Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (2 minutes)

Welcome back for the last lesson of our Superbook adventure, “Peter’s Denial.” What does it mean to say that Peter denied Jesus? He said that he didn’t know Jesus.

Why did Peter do that? Peter was afraid to admit he knew Jesus when he saw that He was arrested.

Was that the end of Peter’s story in the Bible?

Did Jesus say, “That’s it, Peter. I give up on you”?

Jesus came to Peter and loved him even after he had let Him down. And Jesus will always love us and forgive us, even when we let Him down! He died on the cross to pay the price for our sins and to forgive us. Let’s think about that as we stand up and sing The Salvation Poem. There is nothing that can separate us from His love!

Play Video 7: (Song) The Salvation Poem (3 minutes)

Be sure to preview the song so you can sing along with the children.

The Salvation Poem

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

Our SuperTruth for today is: “Jesus loves me no matter what I’ve done.” How does it make you feel to know that?

God’s love is not based on anything we do or don’t do. It is based on His nature, because God is love! We cannot earn His love, nor can we do something so bad that we lose it. Romans 5:8 tells us that God showed how much He loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we are sinful! He didn’t wait for us to clean ourselves up enough to earn His love; He knows we can never do that.

We do not need to worry about losing Jesus’ love—ever! Let’s raise our hands toward heaven in thanksgiving to God for His love as we shout our SuperTruth! Jesus loves me no matter what I’ve done."

Introduce Condensed Bible Story (1 minute)

If most or all children watched the Bible story video in a previous lesson, omit it here and go straight to the SuperVerse.

For those of you who saw our full Bible story video in Lesson 1, why did Chris deny knowing Joy? Chris was trying to show off in front of some basketball players, and he was embarrassed when Joy said she was the new president of the chess club.

How did Joy respond? She cried and stayed away from him. She didn’t want to be around him because she was disappointed and hurt.  

Now, for the children who haven’t seen our Bible story yet, we are going to watch a short version of the video. If you’ve already seen it, watch for the answer to this bonus question you’ll be asked in Small Group: Near the end of the video, what did Jesus tell Peter to do? 

Play Video 4: Condensed Bible Story (9.5 minutes)

Condensed Bible Story

Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo back in time to meet Peter, a disciple of Jesus. When Jesus is arrested, Peter denies knowing Him three times. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, He forgives Peter and their relationship is restored.

Play Video 10C: SuperVerse Graphic 3

Graphic loops 2.5 minutes without audio; turn off or freeze video after children repeat verse.

SuperVerse Graphic 3

SuperVerse (2 minutes)

Let’s say our SuperVerse, Romans 8:39:

No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God is all powerful. Whatever God desires to do, He does. God desires to love us, so nothing can stop Him from doing that! Think of it! He will love us for as long as we are on Earth and for all eternity up in heaven. Let’s say the SuperVerse together again.

Children will have more time to learn the SuperVerse in Small Group.

Introduce Signposts Video (1 minute)

Let’s watch our Signposts Video to learn more about our Bible story.

Play Video 6: Signposts (4 minutes)

Signposts Video

Prayer and Send-Off (2 minutes)

Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, You are more powerful than all of creation. We praise You that nothing can separate us from Your love, which is revealed through Your Son, Jesus. In His name, Amen.

Today in Small Group, we are going to play a basketball game to review our Bible story!   

Teachers take children to Small Group classes for Grades 1–3 and 4–6. If the combined group is small, all children may stay together for Small Group time.

Game

Let’s see who can answer our bonus question from Large Group. Near the end of the video, what did Jesus tell Peter to do? Feed Jesus’ sheep and lambs.

Good! Here’s another question. If you were here for the full Bible story video in Lesson 1, what did Chris call his special basketball shot? The Quantum Corkscrew.

In our game today, you will have a chance to create your own special shot during our Bible story review game.

Divide the children into two teams and have them line up behind the mark. Both teams will send one player to the mark at the same time. Read a Review Question to both players; the first player to answer correctly gets three points and a chance to throw the ball for an extra point. Suggested answers are next to each question, but allow flexibility in children’s answers. Consider asking younger children or those with special needs the easier questions.

Standing at the mark, the player may simply throw the ball or create a special shot. For example: bounce the ball off the floor toward the basket, jump and shoot, shoot backward, do a “hook shot,” shoot underhand or while sitting or kneeling, etc. The team receives one additional point if the ball goes into the basket. The player on the other team must then make the same shot to earn a point for their team. If the first player misses the special shot, the second player may shoot any shot from behind the mark for one point. Play until everyone has a chance to shoot the ball at least once. The team with the most points wins.

