Get your Morning started right (Part 3)
The Fishers of Men
Parents, you can find the Fishers of Men story in the New Testament books Matthew 4:18-20, and Luke 5:1-11.
Before you begin, explain to your child what a disciple is. A disciple is someone who follows Jesus, learns from Him, and tries to live according to His teachings. Jesus chose 12 men to walk with and teach and gave them instructions to tell His stories to others.
Simon and Andrew were brothers. They had a job as fishermen. They worked very hard, but one day, after being in the ocean all night long, their nets came up empty! They decided to try again later, and when they were putting away their nets, they heard a voice by the shore teaching a large crowd. It was Jesus! He asked Simon to use his boat to take him out to sea so that the whole crowd could hear Him speak. Once Jesus was done teaching, he asked Simon to go fishing once again. Simon was confused, and didn’t think he would catch anything since the night before their nets were empty, but said yes.
When Simon threw his net into the water this time, he caught so many fish he had to ask for help getting the nets back in the boat!
When they got back to land, Jesus asked Simon and his brother Andrew to leave their boats behind and follow him – to become fishers of men, not of the sea, and tell people about Jesus and his love for them. The two brothers dropped their nets and followed Jesus, becoming his first of 12 disciples.
Jesus wants us to follow Him and tell others about His love.
PRAYER
"Jesus, thank You for calling us to follow You and Your Truth. Help us to share Your love with others today!"
Application
Parents, ask your child questions about the story.
For little kids: How can you tell others about Jesus’ love for them today?
For bigger kids: When Jesus called His disciples to be "fishers of men," what do you think He meant by that?
Feeding the 5,000
Parents, you can find the Feeding of the 5000 story in the New Testament book of John 6:5-14.
Ask your child if they can remember any miracles from the Bible. If they can’t think of any, give examples like when Jesus healed a blind man or turned water into wine. Explain that a miracle is something amazing that only God can do, showing His power and love for us.
Lots of people followed Jesus because they wanted to hear him teach. One day, a HUGE crowd was with Jesus, but they were not in any city with lots of places to eat, they were in a place far from anything. There were more than 5,000 people, and they were all getting hungry!
They had to come up with a plan to feed all the people, so the disciples asked Jesus to send the people away to find food. But Jesus told the disciples to feed them. They were nervous – they knew it would be nearly impossible to feed that many people! Andrew, a disciple, found a young boy with a packed lunch from home and brought him to Jesus.
The boy had a few bread rolls and two fish. Jesus took the lunch from the boy, prayed over it, thanking God for his provision of food, and began handing out bread and fish to all the people! A true miracle had taken place!
The bread and fish from the boy never ran out and everyone ate until they were full. When they finished, the disciples picked up the leftovers. There were twelve baskets left. God always provides in abundance when we trust him, even when we can’t see a way.
PRAYER
"Jesus, thank You for showing us that You can do great things with even the smallest gifts. Help us to trust You with everything."
Application
Parents, ask your child questions about the story.
For little kids: Can God do the impossible?
For bigger kids: What does this story teach us about how God can use small things for big purposes?
Joshua and the Battle of Jericho
Parents, you can find the story of Joshua in the Old Testament: Joshua 5:13-6:27.
After 40 long years in the wilderness, God told His people it was time to enter the promised land. Joshua was the new leader, and he trusted God completely. Before they took the city of Jericho, Joshua sent two spies there. The spies stayed with a woman named Rahab, who lived in Jericho. Rahab had heard about God and believed in Him. She protected the spies and helped them escape because she trusted God. Rahab’s faith was important because God saved her and her family when the city was destroyed.
God gave Joshua a special plan to take the city of Jericho. He encouraged the people to be strong and courageous because God was with them. The people marched around the city once every day for six days, and on the seventh day, they marched around it seven times. Then, they shouted as loud as they could, and the walls of Jericho fell down with a big crash! Joshua’s people took the city, but God saved Rahab and her family because she trusted Him.
Joshua and the Israelites trusted God, and He kept His promise to them.
PRAYER
“God, thank you for always keeping your promises. Help me to trust you, just like Joshua and Rahab did. Please help me be strong and courageous.”
Application
Parents, ask your child questions about the story.
For little kids: Who helped the spies escape in Jericho?
For bigger kids: Why was Rahab’s faith so important in this story?
The Fruits of the Spirit
Parents, you can find the story of the Fruits of the Spirit in the New Testament book of Galatians 5:22-23.
Ask your child to identify fruits around your home. Explain to them that just like we’re able to identify the fruits we eat, we can learn to identify spiritual fruit in our lives also!
Did you know that God wants to help us grow good fruits in our hearts? Not apples or bananas, but the fruits of the Spirit. Jesus gives us examples of how to love, have joy and peace, and show kindness! These fruits make us more like Jesus and help us love others better.
The fruits of the spirit are:
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-control
Living out the fruits of the spirit is how Jesus expects us to show others his character (who God is).
PRAYER
"God, please help me grow the fruits of the Spirit in my heart today. Help me show [insert fruit of the spirit] to everyone I meet."
Application
Parents, ask your child questions about the story.
For little kids: How have you shown [insert fruit of the spirit] to someone you know/don’t know?
For bigger kids: What does [insert fruit of the spirit] mean to you?
Closing thought for each day:
As you start your day, remember that God’s mercies are new every morning! No matter what happens, He is here to help, guide, and protect us! Ask your child to pray and thank God for the gift of His word so that we can know Him more each day!