BIBLE EXPLORE / NEW TESTAMENT / LUKE / LUKE 5

Book of Luke: Chapter 5

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So many fish (Luke 5:1-11)

Story

Re telling the story with some simple props
What you need:

• A large blue sheet
• Fish cut out of cardboard or cardstock to put in your 'lake'
• A piece of netting or material to be a net

What you do:

1. Put the blue sheet down and scatter your cut out fish on it.
2. Invite the children to come and sit around the 'lake' if possible.
3. Re tell the story in your own words, in the Bible's words or use the story below:

Simon, James and John were fishermen. Some of you might be fishermen, too.  Maybe you like to go out fishing-- maybe you've even caught some yummy fish! 
Simon, James and John were fishermen, not just because they liked fishing, but because that's how they made money.  Fishing was their job so it was really important that they caught fish everyday! They had a fishing boat and nets. Everyday they would row out on the lake and they'd throw their nets in the water to catch fish.  Mime rowing out into the middle of the lake and throw out your net. One day they rowed out on the lake, put their nets in the water and waited.  They knew they had to be very patient, so they waited and waited and waited.  Soon it was night time and still they waited. 
They knew there were fish in the lake, but not one fish swam in to their net. They waited as long as they could and then, feeling pretty discouraged and sad, they rowed back to shore with their empty nets. Mime rowing back to shore, pick the net up easily to show it's empty, look a bit sad.  There wouldn't be any fish to sell that day.  They wouldn't have any money.
That morning, Jesus was standing by the lake preaching to a crowd of people. He saw two boats on the sea shore and one of them was Simon's boat! He got into the Simon's boat,and taught the crowd of people from the sea shore.  When Jesus was done teaching he told Simon to put his nets into the water to try to catch some fish.  Simon told Jesus that he'd been out all night and hadn't caught any fish at all,  but that he would listen  to Jesus anyway and put the net into the water.  When Simon did this the net became so full of fish that it began to break.  Mime putting the net in the water and trying to haul it back up.  Invite one of the children to help you. 
He had to call a friend to help bring in the nets and the fish.  Simon was amazed by all the fish they had caught and was embarrassed because he knew that he was a man who made mistakes and did bad things. He didn't think he deserved to have such a wonderful thing happen to him-- he didn't deserve all the fish they'd caught. But Jesus told Simon and the other men that they would become fishers of men, that from now on, they would spend their time telling other people about Jesus and how much Jesus loves them.  When Simon and the other men heard this they parked their boats and left everything they had a followed Jesus.

Wondering Questions

• I wonder why Peter left his nets and boat.
• I wonder what the people on shore thought when they saw all the fish that Peter and his friends caught.
• I wonder what you would have done if you had been Peter.

Fishing Game

What you need

• 16 fish cut out of paper for each team of up to 8 players
• 16 paper clips per team
• 1 fishing pole per team  (these can be bought or can be made using a stick and string)
• 1 magnet for each fishing pole
• chocolate fish— 1 per player (plus a few extras)

What you do

1. Write one word of the memory verse on each of the fish (see attached template).  Be sure to include the reference on one fish.
2. Photocopy one set of fish per team.
3. Cut the fish out (rough cut works just fine if you're short of time).
4. Attach a paper clip to the 'nose' of each fish.
5. Attach a magnet to the string of each fishing pole.
6. Divide the players into teams.
7. Place the team's fish in a bucket, bowl or on the floor at one end of the room.
8. Have the players sit in a line at the other end of the room.  When you say 'GO', one player takes the fishing pole, runs to the other end of the room, fishes up a fish (the paper clips will stick to the magnet) and runs back to his or her team. Create a collection point for the fish. Then the next player goes. 
9. Each player should sit at the end of the line when they return with their fish.
10. When all the fish have been collected, have the players work together to put the memory verse in order.  Help out if needed. 
11. Give out chocolate fish as prizes as teams put the memory verse together.

Jesus calls Simon Peter