Review Questions:

1. What do we call the dinner that Jesus shared with His disciples the night before Jesus died? The Last Supper, Passover.
2. What were the disciples arguing about as they sat at the table? Who was the most important, who was Jesus’ favorite.
3. What did Jesus say the greatest person should do? Serve others.
4. How many times did Jesus say Peter would deny Him? Three times.
5. Jesus said Peter would deny Him before something happened; what was it? Before the rooster crowed.
6. Did Peter believe it when Jesus said Peter would deny Him? No, he said he would never deny Him.
7. Did Peter stay very close to Jesus when Jesus was arrested? No, he followed at a distance. 
8. Who was the other disciple near Peter in the courtyard? John.
9. Who first noticed Peter by the fire and claimed that he was a follower of Jesus? Servant girl.
10. Who appeared on the shore while the disciples were in the boat? Jesus.
11. What were the disciples doing when Jesus called out to them from shore? Fishing.
12. How many fish did the disciples catch before Jesus came? None.
13. What instruction did Jesus give to the fisherman? Throw the net on the other side.
14. Did the disciples catch any fish when they obeyed Jesus? Yes, they caught over 150 fish; their nets were full.
15. What disciple was so excited to see Jesus that he jumped overboard and swam to shore? Peter.
16. How many times did Jesus ask Peter if he loved Him? Three times.
17. What did Jesus tell Peter to do? Feed Jesus’ sheep and lambs.
18. If someone sins or fails, what will Jesus do? Forgive, love, restore, call out to them.
19. What is our SuperTruth today? “Jesus loves me no matter what I have done.”
20. In our SuperVerse today, what can separate us from God’s love? Nothing!

Conclusion: Great job everyone! You came up with some very unique shots! Now, let’s learn some more about Jesus’ unconditional love! 

Teaching

Have a different child select a Signpost Card in order, from 1 to 3, and read it aloud. Discuss the information below. Additional material is included for Grades 4–6 to look up and discuss.

Let’s discuss the Signposts we saw in our video.

Signpost 1 Rooster—Denied

Peter was a close friend and follower of Jesus. Yet, in a time of fear and weakness, Peter denied knowing his dear friend. Jesus had predicted Peter would do this three times before something would happen. What was it? The rooster crowed.

Peter was broken and ashamed because of what he had done! Yet he was not the only one to abandon Jesus. All the other disciples had vowed that they would never leave Jesus, yet they also deserted Him because of fear!

ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION FOR GRADES 4–6

Have five children each read one verse of Matthew 26:31–35:

³¹ On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert Me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ ³² But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.” ³³ Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts You, I will never desert You.” ³⁴ Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know Me.” ³⁵ “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.

Have a child read Mark 14:50:

Then all His disciples deserted Him and ran away.

Signpost 2 Fish—Restored

Why do you think the fish is the next Signpost symbol? Do you remember where Jesus first called Simon Peter and some other disciples to follow Him? It was on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus called the fishermen to be fishers of men! Now, in the same place, He called to them again; being here would help remind them of the purpose Jesus had for their lives—He was not finished with them! 

Peter had denied Jesus while he warmed himself by a fire in the courtyard after Jesus’ arrest. Jesus is the One who has power over the seen and unseen, the One who has power to heal the broken and find the lost, and He is the Son of God. He came to the disciples and called out to them. He prepared a meal of fish to share with them around a fire! In this setting, Jesus restored Peter and sent Him out again with a renewed purpose and calling to care for and feed His sheep and lambs. 

ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION FOR GRADES 4–6

Have five children each read one verse of Matthew 4:18–22:

¹⁸ One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. ¹⁹ Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow Me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” ²⁰ And they left their nets at once and followed Him. ²¹ A little farther up the shore He saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And He called them to come, too. ²² They immediately followed Him, leaving the boat and their father behind.

Have four children each read one verse of John 21:1,12–14:

¹ Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. ¹² “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask Him, “Who are You?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. ¹⁴ This was the third time Jesus had appeared to His disciples since He had been raised from the dead. 

Have three children each read one verse of John 21:15–17:

¹⁵ After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love Me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “You know I love You.” “Then feed My lambs,” Jesus told him. ¹⁶ Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love Me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “You know I love You.” “Then take care of My sheep,” Jesus said. ¹⁷ A third time He asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, You know everything. You know that I love You.” Jesus said, “Then feed My sheep.

