Jesus Chose His Team MARK 3:13-19 JULY 13 KIDS WILL UNDERSTAND:

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1 3 Jesus Chose His Team MARK 3:13-19 KIDS WILL UNDERSTAND: The account of Jesus calling His disciples. That the men Jesus called responded by walking away from all they knew. That God wants us to be available to whatever He calls us to do. JULY

2 GAME Form relay lines and give each player a cup. At the beginning of each relay line should be a bucket of water. Place an empty 2-liter bottle at the far end of each relay line. The 2-liter bottle should have a funnel sticking in the top (for fewer messes). At the signal, the first player on each team will dip their cup into the bucket full of water. They will then pass the water to the next player by pouring it into their cup. Continue passing the water down the line to each player using only the cups. The last player will pour their cup of water into the empty 2-liter bottle through a funnel. As soon as the first person has passed their water to the second player, they will refill their cup from the bucket and start another cup of water going down the line. When the 2-liter gets full, the entire team will yell, TEAMWORK! paper cups empty 2-liter bottles funnels buckets of water Working together as a team was important in this game, wasn t it? Everyone had to be on board and ready to work together. Each person had to be willing to help the others and focused on being their best at the same time. Today, we re going to learn about the team that Jesus put together and how each person was ready to play on Jesus team. BIBLE ACCOUNT Beforehand, run a copy of the disciple cards from the end of the lesson and cut them apart. Put a loop of duct tape on the back of each card. Jesus was ready to begin His earthly ministry. He d spent His life preparing for what God had called Him to do. In Mark 3 we read about how Jesus called some men to go with Him. When He called them, they came with Him; He gave them authority to be His helpers. 12 sweatbands copy of the disciple cards duct tape Choose 12 kids to be your helpers during this Bible account. Each helper will place a sweatband on their head. Give each helper one of the disciple cards from the end of the lesson that you have put a loop of duct tape on. Since there are two disciples named James, indicate to the two kids who have the James cards who should go first. The narrator of the story should be very familiar with the rhythm of this rhyme so that it goes smoothly. Each time the narrator or kids come to the word yes, they should punctuate it with a loud robust YES! Before you begin, familiarize the kids with their response rhyme until they know it by heart. Kids response: When Jesus said come, they left the life they knew, And said YES to being one of His selected few. Ready? Let s begin. 2

3 The time had come for Jesus, to build His team. He started with prayer, to see who they should be. He picked plain men, who weren t special at all. He knew that they would answer, His very special call. First he called Peter, and James and John. They responded with a yes and their answers were strong. (Attach names of Peter, James and John to the sweatbands.) Cue kids: When Jesus said come, they left the life they knew, And said YES to being one of His selected few. Next came Andrew, Philip, and Bartholomew They answered yes to this life that would be new. (Attach the names of Andrew, Philip and Bartholomew to the sweatbands.) Cue kids: When Jesus said come, they left the life they knew, And said YES to being one of His selected few. Then came Matthew, Thomas, and another James. To follow Jesus meant a different kind of game. (Attach Matthew, Thomas and James to the sweatbands.) Cue kids: When Jesus said come, they left the life they knew, And said YES to being one of His selected few. Thaddeus and Simon, and Judas joined the team, To complete the twelve disciples, they were ready it would seem. (Attach cards for Thaddeus, Simon, and Judas to the last sweatbands.) Cue kids for the last time: When Jesus said come, they left the life they knew, And said YES to being one of His selected few. Jesus called each of these men from their normal, ordinary lives. To most people, they didn t appear to be anything special. Jesus saw something in them, though, that made them very special. I love knowing that when He looks at me, He sees something special, don t you? How do you think these men felt knowing that Jesus was asking them to walk away from everything they knew? What do you think you might have said if Jesus had called you? Would you have been willing to walk away so easily from your everyday life, family, and friends? 3

