Mark 1:14-20 (paraphrased)
One day Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee. It was actually a big beautiful lake and many men would try to catch fish there.
In fact, if you were to walk along the beach you would pass boat after boat after boat. With men working hard emptying their nets they used to fish with, getting ready to go back out to sea, or gathering all their fish together so they could take them to the store to sell them.
Jesus walked by many boats but stopped and watched some men at a particular boat. These men were Simon (whose nickname was Peter) and his brother Andrew. They were working very hard and were frustrated about not catching any fish the night before.
These men had actually met Jesus before, but only for a short time. John the Baptist had introduced them to Jesus, just after Jesus was baptized. The men knew that Jesus was the One who came to save us so we can go to Heaven.
Jesus went right up to their boat and asked them if they could put their boat out into the water a little ways. He then climbed in, sat down and started teaching from the boat. People walking along the shore and the men in their fishing boats stopped to listen.
After Jesus was done teaching He said to Simon, "Go out in deeper water and put your nets down into the water." Simon answered, "Master, we've worked all night trying to catch fish and we haven't caught anything. But only because you said so, I will let the nets down."
As soon as they had let the nets down, they caught so many fish the nets began to break. They quickly waved for help to their friends in the boat next to them for help. They began filling both boats with the fish they had caught but there were so many fish that the boats started to sink.
Simon Peter bowed down to Jesus and said, "Lord you shouldn't be near me I am sinful." All the men were amazed at what Jesus had done: Simon, Andrew and their friends in the other boat James and John. Then Jesus said to all of them, "Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men."
What happened next was quite amazing! What do you think you would do if Jesus said that to you? Maybe instead of fishing- you're playing with a friend. Jesus comes to you and says, "Come, follow me." Maybe you would say, "Just a minute, we're not quite done playing yet." Or maybe you would walk your friend home, tell your parents your leaving, clean up your toys...
Well these men immediately left everything they were doing and went with Jesus. They left their boat, their nets, and all the fish they caught. They left without a worry in the world, they somehow knew they could trust Jesus.
Discussion Questions
- Who did Jesus meet first at the Sea of Galilee? Simon (Peter) and Andrew
- What did Jesus do? He sat down in the boat with them and began teaching
- What was he trying to teach? Jesus was telling them to follow him. His ways are always better than ours.
- They put their boat out in deeper water as Jesus had asked, what happed next? They caught fish after trying all night with not one catch.
- Who were the other two disciples Jesus ask to follow him in this story? James and John
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for teaching us about the disciples. Please help us to follow Jesus and share the good new with others. Amen.
“God loves us so much he sent his Son, Jesus.”
Adapted from John 3:!6
Home Connect
The next time you need just a few items from the grocery store, turn the trip into a game of leading and following. When you’re at the store, tell your child the items you need to buy, such as oranges. Then have your child lead you to the produce section. Your child can say, “Come, follow me” just as Jesus said to the disciples. Follow your child as he or she leads you around the store.
Ask:
- What did you like about our leading and following game?
- What made our game like or unlike following Jesus?
- What are some good things that can happen when we follow Jesus?
My Recipe Center
Play a modified game of Follow the Leader as you and your child make fruit kebabs. Cut up several types of fruit such as cantaloupes, bananas, grapes, or pineapples. Put the fruit pieces on a skewer. Have your child watch you and carefully follow you to make a kebab that’s similar to yours. Then allow your child to make a kebab first and you can follow that pattern of fruit. As you eat the treats, discuss these questions.
Ask:
- We studied each other’s actions to make the fruit kebabs. What ways is this like studying what the Bible says to follow Jesus?
- Why do you want to follow Jesus?
Daily Challenge
This week, your child learned that we can follow Jesus. Encourage your child to commit to one of the following challenges. Help your child weave faith into life this week and follow through on the challenges.
- Have your mom or dad help you cut footprints out of paper and place them around the room — for each footprint, think of a way that you can follow Jesus.
- Tell your mom or dad what you can do to follow Jesus at home, at school, and on the playground. Then do it this week!
- Jesus liked to tell people that he loved them. Follow Jesus this week by telling your family and friends several times every day that you love them and so does Jesus.
