Leader’s manual OT10 Follow the leader Jesus and his disciples

Contents How it works

4

Unit introduction

6

1

Jesus calls

Luke 5:1–11

2

Jesus calls Levi

Luke 5:27–32

15

3

Rich, but sad

Luke 18:18–27

25

4

Zacchaeus

Luke 19:1–10

31

5

Walking on water

Matthew 14:22–33

39

6

Who am I?

Matthew 16:13–26

45

7

Failure and forgiveness

Matthew 26:31–35,69–75; John 21:1–19

51

8

Peter’s first sermon

Acts 2:1–42

57

9

Peter meets Cornelius

Acts 10:1–48

65

Peter’s escape from prison

Acts 12:1–24

73

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Over The Top

How it works How the sessions are structured Bible passage: All sessions are Bible-focused

Aim This is the ‘big idea’ to be taught during this session. It is child-oriented.

Outcomes These statements break down the aim into ‘do-able’ chunks. There are generally only three, so that the leader can keep them in mind and check up later whether or not they were achieved. They are broken up into: • knowledge – information, concepts, beliefs • understanding – more personal ways of grasping the concepts in the session • life application – ways of making links between knowledge and children’s lives, and reflecting on what kind of change might happen in response to God’s word

Memory verse This verse will be based on the CEV Bible and will be taught during the session.

Notes These notes for the leader give Bible context and background. There are hints regarding the theology of the passage, where it fits in salvation history and how it may properly be applied to both leader and child. There might also be comments about the management of the session content and special comments when needed about visual aids and activities.

Leader’s prayer This section links to the aim and outcomes, mentioning the way this session will actually call for a response from the child and make a difference in their lives.

Gear A list is given at the beginning of the session including all the equipment needed by the leader and when it will be used. Some items will be given as optional.

Start up During this time activities occur that introduce the theme, aim and ideas of the session. There may be a few activities to choose from. Each activity has a specified purpose.

Chat time This short section is when the activities are over and the leader and children reflect on what the activities were about and how they lead into the Bible focus time. This will often involve a few open-ended questions. NOTE: Sometimes during Bible focus time there will be a special comment to the leader about an issue that may come up during the session.

Get ready This section gives hints about important preparation to be done before the session starts.

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Bible focus

respond and encouraged to know how God’s word challenges them to change. Application should always be ‘grace-oriented’ and ‘gospel-based’.

Links Links are made with previous learning which may involve the memory verse or a previous session.

This icon shows you where in the session the children will be reading, listening to and interacting with the Bible.

Links with life will also happen at this introductory part of the session. Connections with life are raised and the children are encouraged to discuss ‘real life’ situations they face. We will raise the issue here and it will be drawn to a conclusion during Bringing it together.

Digging deeper This section has suggested extension learning activities for older or more able children. It still seeks to be directed by the

Teaching time This is the body of the session. It involves teaching and learning activities. Activities are usually integrated into this time rather than having them as an add-on later. During this time the aim and the outcomes of the session are directing the activities. What the leader actually says to the children is presented in bold text. Directions to the leader are in normal type. In this part of the session we aim to have the children interacting with the Bible themselves. We seek to unpack the Bible passage in its context and place it in the big picture of salvation history. Concepts and activities are designed to be ageappropriate and not too abstract. It is understood that such a wide age-range is a great challenge, so in many ways we aim for the middle group of nine and ten year olds. Older or more able children will be challenged by the Digging deeper activities. Application is an important part of this section and it is done carefully, while being true to the passage and to the developmental needs of the children. There must be a ‘crunch’ for the child – a place where ‘the rubber hits the road’ in their lives. They are called to respond to the challenge of the passage, without ever being manipulated or inappropriately pushed into an uncomfortable situation. Regardless of the stage of their faith, they can be called on to

Music spot Various songs, on readily available CDs, are suggested to link into the session and to provide a high-interest flow to the activities.