Signpost 3 Cross—Forgiven and Filled

During the last meal Jesus shared with His disciples before He was arrested, Jesus talked about how He would sacrifice Himself for our sins. Jesus had the first communion service with the disciples. He told them to drink from the cup, which represented His blood, shed for the forgiveness of sins. In doing this, Jesus predicted His own death on the cross. His death paid the price for Peter’s sin—and our sins, too! 

When Jesus predicted Peter would deny Him, He also told Peter that he would return to Jesus and then strengthen others!

Not long after Peter was forgiven and restored, he and the other disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. There in Jerusalem—the same city where Jesus had recently been put to death—Peter fearlessly preached to the crowd, which included some of the same people who called for Jesus to be crucified! 

Peter said in Acts 2:22–24:

“People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through Him, as you well know. But God knew what would happen, and His prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed Him to a cross and killed Him. But God released Him from the horrors of death and raised Him back to life, for death could not keep Him in its grip.

In front of all those people, Peter boldly declared that Jesus was raised from the dead and is Lord. Peter was a changed man—no longer full of fear and shame, but full of the Spirit of God and His power!

Because of what Jesus did on the cross, our sin is forgiven and removed from us. We can be filled with the Holy Spirit and be strong in His might. We can tell others the Good News of Jesus and boldly stand up for Him!   

ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION FOR GRADES 4–6

Have two children each read one verse of Romans 7:18–19:

¹⁸ And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. ¹⁹ I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.

Have a child read Acts 1:8:  

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Have a child read Philippians 4:13:

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Have two children each read one verse of Acts 2:14a, 40: 

¹⁴ Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd … ⁴⁰ Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”

Have four children each read one verse of Psalm 103:10–13:

¹⁰ He does not punish us for all our sins; He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. ¹¹ For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. ¹² He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. ¹³ The Lord is like a father to His children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him. 

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Hand out the craft supplies to any children who were not present for the previous lessons. Display the sample craft for children to see.

Our challenge is based on James 1:19b:

You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 

We are asking God to help us listen, think and pray before we answer someone too quickly out of anger, disrespect or impatience. Would anyone like to share what happened when you did this? 

Let’s continue to use our crafts as a reminder to stop, pray and think so we know what God wants us to do. 

SuperVerse

Our SuperVerse today is Romans 8:39:

No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In Large Group, we mentioned how God showed us His love by sending Jesus to die for us even while we still were sinners! See Romans 5:8.

We did not earn God’s love; He chooses to love us regardless of our sins. This is how God reveals His love for us. Through Jesus, we have God’s mercy, forgiveness and love. Nothing can separate us from that love! That is God’s promise to us in this verse!

Have the children stand and spread out so they have plenty of room to do the motions. Slowly say the words aloud as you lead the children in doing each of the motions. Do this a few times so children become familiar with the motions and words.

Point to the sky: No power in the sky above

Point to the floor: or in the earth below

Start with both hands touching at waist level, then make a sweeping motion out to both sides, with palms up: indeed, nothing in all creation

Sweep arms back in and then interlock fingers of both hands at waist: will ever be able to separate us

Make a heart shape with thumbs and index fingers: from the love of God that is revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Very Good! Always remember, no matter what we do or what we face, nothing can separate us from God’s love! 

Note: Younger children may not be able to memorize the entire SuperVerse. They may simply repeat it several times, while older children may memorize part or all of it. Be sure all children understand its meaning.

Prayer

Sit on the floor and form a circle with the children as you talk and pray.

In our Bible story video, Jesus gave Peter a warning.

Read Luke 22:31–32 (hcsb):

“Simon, Simon, look out! Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Jesus warned Peter that Satan wanted to test his faith to see if he could be separated from Jesus. Then Jesus said,

“But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.”

The good news is that Jesus is praying for us—just as He did for Peter—so that our faith will not fail, and that we will be strengthened and come out victorious and stronger for it! He wants us to be so strong that we can help others when they go through similar trials!

Today, Jesus sits in power at the right hand of God and prays for us. Even though Satan may test us, Jesus is still in a position of power, and we cannot be tested beyond what we are able to endure! 

Optional: Read 1 Corinthians 10:13:  

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.

Satan desires to separate us from God’s love through trials and temptation. Yet God’s power is greater than Satan’s. No power can separate and defeat us!   

Let’s pray together and thank Jesus for His prayers, and ask for the power of His Holy Spirit to give us strength in times of testing so we do not give in to temptation.   

