This page has been designed for you to photocopy and place in your Bible as a ready reference. Follow Me: Peter Learns from Christ Introducing Peter Lesson1 Lesson Overview Scripture John 1:19-23, 35-42; Luke 5:1-16 Memory Matthew 4:19 Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Verse Teaching The unsaved child will believe on Jesus, the Son of God, to be saved Objective from sin. Main The first step in following Jesus is to believe on (trust) Him as Savior. Teaching Emphasis Be a fisher of men and lead others to Jesus. for Saved Teaching Jesus is God the Son! Follow Him! Statement Visual Aids Flashcards 1-1 6 Schedule 60- min 75- min Before Club Complete attendance record as children arrive Opening Welcome, prayer, establish rules, explain attendance incentive, p. 3 5 5 Theme Song What s the News? (visualized song) 2 2 Missions Song: Let s Get Started, p. 51 (visualized song) Story: Five Big Choices, part 1 Teaching, offering, prayer, p. 3 10 10 Song Wordless Book Song (visualized song) 2 2 Memory Verse Matthew 4:19 Repetition: Follow Me 8 8 Bible Lesson/ Invitation Introducing Peter 18 18 Review Fishing for Points review game and/or Gowth Symbols growth activity 0 12 Song God s Power (visualized song) 2 2 Wonder Time God Wants to Spend Time with Just You (visualized song), quiet time teaching and 60-Day Wonder Devotional Book review, awards 12 15 Closing Announcements, prayer, verse/teaching tokens, Wonderzone/Truth Chasers Club bookmarks, Truth Chasers Club starter lessons 1 1 I. INTRODUCTION Let s play follow the leader! Outline II. PROGRESSION OF EVENTS A. Flashcard 1-1 1. Bethsaida was a little town on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. 2. The Jews had been waiting for the Messiah. 3. Simon, Andrew, James and John grew up in Bethsaida. B. Flashcard 1-2 (John 1:19-23, 40) 1. One day they met an unusual man named John the Baptist. 2. God chose John the Baptist to tell the Jews to be ready for the Messiah. 3. Andrew became a disciple (learner or follower) of John the Baptist. C. Flashcard 1-3 (John 1:35-41) 1. John saw Jesus and cried out, Behold, the Lamb of God! 2. Andrew realized that Jesus is the Messiah! 3. Andrew went to tell his brother Simon. 4. You and I need a Savior for the same reason we are sinners. [Romans 3:23] D. Flashcard 1-4 (John 1:42) 1. Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. 2. Jesus changed Simon s name to Cephas (Peter). 3. Did you know that God has a great plan for your life? [1 John 4:8] 4. Hundreds of people followed Jesus to hear Him teach. E. Flashcard 1-5 (Luke 5:1-7) 1. Jesus was teaching and the crowd kept getting closer and closer to hear Him teach. 2. Jesus got into Peter s boat and taught the people from the boat a little ways off the shore. 3. Jesus told Peter to let out his nets to catch fish. 4. The net filled with fish and Peter called out to James and John to come help. F. Flashcard 1-6 (Luke 5:8-11) 1. Peter started to realize who Jesus is. 2. Jesus came to Earth to take the punishment for Peter s sin and the sin of everyone in the whole world. [1 John 1:7b; 2 Corinthians 15:5] 3. Jesus told them not to be afraid and, From now on, you will catch men. 4. If you have believed on Jesus as your Savior, be a fisher of men and lead others to Jesus. [Acts 1:8] III. CLIMAX When Jesus said, Follow Me! they left their fishing business and became Jesus followers! IV. CONCLUSION A. Flashcard 1-6 (Luke 6:13-16) Peter, Andrew, James and John became four of the 12 disciples of Jesus. B. The first step in following Jesus is to believe on Him as Savior. [Acts 16:31] Scripture verses in parentheses are background text. Bracketed verses should be quoted or read from God s Word. Follow Me: Peter Learns from Christ 2013 Child Evangelism Fellowship Inc. Permission is given to photocopy this page for club or class use. All other rights reserved. Lesson 1 1
The memory verses in this series are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. If you are using another version, you may need to adapt the explanations slightly. Adaptations for the English Standard Version are provided in the GNC resource pack. Preschool Memory Verse Teach Psalm 31:14 throughout this series: But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God. Use the verse explanation from Lesson 5. Teaching the Memory Verse Memory Verse: Matthew 4:19 Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Introduction: Have you ever gone fishing or watched a TV show about fishing? (Allow response.) What do you need if you re going fishing? (Fishing pole, bait, boat, etc.) Our Bible verse today talks about fishing but not fishing for fish! Presentation: The Bible is God s true Word. God used around 40 men over 1,600 years to write down His Word. That s amazing because the message of the Bible is the same it is the message of how God made a way for your sins to be forgiven! From the beginning to the end it has the same message. It is truly God s book. God gave us His Word so we would know how He wants us to