Bringing it together This section is really important. The leader is encouraged to allow enough time for this as connections are discussed that impact the children’s lives. There may be open-ended questions that encourage children to respond in their own terms. We are aiming for honest responses from the children.

Prayer This will normally follow Bringing it together and allows for the issues highlighted by the children to be prayed about. Leaders will model prayer and also teach children how to pray – both for themselves and for others, and for issues in the wider world.

Think about it

Think ahead

Here the leader is encouraged to think through issues that occurred in the session and reflect on possible strategies for the future.

This is a very brief indication of what the leader will need to plan ahead for next session. It may involve equipment, people and so on.

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Unit introduction

Follow the

leader

This unit is based on the life of Jesus and the disciples who followed him as recorded in the Gospels of Luke, Matthew and John, as well as Acts.

Unit aim To encourage the children to grow in faith as they learn that Jesus invites everyone to follow him.

Unit outcomes By the end of this unit the children will: • know about the lives of the first disciples as they followed Jesus • understand the significance of who Jesus is • imagine the excitement of those days when Jesus physically walked on earth • realise what it means for them to follow Jesus today • respond to Jesus with trust and obedience in their daily lives.

Memory verses Session 1,8 Jesus told Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid! From now on you will bring in people instead of fish.’ Luke 5:10 (CEV) Session 2 Jesus answered, ‘I didn’t come to invite good people to come to God. I came to invite sinners.’ Luke 5:32 (CEV) Sessions 3,4 The Son of Man came to look for and save people who are lost. Luke 19:10 (CEV) Session 5 The men in the boat worshipped Jesus and said, ‘You really are the Son of God!’ Matthew 14:33 (CEV) Sessions 6,7 Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ Matthew 16:16 (CEV)

Where this fits in the New Testament

Je Ja su m s es ca an lls d Sim Jo o Je su hn n s Pe ca te lls r, L ev Je su i s w al ks Th on e w ri at ch er yo u Za ng cc m ha an eu s fo Pe llo te w r’s s Je fi rs su t s Pe se rm te r on m ee ts Pe Co te rn r el es iu ca s pe s fr om pr is on

Sessions 9,10 Turn back to God! Be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will be given the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 (CEV)

Timeline

This unit looks at the lives of the disciples who followed Jesus. There is a specific focus on Peter and how his life changed when he became a disciple. We encourage the children to understand that Jesus is the ‘centre-piece’ of God’s plan and that we can also be part of the plan by having faith in and following Jesus ourselves. 6 top Over the

Notes

Special features

Bible background

Visual aids

This unit is based on the theme of following Jesus. We will explore this theme as we learn about the experiences of the first disciples as they followed Jesus. In particular, we will focus on Peter.

The Leader’s pack includes:

The first disciples followed Jesus because they believed he was the promised Messiah. As the days, weeks and years unfolded they were more and more amazed at what they discovered about Jesus. Their hopes were raised, their faith was strengthened and their willingness to follow became a settled commitment to Jesus himself. However, they were stunned and grief-stricken when he died. This was not how they had imagined it ending! It was an astounding experience for them to realise that Jesus had risen from death. They finally understood that Jesus was the Son of God. Their lives were transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and they went on to be part of the unstoppable spread of the gospel recorded in Acts. Peter himself is a fascinating character. He is impulsive, excitable and bold. He is also blustering, annoying and fearful. He is very human like us. His own relationship with Jesus takes many twists and turns, just like our own. He wants so much to follow Jesus whatever the cost. But he also fails miserably at a critical moment. How encouraging it is to read about Jesus’ forgiveness and Peter’s fresh chance to serve his Lord. How amazing to see his transformation on the day of Pentecost.

