weekly podcast built around the Come, Follow Me curriculum and designed especially for teenagers, parents of teenagers, youth leaders, and teachers. Each episode takes the week’s scripture study and focuses on three clear gospel principles, using stories, questions, experiences, and practical application to help teenagers understand not only what the scriptures teach, but how those teachings can make a difference in their own lives. Episodes are intentionally shorter, engaging, and easy to use for personal study, family discussion, youth lessons, or class preparation. Most importantly, the goal of Come, Follow Me for Teens is to help young people come closer to Jesus Christ, recognize His influence in their lives, and discover how the gospel can help them navigate the experiences and challenges they face every day.

Information

  • Creator
    Josh Downs
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    201
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Josh Downs LLC. 2026
  • Show Website
    Come, Follow Me for Teens
  • Provider
    Gregory Joshua Downs

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