Session7
Peter and Andrew Meet Jesus
John 1:35-42
Worship Theme:
Jesus is the Lamb of God.
Weaving Faith Into Life:
Children will follow Jesus, the Lamb of God, in their lives.
Session Sequence
What Children Will Do / SuppliesLet’s Praise
God!
(up to 25 minutes)
Sing
•“His Mercy” (Titus 3:5a) (track 5)
•“I Am the Way” (John 14:6) (track 12)
•“You Gave” (John 14:19b) (track 10)
•“To God Be the Glory” (track 15)
•“Wonderful” (Isaiah 9:6) (track 17)
•“I Will Give You Rest” (Matthew 11:28) (track 20)
•“God So Loved the World” (John 3:16) (track 21)
KidsOwn Worship Kit:
Songs From FaithWeaver
Classroom Supplies:
CD player, 5 photocopies
of the responsive reading (see activity)
Session Sequence
Let’s Learn the Point!
(up to 25 minutes)
* Hello!
Play a greeting game.
* Jesus Is the Lamb
Make “lambs,” and learn the Bible story. / Classroom Supplies:
Paper plates, scissors, markers, glue sticks, cotton balls
Praise the Lamb
Praise Jesus in fun, creative ways.
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Session Sequence
Let’s Learn the Point!
(up to 25 minutes)
What Children Will Do / Supplies* Lamb of God
Watch a video about the Lamb of God. / KidsOwn Worship Kit:
Lesson Videos DVD
“The Lamb of God”
Classroom Supplies:
TV, DVD player, markers, photocopies of “Lamb” (at the
end of this session)
Behold the Lamb
Think about a prayer, and draw. / Classroom Supplies:
Paper, markers
Recognize Jesus
Talk about how to recognize that Jesus is the
Lamb of God. / Classroom Supplies:
Magazine pictures of famous people, red construction
paper, scissors, markers, masking tape, Lamb of God
pictures from “Behold the Lamb”
Session Sequence
Let’s Pray!
(up to 10 minutes)
The Offering
Give their offerings and whisper why they are
thankful. / Classroom Supplies:
Offering bowls
“To God Be the Glory”
Sing a song and create motions. / KidsOwn Worship Kit:
Songs From FaithWeaver:
“To God Be the Glory” (track 15)
Classroom Supplies:
CD player
The Lamb
Thank God with a responsive prayer.
* Starred activities can be used successfully with preschool and elementary children together.
Customize your session to fit your needs. You can separate preschoolers and elementary children for Let’s Learn the Point! Or, if you keep the children all together for the entire worship session, we suggest you choose from the starred activities.
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Bible Background for Leaders
Peter and Andrew Meet Jesus
John 1:35-42
Immediately after his baptism, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:1). After enduring a 40-day fast and overcoming Satan’s temptations, Jesus returned to Galilee and began his ministry (Matthew 4:1-17). Shortly thereafter, he called his first disciples.
The disciple of John the Baptist who is unnamed in this passage was likely John, the author of this Gospel. This unnamed disciple and Andrew had been following John the Baptist, but at this point they began to follow Jesus. John the Baptist didn’t try to persuade the two to stay with him. He knew his place and was ready for his disciples to transfer their allegiance to Jesus.
The first of Jesus’ words that are recorded by John are found in John 1:38: “What do you want?” he asked John’s disciples. Jesus’ question is significant: He knew these men were looking for something, not really for someone. They responded to Jesus with a question: “Where are you staying?” On the surface this question may have indicated that they needed to know where Jesus lived if they were to come to him for teaching. Jesus’ response to that question didn’t give them the answer they may have wanted; it was an immediate invitation for them to follow and learn from him. He didn’t say, “Come tomorrow,” or “I’ll meet you at the boat dock.” Instead he immediately opened himself and the place he was staying to these first two disciples.
After spending a day with Jesus, Andrew knew he had found something special in Jesus because his first response was to find his brother Simon and tell him he’d found the Messiah. In characteristic fashion, Simon responded quickly and went with Andrew to meet Jesus.
For Jesus, the Son of God, it took only one look at Simon to know who he was and who he was to become. So he gave Simon a new name, Peter, which means “rock.” At that moment and throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, Peter displayed little of the strength and stability of a rock, however. He was impulsive and impetuous, and, in his haste, he often made bad decisions. So the name that Jesus gave Peter was not based on his life up to that point, but on who Jesus knew Peter would become as a result of following Jesus. When Peter got to know Jesus, his life changed. He eventually became a new person, and, empowered by his faith in Christ, he dedicated his life to spreading the word about Jesus to the world.
