Free Bible School Materials

Fishers of Men

Friday:	Fishers of Men
Story Passages:	Matthew 4:18-22, Matthew 28, Acts 1:6-11
Other Passages:	John 14:1-4, 2 Peter 3:9, Mark 16:15
Objective:	We should share the good news about Jesus with others.
Memory Verse:	Matthew 4:19, Come, Follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men.
Visuals:	Available

Introduction: Fishing

Have you ever been fishing for something besides fish? Did you ever lose money behind the couch cushion and had to fish down behind for it? Did you ever have to fish through your backpack to find your homework paper? What does it mean to go fishing for something? Are you always looking for fish?

Story: Fishers of Men

One day, Jesus was walking along beside the sea, and he saw Peter and Andrew out in a boat, fishing, because they were fishermen. Now Peter and Andrew were trying to catch fish -- they were fishing for fish, because that was their job. Jesus said, Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Right away, they got out of their boats and followed him.

Application: Seeking People

What did Jesus mean, when he said he would make them fishers of men? (He meant that instead of trying to get fish, they would be trying to reach people for Jesus.) Why would Jesus call them away from fishing for fish, for food, to fish for people, for Jesus? (Because, people are more important.) Jesus didn't want anyone to die without knowing him. So he called disciples to help him reach other people.

When did these disciples become fishers of men? Did it happen right away?

Story: Great Commission

Right after Jesus died and rose from the dead, some women went looking for him in the tomb, but Jesus wasn't there. An angel, a messenger from God, told them Jesus had risen from the dead, and was going to Galilee to meet the disciples. They met him in Galilee and he said, Go and make disciples of all peoples..., and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Application: Making Disciples

When you fish for men, does Jesus want you to catch them in nets, or on hooks? (No.) What does he mean, then, by fishing for men? Does he want you to just catch them, and then leave them and go away? (No. He wants you to teach them.) What does Jesus want us to teach people? (To obey what he has commanded.) Do we teach people to obey just some of what Jesus commanded? (No, all of it.)

Story: Ascension

After Jesus had been raised for a while and seen by lots of people, he was getting ready to go back to heaven, to make a place for us. But he left instructions for the disciples: You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth. Then after he said this, he was taken up into heaven and a cloud hid him from their sight.

Application: Witnesses for Jesus

What does it mean to be a witness? (To show people something.) What were they supposed to show people? (How to live for Jesus.) Where were they supposed to witness for Jesus? (All over the earth.) Where are some places you could witness for Jesus? (School, neighborhood, &c).

When Jesus went up into heaven, the disciples kept watching, even after the cloud hid him, but two men dressed in white came and gave them a message: This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.

How long should we keep witnessing for Jesus? (Until he comes back.)

Today's memory verse is Matthew 4:19: Come, Follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men.

Invitation: Fishers of Men

[Invite any children who want to talk about becoming fishers of men to stay and discuss it further.]

Following God

Thursday:	Following God
Story Passage:	John 21
Other Passages:	John 15:10, 1^st John 5:3
Objective:	Children should learn stuff.
Memory Verse:	2^nd John 1:6, And this is love: that we walk in obedience to God's commands.
Visuals:	Available

Introduction: ???

[Needed]

Story: Fish in the Morning

After Jesus raised from the dead, he appeared again to his disciples by the sea of Galilee. [Show map.] The disciples were sitting by the sea, and decided to go fishing, since several of them were fishermen. They fished all night and caught nothing. [Show visual.] In the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but they didn't recognise him. He called out, Friends, haven't you caught any fish? No. Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some. They did, and the net got so full [show visual] that they were unable to haul it in. John said, It is the Lord! Peter jumped in to swim to shore [show visual], and they followed in the boat. They landed, and Jesus said, Bring some of the fish you have just caught. He had a fire they had fish and bread for breakfast.

Then Jesus talked with them. He talked with Peter and said, Follow me. But Peter saw John and said, What about him? Jesus said, What is that to you? You must follow me.

First Point: Lordship

How could Jesus have known that 153 fish would be on the right side of the boat? (He was God.) When the net was full of fish, John and Peter recognised who Jesus was. What did John say? (It is the Lord.) What does it mean that Jesus is the Lord? (He is our master.)

Second Point: Resurrection

Why were they surprised that Jesus was there? Why didn't they recognise him at first? (Because he had died.) How could Jesus be there, if he had died? (He raised from the dead.)