live. One of the men God used to write His Word was a man named Matthew. Matthew was one of Jesus followers (disciples). Matthew followed Jesus, listened to His teachings then later wrote down what Jesus said. Jesus said the words of our memory verse today. (Read Matthew 4:19.) Matthew is the first book in the New Testament the second half of the Bible (point out on Books of the Bible chart from GNC resource pack). The verse is found in chapter 4 (which is the big number on the page), verse 19 (which is the small number on the page). (Read the verse from your Bible while children follow along on the visual.) Explanation: Application: Follow me Jesus wanted a man named Peter and some others to follow Him. To follow Jesus they needed to give up what they were doing. Peter and Andrew gave up their fishing. Matthew left his tax collecting. Following Jesus meant they would travel with Him, listen to Him and live like He wanted them to live. Jesus had many things to teach them! and I will make you fishers of men Before Jesus called the disciples, they spent their time fishing for fish! When He said these words to them, He was inviting them to stop fishing for fish and start fishing for people! How could they fish for people? (Allow response.) Jesus didn t want the disciples to follow Him then keep everything they learned to themselves. He wanted them to tell other people about Himself. He wanted them to tell the Good News about salvation. Saved: If you have believed on Jesus as your Savior, be a fisher of men and lead others to Jesus. If you have made the decision to follow Jesus will you tell others about Him so they can know Him too? Unsaved: If you have not believed on Jesus, then you are not following Him yet. Jesus died on the cross and came alive again so you can have a friendship with God and life forever in Heaven. Will you believe on Jesus today? Repetition: Follow Me (Say the verse a couple more times with the children. Have the children stand up and say the verse as they follow you in various actions in place; e.g., marching, stepping from side to side, reaching up, touching toes, etc. Repeat the verse as time and interest allow.) 2 Follow Me: Peter Learns from Christ 2013 Child Evangelism Fellowship Inc. Permission is given to photocopy memory verse teaching for club or class use. All other rights reserved.
Lesson INTRODUCTION Let s play follow the leader! Do what I do, okay? (Demonstrate several actions while children copy you, standing in place or, if the group is small, following you around the room.) You may sit down now. You did a great job following! This game reminds me of someone in the Bible who was asked to be a follower. Would he follow? Let s find out! PROGRESSION OF EVENTS Slide 01 This story took place over 2,000 years ago in a little town in Israel called Bethsaida (beth-say-ih-duh). Bethsaida was on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Because it was on the seashore, fishing boats came and went all night long. Fishermen brought in their fish and sat along the shore cleaning and mending their nets and repairing their boats. The people who lived in Bethsaida were God s chosen people, the Jews. For as long as they could remember, the Jews had been waiting for a Messiah. Messiah means Savior. Many of the Jews expected the Messiah to be a king who would come and rescue them from the Roman government that was ruling over them. Simon, Andrew, James and John grew up in Bethsaida. Simon and Andrew s father was a fishing partner with James and John s father. When the boys grew up, they joined their fathers in the fishing business. Night after night they sailed out into the Sea of Galilee hoping for a big catch! Slide 02 One day they met an unusual man named John the Baptist. The Bible tells us he lived in the wilderness by himself. He wore clothes made from camel skins and ate locusts and wild honey. A locust is like a big grasshopper. Would you like it if your mom served grasshoppers for lunch? (Allow response.) Even before John was born, God chose him to tell the Jews to be ready for the Messiah. What does Messiah mean? (Savior.) John told people to turn from their sins and come to God. He shouted, (read John 1:23b from your Bible). With his odd outfit and booming voice, John definitely got people s attention! Some people thought he was crazy. Some hated him because of what he said. Others came and listened carefully to his words. Some people even followed John. They were called his disciples. A disciple is a learner or follower. Andrew, Simon s brother, became one of John s followers. Andrew was very interested in what John was saying. Could it be true that the Messiah was coming? Show Bethsaida on the map on the back cover. Visual learners benefit from maps. Let children taste honey from a honeycomb if possible. Tactual learners will benefit. (Always be aware of children s allergies and dietary concerns.) Occasionally ask for a volunteer to read. Place a marker in your Bible and have the child turn to