Devotion for Leaders
Jesus knows us better than even we know ourselves. He can help us get to know him, too. Thank him not only for being your Savior but also for being your friend!
Weaving Faith Into Your Life: Reread John 1:35-42. Whathave you learned about Jesus since you first met him? Many things, right? But there’s still more to know. This week, ask God to teach you something new about Jesus. Then tell someone else what you learned. Your sharing is sure to help someone else as much as it helps you.
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Why We Worship for Leaders
Today, we worship Jesus because he is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. God sent Jesus to this world to pay the price for our sins so that we can be his children and live with him in heaven forever. That’s worthy of worship!
Through the activities in today’s worship session, seek to teach children what it means when we say that Jesus is the Lamb of God so they can proclaim withthe angels, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”
Easy Prep for Leaders
Let’s Praise God!—Make five photocopies of the responsive reading box (seeactivity).
Lamb of God—Set up a TV and DVD player, and cue theLesson VideosDVD to“The Lamb of God.” Watch the segment at least once before the worship session so you’ll be familiar with it. Photocopy the “Lamb” handout (at the end of this session) so you have one for each child.
Recognize Jesus—Find a magazine that contains photographs of famous people.Cut out several pictures. Cut out a red construction-paper heart for each child.
Preschool Activities—Refer to the preschool pages for preparations.
Let’s Praise God!
Play Songs From FaithWeaver as children arrive. Greet children by name, and say to each one, “Jesus is the Lamb of God.”
When everyone has arrived, begin worship.
Hello, everyone. Today we worship because Jesus is the Lamb of God.
• What do you think we mean when we say that Jesus is the Lamb of God?
When we say that Jesus is the Lamb of God, we mean that Jesus gave his life so we could be saved. Let’s sing about the salvation that God gives to those who believe in him.
Sing “His Mercy” (Titus 3:5a).
Lyrics are in the back of this book.
Track 5
The Bible uses many word pictures to help us understand who Jesus is. Saying that Jesus is the Lamb of God means that Jesus takes away our sins. In the Bible, in the book of John, Jesus says he is the way and the truth and the life.
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Sing “I Am the Way” (John 14:6).
Lyrics are in the back of this book.
Track 12
Jesus can give us new life. Because Jesus died
for our sins, we can live with him in heaven forever if we believe in him. Let’s praise Jesus, the Lamb of God, as we sing, “You Gave.”
Sing “You Gave” (John 14:19b).
Lyrics are in the back of this book.
Track 10
Give copies of the Revelation 5:11-13 Responsive Reading to four of your older children. Assign two to be Angels and two to be the Creatures. You’ll read the Leader parts yourself. Encourage kids to worship Jesus as they read aloud. Have all the other children say “Amen” loudly at the end of the reading.
• What does it mean to give God glory?
To give God glory means to give him praise, attention, and honor. The Bible tells us that the angels in heaven give glory to the Lamb. Listen to what the angels say to Jesus.
Read Part 1 of the Revelation 5:11-13 Responsive Reading aloud.
Revelation 5:11-13 Responsive Reading
Part 1
Leader: “Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numberingthousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang:”
Angels: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth andwisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”
Part 2
Leader: “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under theearth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:”
Creatures: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honorand glory and power, for ever and ever!”
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The Bible says that all of us will praise the Lamb of God, too. This is what we’ll say to give glory to the Lamb. Read Part 2 of theRevelation 5:11-13 Responsive Reading aloud.
Jesus deserves worship and glory because he is the Lamb of God. Another way to give Jesus glory might be by giving him a standing ovation. That means that we stand and applaud loudly.
• When people give a standing ovation after a play, what are they saying to the actors? (That they were great.)
They’re saying, “You were wonderful, awesome, and fantastic!” They’re giving the actors glory. Let’s give glory to the Lamb with a standing ovation at the count of three. One, two,
three, go!
Now let’s sing “To God Be the Glory,” and continue to give glory to the Lamb.
Sing “To God Be the Glory.”
Lyrics are in the back of this book.
Track 15
Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, God has honored him with the highest place. Raise your hand if you’ve ever received an honor. Maybe you earned an award, a ribbon, or a medal. Tell us why you received the award. Pause to let children share.
Jesus has received the highest award because of his sacrifice. God has given him a name that is above every name. Let’s sing about some of Jesus’ names.
Sing “Wonderful” (Isaiah 9:6).
Lyrics are in the back of this book.
