SUNDAY SCHOOL @ HOME – Third Sunday after Epiphany (January 24, 2021)

Bible Passage (for parents)

Fish for People (Mark 1:14-20)

 

In today’s gospel, Jesus travels to Galilee in order to share the good news that the time had come, that the kingdom of God had come near, that it was time for people to repent – to turn from their sins – and believe in the Good News.  What is that Good News?  God sent Jesus to save people from their sins, to let people know just how much God loves them.

 

As Jesus was traveling, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing their nets into the sea.  They were doing that because they were fisherman and they wanted to catch some fish.  Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.”  They immediately left their nets and followed Jesus.

 

Jesus went a little further and he saw James and John.  They were with their father, Zebedee, and they were in their boat mending, or fixing, their nets.  Jesus invited them to follow him and they did!  They left everything behind, including their father, Zebedee, in the boat and followed Jesus.

 

Watch this video together to hear the story from the Bible:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg-_h33odRo

 

Read:

Jesus called Simon, Andrew, James, and John to be his disciples, or his followers, so that they could learn from him and they could share the Good News with others.  Jesus told them that he would make them “fish for people.”  That doesn’t mean that they would use a fishing people and go around and try to catch people…that would be pretty silly.

What Jesus meant by saying that he would make them fish for people was that instead of catching fish, they would be sharing the Good News with people.  They would be traveling with Jesus and sharing the Good News of God’s love with everyone they met.

Jesus still calls us to follow him.  He still calls us to share the Good news of God’s love with those we meet.  He calls us to serve others in Jesus’ name.

Discuss

What do you think Zebedee felt about being left behind in the boat?

Why do you think Simon, Andrew, James, and John left everything and followed Jesus immediately?

How can you follow Jesus today?

Song

I’ll Do My Best.  Go Fish Guys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8URE4T4_U8

 

Activity

Simon, Andrew, James, and John all fished for a living.  They used boats in their

You will need an apple, a cheese slice, a toothpick, a plate, and a knife.  Core and quarter the apple.  Push a toothpick through opposite ends of a cheese slice to create a “sail.”  Place the apple wedge on a plate, skin side down.  Then insert the “sail” into the center of the apple wedge.  After you make your apple boat, eat it (as long as you don’t have any food allergies).

Activity

Watch the video and follow the instructions to make a very simple origami fish.  It’s so simple that even I could do it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipsFC_GM9oc

 

 

Prayer

Dear Jesus, just as you called your first followers, you also call us.  Make us “fishers of people”.  Help us share the Good News of your love with us.  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 while we are unable to gather together physically in our congregational buildings.  Contact him at [email protected].