it. Slide 03 One day Andrew and another of John s disciples were talking with John the Baptist. Suddenly John looked at a man walking by and cried out, Behold, the Lamb of God! Andrew looked at the man. He had seen Him before. His name was Jesus. Was He the Messiah they had been waiting for? Andrew and the other disciple had to find out! They started following Jesus and stayed with Him all day. They must have gotten more and more excited as they realized, Jesus is the Messiah! When I count to three, shout this with me: Jesus is the Messiah! Andrew could hardly wait to share his news! When you have great news to share, who do you tell first? (Allow response.) You might tell your family that s exactly what Andrew did! He went as fast as he could and found his brother Simon. He said to Simon, We have found the Messiah! He s here, Simon, he s here! Like other Jews, the brothers thought they needed a king. But Jesus had come as the promised Savior. The brothers needed a Savior because they were sinners. You and I need a Savior for the same reason we are sinners. What is sin? (Allow response.) Sin is anything you think, say or do that displeases God and makes Him sad. Sin is a problem because you were born with a want to inside to disobey God. Think about it did anybody have to teach you to lie, call others For preschoolers present the Gospel using Gospel Hearts, p. 18. Show and explain the dark heart only. Lesson 1 3
names or disobey? No, they didn t because you are born knowing how to sin. The Bible says, (read Romans 3:23). Everyone has sinned there is no one on Earth who always does what is good and never sins. God is holy (completely perfect) and must punish sin. The punishment you deserve for sin is to be separated from God now and forever. This is a very serious situation because there is nothing you can do to get rid of your sin. You need a Savior because you are a sinner. The brothers needed a Savior because they were sinners. But they thought Jesus was their king. Slide 04 Quickly Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Can you imagine meeting Jesus for the first time? How do you suppose Simon felt? (Allow response.) Before Simon could say anything, Jesus looked at him with kind eyes and said, (read John 1:42b). Cephas (SEE-fuhs)? What a strange name! In Aramaic (the language Peter spoke) the name Cephas means Peter. Because Jesus is the perfect Son of God and the Creator of everything and everyone, He knew everything about Peter. He knew what Peter was like and who he would become, even though this was the first time Peter had seen Jesus. Jesus, God the Son, had a great plan for Peter s life! For preschoolers present the Gospel using Gospel Hearts, p. 18. Show and explain the Heaven heart only. Sing Good News. Did you know God has a great plan for your life? God knows everything about you because He made you. He made the whole world too. And He loves you! The Bible says, God is love (1 John 4:8). He is also holy, which means He is perfect. God can never do, say or think anything wrong. God is so amazing! He knows everything about you and has a great plan for your life. Jesus, God the Son, had a great plan for Peter s life! Just like you and me, Peter had a lot to learn from Jesus. Andrew and Peter saw Jesus often after that. Jesus had started teaching people. In fact, Jesus had more followers than John the Baptist! Hundreds of people followed Jesus to hear Him teach. 4 Follow Me: Peter Learns from Christ Slide 05 One time when Jesus was teaching by the Sea of Galilee, the people kept crowding closer and closer so they could hear Him. Jesus looked around and saw two boats by the lake. Whose do you think they were? (Allow response.) You re right one was Peter s! Jesus got into Peter s boat and asked him to go out a little bit from the land. Then Jesus began teaching the people from his boat! After Jesus finished speaking, the people went back to their homes. Then to Peter s surprise Jesus said, (read Luke 5:4b-5). Peter trusted and did what Jesus said to do. He threw the nets into the water. Then he waited. And waited. Suddenly the boat started to tip a little as the nets got heavier and heavier and heavier! Peter had never seen so many fish! Before he knew it, the net was filled with fish! He and Andrew tried to haul the net into the boat but it was so heavy it started to break! Stand up and pull the net in! It s so heavy! It s starting to break! (Do with the children.) Now sit down. Peter called out, James! John! Come quick! James and John hurried over in their boat to help. There were so many fish both boats started to sink! Peter, Andrew, James and John looked at the fish in disbelief. They had never seen so many fish! Peter looked at Jesus with wide eyes. Who was this man who could cause such wonderful things to happen? Slide 06 Peter was beginning to realize who Jesus is. He fell at Jesus feet saying, (read Luke 5:8b). Peter knew he was a sinner compared to Jesus, the only one who is perfect in every way and without sin.
