Childrens Sermon Service

Object: fishing net, or a large piece of netted cloth of some type. For the most fun, cut out small pieces of the netting to give to each child. If you do have a fishing net, practice throwing it and using the rope to close and pull it up so you can show the children how it works. If you just have some other piece of netting, you can still throw it and just explain how it would work. If you aren’t sure how to use a net, take a look at this short YouTube video.

Note: We used this same object for the message on February 6th about Luke 5:4-11. If you used that message, you might remind the children of that first story to make the message stronger.

Hello, everyone! I have another story for us today. This story starts out a little sad, but it doesn’t stay sad. Are you ready to hear the story? (Let them respond.) Great! But before we begin, I have a question for you. Have you ever felt sad? (Let them respond.) I mean really sad? (Let them respond.) When our story begins, everyone in it is feeling like that — really sad. There was Peter, Thomas, Nathanial, and four of the other disciples who traveled around with Jesus for three years. Does anyone remember why they are sad? (Let them respond.) Just a couple of weeks ago they had been with Jesus when he was arrested and taken away from them and killed. That had really scared them because they were afraid that they might be arrested and taken away too, so they all hid for a while. They were excited when they found out that Jesus was still alive, but they were still too afraid to do anything so they all decided to just go back home. Jesus had asked them to keep helping people, but they were too afraid and just went home. I think that would make me sad too, don’t you? (Let them respond.)

One of them was even sadder than the others. Simon Peter was really feeling lousy. Not only had he given up and gone back home, but he felt bad for another reason. The night Jesus was arrested and taken away, Peter had followed them to see where they were going. Someone saw him and said, “Hey, aren’t you one of Jesus’ disciples too?” He was so scared he just shook his head and said, “Not me. I’m not with him.” Two more people saw him and asked him the same question and he told them the same thing. “Not me! I don’t even know him.” Simon Peter felt especially sad because he had denied even knowing Jesus three times. He felt rotten, didn’t he? (Let them respond.)

So now they had all gone back home where it was safer and had stopped trying to do the things Jesus had asked them to do. Before he had met Jesus, Simon Peter had been a fisherman, so this morning he said, “I’m just going to go fishing again.” The others went with him. They were sad and afraid, and they all just kind of gave up trying to follow Jesus.

They rowed their boats out into the deep water and threw their nets into the water (Show the net.) They fished all morning and do you know how many fish they caught? (Let them respond.) None! Every time they pulled the nets up, they were empty. I’ll bet that made them feel even worse, don’t you? (Let them respond.) While they were getting ready to give up, a man standing on the shore yelled at them. “How’s it going?” he yelled. They told him they hadn’t caught a thing and he told them to try throwing the net on the other side of the boat. They thought it sounded silly, but they threw their nets in one more time  on the other side of the boats. And do you know what happened? (Let them respond.) When they started pulling the nets up, they were so full of fish that the nets were almost too heavy to pull up. And that’s when they recognized the man on the shore was Jesus. They remembered he had done the same thing that first day they had met him over three years ago when they decided to follow him.

When they got back to the shore they happy because Jesus was there. They cooked some of the fish and had lunch together. But Simon Peter was still feeling bad because of how he had lied three times about knowing Jesus. He was afraid Jesus would not forgive him for lying about him. But while they were eating, Jesus went to Simon and said, “Do you love me?” And Simon Peter said, “Yes, absolutely!” And Jesus said, “Then take care of my sheep.” A few minutes later, Jesus asked him again, “Do you love me?” Simon Peter looked at him and said, “Yes, I do love you!” And Jesus said, “Then feed my lambs.” Then Jesus went to Simon Peter a third time and said, “Do you love me?” Simon Peter said, “Yes, you know everything, so you know that I love you!” Then Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.” Does anyone know why Jesus asked him that three times? (Let them respond.) Yes. Simon Peter denied knowing Jesus three times, and so Jesusforgave him three times and told him to follow him again.

Simon Peter had gotten so sad and afraid that he was worrying more about himself than about taking care of the people Jesus wanted him to take care of. Sometimes that happens to us when we get said and worried, doesn’t it? (Let them respond.)

Today’s story reminds us that when we do get really sad or afraid, it is important for us to remember what Jesus asked us to do, which is to do what we can do to take care of each other and love each other the way Jesus did.  Let’s all pray together and ask God to help us remember how much God loves every one of us no matter who we are, what we have, or where we are from and ask God to help us remember to do the things God wants us to do to take care of each other.

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us. Please help us remember that you love all of the people you have created and help us let the people around us know that we love them just like Jesus loves us. Amen.