Track 17
You are very special to God. God created you. In fact, you are so special that God sent his only Son, Jesus, to take the
punishment for your sins. Instead of punishment, Jesus wants to give you rest and peace when you come to him.
Sing “I Will Give You Rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Lyrics are in the back of this book.
Track 20
Jesus became the Lamb of God for you because only Jesus was without sin. You are so special that Jesus was willing to die for you. We thank God today because Jesus is the Lamb of God for you.
Sing “God So Loved the World” (John 3:16).
Lyrics are in the back of this book.
Track 21
Thank you, God, for giving your only begotten Son, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. We worship you today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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Let’s Learn the Point!
Preschool Activities, pages 95-96
At this time, have the preschool leader invite the preschoolers to go to their own room for this section of activities. Tear out the Preschool Activities page, and give it to the preschool leader. Have the preschool leader bring the preschoolers back to participate in Let’s Pray! with the older children. If you prefer to keep all the children together, do the starred (*) activities. They will work well with both elementary and preschool children.
Elementary Activities
* Lamb of God
Distribute markers and photocopies of the “Lamb” handout.
We’re going to watch a video that shows what we mean when we say that Jesus is the Lamb of God. While you’re watching the video, you may want to write words or pictures on your paper to help you remember the things you learn from the video. If drawing during the video will be too distracting for you, you can wait until after the video. You’ll have a couple of minutes after the video to write or draw on your papers.
Show “The Lamb of God” on the Lesson Videos DVD. After the video, give the children two or three minutes to write words or draw pictures on their papers to help them remember what Lamb of God means.
• What do we mean when we say that Jesus is the Lamb of God?
(Jesus is without sin; Jesus died for us.)
•What would life be like if Jesus weren’t the Lamb of God? (Wewould not be forgiven for our sins; we could not be close to God.)
Jesus came to earth because God loves us very much. Jesus came to be the sacrificial lamb. That means that he died to pay the punishment for our sins. Let’s find out about the time John the Baptist first pointed out that Jesus was the Lamb of God.
Behold the Lamb
Think about something important that you’ve prayed for. Maybe you needed help in your family or maybe you wanted someone to know Jesus. Maybe you needed God to heal someone or help someone through a very serious illness. Maybe your parents were fighting and you were scared about what might happen. Whatever it was, you were really looking forward to the answer to your prayer. Give kids time to think of a prayer. Close your eyes, and imagine what the answer to your prayer might look like.
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(continued on page 97)
Preschool Activities
Peter and Andrew Meet Jesus
Session
7
John 1:35-42
Worship Theme:
Jesus is the Lamb of God.
Easy Prep for Leaders
Jesus Is the Lamb—Cut paper plates according to the examplebelow. Cut one paper plate for each child.
Using Theo
Consider using Theophilus the FaithRetriever puppet today in these ways:
•Have Theo lead the preschoolers from the main worship area to the preschool room.
•Have Theo help with the rhyme in the “Praise the Lamb” activity.
•See the KidsOwn Worship Kit for a puppet skit written for today’s worship session.
* Hello
We’re going to play a greeting game as we walk around the room and greet each other.
• When your grandparents or someone you love comes to see you, how do you greet them?
We’re happy to see people we love. We might say, “Look! It’s Grandma!” Then we might hug her. We’re going to greet each other that way.
Greet your friends in the room with a smile or a hug. Say, “Look! It’s [a child’s name]!”
Greet children joyfully, and encourage them to greet each other. Make sure that all the children are greeted and hugged.
Great job greeting each other! That’s what happened in our Bible story. Let’s find out about a time Jesus was recognized and greeted.
* Jesus Is the Lamb
Give each child a precut paper plate and a marker. Encourage each child to draw eyes, a nose, and a mouth on his or her paper plate. Distribute glue sticks, and have the children scrub glue on the outer edge of the paper plates and then glue
cotton balls to the paper plates to make lambs.
Let’s use our lambs to help tell the story. One day, a man named Andrew saw Jesus walking by. Andrew heard John say, “Look! It’s the Lamb of God!” Let’s smile and say that as we make our lambs walk. (Pause.) John was happy to see Jesus because Jesus is as precious as a little lamb.
When Andrew saw Jesus, he followed him. Now I’d like you all to pretend to be Andrew.
Follow my lamb around the room.
Lead children around the room.
Andrew was happy to meet Jesus. Andrew brought his brother, Simon, to meet Jesus, too. They were so happy to meet the precious Lamb of God. Let’s all say again, “Look! It’s the Lamb of God!”