4 OBJECT LESSON VIDEO Download the YouTube video called The Baltimore Ravens Pick Michael Oher. If you need help in downloading the YouTube video, we have provided a separate file with instructions for both Mac and PC. YouTube Video: The Baltimore Ravens Pick Michael Oher Every year the NFL has what s called the draft. In the draft, each team takes turns choosing players who are eligible to play in the NFL. Each player who is eligible waits, holding their breath, to hear his name called to see what team he will play on. In this clip, we see Michael Oher s name being called. He s the man that the movie The Blind Side is based on. If you haven t seen The Blind Side, it s about a homeless boy who was taken in by a family. The boy was very uneducated and had absolutely nothing. Because this family cared for him and helped him discover that he could play football, he went to college and was eventually picked up by a professional football team the Baltimore Ravens. Show the video clip. Jesus sort of had His own form of the draft. Why did Jesus choose these special men? When players like Michael Oher are drafted to the NFL, it s an exciting day for them and their families. How do you think these 12 men who Jesus drafted felt? How about their families? MESSAGE Beforehand, stuff a box full of wadded up newspaper. Then, wrap the box in beautiful paper and a big bow. Then wrap another box. This second box should have a dollar bill inside, but be wrapped in scraps of a couple different papers, no bow, and wrapped very sloppily. For the second point of the Message, you will need a pile of miscellaneous bulky, awkward items. One child will attempt to pick up everything, but you want it to be impossible to actually function while carrying all of it. 2 boxes newspaper wrapping paper bow one-dollar bill an assortment of bulky, awkward items PowerPoint slides (show slide #2) Jesus chose ordinary men. We ve all have days when we don t feel very special. Days when it seems that we can t do anything right. Bad hair days! Bad friend days! Days when it seems like everything we try fails. The men who Jesus chose to be on His team had days like this, too. By the world s standards, they were nothing special. Not very educated, smart, attractive or popular. Jesus saw something special when He looked at them though. He knew that they would be an important part of His team. 4

5 When people look at us, they see what s on the outside. Choose a child to unwrap your beautifully wrapped package. What did you expect to be inside the box? Why did you expect a cool gift inside? People many times only see how pretty we are, how well we dress, or how popular we are. They can t often see the inside and see that people aren t always what they seem to be on the outside. Choose a child to open the sloppy box with the dollar bill inside. Were you surprised to see what was inside this box? Why were you surprised? When Jesus looks at us, He sees us for our true value. He sees beyond what others see and He wants to use us! If we looked at this second box and thought it was too ugly to even open, we would ve missed out on something nice. And that dollar bill is nice! When Jesus called His team, He knew that each of them had great value. Even though they may appear to be too ordinary to be special, He knew differently. (show slide #3) Jesus wants us to be available. The men who Jesus called could have said, No way. I m not going to do that. I love my family and I have a good job and I have a lot of friends and I don t have the time. But, they didn t. They said, YES! I like to think that if Jesus would ve called my name that day, I would have gladly gone. I hope I would have been willing to sacrifice whatever He asked. But the truth is, that most of us like to have things our way. We like to hang on to what we know and what is sure. Choose one child to come forward. On your signal, the child will begin to pick up as many items as possible from your pile of miscellaneous items in 20 seconds time. Once the 20 seconds is up, instruct them to pick up at least 2 more items in the following 5 seconds. When time is up, instruct them to jump up and down for 10 seconds while not dropping any of the items. IF they were able to accomplish this, have them now jump up and down while spinning in circles while not dropping any items. It s hard to really follow directions when you have your hands so full of other things. The disciples who Jesus called were willing to let all of the other things go. They set everything else aside so they could concentrate on what He wanted them to do and learn. (show slide #4) Jesus calls all of us to be on His team. Jesus chose these 12 men to help Him spread the good news of God s love. Are the twelve disciples the only people Jesus ever called to spread the good news of God s love? Every day He wants people to join His team. Every day Jesus wants people to put aside the other things that are loading them down, so they can concentrate on following Him. He wants to have a HUGE team! 5

6 Why does Jesus want us to be a part of His team today? The word disciple means one who is a student of someone greater than they are. Whose student are you? GAME Beforehand, run copies of the memory game at the back of the lesson. When you cut them apart, keep the question cards and answer cards separate. The kids can work in groups of 3 or 4 on this game. Give each group a set of question cards and a set of answer cards. Each group should find a place to sit on the floor or around a table. Place all the question cards facedown together. Place all the answer cards facedown together. copies of memory game The first player will turn over a question card. Then, they will turn over one of the answer cards. If the answer card is actually the answer to the question they have turned over, then they will pick up the cards. If the answer is not the answer to their question card, then both cards should be turned facedown again. The successful players will keep their cards but will not get an additional turn. Play moves on to the next player. Questions and Answers How many disciples did Jesus call? (12) What did Jesus do before He called His disciples? (He prayed over His decision.) What kind of men did Jesus call? (ordinary) What does the word disciple mean? (student) What did Jesus want from each of the disciples? (their obedience) What does Jesus want from each of His disciples today? (our obedience) What did each of the men say when Jesus called them? (Yes!) When the men followed Jesus, what did they leave behind? (everything) 6