Application: Following God

Why did Jesus tell Peter to follow him? Why should we follow Jesus? (He is the Lord.) Why did Peter ask about John? What did Jesus tell Peter when he asked about John? (What is that to you? You must follow me.) So, if other people we know don't follow God, is that an excuse for us? (No.)

Invitation: Following God

How do you follow God? (obey him: John 15:10, 1^st John 5:3)

How do you know how to follow God? (from the Bible and from God)

The memory verse for today is from Colossians 1:10, Live a life worthy of the calling you have received and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.

[Invite any children who would like to talk about how they can follow God to stay after the lesson and discuss it further.]

Raised from the Dead

Wednesday:	Raised from the Dead
Story Passage:	Luke 24:36-49
Other Passages:	Mark 16:9-11,14, John 20:11-25, Luke 24:13-32, Matthew 28:16-20, 1^st Corinthians 15:5-7
Objective:	Jesus rose from the dead.
Memory Verse:	1^st John 4:10, In this act is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son, a payment for our sins.
Visuals:	Available

Introduction: Death

What do you do with somebody's body after they die? (Usually you bury it.) That happened to Jesus too. Remember yesterday, we talked about Jesus' being crucified? He died, and where did they put his body? (In a stone tomb.) Why do we bury the body when someone dies, instead of leaving them on a bed, or in a chair? (Because, the body decays.) If we left them on a bed, or in a chair, would they wake up maybe, and get up and walk around? (No.)

Story: Resurrection

What happened to Jesus body, three days after it was sealed in the tomb? (He got up.) Is that what usually happens, three days after you bury someone? (No.) How could Jesus do that? (He is God.)

What did Jesus do, when he got up? [Accept a couple of responses.] Did anyone see him walking around? (Yes: two men travelling, Mary, James, the disciples, and more than 500 others.) Did Jesus do anything with a fish, after he raised from the dead? (Yes.) In Luke 24, it tells about a time Jesus came to the disciples, and they were startled and frightened. They thought they were seeing a ghost, because as far as they knew, Jesus was dead! They didn't expect to see him alive, because dead people don't usually come back to life. But Jesus said, Why are you worried? Why do you doubt that I'm here? Look at my hands and my feet. It's me. Touch me: a ghost doesn't have flesh and bones, like I do.

Why did Jesus tell them to look at his hands and feet? (Because, they could see the nail marks, from when he was crucified.) They were amazed, and still couldn't believe he was alive, so he asked, Do you have anything here to eat? They gave him a piece of cooked fish, and he ate it, while they were watching. Then he told them, This is what I told you while I was still with you. I had to suffer and die, and raise again, and you will preach repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations in my name.

Application: Forgiveness

So why did Jesus have to die, and then be raised? (So that our sins could be forgiven.) Why did someone have to die, for our sins to be forgiven? (Because, there is a penalty for sin.) Because Jesus raised, it proves the whole penalty is paid. Because Jesus is raised, we also can be raised, and can be with God forever some day.

Our memory verse today is 1st John 4:10, In this act is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son, a payment for our sins.

How was sending God's Son a payment for our sins? (Because, he died, and death is the price for sin. Since he paid, we don't have to.) Does that mean you won't die when you get old? (No.) What does it mean? It's not talking about death like separation from your body, but separation from God. When we die, if we have Jesus as our savior, we are not separated from God, we go to be with God, forever, in heaven. But if you die without Jesus, you are separated from God, forever.

Invitation: Salvation

If you're not sure that you're going to be with God in heaven when you die, if you're not sure that you have Jesus as your savior, and you'd like to be sure, you can stay after the lesson and talk about it with the teacher. We'd love to tell you how to be with Jesus forever.

The Sign of Jonah

Tuesday:	The Sign of Jonah
Story Passages:	Jonah 1-3; Matthew 12:38-41
Other Passages:	Matthew 27:59-63, Luke 24:5-6, Romans 3:23, 6:23
Objective:	Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin.
Memory Verse:	Romans 6:23, For the wage of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Christ Jesus our LORD.
Visuals:	Available

Story: Jonah

God told Jonah, "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because it is wicked." But Jonah ran away from God, got on a ship sailing in the other direction. Jonah told the sailors he was running away from God, but God sent a great storm. The sailors were afraid they would sink, and they prayed, but the storm only got worse. They threw things off the ship to make it lighter, but that didn't help, so they asked Jonah what to do. "Pick me up and throw me into the sea, and it will become calm." So they threw him in, and the storm stopped. God didn't leave Jonah in the water: he sent a big fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights. While he was inside the fish, Jonah prayed, and he repented, and God had the fish spit him out on the land.