Jesus came to Earth to take the punishment for Peter s sin and the sin of everyone in the whole world. He is the only one who could do that because He is the only perfect Son of God. Jesus came to Earth as a little baby. Even when He was a little boy He never did anything wrong. Several years after this story happened Jesus allowed men to arrest Him, beat Him and nail Him to a cross. There He bled and died. This had to happen so your sin and mine could be forgiven and we could be made right with God. The Bible says, (read 1 John 1:7b). Jesus was willing to go through that for you because He loves you so much! After Jesus died He was buried in a tomb but on the third day He came alive again! The Bible says over 500 people saw Jesus after that (1 Corinthians 15:5). Then after 40 more days on Earth Jesus went back to Heaven, where He is now ruling as King over all. Jesus is alive! So He can give new life to all who believe in Him. Only the perfect Son of God can do that. Sing Nothing But the Blood. For preschoolers present the Gospel using Gospel Hearts, p. 18. Show and explain the cross heart only. Peter knew he was a sinner compared to Jesus, the only one who is perfect in every way and without sin. Peter, Andrew, James and John were amazed at the miracle Jesus had done. They had never caught that many fish at one time! Jesus knew what they were thinking and He said, Don t be afraid! Then He said something very puzzling. From now on, you will catch men. What did Jesus mean by that? (Allow response.) He meant that instead of catching fish, Simon, Andrew, James and John would leave their nets and follow Him. Jesus would teach them about who He is and why He came to Earth. Then they would lead others to Jesus just as Andrew had led Peter to Jesus. They would be fishers of men. Slide 07 If you have believed on Jesus as your Savior, be a fisher of men and lead others to Jesus. Do you know people who have not believed on Jesus as Savior yet? Maybe someone in your house, the kids in your neighborhood or the kids at school need to know Jesus. How can you tell them about Jesus? (Allow response.) You could tell them about Jesus by sharing one of the memory verses you ve learned and telling them what it means. You could also teach them one of the songs you ve learned in Good News Club. Or you could invite them to Good News Club with you. The Bible says, (read Acts 1:8). A witness is someone who tells what they know to be true. What things do you know to be true about Jesus? (Have children share different Gospel points they can think of. Fill in any they miss.) If you have believed in Jesus as your Savior, be a fisher of men and lead others to Jesus. Jesus wanted Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow Him and lead others to Jesus. The four men had a choice to make would they give up everything and follow Jesus? What do you think they did? (Allow response.) You re right the Bible says, (read Luke 5:11). Teaching Card Show the card and have the children repeat the statement: Jesus is God the Son! Follow Him! Tell them that anytime you call out Word Up! they are to shout the phrase back. Call it out during transition times, times when they are restless or just anytime! Sing I Can Know God or The Prayer Song. CLIMAX When Jesus said, Follow Me! they left their fishing business and became Jesus followers! CONCLUSION They wanted to follow Jesus and learn from Him. Peter, Andrew, James and John became four of the 12 disciples, or followers of the Lord Jesus. Jesus would teach Peter and the others many important lessons about what it means to follow Him and become a fisher of men. In the next few weeks we ll learn some of these lessons they are lessons for you and me too! Lesson 1 5
INVITATION Invite children to come to Christ using the method given here or one you have found effective. Having children pray silently during the class time is useful when it is not possible to talk with each child individually. A sample prayer is as follows: Dear God, I know I have sinned and I am sorry. I know I deserve to be punished for my sin. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and came alive again. Thank You that Jesus took my punishment so I can be saved from my sins forever. Help me live to please You. In Jesus name. Amen. Whenever possible, however, meet with each child after the invitation. See How to Lead a Child to Christ, inside front cover. Sing Nothing But the Blood. Preschool Invitation Present the invitation using Acts 16:31 and believe on terminology. Ask those who believe on Jesus for the first time or those who want to talk to you about what believing on Jesus means to stay with you at the story rug. Review Game Fishing for Points Print point values on fish shapes. (See GNC resource pack.) Place the fish in a small bag. Divide the group into teams. Ask questions, alternating between the teams. When a child answers a question correctly, set a timer for ten seconds and let the child begin pulling one fish at a time from the bag. When the timer rings, award his team the highest point value. Return the fish to the bag for the next question. Preschool Review Game Fishing for Points Set up the game as directed above but do not divide the children into teams. When a child answers a question correctly, he may draw one fish. Record the number and return the fish to the bag. Keep playing, using past review questions, as long as time and attention allow. Total the points and cheer for the children! The first step in following Jesus is to believe on (trust) Him as Savior. The Bible says, (read Acts 16:31). To believe on Jesus is to be sorry for your sin and depend