Faith development Children grow and develop physically, emotionally, cognitively and spiritually at different rates and in different ways. This unit aims to encourage growth in faith, for each child at their own pace. No matter where each child is at in their faith development, they can be challenged to respond in faith to God and in obedience to the way he wants them to live. Faith has been described as having four aspects: believing, imagining, trusting and doing. (See Children finding faith by Francis Bridger, SU, England, 2000, available from CEP.) Believing involves having faith in the truth of the gospel and a reliance on the promises of God in Christ. Imagining involves creatively exploring our beliefs. Trusting involves the relational side of faith. Doing is the way we act as an outworking of our faith. Children, like adults, benefit from learning approaches that involve exploring faith from each of these four aspects. These sessions have been written with this in mind.

• • • •

seven full-colour Character posters six full-colour Memory verse posters sample of the children’s Reporter’s notebook a variety of visual aids and activities for each session.

My story Each session will be given extra impact if you invite a visitor to share their life story with the group. Choose a variety of people – old, young, male and female, different ethnic backgrounds, and so on. If the visitors are known to the children this will provide ‘real-life links’ for them. If possible, also invite some people who are not known to the group. Your church leaders may be able to suggest appropriate people. Make sure each visitor knows the maximum time for speaking to the group is three to five minutes. Involve the children by having them ask the visitor three key questions, and to say a prayer for the visitor. Each question and prayer will be written on cards. These cards can be used each week. The suggested questions are: • • •

What was your life like before you became a follower of Jesus? How did you come to know about Jesus and decide to follow him? How has following Jesus made a difference in your life?

The prayer could read: Our Father, thank you for .........’s story. Thank you for helping them to become a follower of Jesus. Please help them keep on following Jesus and trusting him each day. Amen

Group photograph At the beginning of the unit take a few photographs of the group. It would be helpful for a visiting assistant to do this for you. The photographs should show the children at various stages of the session. Display the photographs in your meeting area. Have extra copies of the photographs for each child and for visitors to take away with them. Make sure that any children who miss this first session have their photograph taken later and that they are then included in the display.

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Reporter’s notebook Each session the children will be able to complete an activity in the Reporter’s notebook. The children will take their completed Reporter’s notebook home after the final session.

Digging deeper This section is designed for more able children who want to dig deeper into the session content. These activities are usually Bible-focused and involve good reading skills and literacy. If you have a multi-aged group, these ideas can be used to challenge children who feel they have ‘heard it all before’.

Theme rhythm The Theme rhythm, Follow me, can be used in two ways throughout this unit. It can be said as a poem or you can have the children make it into a rap, using their own beat and actions. There is a new verse for each session. The Theme rhythm might be a good performance piece to present in church at the end of the unit.

Activities Each session contains many suggested activities, either to begin the session time in Start up or to reinforce the Teaching time. When choosing the activities you will include in each session, consider the number of children in your group, their individual skills, as well as the time and space you have available. Try to encourage a wide range of activities so that the different learning skills of the children will be catered for.

Music spot The sessions recommend songs from these CD’s, all available from CEP. •

Promises, promises, CEP.

•

Follow the Saviour, Colin Buchanan

•

Practise being Godly, Colin Buchanan

At this stage children are learning how to relate to God through his word, the Bible, and also through prayer. It is important that the leaders model this behaviour and encourage the children to follow their example. This can be reinforced through the Bible focus and Prayer segments. A Memory verse activity is included in each session and presented in an interactive way so that the children will begin to build their own personal store of Bible verses.

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Jesus

calls

Luke 5:1–11

Aim To help the children understand that Jesus calls on people to make a choice about following him.

Outcomes By the end of this session the children will: • know about the events which led the first disciples to leave everything and follow Jesus • understand why Jesus made such an impact on the first disciples • explain what it means for us today to be followers of Jesus.

