Come, Follow Me

Five-minute object lesson

Prop: a paper net or a scarf

Hold up a paper net or a scarf. In about five minutes, tell the class this: Jesus calls fishermen to leave their nets and follow him. Show the prop and ask, “What does this have to do with Come, Follow Me?” Let two children answer. Then read Matthew 4:19 together: “He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers for men.”” Close by asking one child to say the lesson back in their own words, using the prop.

Story script

Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee and saw two brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew, throwing a net into the lake. Fishing was their work and their family trade. Jesus said, “Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people.”

At once they left their nets. A little farther on, Jesus saw James and John in a boat with their father, mending nets. He called them too. They left the boat and followed. The story is short because the decision was clear. They did not understand every miracle yet. They trusted the one who called.

Following Jesus would mean listening, walking, getting it wrong, being forgiven, and learning to love people the way he did. “Fish for people” meant bringing men and women and children to God, not tricking them. It meant invitation.

Jesus still says, “Follow me,” to kids. It may look like obeying a verse you just learned, telling the truth, or inviting a friend to hear a Bible story. You do not need a boat. You need a yes.

Open the bedtime version