First Point: Repentance

What does it mean to repent? (To change your mind and behavior.) Why did Jonah need to repent? (Because he wasn't doing what God said.) What happened when Jonah repented? (God forgave him.)

Now Jonah obeyed, went to Nineveh, and preached that the city would be destroyed if they did not turn to God! The people believed God and repented. The king told everyone to stop sinning and to pray to God for forgiveness. God saw that they repented, and he didn't destroy the city.

Why did the people of Nineveh need to repent? (They were wicked.) Why did they repent? (Because they believed God.) What happened when they repented? (God forgave them.)

Second Point: The Sign of Jonah

Did you know that Jesus talked about Jonah? He did. One time, some Pharisees came to Jesus and asked to see a miracle. He told them they were wicked, and that the only sign he would give them was the sign of Jonah: Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the big fish, so Jesus would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

What does it mean to be in the heart of the earth? (He was underground: buried.) When was Jesus in the heart of the earth? (When he was dead. After he was crucified.) Why did Jesus need to die and be buried? (To pay the penalty for our sins.)

Invitation: Romans 6:23

Your memory verse tonight will be Romans 6:23. [Read the verse once.]

What are wages? (something you earn) How do you earn death? (sin) What is sin? (anything you do that doesn't meet God's standards) How many people sin and earn death? Since we have earned death, what can we do to let Jesus pay our penalty? (Romans 10:9, confess Jesus is Lord, believe God raised him from the dead.) Is there any other way to escape death? (No, John 14:6)

Offer to discuss this further with any children who stay behind after the lesson.

Footsteps Pushed Back, Fishing to be reworked in 2009

After the organizational meeting Sunday, we've determined to revamp the Fishing For Christ materials this year, pushing Footsteps of the Fathers onto the back burner for now.

So I'll be starting to post Fishing For Christ materials soon. For now, here's a lightly reworked version of the logo, in color this time. This time I did the logo as an SVG document, so it will scale to any size. I was fortunate to be able to find exactly the same font that I used before, so the overall look has not changed much (except for the color).

Soldiers of God (Updated: 2014)

Soldiers and warfare occur repeatedly in both testaments. We thought about doing an entire week on just the armor of God, but we decided it might be better to generalise the theme. We ended up with lessons covering salvation by faith, obedience to Christ, resisting temptation, enduring the world's contempt, and prayer.

In Galion this was our theme in 2008 and again in 2014.

This theme is mostly complete and online!

	Elementary		Preschool		Teens
Monday	Bible Lesson:	Red Cord of Salvation	Bible Lesson:	Joshua and the Walls	Bible Lesson:	Red Cord of Salvation (teen version)
	Memory Verse:	Ephesians 2:8-9 (Covered Words)	Shape Lesson:	Ball	Discussion:	5 Questions
	Craft: Braided Red Cord Bookmark
	Game:	Water Balloon Toss	Game:	Marching Around the Wall	Game:	Water Balloon Toss
	Snack: Twizzlers: The Red Rope (updated 2014)
Tuesday	Bible Lesson:	Obey Your Commander	Bible Lesson:	Centurion's Servant (Jesus is God)	Bible Lesson:	Our Commanding Officer (teen version)
	Memory Verse:	1^st John 5:3-4 (Popcorn)	Shape Lesson:	Book	Discussion:	7 Questions
	Craft: Shrinkies*
	Game:	Sealed Orders	Game:	Water Balloon Toss (preschool version)	Game:	Sealed Orders
	Snack: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches & Centurions (new in 2014)
Wednesday	Bible Lesson:	Armor of God	Bible Lesson:	David and Goliath (Trust in God)	Bible Lesson:	Armor of God (teen version)
	Memory Verse:	Ephesians 6:11 (Scrambled Verse)	Shape Lesson:	Heart	Discussion:	5 Questions
	Craft:	Picture Frame	Craft:	Picture Frame	Craft:	Start Cap Curtains
	Game: Soldier Dress-Up Relay
	Snack: Shield Cookies (updated 2014)
Thursday	Bible Lesson:	Good Soldier (Jeremiah and the Cistern): regular version or interactive version	Bible Lesson:	The Blind Army	Bible Lesson:	Good Soldier (teen version)
	Memory Verse:	Romans 1:16 (Clapping)	Shape Lesson:	Cross	Discussion:	6 Questions
	Craft:	Chalk Painting	Craft:	Chalk Painting	Craft:	Continue Cap Curtains
	Game:	CTF Wargame	Game:	Hiding from the Bad King	Game:	CTF Wargame
	Snack: Mud Pudding (new in 2014)
Friday	Bible Lesson:	Prayer Warrior	Bible Lesson:	Peter in Prison (prayer)	Bible Lesson:	Prayer Warrior (teen version)*
	Memory Verse:	1^st Thessalonians 5:16-18 (Voice Contest)	Shape Lesson:	Crown	Discussion:	7 Questions
	Craft:	Praying Hands	Craft:	Praying Hands	Craft:	Soap Sculpture (or finish Cap Curtains)
	Game:	Enlistment Tag	Game:	Play with Hula Hoops*	Game:	Enlistment Tag
	Snack: Prison-Bar Cupcakes (updated, 2014)