Memory verse Jesus told Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid! From now on you will bring in people instead of fish.’ Luke 5:10 (CEV)

Notes Read Luke 5:1–11. This is a startling story. The impact of Jesus’ words and actions was so compelling for those fishermen on Lake Gennesaret that they simply ‘left everything and went with Jesus’ (Luke 5:11). It is easy for us to become indifferent to Jesus because we have heard about him often and we know his story well. Try to imagine the life-changing impact of Jesus’ words and actions on those men on that particular morning in Galilee. From that day on their lives would never be the same! They did not know the excitement or the grief that lay ahead of them. They simply knew that they must follow this man. It is hard to know exactly how much they understood about who Jesus was at this early stage. It was the years to come that would reveal so much more to them.

follow Jesus today. They have limited ability to think in abstract terms and they need help to understand what being a follower of Jesus means for them right now. We will seek to build up this understanding week by week during the unit. It is important to reinforce that Jesus was a real, historical figure and that eyewitnesses have written down for us what they saw, heard and experienced when Jesus could be seen on earth.

Leader’s prayer Pray that during this unit, Paul’s words in Philippians would be true for you – ‘Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. All I want is Christ and to know that I belong to him’ (Philippians 3:8–9).

For the disciples, following Jesus was a physical action that happened at a particular place and time. They could see Jesus and what he did, they could hear him and relate to him day in and day out. We are in a different situation. We are the ones who are blessed because we have faith in Jesus without seeing him (John 20:29). Yet it may be difficult for the children in your group to grasp what it means to

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Gear ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

A CEV Bible marked at Luke 5:1–11 Memory verse poster 8 – Luke 5:10 Questions and prayer for visitor written on cards Character poster 1 – Peter A photocopy of the Drama – Readers’ theatre (page 13) for each child Two sets of the memory verse written on different coloured flashcards, cut up into individual words Photocopies or overhead transparency of the Theme rhythm (page 14) Reporter’s notebook for each child A blindfold for each child Coloured pens and pencils CD player and Follow the Saviour CD Various reference books, such as a concordance, atlas, illustrated Bible encyclopaedia, and so on Gear for chosen activities in Start up section

Get ready Try to borrow a large fish net and hang it up around the room. Have fishing rods and equipment on display. Display a collection of newspaper front pages near the group. Add the heading ‘Eyewitness’ to the display. Display Character poster 1 – Peter near the group. Arrange for a visitor to attend and tell their story.

Have a few props available for this photograph. Also, take photographs of the group at different times during the session. Develop the photographs for next week and create a display for your area.

Newspaper quiz Purpose: To introduce the idea that newspapers are a source of real-life stories recorded by or about eyewitnesses. Gear ❑ Duplicate copies of newspaper pages ❑ A list of questions regarding the content of the newspaper pages

NOTE: Check that the newspaper items, pictures and advertisements are appropriate for your group to see. Divide the group into two teams, being careful to mix up the ability levels of the children equally between the teams. Ask a question which the children can only answer by scanning the newspaper. The group who answers correctly first, gains a point for their team.

See and remember Purpose: To introduce the concept of being an eyewitness, then remembering and reporting the details of the event.

If you are using the CD, make sure the CD player is ready.

Gear

Start up Choose one or more of these activities for the time you have available. These are fun and interesting activities designed to introduce the topic or theme of the session. Please note that Chat time is an important component of the session and should be completed immediately before moving into Bible focus.

Say ‘Cheese!’ Purpose: To take photographs of the group that can be displayed each week. A copy can also be given to each of the children and the weekly visitors. Gear ❑ Camera ❑ Funny props, such as hats, gloves, and so on Take a series of photographs of your group. Make one serious and several others funny. Children could all wear a funny hat, pull a funny face, lean sideways, all look in a different direction, and so on.

❑ A tray with ten objects laid out on it, such as a key, spoon, magnet, and so on ❑ A cover for the tray, such as a tea towel Lay out a selection of objects on a tray. Ask a child to look at the objects on the tray for 10 seconds, then cover the tray. Ask the child to try to remember as many different objects as possible. Have a few extra objects that can be added to increase the challenge for older children.

Something’s different Purpose: To introduce the idea of observing and reporting changes. Choose a child to stand out the front of the group. Ask the children to close their eyes. Make a small change to the appearance of the child standing at the front. You may ask them to pull one sock up and leave the other down, or to change their hairstyle. Ask the children to open their eyes and see if they can identify the change.