7 ACTIVITY Arrange for a guest coach to share with your kids. Communicate with your guest coach that you would like for them to share some things that he teaches his players. If he s a baseball coach, then he could demonstrate with some of the kids special things he would teach the catcher, pitcher, first baseman, and an outfielder. Encourage him/her to come in their team shirt and maybe bring in some gear from their game. (This coach can come back in lesson #11 about Elijah to tell more about what a coach has to do.) guest coach What is the coach of a team supposed to do? The responsibility of the coach is to teach his players about the game. He teaches them techniques and strategies that will help them play better. He makes sure that everyone knows the rules and they haven t learned rules that aren t correct. He builds up team spirit so all the players are rooting for one another. He expects the players to follow his lead. Jesus was like the coach of the team of disciples. As they traveled around from town to town, Jesus taught them about God. He didn t just talk about it, though; He showed them the power of God through miracles. As the disciples learned from Him, they became better followers of God. Jesus expected His disciples His team to follow His lead. ACTIVITY Form groups of 4 or 5 kids. As the reporter asks the questions, each group will come up with an answer. Once the question has been asked by the reporter, the groups will have one minute to come up with their answer. Then, the leader will blow a horn signaling everyone to turn their attention back to the reporter. You will need a hat any kind of hat and put a large nametag on it that says Peter. Each group will have a representative who will answer the question as if they are Peter. When the reporter calls on them for their answer, he will put the Peter hat on them. Groups can have different representatives for each question. reporter costume microphone horn or whistle hat Here are some questions for the reporter to ask Peter. So, Peter I ve read that you ve been a fisherman all of your life. Why this change in direction all of a sudden? This seems like a pretty drastic thing to do. Why were you willing to make this huge change in your life? (Pause and let groups come up with an answer.) When Jesus asked you to follow Him, what kind of questions did you ask Him? (Pause for group answers.) 7

8 So, come on be truthful. Is there anything about this that scares you? (Pause for group answers.) I know you ve got a family and you re well known around these parts for your fishing business. What do you think people are going to say? (Pause for group answers.) When a person decides to follow Jesus, it shouldn t be a decision that is made lightly or without really understanding what it might cost. It can mean a huge change in your life. Becoming a disciple of Jesus today might mean some big changes in the way you live. What might the cost be? It could have to do with money, but what lifestyle changes might take place? SCIENCE Copy the sheet of disciple names from the end of the lesson (same as for the Bible Account). Cut these apart and slide a jumbo paper clip across each one. Place them at one end of a large metal cookie sheet. If you have a larger group, duplicate the disciple names and paper clips so that groups of kids can see it in action. magnets jumbo paper clips metal objects cookie sheets disciple names from end of lesson Scatter all the disciple names at one end of a large industrial cookie sheet. Place a paper clip nametag for Jesus at the other end of the cookie sheet. Hold a strong magnet under the cookie sheet. As you name each disciple, put the magnet under that paper clip and pull the name to the Jesus paper clip. Jesus called 12 men to be His disciples His special students. They were ordinary men who became special only because they knew Jesus. How does the attraction from the magnet to the object remind you of the way Jesus attracted others to follow Him? When Jesus called the twelve to follow Him, what did they do? They were attracted to Him drawn to Him. What do you think it was about Jesus that attracted people to Him? What attracts people to Jesus today? One of the most amazing ways that people are drawn to Jesus today is by watching how Christians live. When they see Christians living the love of Jesus, they want to know more. When they see Christians handling fights and anger and conflict in a different way than the world does, non-believers are curious and are drawn to find out more about Jesus. They want to learn. Now, form small groups and give each group a cookie sheet, a magnet, and some metal objects. Place the metal objects at one end of the cookie sheet. They will name people they know personally who are disciples (students) of Jesus people who are anxious to learn more about Him. Each time they name someone, that child will place the magnet under the cookie sheet and drag a metal object to the other 8