* - Items marked with an asterisk are incomplete or otherwise need work.

Substitute Indoor Games:

[needed]

Original Music:

Theme Song: Soldiers of God

Decorations:

There are some wall decorations available.
See also our decoration photos:
part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5.

Training for Missions (Teen Version)

Monday:	Training for Missions
Bible Lesson:	Red Cord of Salvation: Rahab was saved because she believed in God, and we are saved the same way.
Memory Verse:	Ephesians 2:8-9
Missions Concept:	Missionaries Need Training.
Missions Example:	Nigeria: Samuel Ngum
Bible Passages:	James 3:1, 2^nd Timothy 2:1-19

[Distribute Monday's packet, with the map of Cameroon.]

Introduction: Samuel Ngum

Samuel Ngum is from Cameroon, but he wants to be a missionary in Nigeria [Refer to map.]. (Ask for a definition of a missionary. Accept some answers. Discuss.) Missionaries are trained men and women whose job is to take the gospel to the people in an area and start churches.

Before Samuel could go to Nigeria as a missionary, he had to be prepared. He couldn't just leave immediately the first time he thought about doing this. He wasn't prepared.

The Point: Missionaries Need Training

One of the things Samuel needed was good Bible training. If he's going to tell people about Jesus, he'd better know what he's talking about! Just going to church all your life isn't enough. If he's going to start churches, and wants them to have a good start, he should know his Bible inside and out. The Bible says teachers will be held accountable. (Look at James 3 together.) That means if you're going to teach people, you should be responsible to make sure you are teaching them the truth.

Story: Samuel's Studies

Samuel studied at a practorium – a school for pastors and missionaries, run by the church at Keyon in Oku, Cameroon [refer to map].

A practorium is a higher level of education, like seminary: a Master's-level program. In the United States we usually do this sort of thing after college. Samuel had to study hard, do homework, write long papers, ... He learned Greek, Hebrew, Hermeneutics, ... To be a missionary, Samuel needed all the classes that someone has to take to be a pastor. He studied for several years, until he finished all the classes that he needed.

Secondary Point: Language Training

Samuel already speaks English, the major language in Nigeria, so he won't need language classes to go there. But sometimes a missionary has to study language and culture before he can go. How can you tell people the good news of Jesus, if you don't speak their language? Anyone who wants to go as a missionary to a place where they don't speak the same language, needs to learn the language that they speak in that place.

Conclusion: Churches Must Provide Training

Samuel's not the only missionary who needs training. When churches want to send missionaries, one of the things they have to do is find ways to provide that training. The churches in Cameroon have the practorium in Keyon, where Samuel was trained. We have them in the United States too, places where people can study to be pastors and missionaries. Sometimes even Sunday School teachers receive training.

[As time allows, go over the discussion questions together.]

Invitation: Missions Training

Close in prayer and invite any teens who want to consider training for missions, or to help train others, to stay after the lesson and discuss it further.

A Plan for Missions

Friday:	A Plan for Missions
Bible Lesson:	Prayer Warrior: We should be praying; prayer is effective. (Peter in prison)
Memory Verse:	1^st Thessalonians 5:16-18
Missions Concepts:	Missionaries must prepare to go and must plan for the work.
Missions Examples:	Uberlandia, Brazil: Project Timothy
Bible Passages:	Luke 14:25-33
Maps:	Re-used from 2007: Brazil, showing Uberlandia and Araguari Uberlandia neighborhoods

Introduction: What to do?

How many of you remember learning about our missionaries in Brazil last year? [show map] We learned about Magno who teaches kids at the schools about Jesus. How do missionaries like Magno decide what they are going to do today? Do they wake up and pack their bags and move to a new city? Do they leave their Bible study and start a new one? How do they choose where to go and when? They have a plan.

