“Come follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed Him. – Matthew 4:19-20
What was it about Jesus that caused Peter and Andrew to leave everything they knew to follow Him? There must have been something – authority, love, power, grace – that drew them to Jesus in such a radical way. Jesus wants me to follow Him as well. I try, but, honestly, I do not always love Him more than I love other things and do not follow Him perfectly. Often, it is my failures that help remind me of why I follow Him in the first place – because He loves me and has grace and mercy on me when I blow it. As you do this week’s activities with your children, be reminded of His love and why He is worth being followed.
HIGHLIGHTS from the Weekend…
This week your child learned that Jesus loves us and wants us to follow Him. In Matthew 4:18‐22 and Mark 1:16‐20, Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee when He saw two brothers, Simon and Andrew. These men were fishermen and were casting their nets. As Jesus passed by, He called to them and said, "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." At once, the men dropped their nets, left their boats and followed Him. They understood that following Jesus was more important than anything else. Jesus continued on and called James and John to follow Him in the same manner. They too followed at once. (Matthew 4:18‐22 and Mark 1:16‐20)
Teaching Truth:
- Jesus wants us to follow Him.
Memory Verse
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14
3 Activities that Help Us Learn That Jesus Wants Us to Follow Him:
1. Lost and Found
Get two baggies and label one lost and one found. Put some goldfish crackers in the lost baggie. Have your child try to scoop them out with a spoon and put them in the found baggie as fast as he can.
2. Follow Me
Using different colors of construction paper, draw and cut out several large, simple fish. Hide the fish around the house/room. Give your child a basket or bag to carry, have your child follow you around the house to find the hidden fish and place it in the basket. Switch places and have your child hide the fish and you follow him around the house finding the fish. Have a snack of goldfish and talk with your child using these questions:
- What does it mean to follow someone?
- So, what does it mean to follow Jesus?
- What kinds of things did Jesus do that we should do too?
- What do fishermen usually catch?
- What did Jesus mean when he told Simon and Andrew he would make them fishers of men?
- How can we be fishers of men?
3. Fish Mobile
Grab several pipe cleaners and fold them in half. If your child is able, have him thread some beads on the pipe cleaners to decorate them. When finished, twist the ends of the pipe cleaners together so it looks like a fish. Cut a large crown out of yellow construction paper and let your child decorate it.On it write – Jesus, Fisher of Men!Along the bottom of the crown hole punch the same number of holes as fish your child created.Thread a piece of yarn through a hole and attach a fish to the crown like a mobile; continue until each fish is attached.
Pray
God, thank-you for giving us time this week to learn more about Jesus. Help us to write these words on our heart so that we will never forget your Truth- that we are found in Jesus and loved endlessly by Him!