Lesson 1: Jesus calls his first disciples.
Passage: Matthew 4:18-22 - Walking beside the Sea of Galilee, Jesus sees Simon and Andrew, who were fishermen. He calls them to follow him and says that he will send them out to fish for people. They immediately drop their nets and follow him. Jesus then sees James and John, who were also fishermen. When he called them, they too dropped their nets and followed him.
Big Idea: Jesus turns fishermen into fishers of men.
For Teachers:
Lesson plan.
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Welcome Activity: (10 minutes) - All leaders
Have one leader greet the children with the iPad roster outside the classroom door. Check-in the children in your classroom as they arrive.
Have another leader invite the children in to sit in a circle on the circle time rug.
Sink or Float Experiment:
Supplies: Prior to class fill a large clear plastic tote with water. Collect small items to test in the water. Suggestions: a block, a marble, coin, paper clip, marker, pencil, lego, toy etc.
Leader: This morning we are going to do an experiment. We are going to see if some of the objects here will float or sink. (Before each item is placed in the water ask the children to raise their hand if they think it will float or sink.)
Transition to Bible Lesson (10 minutes)
Leader: That was fun! You guys did a great job being scientists today. Now today we are going to be learning about some of Jesus’s friends who were fishermen and spent a lot of time on the water. Could everyone find a seat so you can see the pictures? Can you let me know you are ready to listen by giving a thumbs up?
Read: ‘Tiny Truths Bible: Jesus Disciples Pages 132-133
Leader: “Good listening kids, I have a couple questions for you.
What were Jesus’ friends doing before they came to follow Jesus? (The were fishing, mending their nets)
Have you ever told someone about Jesus before? What did you (or would you) tell them about Jesus?
Transition to Play
Leader: Good listening friends, I think we should get some wiggles out before we do our craft could everybody stand up?
Body Break Activity: — (3 minutes) Freeze Dance
Select Freeze Dance or from Activity Playlist from Youtube
Following freeze dance move to the tables for craft time.
Activity: Fish Craft (10 minutes)
Children will decorate a fish to remind them of the bible story of the fishermen.
If a child is uninterested in the activity, allow them to move to free play.
Dismissal: Dismiss children manually with Roster Ipad and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
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Welcome Activity - All Leaders (10 minutes)
Have the children gather at the front of the classroom. Welcome them to class and check them in using the iPad roster.
Activity: Sink or Float Game
Have the students decide if an object will sink or float in the water by raising their hands.
Have volunteers place the objects in the water to see what happens.
Test a variety of objects.
Transition to Bible Story (10 minutes)
Leader: Great work kids! Thank you for helping us with our science experiment today. Today we’re going to be starting a series about the followers of Jesus, also known as disciples. The first disciple that we’ll learn about is a man named Simon Peter, who was a fisherman. He spent a lot of time on the water. Let’s watch the video to find out more about his story…
Video Lesson — Play the Followers Lesson 1 Video from playlist.
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Can anyone remember the name of the disciple that we learned about today? (Simon Peter)
And what was Simon Peter’ job before he became a follower of Jesus? (fisherman)
And what was it that Jesus said to them when he called them to follow him? (He would send them out to fish for people)
What do you think that means?
Have you ever told someone about Jesus before? What did you (or would you) tell them about Jesus?
Activity: Wooden Fish craft (8 minutes)
Kids will decorate wooden fish using markers and string
Dismissal: Dismiss children using iPad roster making sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
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Welcome Activity - All Leaders (10 minutes)
Introduce yourself and welcome the kids to class. Check them in using the iPad roster, and ask them about their weeks.
Activity: Sink or Float Game
Have the students decide if an object will sink or float in the water by raising their hands.
Have volunteers place the objects in the water to see what happens.
Test a variety of objects.
Record results on the white board provided.
Transition to Bible Story (10 minutes)
Leader: Today we’re going to be starting another series. We just finished talking about the Easter Story, about how Jesus died on the cross and came back to life again. And before that we talked about Jesus’ life — his stories, teachings, and miracles. Now we’re going to switch gears a little and talk about his followers, also known as disciples.
Does anyone know some of the names of Jesus’ disciples? How many of them were there?
(Jesus had hundreds and thousands of people who followed him, but there were twelve really close followers, just like there were twelve tribes in Israel in the Old Testament.)
Today we’ll be learning about one of the most well-known disciple of Jesus, who’s name is Simon Peter.
Can I get a volunteer to Read Matthew 4:18-22?
Great, let’s see how the video connects to this story.
Video Lesson — Play Followers: Lesson 1 Video from Playlist.
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Can anyone remember what Peter’s job was before he started following Jesus? (Fishermen)
And what were the names of his brother and two friends who were also fishermen? (Andrew, James and John)
What did Jesus tell them when he called them to follow him? (Come, follow me and I will send you out to fish for people.) What do you think that means?
Activity: Wooden Fish craft (8 minutes)
Kids will decorate wooden fish using markers and string
Dismissal: Dismiss children using iPad roster making sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
For Parents:
Follow-up questions.
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
What did Peter and his friends do when Jesus called them to follow him?
Do you think that it was pretty brave of them to leave their jobs as fishermen so they could become followers of Jesus?
What was their new job now that they were Jesus’ followers? (to share the good news of God’s love with others)
What are some ways that we can share God’s love with others?
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
How did Peter and his friends react when Jesus called them?
Why do you think they would leave behind their jobs to follow Jesus? Do you think that it was pretty brave of them?
What was Jesus calling them to do instead? (to share the good news of God’s love with others)
What are some ways that we can share the good news of God’s love with others?
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
Why do you think Peter and his friends were so willing to leave behind everything to follow Jesus?
Do you think there are sometimes things that we might also have to sacrifice when we become followers of Jesus? Like what?
What did Jesus mean when he said that he would turn them into fishers of men?
Is it easy or hard for you to share your faith with others? What are some ways to do that?
