Bible Passage
5th Sunday after Epiphany (Luke 5:1-11)

 

Jesus was standing beside a lake and he saw two boats.  He met Simon Peter.  Simon Peter was tired because he had been fishing all night long and hadn’t caught a single fish.  Jesus told him to go back out onto the lake and throw out his nets.  Simon Peter didn’t want to because he was so tired.

Watch the video to find out what happened:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhIwTU9RbxY

 

Simon Peter listened to Jesus.  He and his brother, Andrew, went out onto the lake and threw out their nets where Jesus said.  This time, they caught fish.  In fact, their nets were so full that that they were beginning to tear.  They caught so many fish that their boat started to fill up.  It was so full that the boat began to sink.  They called to their friends in another boat and asked them to help.  Their boat started to become too full of fish also!

 

They knew that there was more to Jesus.  He had told them where to catch so many fish after they had fished all night long and hadn’t caught anything.

 

Jesus said to them, “Follow me.  From now on, you will fish for people.”  Peter and Andrew dropped their nets and followed Jesus.

 

What Jesus meant was that instead of fishing for fish, they would now be followers of Jesus and they would be looking for people to tell the good news of God’s love and to share God’s love with and to serve in Jesus’ name.

 

God calls us to be followers of Jesus – to fish for people – to share the good news of God’s love and to share God love and to serve in Jesus’ name.

 

Discuss

  • Who do you know that is a follower of Jesus?
  • How can you share the good news of God’s love?
  • How can you serve in Jesus’ name?

 

Song

Never Let Go of Me.  Lifetree Kids.  (Go ahead and do the motions!)

 

Activity

Jesus told Peter that he would fish for people from now on.  Click on the link below and watch the video to learn how to make a very cool fish out of construction paper:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmZgsnY8fMQ

 

Activity

Play this game together as a family.  Shuffle a deck of cards.  Take turns drawing one card each without looking.  If you draw an odd number, tell about a difficult thing you had to learn or face.  If you draw an even number, share how you are a disciple of Jesus.  If you draw a face card, tell a story that involves water.

This idea was adapted from the Spark Lectionary Curriculum.

 

Closing Prayer

Jesus, you invite us to follow you and to share your love with others.  Help us to do that today and every day.  Amen.

 

Pastor Dan Fugate, Assistant to the Bishop for Discipleship in the Indiana-Kentucky Synod, ELCA, put this lesson together for Sunday School @ Home.  There will be a new one for each Sunday as we continue through this COVID wilderness.  Contact him at [email protected].