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Someone’s missing

Teaching time

Purpose: To introduce the idea of observing and reporting changes.

The Bible events we are going to read today were told by an eyewitness. He was there! Peter is the eyewitness. (Refer to the Character poster 1 – Peter.) He told his story to Luke, then Luke wrote it in his book about Jesus. That book is in our Bible today. Luckily for us, it has been translated into English so we can read it!

Choose a child to leave the area. While they are gone, ask the rest of the group to change positions and choose one child to hide out of sight. Call the child back into the area and see if he or she can tell who is missing. This works best with a large group.

Either read Luke 5:1–11 to the children while they follow in their Bibles, or ask a competent reader from the group to read aloud.

Chat time Show the newspaper pages from the game. These news items are written by people or about people who were eyewitnesses to events that have happened recently. What does ‘eyewitness’ mean? (Someone who actually sees, or witnesses, an event.) Have you ever been an eyewitness? What incident can you tell us about that you actually saw for yourself? (Accept responses.)

Memory verse relay

Links Display the Memory verse poster 8 and read it for the group. Who do you think said these words? When were they said? (Keep this very brief, but allow children to make links with their previous learning.) My story Introduce your visitor and allow them to tell their story. Select three children and give them a question card. The questions read:

• •

Distribute the scripts photocopied from page 13. Pair up readers of varied abilities for each part. Encourage the children to read their parts in the sequence shown. It might be helpful to go over the script a couple of times with the children, until they become confident, encouraging them to add actions. NOTE: This drama could be presented in the church service next week.

Bible focus

•

Drama – Readers’ theatre

What was your life like before you became a follower of Jesus? How did you come to know about Jesus and decide to follow him? How has following Jesus made a difference in your life?

Tell each child when it is time to ask their question. Select a fourth child to thank the visitor and pray for them before they leave. A simple prayer could be written on a card for them to read. For example: Our Father, thank you for .........’s story. Thank you for helping them to become a follower of Jesus. Please help them to keep on following Jesus and trusting him each day. Amen.

Have the Memory verse written on two sets of coloured cards or paper. Cut each set up into individual words and jumble them up in a pile at one end of your area. Divide the group into two teams and assign one of the colours to each team. This activity is a relay. Ask the first child in each team to run to the pile and choose a card of the colour of their team. The first child then runs back with it and the next child runs to get another card. As more and more cards are retrieved, the rest of the team tries to put them in correct order. The winning team will have the cards in order and the team seated in a quiet line. Finish the activity by reading the memory verse through together. These are the words Jesus said to Simon after the amazing catch of fish.

Theme rhythm Have photocopies of the Theme rhythm (page 14) available for each group of children. If you have an overhead projector, you may like to have the words copied onto an overhead transparency. Alternatively, simply write the words onto a large piece of cardboard. Display the words for the group and explain that the children will need to create a beat, actions and a way of performing the Theme rhythm. Each week an additional verse will be added. Divide the children into groups of approximately three or four and allow

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each group time to experiment with creating their ‘rap’. If there is time, some groups could perform their rendition for the rest of the children.

Music spot Turn around, track 17 of CEP’s Promises, promises CD. Follow the Saviour, track 2 of Colin Buchanan’s Follow the Saviour CD.

Bringing it together What happened that made Peter and the others decide to follow Jesus? (They heard his teaching and saw his miracle of the huge catch of fish.) What did Peter call Jesus? (Lord.)

Memory verse Display the Memory verse poster and invite the children to read it together.

Sherpa walk To introduce the idea of following someone, try one of the many versions of the ‘Sherpa walk’. Each child will need a blindfold or a strip of thick fabric long enough to tie around the head. Blindfold each of the children, then ask them to line up so that each has a hand on the shoulder of the child in front. Ask the first child to place their hand on your shoulder. Reassure the children that you will keep them safe. Slowly lead the line around the church grounds. Ask the children to take off their blindfolds to show them where they ended up. Encourage the children to share how they felt as they were being led.

