Sunday School Worship | hayesmethodistchurch

SUNDAY SCHOOL!

Jesus Calls His First Disciples - Mark 1: 14 - 20

Last week we learnt about the friends Philip and Nathanael and the different ways they responded to Jesus' call to follow him. Philip went straight away and Nathanael was hesistant to do the same without seeing Jesus. We learnt Jesus already knew his disciples before he even met them and already knows us, loves each and every one of us and calls on us to be his disciples.

This week we are looking at Jesus calling his first disciples and responding without hesitation to Jesus.

Let's begin by watching this video , or if you prefer you may read from Mark 1: 14 - 20 Jesus Calls His Disciples.

Questions:

1. Where was Jesus walking?

2. What were the men doing when Jesus called them?

3. What did Jesus say to them?

4. What were their names?

5. Who did James and John leave their father with?

Jesus called his disciples to help him with his work and to continue to spread the good news. Jesus had an important message to share, "The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the good news".

Simon and his brother Andrew were fishermen, casting their nets when Jesus said to them "Come follow me"and "I will send you out to fish for people".

At once they left their nets and followed him. Jesus also saw James and his brother John preparing nets. Jesus called them and immediately they left their father with men they had hired to help them fish and followed Jesus!

Did you notice the similarities with Simon and Andrew and James and John?

They were brothers, all fishermen and they dropped everything immediately. Did you notice they also weren't doing anything special for Jesus to call them? They were just doing their jobs.

There was nothing in particular that made them special from anyone else. Being a fisherman would have been their jobs, it would have been a way of making money or finding food to provide for their families. In James and John's calling, they left their father with people they didn't know to follow Jesus.

These men were not chosen because of a certain talent or what they could offer Jesus but because they were committed to following Jesus without hesitation. These men didn't know what would happen but were willing to drop everything, their jobs and their family to serve Jesus and share the good news.

If you were asked to leave everything you know, your family and friends and follow someone you don't know anything about, would you leave without any thought? Would you find this easy to do?

We are very lucky that Jesus has also called us to be his disciples and follow him, to spread the good news and to share God's love. However, unlike the disciples we haven't had to give up everything, our families or our friends to follow him. We are encouraged to call them to follow Jesus also!

Let us pray

Dear Jesus,

You have called us to follow you.

May we like Peter, Andrew, James and John

say "Yes, Lord, I'll follow you wherever you

may lead".

Amen

(Prayer taken from Sermon 4 kids)

Lets sing or listen!

Activity Time!

Feel free to do any of the following:

Follow in Jesus' footsteps! Draw around your foot. In your foot, write your name and something you can do to follow Jesus. On your foot also write "I will follow Jesus!" Please feel free to make more than one footstep.
Make an invitation that would you send to a friend inviting them to church.
Complete this wordsearch
Design a poster to show Jesus calling his disciples.