Example: Brazil

The Tubelina church in Brazil has a plan. They want to start churches in many neighborhoods all around their big city (Uberlandia). They have men that are studying to be pastors and missionaries in their church, but where will these men go, and who will be a pastor and who will be a missionary? The men and the leaders of the church talk together and pray before anything happens. While the men are still studying, before they are even ready to go, they start praying for the place where they are going to go. Some go home to the neighborhoods they grew up in. Others go to a different neighborhood, or a nearby city (like Magno, who went to Araguari). The church makes a plan so that all the new Pastors have places to go, and so that they don't all go to the same neighborhood!

The Point: Missionaries need a plan.

In the book of Luke, Jesus gives an example. He tells the crowd that if they were going to build a tower it would be a good idea to make sure they have a plan – to know how big they're going to build the tower and how much it will cost – before they start. Otherwise, they might not be able to finish, and people would just laugh at them, and what good would that be? Jesus wasn't just talking about a real tower, though: it's an example. He's really talking about God's work. When we set out to do something, we should make sure we know what we have to do before we start, so that we can finish. We should know how much it is going to cost, so that we can afford to finish. We need to know what we are going to do so that it works out well. If we know how much it costs, we know how much money we need to save up before we start. If we know ahead of time what we have to do, we'll be less likely to forget something important.

Tuesday, we learned that a missionary needs to be approved and sent by a church to do missions. One of the things our Foreign Mission Panel tells missionaries they have to have is a written plan. The plan has to tell where they are going, what they are going to do, and how long they are going to spend on it. The Pastors on the panel are not giving the missionaries homework for no reason. The written plan is important because it helps the churches who are sending the missionaries, praying, and sending money. It helps the churches to know how to pray and where the money is going. It also is important for the missionary himself to have a plan so that he knows what to do every morning. He knows what his goal is and that helps him do a better job.

Support for Missions

Thursday:	Support for Missions
Bible Lesson:	Good Soldier: We should endure the world's contempt when living and sharing our faith. (Jeremiah and the cistern)
Memory Verse:	Romans 1:16
Missions Concepts:	Missionaries need prayer and financial support.
Missions Examples:	Paul
Bible Passages:	Ephesians 6:18-20, Romans 15:23-24, 2^nd Corinthians 11:7-12, Philippians 4:14‑19, Colossians 4:2-3, 2^nd Thessalonians 3:1-2, Philippians 1:12-14

Introduction: Support

God calls a person to be a missionary. But then what? How does that missionary live while he is doing his job, and how do the people he talks to come to know God and start churches? Two of the most important things a missionary needs are other Christians praying for him and sending money so that he can do God's work where he is. The Bible talks about this in a lot of places. Paul specifically asked churches to pray for him, and sometimes they also sent him money. The Antioch church had sent Saul (whose new name was Paul) to be a missionary, but other churches helped too. The Antioch church was sometimes too far away to help Paul -- they didn't even know what was going on -- but other churches were closer when Paul needed them.

Example: Thessalonica

When Paul went to Thessalonica to start a church, he was far away from Antioch. The church in Philadelphia, which was nearby, sent him money so that he would have food and clothing and whatever he needed. By supporting Paul, they were helping to bring the good news of Jesus to the people in Thessalonica.

Another time Paul was in Rome and wrote to the Christians in Colosse and asked for prayer. He said, Pray that God may open a door for our message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly as I should. Paul was chained and on house arrest because he was telling people that Jesus had died for everyone, and some people didn't like that. Paul needed prayer so that he would have a chance to tell people about Jesus, because when you're arrested you can't just go wherever you want. Paul needed God to make a way for him to do his job as a missionary. So Paul asked the Colossians to pray.

The Point: Missionaries need prayer and financial support.

Was Paul the only missionary that ever needed money? Do you think other missionaries need the same thing? What about prayer? Do other missionaries need prayer like Paul did? Who is going to pray for and send money to our Grace Brethren missionaries? Will people from other churches do it? (Not likely.) What about people that don't go to church? Will they pray for our missionaries? (Probably not.) They don't even know about them. It is up to us to pray for the Bejenkes, Pastor Meeker, Samuel Ngum, and others. It is up to us to make sure that these missionaries have the money they need to do God's work. If we don't pray and send money, how will they do the work? We don't know if Paul would have had opportunities to lead the guards to Christ if the Christians hadn't prayed. But we do know that God answers prayers.

Invitation: Supporting Missions

Invite any children who want to support our missionaries to bring offering on Friday and to pray for our missionaries.

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