completely on Him (trust Him) as the only one who can forgive your sin. When you trust Jesus as your Savior, you are saved. That means the punishment for your sin is taken away. You will have a friendship with God starting right now and one day you will go and live with Him in Heaven. God will give you His Holy Spirit to help you do what is right. Following Jesus by believing on Him is the most important decision you will ever make. Please bow your head and close your eyes no one looking around. If you have decided to believe on Jesus today for the first time, or if you have questions about what it means to believe on Jesus, please show me by raising your hand. (Acknowledge responses.) You may open your eyes. If you raised your hand, please meet me (designate time and location) and I ll show you more from God s Word about believing on Jesus. Review Questions 1. Who had the Jews been waiting for? (The Messiah.) 2. What did John the Baptist tell people? (To turn from their sins and come to God.) 3. Why do you and I need a Savior? (Because of our sins.) 4. What is a disciple? (A learner or follower of someone.) 5. Who knows everything about you? (God.) 6. What did Jesus do so that your sins could be forgiven? (Bled and died on the cross to take our punishment.) 7. Who did Andrew tell first about Jesus being the Messiah? (His brother Simon.) 8. According to our memory verse, Matthew 4:19, what should we fish for? (Men; people.) 9. What does it mean to fish for men? (Tell people about Jesus.) 10. Where is Jesus now? (In Heaven ruling as King.) 11. What did Jesus do so that He could talk to the big crowd of people? (Got in a boat and taught from a little ways off shore.) 12. What did Jesus tell Peter to do when they were in the boat and had gone a little farther into the water? (Throw his net into the water so he could catch fish.) Preschool Review Questions 1. When John the Baptist said, Behold the Lamb of God! who was he talking about? (Jesus!) 2. In the beginning of the lesson, what was Simon, Andrew, James and John s job? (To catch fish.) 3. After Jesus told Peter to throw his net into the water, did he catch any fish? (Yes! He caught a lot of fish!) 4. What is sin? (Anything we think, say or do that breaks God s laws and makes Him sad.) 6 Follow Me: Peter Learns from Christ 2013 Child Evangelism Fellowship Inc. Permission is given to photocopy review questions and games for club or class use. All other rights reserved.
Growth Activity Gospel Symbols What did Jesus tell Peter and the other disciples to do? (Be fishers of men.) Jesus wanted them to tell others about Him. If you have believed on Jesus as your Savior, God wants you to be a fisher of men and lead others to Jesus. I want you to think of someone you know who has not believed on Jesus. Maybe you re just not sure if he or she believes on Him. What are some things you could tell him or her? (Allow response.) You can remember what to tell someone about Jesus with these cards. (Hold up symbol cards.) Each has a symbol on the front and words on the back to help you remember what to say. (Review the Gospel points and meaning of each symbol.) You can take this home and color the symbols: the circle gold or yellow to remind you of Heaven, the first heart a dark color to remind you of sin and the cross red to remind you of Jesus blood. Leave the last heart clean to remind you of being clean from sin. Create cards with symbols on the front and words on the back. Make a large set to show the class and small sets for children to use to tell others about Jesus. (See GNC resource pack.) God is the Creator He made you. God is holy perfect in every way. God loves you. The Bible says, For God so loved the world (John 3:16). Sin is wanting your own way instead of God s way. You and I were born wanting and knowing how to sin. The Bible says, For all have sinned (Romans 3:23). God s punishment for sin is separation from God forever. Jesus is God the Son. Jesus lived a pefect life. Jesus suffered, bled and died on the cross to take the punishment for our sin. The Bible says, The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:7). Jesus died and came alive again. Now He is alive in Heaven ruling as King. You must know you have sinned. You must believe that the Lord Jesus died on the cross for you. You must trust Him as your Savior. The Bible says, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved (Acts 16:31). To be saved means your sins are forgiven so you can have a friendship with God and be with Him in Heaven someday. Wonder Time Teaching What can I do in my quiet time with God to lead others to Jesus? Raise your hand if you have a quiet time. (Acknowledge response.) Can one of you tell me what a quiet time is? (A time to talk to God and read the Bible.) What are some things that you have learned from spending time with God? (Answers will vary.) If you have believed on the Lord Jesus, God wants you to be a fisher of men and lead others to Him. When you spend time with God, you will learn new things about Him that you can share with your family and friends. Think of one person who needs to hear about Jesus. When you spend time talking to God, you can tell Him about that person. What are some things you can pray for that person? (Pray that God will give you an opportunity to tell him or her about Jesus, that you will know what to say and that he or she will believe.) How often can you pray for that person? (Every day.) Will you spend time with God every day this week? Will you pray for that one person who needs to hear about the Lord Jesus? (If you have given the children devotional books, review how to use them.) Lesson 1 7