Optional: allow time for any children to pray aloud, if they wish.  

Pray: Lord Jesus, it is so wonderful to know that You hear our prayers, and You will answer them. Thank You for loving us and praying for us. Fill us with the strength of Your Holy Spirit so we will be ready to face whatever challenges may come in our lives. And when we fail, remind us to come quickly to You for forgiveness. We praise You that nothing can separate us from God’s love! In Your name we pray, Amen.

Object Lesson

Let’s say our SuperVerse, Romans 8:39:

No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Peter allowed fear to come into his life when Jesus was arrested. He followed Jesus from a distance and eventually denied knowing Him at all! Peter was heartbroken and believed that he was separated from Jesus’ love—maybe forever! Was this the truth?

Jesus’ love for Peter had not changed. After Peter was fishing with the disciples, Jesus came to him on the shore. Jesus let Peter know that He still loved him and wanted him to be a fisher of men!      

Our SuperTruth says: “Jesus loves me no matter what I’ve done.” We must be on the alert for Satan, because He will try to convince us that we have done something bad enough for Jesus to stop loving us! We may feel unlovable at times, but the truth is, Jesus’ love never stops!    

Stand behind the table with the child helper. Have the child place a hand on top of the “Jesus” cup so it doesn’t move.

As you can see, these cups represent Jesus and us. Let’s say that we make a bad choice; we do something that we know is wrong. Like Peter, we may feel ashamed and separated from Jesus. Slide the “Me” cup a foot or two away from the “Jesus” cup. The string should follow automatically. Then lift up the string slightly.

Can you see the string? This string represents God’s love for us, revealed through Jesus. We may feel separated from God’s love, but are we really?

We are still connected!

Continue to slowly slide the “Me” cup away from the “Jesus” cup as you talk. You may carry it past the edge of the table if the string allows. The truth is, no matter what we do, Jesus still loves us. We cannot be separated from that love!       

Peter felt separated from Jesus, but that was not the truth. Jesus came to find Peter and called out to him. He assured Peter that He was still a part of God’s plan, and then He gave him an important job—to care for His lambs and sheep. Jesus never stopped loving Peter!  

No matter what we do or how far away we feel from God’s love—the fact is that we can never be separated from God’s love!

Put the “Me” cup on the table, let it go, and have the child helper gently pull the string to reel it in until it touches the “Jesus” cup.

Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “Jesus loves me no matter what I’ve done.” 

Race Game

In our lives, we may be hurt or let down by a friend or family member. We may react by not talking to them or staying away from them for a period of time. Perhaps someone has reacted like this because of something you did or said. If we make a bad choice and disobey God, would He ever stay away from us or refuse to talk to us?

After Peter denied Jesus, he probably thought that his actions separated him from Jesus’ love and acceptance. Would Jesus ever want to speak to him again? 

We are going to play a game about separation with difficult obstacles and decisions we face in our lives. You are going to play in pairs. The blankets represent the obstacles that will test your relationship with each other. You must try not to separate from one another along your journey!

Divide the children into two equal teams and have them form two separate lines behind the mark or line. Two players from each team will play at the same time. Give a ball to the first pair on each team. The pairs will place the ball between their shoulders and apply enough pressure to the ball so it does not hit the ground during the entire race. Together, the pair must hop over each pool noodle, pillow or blanket without dropping the ball. If the ball drops, the players must place it between their shoulders again and resume play. 

Start the race. Each pair will carefully, but quickly, race to the end and then return the same way to the starting point. When a pair reaches the starting line again, the second pair takes the ball and begins. The first team to have all their pairs complete the race wins.

Conclusion: Was it always easy to stay together?

No, especially when you faced an obstacle in your path. However, when you did fail, you fixed it and moved on again. We all face difficult decisions, pressures and temptations. Do you remember in the Superbook story when Peter told Chris to never let his guard down? The devil will try to separate us from God’s love by lying to us or placing things in our path to tempt us and trip us up.   

Yes, others may walk away from us when we make mistakes; yet Jesus never will! Nothing can separate us from God’s love that is revealed in Jesus! Jesus came to Peter in love to restore him and send him out to do God’s work, again. We all will make mistakes; however, Jesus loves us despite our sins! Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “Jesus loves me no matter what I have done.”

Coloring Activity

Give markers or crayons and a coloring page to each child. As they color, lead a discussion using the questions below. 

