Bible Study – Follow Me
Share: Your highs (something that made you happy) and lows (something that made you sad) this week with others around you or write them down.
Epiphany means several things: a gift is received; the gift must be shared. Jesus appears to be suggesting a rhythm, a balance to our lives. We go inward to be with God, to receive; we go out in the world to share what we have been given – still with God. We are called to balance the pouring out of our love with the resting in God. We are called to heal by just showing up, by laying on hands, by sharing what we have. This good news that was for the few people who heard it up close and personal is ours because they reached out and shared it. It will belong to those who have not yet heard, if we accept our call to share the story by how we live out our lives and as St. Francis said, “with words, if necessary.”
Jesus is putting together his team. He seems to understand that people learn best when they can see – in action – what is being taught. So Jesus takes these men with him when He teaches and when He heals. And most importantly, they are there with Jesus, day by day, as He gently reveals who He is. In today's passage, Simon and Andrew leap out of their fishing boats to follow this man who has told them He will make them fishers of men. James and John are next. Jesus is demonstrating the fellowship He invites us to accept.
Have you ever gone fishing? Today’s story is about four fishermen, who fished in a way none of us have.
Opening Prayer: Thank you, God, for this time we have together. Thank you that you are right here with us as we listen to stories that tell us about Jesus. Amen.
Please open your Bibles to Mark 1:14-20 and read or read the scriptures below.
Mark 1:14-20
Jesus Announces the Good News
14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Jesus Calls His First Disciples
16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.
19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
Questions:
- Do you think you would have hopped off a boat that you had just filled with fish? Why? Why not?
- Do you think you would have left the tedious job of fixing broken nets to follow Jesus? Why? Why not?
- What do you think Jesus meant by saying He wanted these men to "fish for people"?
- What do you think Zebedee, the father of James and John, thought about getting left with the boat and no sons to help him? Do you think he was sad? Proud?
Click here for the young learner’s lesson.
Videos (Click on url)
Daily Gospel Reading Video – St. Mark 1:14-20 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3hPByssatk
Gospel of Mark Summary – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGHqu9-DtXk
Song: Fishers of Men - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-F1W536DUA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLxQFr6gK0s
Activities:
Net Making: In today's story, we find four men who are fishermen, and they fish in the lake using huge nets. It was a lot of work to fish this way. And it was a lot of work to keep the nets in shape to fish. The nets were made of a heavy twine and they were designed so that the tiny fish could get out of the net and only the large fish would be caught. The small ones that get away can grow up to be food for another day. We are going to try to make a very small piece of a net today.
Let's tie two pieces of string together, then a third, then the fourth, until we have fashioned a square. Then tie one piece of string to the top piece of string about one third of the way across the top and then another piece of string about a third of the way from that. Tie those pieces to the bottom piece of string. We will have a square with two pieces of string tied at the top and at the bottom. Tie two more pieces of string – on the side string so we have two pieces of string going across the square. Then tie those two pieces to the opposite side. Every place the strings cross, take a short piece of string and tie a knot. (This is not the way a net is created, but it gets the idea across, and it shows that it is a lot of work!)
There is also Adventures in Agriculture Kit: Finishing Net Macane - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6VocTPzU60 to follow that will help you make a fishing net.
Poster: What are the ways in which we follow Jesus? Create a poster about how you can follow Jesus.
The theme is "Receiving the Gift and Offering the Gift." Can you name a gift received and offered in the story? How about in their own life?
Fishing For People - Crossword: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/fishing-for-people-mk
Fishing for People - Word Search: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/fishing-for-people-mk-2
Carrying the Message - Decoder: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/carrying-the-message-2
Fishing for People – Multiple Choice: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/fishing-for-people-mk-1
Prayer: Dear Jesus, help us to be good fishers for people – faithful to go, patiently waiting and trusting you to bring in the catch. Amen.
