Large Group Game Name of the Game: KEY PASSAGE: Luke 5:1-11. Jesus Calls the First Disciples. What to say: Get your ring around a pumpkin stem, and you win. We What are winners to say: in God s eyes when we go where we are needed to meet The the fall needs is an exciting of people time of around year for us. many reasons. Fall is the time of year when baseball start Directions: a new year. It s the time of the year when the temperatures drop, when the leaves Directions Choose two players for this game. Each player gets 3-5 chances to toss rings at the pumpkins. They score a point for each pumpkin they successfully ring around the stem. You can play a few times if you have As we move into the fall season, we re going to enjoy a fall festival of our own. We re along extra the time! way. If you haven t guessed, today s game is one of the easiest to play: the Real fishing isn t nearly as easy as the fishing game, and neither is the kind of fishing Jesus talks about in today s scripture. Real fishing takes time and patience. But real
Intro to Bible Story: The last game in our fall festival series is one that takes many different forms at festivals and carnivals. The layout may vary, but the object is the same. Take a few small rings. Toss them at a target - a pumpkin stem, or maybe a soda KEY PASSAGE: bottle. Get a ring around the top of the target, and you are a winner. It s harder Luke 5:1-11. than Jesus it looks. Calls Much the First hard- Disciples. er. But when you get your ring in the right place, you get to take home a prize. As we finish our series, we want to talk about being where God wants us to be. Just like this ring toss game, however, being where we need to be isn t always easy. Sometimes where God wants us to be can be inconvenient. He may want us to go at a bad time. He may want us to go some place uncomfortable. He may want us to be with someone no one else likes - someone we don t exactly like. But when God says it s time to go, we need to forget about excuses and obey. In As today s we move story, into the Jesus fall season, has a we re run going with to en oy a group a fall of festival people of our who own. were We re constantly going to take judging a stroll down him. the They midway, were and the we re religious going to stop leaders to play of a few the games day. Their intention may have been honor- able in that they wanted people to obey God, but by following the letter of the law, they forgot about God s love. They didn t lead lives that let other people know that God loved them. Jesus stood up to them. He showed them that sometimes being where God wants us means doing things that aren t comfortable. He showed us to put other people ahead of ourselves. eal fishing isn t nearly as easy as the fishing game, and neither is the kind of fishing Jesus talks about in today s scripture. eal fishing takes time and patience. But real READ- LUKE Matthew 5:1-11 12:1-14
Main Point The Pharisees were the religious leaders of the day. They knew the Word of God, the Old Testament very well. One of the laws of the Old Testament, in fact one of the Ten Commandments, is about the Sabbath day, the day of rest God KEY PASSAGE: instituted for his people. God wanted his people to make that day a time of Luke rest 5:1-11. and Jesus reflection Calls the so First they Disciples. could refresh their minds, their bodies, and their hearts. The Pharisees had taken this rule and made it into something it was never meant to be. They criticized Jesus and his disciples for working on the Sabbath, when the only work they did was picking some food for themselves. Jesus decided to teach them a lesson. He knew they didn t want to see him work on the Sabbath, so he did something really big. He healed a man with a In many hand. places If harvest picking is grains a time of was celebration, work, then marked healing by harvest really festivals had and to be work. crippled But fall festivals what was filled better? with rides, Obeying food, and the lots Pharisees, of games. or obeying God s call to love others? As we move into the fall season, we re going to en oy a fall festival of our own. We re the fishing Pharisees game. that the greatest command is to love others. Jesus wasn t trying to overthrow the Ten Commandments. He was showing Relate Back to Kids Loving eal fishing others isn t nearly isn t always as easy easy. the In fishing fact, game, it rarely and is. neither People is the don t kind of have fishing crises on a Jesus regular talks schedule. about in today s Bad scripture. things happen eal fishing in takes the morning, time and patience. the afternoon, But real at lunch, fishing is at rewarding night, all when day it long. pays off, You and never the kind know of fishing when Jesus someone s wants us to going do is to have a bad day and need a friend. The challenge is for us to be willing to respond, whenever and wherever we are needed.
In your life you re going to have opportunities to love others. Sometimes it ll happen at school. Sometimes it will be after school. It may be at night, it may be on a weekend. It will never come when you are expecting it, and it will rarely come at a time that s convenient. KEY PASSAGE: Luke 5:1-11. Jesus Calls the First Disciples. Loving others may cost you in time. It may cost money. It may also cost you fun, if you have to give up a fun activity for a friend. the gets way exciting of God s as we plan head for into loving the World someone Series. Fall in is need. also when football, basketball, But remember what Jesus gave up for us, and don t let your plans get in God is counting on us to be his hands and feet. Don t be too busy, and don t be shy. When God gives you a chance to love someone, be there. Be right on target. Let go of your plans, and let God use you to change a life, Fall right is traditionally where he the puts time you. when we celebrate the harvest, the end of the growing season. As we move into the fall season, we re going to en oy a fall festival of our own. We re eal fishing isn t nearly as easy as the fishing game, and neither is the kind of fishing Jesus talks about in today s scripture. eal fishing takes time and patience. But real