• What do you think Peter was feeling inside when he realized Jesus was on the shore?
• Why do you think Peter jumped out of the boat into the water? 
• What do you think Peter was feeling inside when Jesus talked to him one on one after breakfast? 
• Why do you think Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him three times? 
• How do you think Peter felt inside when Jesus told him to care for His lambs and sheep and to follow Him?

Give an opportunity for children to show their coloring page to the class, if they desire.

Conclusion: Peter may have tried to return to being a fisherman, but Jesus came to Peter to forgive and restore him. Jesus told Peter to follow Him, and He gave Peter an assignment—to care for His sheep and lambs. The sheep and lambs represent Jesus’ followers—old and young. The story of Peter shows us that nothing can separate us from the love of God revealed in Jesus! Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “Jesus loves me no matter what I’ve done.”  

Bible Study

Jesus and Peter had already had another encounter in a fishing boat. Let’s take a deeper look at the miracles Jesus performed and His conversations with Peter by the Sea of Galilee.

Have the children look up the passages and divide the verses between them to read aloud. Lead a discussion of the passages using the questions and suggested answers below. 

Read Luke 5:1–5 (niv):

¹ One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret the people were crowding around Him and listening to the word of God. ² He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. ³ He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat. ⁴ When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” ⁵ Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets.”

• Why do you think Jesus sat in Peter’s boat to teach? The crowd was large and He needed more room, so the people could see and hear Him better. Possible deeper symbolism: Jesus used Peter’s boat to “catch people” as He taught—represented how Jesus would send them out to be fishers of people.
• Peter and his companions had just finished fishing. Were they having success catching fish in that particular spot? What was their “net” result? They had fished all night and caught nothing.
• Why do you think Peter did as Jesus said? Master means teacher—maybe out of respect for Him and His position.
• Why was this such a great act of obedience? They were expert fisherman and had fished for a living. They knew fish weren’t biting. They had no reason to believe Jesus knew a thing about fishing. They were tired and had just finished cleaning their nets. He asked them to go out in the deep water again which took effort.

Read Luke 5:6–11 (niv):

⁶ When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. ⁷ So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. ⁸When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” ⁹For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰  and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” ¹¹ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him.

• What was the miracle that Jesus performed here? In a location where they had just caught nothing, they now caught so many fish their nets were began to break. The boats actually started to sink from the weight of their catch.
• Compare verse 5 and verse 8; by Peter’s response, what changed in how he viewed Jesus? Master to Lord. From just a great teacher to much more—Peter became aware of his sinful condition and did not feel Jesus should be close to him, since he was so unworthy.
• Jesus told them not to be afraid and to follow Him. Did the men take a long time to think and talk about Jesus’ command? No, they immediately followed Him.
• Why is this such a great act of obedience; what did it show about the men? They had faith and believed and trusted in Jesus to be more than just another man. They left all, their families, possessions, their occupation, and just went!

Read John 21:1–6;15–17;19b:

¹ Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. ² Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. ³ Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. ⁴  At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who He was. ⁵ He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied. ⁶ Then He said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it. ¹⁵ After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love Me more than these? “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “You know I love You.” “Then feed My lambs,” Jesus told him. ¹⁶ Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love Me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “You know I love You.” “Then take care of My sheep,” Jesus said. ¹⁷ A third time He asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, You know everything. You know that I love You.” Jesus said, “Then feed My sheep. ^19b Then Jesus told him, “Follow Me.” 

• How is this story similar to the first story we just read? It took place on the shore, disciples were fishing and caught nothing.
• How do you think it is different? Hint—think of when this took place. Disciples were already in the boat fishing. This took place after Jesus’ death and resurrection rather than the beginning of Jesus’ ministry on Earth.
• Peter had denied Jesus, then Jesus died on the cross and rose again. Why do you think Peter went back to fishing? Perhaps Peter was confused and had lost hope. Peter was ashamed for what he had done. He was not confident in doing anything now for Jesus. Maybe he felt that Jesus could not count on him, now. He went back to what he was familiar with doing.
• Why do you think Jesus talked to Peter alone after they ate together?Peter had denied Jesus in his own strength even though he loved Jesus. Jesus wanted Peter to rely on Him.
• What do you think Peter felt when Jesus gave him an assignment, a job to do again for Him?
• How do you think Peter felt to hear Jesus once again tell him to follow Him?

Jesus came to Peter to restore him. Through Jesus’ three questions, Peter realized that in his own natural strength he could not follow Jesus as he thought he could. Jesus loved Peter through everything and would now use Peter powerfully to proclaim the Gospel. No matter what we’ve done, Jesus loves us, forgives us, and wants us to follow Him.