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Leader Guide

Teaching


Discipleship Challenge materials:

Make one copy each of the Follow Sign and the Reward Sign.
Cut out the three individual FOLLOW SIGNS.
Line up the chairs several feet in front of the children, about 3–4 feet apart.
From left to right, place the Follow Signs in order (1–3), facedown on the chair seats.
Place the Reward Sign face down on the floor under the third chair.

Discipleship Challenge

Make copies of the Baptized! Fishing License on cardstock in color or black and white—one per child, plus extras.
Make one model craft with the bottom section cut off and the #1 fish cut out and glued to the #1 pole line to show the class as an example.

A High Calling: Jesus calls everyone to follow Him.

Let’s say today’s SuperVerse together: John 12:26:

“Anyone who wants to serve Me must follow Me, because My servants must be where I am.”

This sounds easy enough, doesn’t it? Ask a volunteer to follow you as you walk around the room and speak. The volunteer can then sit down again.

There doesn’t seem like much to it, actually. It looks like something we all can do—no problem. Look how easily {volunteer’s name} is able to do it without even practicing. The disciples followed Jesus everywhere He went while He lived in the world as a man. After Jesus died and rose again, where did He go? He returned to heaven to be with God, His Father.  

Wait a minute—Jesus isn’t here physically today, but He still calls us to follow Him. That must mean to follow Him is more than just physically following His footsteps, like {volunteer’s name} followed me. Raise your hand if you agree there is a deeper meaning to following Jesus? Children respond.

Even though {volunteer’s name} followed me, it doesn’t mean he/she is willing to serve and do as I do and say. Have you heard of “following” people on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram? Children respond. 

If you follow people that way, does it mean that you always do what they do? No!

No, it probably means you think they are funny or interesting, but you don’t necessarily want to be like them. So the question we really need to answer is, what does it mean to follow Jesus? Can I hear some of your ideas? Children answer.

To follow Jesus means to be like Him, imitate Him, and follow the example He gave while on earth. It means to listen to and obey His Word in the Bible. It doesn’t just mean going to church; there is much more to it!

Walk and stop at the first chair. As we follow Jesus, we will experience many situations along the way, some good, some difficult. As His followers, our goal is to respond like He did, no matter what we encounter. Have a volunteer come forward and read Sign #1 on the chair—Love—and then return to his/her seat.

Following Jesus means to love as He loved. He loved unconditionally and deeply. He showed compassion, forgiveness, and mercy to all He encountered in all kinds of situations. In John 13:34–35, Jesus said:

34“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.”

People should be able to recognize that we are followers of Christ by how we love ourselves, right? If children do not catch your mistake, read the verse and repeat the question. No, by how we love each other!

People should see that we are followers of Christ by how we unselfishly love one another! Move the first chair aside and then walk and stop at the second chair. Have a volunteer come forward and read Sign #2—Obey—and return to his/her seat.

To follow Christ, we must be willing to obey God, as Jesus did. Does this mean we have to obey God even if we don’t understand why He’s asking us to do something? Yes.

Does this mean we have to obey God even if it means we have to do something hard? Yes.

Jesus submitted to God’s plan and humbly laid down His own life to follow God’s will. He did what God wanted, rather than what Jesus may have desired for Himself. He did this even when it meant dying on the cross for us.

Move Chair #2 aside and then walk and stop at Chair #3. Have a volunteer come forward and read Sign #3—Endure—and return to his/her seat.

To endure means to suffer or go through something patiently. Jesus never hid the truth. He never pretended that it would be easy to follow Him. He knew it wouldn’t always be a smooth ride. Jesus endured insults, mockery, and rejection—and He prepared His followers to experience the same things. Jesus endured when He was mocked, He endured when He was beaten, and He endured when He was dying on the cross. He could have stopped it at any time, calling on all the angels of heaven to rescue Him. But He chose to endure all this—why? Children answer.

He endured it all for us—because He loves us. He wanted to rescue us from sin and shame and death—so He endured it all so we could be forgiven and free. And someday, we will spend all eternity with Him in heaven!

Jesus turned to His disciples and said in Luke 6:22–23:

23 “What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. 23When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven.”

Move Chair #3 aside, being careful to leave the Reward Sign in place on the floor. Have a volunteer come forward and read the sign, then return to his/her seat. Reward.

Hmmm, I like rewards, how about you? I wonder what it is. In the SuperVerse, Jesus said: 

“My servants must be where I am.” (John 12:26a) 

The reward is having Jesus with us—today and forever! This reward goes to all who choose to follow Jesus Christ and endure whatever trials we face for His sake. In fact, He is preparing a place for us in heaven right now. (See John 14:2–3).

Jesus calls us to follow and obey because He wants to reward us with His joy in service now and in the future with eternal life in heaven. Jesus called His disciples by name. Jesus still calls people by name to follow Him; it’s up to us to choose to follow Him.

Optional: Here is how the Apostle Paul described what it means to follow Jesus and have the same attitude of service that He had on earth. Philippians 2:3–11 says:

3Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, 8He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 9Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Let’s move to our Discipleship Challenge to apply these truths in a practical way.

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Give each child a Baptized! Fishing License and a pencil. Have each child write his/her name on the blank line. Use the model craft as you explain the challenge.

Jesus told His disciples that He would teach them to be fishers of men, or people. Jesus chose fishing because several of the disciples were professional fishermen, and fishing was well known in the area.

Would someone please read Matthew 28:19 at the top of your license?

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

Today, a license is required in most places where people are allowed to fish in public lakes, streams, or rivers. A license has your name on it and authorizes you to legally fish. In this verse, Jesus authorizes His disciples, including us, to GO and spread the Good News and make disciples who will follow Him, too. This verse is often referred to as “The Great Commission.”

To commission someone means to choose someone and give them the permission and authority to do a special task or job for you. Before Jesus left the earth to return to heaven, He commissioned His disciples to make other disciples of every nation and to baptize them into a new life in Him. Since we are His followers, He gives us this same commission!

This license represents the authority and responsibility to GO! At the top of this license, what is Jesus sending us out to catch? People.

To begin this challenge at home, you will cut off the bottom section containing the three fish. Can someone read Fish #1 for us? Luke 10:2—Pray for fishers of people.

God wants His followers to fish—the more, the better! In this challenge, you will look up the verse in your Bible or the Superbook Bible App and try to memorize it. Then each day, you will pray for more fishermen in God’s kingdom. Now, as part of this challenge, I would like you to concentrate on praying for each other, as we all are called to fish for people! Pray that we would all be willing to “cast our nets” where the Holy Spirit tells us, so others can come to know Him. We will discuss how this challenge went for you the next time we meet.