Jesus calls the fishermen to be His disciples

Lesson: Jesus calls us to follow Him 

 

• Tell the story of Jesus calling the fishermen to be His disciples from Luke 5:1-11.
• One day, Jesus went to the Sea of Galilee. People crowded around Him and listened to the word of God.
• There were two fishing boats at the shore, one belonging to a fisherman named Simon.
• Jesus got into Simon’s boat and asked him to put the boat a bit further from the shore. Then Jesus sat down and taught the people from the boat.
• After he taught the people, he told Simon, “Go to the deep water and put down the nets for a catch.”
• Simon wasn’t so sure. After all, he was the fisherman. “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.” Simon was tired from being out all night. He didn’t want to try to catch fish again.
• Yet, somehow, this strange man Jesus seemed to know something he didn’t. So Peter said, “But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
• So Peter and his friends cast the net into the water. And guess what happened?! Suddenly the whole net was full of fishes! There were so many, that the nets began to break!
• So they called their partners, James and John, to help them! And both boats were soooo full that they began to sink!
• Suddenly Simon fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”
• Jesus told Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on, you will fish for people.”
• So Simon, James and John pulled their boats up on the shore, left everything and followed Jesus.

• Set up a long table on its sides on the stage to resemble the side of the boat.
• Pin the cutout card fishes to one of the nets; fill up the net if possible. Hide this net between the table and the wall. (You may want to stick one edge of the net to the back of the table for easy access).
• Place the other empty net on the stage, visible to the kids.
• Teacher sits on chair on the stage, as if in a boat, while telling the story. When it comes to putting down the nets, take the empty net and cast it behind the table.
• Then do a “switch” and pull up the “full” net, slowly, as if it’s very heavy.
• Call 2 boys to come on stage to help you pull the nets too.
• When the “full” net is on the stage, let the boys sit down and continue with the rest of the story and lesson.

• When we do things on our own effort, sometimes we get little or no results. Like the fishermen who worked long and hard, through the night. But when Jesus tells you where to go and what to do, the result is more than you can ask for or imagine.
• Like Simon, we have to realise that no matter how good or clever we are, we cannot be good enough to meet God’s standards.
• But the good news is, Jesus is good enough! And when we trust in Him, He makes us good enough too. Isn’t that good news? Don’t you want to tell other people how good Jesus is?
• Once you know how good Jesus is to you, you will be like the fishermen — you will leave everything (your own efforts, your achievements, your strengths) because Jesus is better than whatever we have. And we will want to share His love and grace to all your friends too!

• Prepare 3 sets of 9 fish cutouts (total 27); write on each one:| From | now | on | you | will | fish | for | people | Luke 5:10b |
• Divide kids into 3 groups. Pass each group a set of jumbled up fish cutouts and let them arrange them to form the verse.

• Each kid gets a cutout card fish (can use the same ones used in the story telling). 
• Have them write the memory verse on one side of the fish.
• On the other side, let them write the name of a friend that they’d like to share the good news of Jesus with.
• Lead them to pray for the friends who do not yet know Jesus’ love and goodness.

1.       Where was Jesus in this story?

By the Lake of Gennesaret (or the Sea of Galilee)

2.       Where did Jesus preach from?

Simon’s fishing boat.

3.       What did Jesus tell Simon to do after he finished speaking?

To put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch.

4.       How did Simon Peter respond? How do you think he felt?

“Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” Simon was tired from being out all night. He didn’t want to try to catch fish again. After all, he was the fisherman, the “expert”. Yet, somehow, this strange man Jesus seemed to know something he didn’t, so he obeyed.

5.       What happened next?

They caught a large number of fish until their nets began to break. Then they signalled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and both boats were so full until they began to sink.

6.       What was Simon’s response to this miracle?

He fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

7.       What did Jesus say? And how did the fishermen respond?

“Don’t be afraid; from now on, you will fish for people.” Then Simon, James and John pulled their boats up on the shore, left everything and followed Jesus.

8.       Who is one person whom you would like to tell about Jesus?

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