Jesus teaches us to be his disciples
key words
biblical reference
Matthew 4:18-22; Luke 6:12-16
lesson objective
To enable the children to learn they can be Jesus’ disciple.
memory verse
"Jesus said, 'Blessed…are those who hear the Word of God and obey it'" (Luke 11:28, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
The three previous lessons dealt with specific actions that should be reflected by those who believe in Jesus.
We know that those who have decided to follow Jesus show certain qualities, not because of who they are, but because of the transforming power of Christ who acts in their life. Following Jesus consists of believing that He is the Son of God and developing a personal relationship with Him.
The four characters we will study in this lesson chose to leave their lifestyle, their work and even their family to follow the Teacher. On the Sea of Galilee, two men, Simon Peter and Andrew, were casting or throwing their nets to fish. When Jesus saw them, He said, “Come and follow me.” Later, on the seashore, Jesus called two other men, John and James, the sons of Zebedee. These four men immediately left what they were doing and followed Jesus.
In Luke 6:12-16, we read how the Lord called His 12 disciples, separating them from the rest of His followers. This group of men committed themselves to follow Jesus and His teachings. But first, Jesus prayed, asking God to guide Him in this important decision. Eleven of these men would initiate the spread of the message of salvation to the whole world.
adaptation
Your children need to understand that it is not enough to learn from Jesus. They must also make the decision to follow him and live by his teaching.
It is important that the children learn that the best way to respond to God’s great love is to serve and love Him and others unconditionally.
Preschoolers may remember some of the stories of Jesus and tell them to their friends. However, it is your responsibility to lead them to the feet of Christ and to nurture their spiritual growth. If the Holy Spirit leads you to do so, use the previous lessons as a basis to present the plan of salvation to your children during the lesson. Help them pray and ask God to help them love Jesus and be obedient to him.
introduce the lesson
Use some activities to capture the attention of your children and guide them through the lesson. Modify or add activities that fit your group’s unique needs.
General Review
Ask the children to sit on the floor and form a circle. Give them a ball that they will have to pass from hand to hand while you make some sound (you can use bells, music, etc.). When the music stops, the person with the ball should stand up and say something the child learned in the previous lessons.
teach the lesson
Sing about Jesus’ special helpers
If you have access to Internet, look for a song about Jesus’ Twelve Disciples. Some of the names will be difficult for the children to pronounce. However, they may enjoy the melody. Encourage the children to listen for the names of the disciples mentioned in today’s story.
Twelve followers of Jesus
Jesus wanted all people to know the love of God. He went from place to place speaking to people and preaching this message to them. It was a very hard and tiring job. He needed some helpers for this task.
One day, Jesus was walking on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. He saw two brothers who were fishermen, Simon Peter and Andrew. While they were fishing with their nets, Jesus told them, “Follow me. Instead of fishing for fish, I’m going to teach you how to gain followers for me.” Jesus wanted Simon Peter and Andrew to help him preach God’s message to people. Immediately these men left their nets and followed him.
Jesus continued walking along the seashore and saw two other brothers who were fishermen. James and John were setting up their nets in the boat.
“Follow me,” Jesus told them; and at that moment, James and John went with him.
Jesus climbed a mountain because he wanted to be alone and pray. He was there all night talking to God. He asked God to give him wisdom to choose twelve special helpers. These helpers would be with him to hear how God wanted people to live and to see the miracles that Jesus did. The next day he called his followers and chose twelve of them, whom he called disciples. These men spent a lot of time with Jesus, learning about the kingdom of God and how to teach the people about God’s love.
i can be a disciple!
A fishing boat
Before class, gather sheets of blue paper and cut out the items from Student Activity Sheet #56-A and #56-B to make the boat and the fish. Follow the instructions on the activity sheet to complete the activity.
Show the children how to trace the word of faith. Review the content of the lesson while the children do this activity.
Encourage your students to use their boats to tell today’s Bible story to their friends and family.
Jesus teaches me
Before class, gather Student Activity Sheet #56-C, hole punch, and paper fasteners. From the activity sheets, cut out the two circles for each child. Use a hole punch to make a hole in the middle of each circle. Follow the directions on the sheet to make a sample of the activity.
In class, show the children how to align the two circles, insert the paper fastener, and bend back the two prongs of the paper fastener.
Use this activity to review the four lessons of this unit.
practice the memory verse
Did I say a wrong word?
The children played this Bible verse memory game in the last lesson. Use it again here, but let the children take turns saying the verse and inserting a wrong word. The other children can tell what word was wrong.
wrap-up
Pray
Ask for prayer requests. Let any child volunteer to pray, but do not force a child to pray. Close this time by thanking God for the twelve disciples who taught other people about Jesus and how he wants us to live.
Encourage
Remind the children that these lessons have helped us learn how to live as Jesus taught. Encourage the children to love others and share with them.
Invite
Since this is the last lesson of this unit, you might want to organize a small exhibition in your room with the work your children have completed in these lessons.
Invite parents and members of your congregation to visit. Let the children tell something they have learned and repeat the memory verse. Express appreciation to the children for the effort they made during the weeks of this study. Thank the parents for bringing the children to the classes.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™