9 end. The metal objects represent all kinds of people. The disciples weren t all from the same place or have the same jobs or the same age. Jesus attracts people of every shape, size, color, age, and circumstance. PRAYER We learned today that being a disciple means that you are a student. If you re a disciple of Jesus, then you re a student of Jesus. Students learn from their teacher. Disciples learn from Jesus. blank copy paper wide marker painters tape What are you hoping to learn from Jesus as His disciple? Do you want to learn how to have patience? Do you want to learn how to think of others more than yourself? Do you want to learn how to become quiet so you can hear what God has to tell you? Encourage the kids to tell you what they would like to learn as a disciple of Jesus. Write each comment in large letters on a separate piece of copy paper. Then, use painters tape to adhere these papers around the room. During your time of prayer today, the kids will choose one of the papers that describes something they want to learn as a disciple of Jesus. They will go to that paper and put their hand on it. The kids can crowd together to place their hands on the same paper. If a large group assembles at one particular paper, make a comment about how people crowded in to learn from Jesus. The kids at each paper will pray only about that one thing they want to learn as a disciple of Jesus. Encourage one or two of the kids to pray out loud on behalf of everyone at that paper. BLESSING May you be excited about being a disciple of Jesus Christ. 9

10 EXTRA OPTIONS TAKE HOME God s Team! wristbands You can purchase stretchy terry cloth wristbands that have I m a member of God s team embroidered on them from orientaltrading.com. (Item #IN-36/1198, cost $7.00/doz.) They will remind the kids that they were chosen to be a disciple on God s team. He has great plans to use them just as they are and they are a valuable part of the team! ACTIVITY This game requires a great deal of teamwork and a large open area. Form groups of kids each. The leader will announce a letter of the alphabet, and each group must use their bodies to form that letter. Everyone in the group must have a position in the letter. As soon as everyone in a group is in position, the entire group must shout in unison, Yeah! God s team! What would have happened if each person on the team didn t do his/her part? How is this like God s team? Were there members of the group who had to help give instructions where kids were supposed to lay? What happened when a letter was formed and there were team members who didn t have a place in it yet? For a little extra fun, try using ALL the kids from ALL the groups to make one giant letter. SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION 2 Timothy 4:7-8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of His return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. 10 basketball goal ball masking tape PowerPoint scripture slide

11 A hard plastic kiddie basketball goal would be fun to use with this exercise. Indicate a free throw line with masking tape. Since this is only the second week working on this Bible passage, play a few rounds with the PowerPoint slide projected. Then, turn it off for additional memory stretching. Form three teams; it doesn t matter the size of the teams. Each team will send one player to the free throw line. The three representatives will each have two shots to make a basket. When a shot goes through the hoop, that team will receive 2 points, but can also get an additional point for saying the entire verse out loud together. GAME Beforehand, mark two lines far apart on a floor, parking lot, or a grassy area. These will be the goal lines for the game. If you need to mark the grass, spray paint works great and is gone the next time the mower comes through. pool noodles beach ball Form two teams with each player having a pool noodle. Assign the teams their goal line. Players for both teams will scatter all over the field. One player from each team will be in the middle facing one another. The leader will place the beach ball in the center of the field. At the signal, the teams will try to get the beach ball past their goal line using only the pool noodles to make contact with the ball. (You will need to figure out a way to identify team members. This can be done by having a bandana tied around their wrist, different color hats some identifying marker.) In this game, everyone on the same team had to work together. How is this like Jesus disciples? What were they all working together to accomplish? How about Jesus disciples today that s us! What are we all working together to accomplish? SNACK Gather an assortment of 12 different snack crackers, chips, candies, and fruit snacks. Put each one in a separate bowl with a plastic spoon. Put these bowls in various places around the room. In front of each bowl post a card stock table tent that has the name of one of the 12 disciples (Peter, Andrew, James, John, Batholomew, Thaddeus, Simon, James, Matthew, Philip, Thomas, and Judas). 12 different kinds of crackers, chips, candies small cups plastic spoons bowls card stock Give each kid a small cup. They will go from bowl to bowl, using the spoon there to pick up one of the items. Before they can put it in their bowl, they have to say loudly the name of the disciple on that table tent. 11

12 PETER THADDEUS JAMES MATTHEW JOHN JAMES ANDREW SIMON BARTHOLOMEW THOMAS JUDAS PHILIP

13 Q1 How many disciples did Jesus call? Q2 What did Jesus do before He called His disciples? Q3 What kind of men did Jesus call? Q4 What does the word disciple mean? Q5 What did Jesus want from each of the disciples? Q6 What does Jesus want from each of His disciples today? Q7 What did each of the men say when Jesus called them? Q8 When the men followed Jesus, what did they leave behind?

14 A1 A5 12 Their obedience A2He prayed over His decision. A6Our obedience A3Ordinary A7 Yes! A4Student A8Everything