Reporter’s notebook Ask the children to complete the Reporter’s personal information (page 1), followed by the Fisherman’s Daily news report (page 3) in the Reporter’s notebook. They will need to fill in the missing words on each page.

What do you think Jesus meant by this? (He was going to teach Peter how to bring other people to follow Jesus.) What happened in our visitor’s life, which led to them becoming a follower of Jesus? (Accept responses.) People who are followers of Jesus today, had to make a choice about Jesus – will they follow him or not? Every one of us makes that choice. Some people say ‘no’ to following Jesus. Some people want to know more about following Jesus. Some people are ready to say ‘yes’. It is God’s Spirit who helps us believe in Jesus and follow him. How can we tell if someone is a follower of Jesus? (They might tell you they are a follower of Jesus, they would act in a way that pleases God, they would ask for forgiveness when they make mistakes.) We will hear more about this in the weeks ahead.

Prayer Digging deeper For older or more capable children, explore the events of Luke 5:1–11 further by: • • • • • •

•

finding Lake Gennesaret on a map finding out what the location looked like investigating the kind of boats the fishermen used reading the other accounts in Matthew 4:18–22 and Mark 1:16–20 making a full list of all twelve disciples using a concordance to find all the occurrences of the word ‘follow’ in the Gospel of Luke reading the article in the Lion Handbook to the Bible about ‘Fishing in the Lake of Galilee’ and studying the accompanying pictures

Invite the children to sit in a circle. Ask them to pass a simple object, such as a pen or pencil, around the circle. Explain that when the object is passed to them it is their turn to pray. If a child does not want to pray they simply pass the pencil along. Suggest the children pray two sentences each – one as a thank you prayer, the other as a prayer for another person. Discuss examples of what you could thank God for and people you could pray for. The leader should close in prayer, asking God to help each member of the group to follow Jesus and trust him each day.

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Drama – Readers’ theatre Narrator: Jesus was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, teaching people about God. James:

Come on John, let’s get these nets washed.

John:

Grunt! Ugh! I’ll … ugh … just pull the … ugh … boat up on the … ugh … shore …

James:

Grab that rope too, we don’t want to lose it.

Narrator: Jesus got into one of the boats. Jesus:

Simon, row out your boat a little from the shore, then I’ll sit down and teach the people from your boat.

Simon:

Well, I have been working all morning and it’s time to clean up now. But, I guess I can wait to wash my nets. Anyway, I’d like to hear what you’ve got to say.

Narrator: After Jesus had finished teaching the people he said ... Jesus:

Simon, row out a bit further and let your nets down into the deep water. You’ll catch some fish.

Simon:

Master, we’ve worked hard all night and we haven’t caught a thing!

Jesus:

Why don’t you try it?

Simon:

Well, if you say so, I’ll have a go. What have I got to lose?

Narrator: Simon did what Jesus suggested and his nets became so full of fish that they started to tear. Simon:

James! John! Give us a hand! Look at this catch - our nets are breaking!

Narrator: There were so many fish that both boats were full by the time they had finished. Simon:

Jesus, this is amazing! I heard your teaching. I’ve seen what you can do – you made those fish appear from nowhere! You are the Lord! I’m not worthy to be near you!

Jesus:

Don’t be afraid! From now on you will bring in people instead of fish.

Narrator: The men pulled their boats up to the shore. Then they left everything and went with Jesus.

Think about it

Think ahead

How did your visitor’s story impact the group? Was their story too long or too short?

Develop the photographs from the Say ‘Cheese!’ activity and create a display for next week.

What advice can you give to next week’s visitor to make their story more effective?

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Follow me Follow me Jesus said Come follow me Leave your boat Leave your nets Get on your feet Come follow me Follow me Follow me Jesus said Come follow me © CEP 2003 The purchaser of the Over the top OT10 manual is entitled to photocopy this page for use with his or her group.

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