Bible FocusJesus invited people to follow Him and learn how to make disciples.
Life FocusFollow Jesus by choosing to make disciples.
Growing Up in the Word: Matthew 28:16-20 Set up one or both of the following activities to do as students arrive. Greet the students by name, explain the activities, and invite students to participate.
Before class, choose several words from Matthew 28:16-20 to write on separate slips of paper. You’ll need one word for every two students. Number the slips of paper in the order the words appear in the Bible memory passage. If you have a large class, you’ll need one word for every small group of students. Write the memory passage on the poster board, inserting blank lines where the words you chose should be.
Divide the class into pairs of students (or small groups) and have each pair choose a slip of paper. Tell pairs to create an action that represents their word. As the passage is read aloud, the pair who has number 1 will fill in the blank by performing their action. The rest of the class will try to identify the word. When the correct word is identified, the pair can write the word in the blank. Do the same for all the words. When all the blanks have been filled in, have the students read the complete passage again, this time with everyone demonstrating the actions that were created for the missing words.
• Who was Jesus talking to in these verses? (His 11 disciples)
Today we’re going to find out how these 11 disciples and many others came to be followers of Jesus.
Memory Activity 2
Suppliesreproducible pp. 5–12, scissors, markers, reusable adhesive or pushpins, Bibles
Before class, print pages 5–12. Divide Matthew 28:16-20 into eight phrases. Include the reference with the last phrase.
Give each student, pairs of students, or small groups of students one of the letters, a Bible, and some markers. Assign the group with the letter D to write the first phrase inside its letter, the group with the letter I to write the next phrase inside its letter, and so forth. Don’t tell students what the letters spell.
When students are done writing, tell them to see how fast they can figure out what word their letters spell. Tell them to line their cards up in order as soon as they figure it out. Then have them attach the letters on the wall or bulletin board.
• What command is Jesus giving in Matthew 28:16-20? (to make disciples)
• Why is this command important? (Jesus gave it. It’s the way people will be saved.)
• Who is Jesus talking to? (His disciples, all of His followers)
Our goal is to be disciples of Jesus. Our goal is also to obey Jesus’ command to make disciples.
WHY GROW UP?
Suppliespaper plates, markers
Distribute the paper plates and markers. Ask students to draw a smiling face and write the word YES! on one side, and draw a frowning face and write the words NO WAY! on the other side.
Let’s imagine some situations in which we might follow others. Use the faces on your plates to show your answers. 1) Your parents want you to obey and follow what they tell you. They want you to do the dishes, but you want to play a video game. Will you follow your parents’ instructions? Pause after each situation for students to respond by holding up their plate faces. Encourage honesty. 2) You’re with your friends
Lesson 1: A Disciple Follows Jesus 2 Permission is granted to reproduce this lesson for ministry purposes only—not for resale.
at the mall, and they’re planning to steal some candy bars. They want you to steal one too. Will you go along with your friends and follow what they want you to do? 3) Your best friend begs you to let him see a few of your answers during the math test. Will you go along with your friend and follow what he or she wants you to do? 4) Your teacher asks you to help a new kid in class. No one really likes the new kid. Will you follow what your teacher is asking you to do?
We make choices every day about who to follow. Choosing to follow Jesus is the most important decision we’ll ever make.
HOW TO GROW UP
SuppliesBibles
Let’s take a look at how some people in the Bible responded when Jesus called them. Divide the students into two groups. Assign one group Matthew 4:18-22. Assign the other group Matthew 9:9-13. Tell the students to read their assigned passages, then create a skit that illustrates what the disciples in these passages might have thought or said to one another when Jesus called them to follow Him. Encourage students to create dialogue that shows what characteristics the disciples might have seen in Jesus and their feelings about being called. Perhaps the disciples were confused, afraid, eager, curious, or amazed. Encourage the students to use their imaginations to place themselves in the situations of the disciples as they were called.
After an adequate amount of preparation time, allow each group to present its skit. Make positive comments about the presentations and encourage applause for each group.
In today’s Scriptures, ordinary people said yes when Jesus called them. They stopped what they were doing and chose to become followers of Jesus. They chose to change their lives by putting Jesus ahead of everything else. Close your eyes for a moment. Imagine Jesus standing in front of you, just as He stood before Simon Peter, Matthew, and the others. Picture Him calling you to be His follower, His disciple. What will your answer be?
READY TO GROW UP
Suppliesreproducible p. 13, markers or colored pencils, scissors, pencils, glue, shoelaces (1 lace per student), wooden beads (4 per student)
Before class, make copies of page 13.
Lesson 1: A Disciple Follows Jesus 3 Permission is granted to reproduce this lesson for ministry purposes only—not for resale.
I think we all probably want to say yes to following Jesus. We want to be His followers. We want to be His disciples. One of the many awesome things about being a disciple of Jesus is that we’re not alone because Jesus is always with us. Another great thing is that Christians pray for and help each other.
But sometimes, even though we want to say yes to following Jesus and being His disciple, we act like we’ve said no.
• When is a time when you’ve done or said something that would make others think that you aren’t a disciple of Jesus? (when I cheated on a test, when I lied to my dad, when I gossiped about a kid at school)
It’s not always easy following Jesus and being His disciple. But Jesus will be with us and help us, even when it’s hard. Let’s make something to help us remember to say yes to following Jesus and being His disciple.
Distribute the handout. Ask the students to color the three strips and cut them out. Demonstrate how to roll and glue the strips into beads. With the colored “Yes!” side of the strip down, begin rolling the strip onto a pencil, starting at the bottom. When the strip is wrapped around the pencil once or twice, apply a thin line of glue down the center of the remainder of the blank-side of the strip, then continue rolling. When the entire strip has been rolled on the pencil, carefully slide the pencil out and a cylindrical bead remains. Proceed in the same way to make two more beads. On the shoelace, have students thread a wooden bead, a “Yes!” bead, a wooden bead, a “Yes!” bead, and so on. Center the beads on the shoelace and tie a knot near each end.
Use these beads as a necklace, hang them in a place you’ll see them often, use them as a light pull cord, or tie them to a jacket or backpack. Whatever you do, use them to remember that you are saying yes to being a disciple of Jesus Christ.
GROWING UP EVERY DAY
Suppliesreproducible p. 14, scissors, pencils
Before class, make copies of page 14 so that each student has one strip.
Give each student one strip. Ask students to write on the back of the strip the name of a family member or friend who they would like to help follow Jesus. Tell students to roll up the strips as beads and add them to their shoestring of beads. Encourage them to use these beads as reminders to be a disciple for Jesus by helping their friends follow Jesus too. Close with a time of prayer.
Lesson 1: A Disciple Follows Jesus 4 Permission is granted to reproduce this lesson for ministry purposes only—not for resale.
Lesson 1: A Disciple Follows Jesus 5 Permission is granted to reproduce this lesson for ministry purposes only—not for resale.
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