What happened when they obeyed Jesus?

They caught so many fish the net broke.

Free Bible lesson for kids · Ministry in Galilee

Fishers of Men

Peter had fished all night and caught nothing. Jesus told him to let down his nets, and they caught so many fish the nets broke. Peter, Andrew, James and John left everything to follow Jesus.

Teach this lesson: film, sheets and guide Print the coloring page

Bible passage: Luke 5:1–11 · Matthew 4:18–22 · Mark 1:16–20
Big idea: Following Jesus is worth leaving everything.
Memory verse: And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4:19 (KJV)
Ages: Preschool to preteen (3 to 12), with tips for each age
Time: About 45 minutes
Included, free: Animated story film, coloring page, class sheet, teacher guide, questions and answers, a game

The story

Crowds pressed close to Jesus to hear the word of God by the lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1). He taught them from Simon Peter’s boat. Then He said, “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught” (Luke 5:3–4). Simon answered, “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net” (Luke 5:5).

They caught so many fish their net broke, and both boats began to sink (Luke 5:6–7). Peter fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:8). Jesus told him, “Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men” (Luke 5:10). Matthew tells us Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). Then Peter, Andrew, James and John left everything and followed Him (Luke 5:11; Matthew 4:20–22).

Read it in the Bible: Luke 5:1–11 (KJV)

¹And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, ²And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. ³And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. ⁴Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. ⁵And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. ⁶And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. ⁷And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. ⁸When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. ⁹For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: ¹⁰And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. ¹¹And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

Read it in the Bible: Matthew 4:18–22 (KJV)

¹⁸And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. ¹⁹And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. ²⁰And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. ²¹And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. ²²And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

Read it in the Bible: Mark 1:16–20 (KJV)

¹⁶Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. ¹⁷And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. ¹⁸And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him. ¹⁹And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets. ²⁰And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.

Questions to ask

How many fish had Peter caught all night?
Nothing.
What happened when they obeyed Jesus?
They caught so many fish the net broke.
What did Jesus say He would make them?
Fishers of men.

What this story teaches

Jesus has power over all creation, even fish in the sea (Luke 5:6).
It is wise to obey Jesus even when it seems strange (Luke 5:5).
Seeing how great Jesus is shows us we are sinners (Luke 5:8).
Jesus does not send sinners away; He says, “Fear not” (Luke 5:10).
Knowing Jesus is worth more than anything we leave behind (Philippians 3:8).

Jesus Came to Save Sinners

Peter said he was a sinful man, but Jesus did not send him away. Jesus came into the world to save sinners like Peter, and like us.

1 Timothy 1:15

A 45-minute lesson plan

5 min	Welcome and pray. Greet each child by name and pray: Ask Jesus to help us follow Him every day.
10 min	The story. Play the story film: each verse appears on screen in the King James Version while the scene plays. Pause to ask what happens next.
10 min	Talk about it. Ask the three questions below. Then ask: “Following Jesus is worth leaving everything.” What does that mean for us?
5 min	Memory verse. Say Matthew 4:19 together, covering one word at a time until the children can say it alone.
10 min	Activity. Younger children color the coloring page while you retell the story; older children do the class sheet (memory-verse fill-in, word search and questions).
5 min	Pray and send home. Pray together and send the sheet home so families can talk about the first question this week.

Preschool: keep it short and physical. Act out the story, use a simple prop, and repeat the big idea in one sentence.
Elementary: let children find the passage in their own Bibles. Ask “who, what, where” questions first, then “why.”
Preteens: read the verses before and after the passage, and ask how this story fits the whole story of the Bible.

Game time

For kids · game · indoors or out · about 10 minutes

Fishers of Men Net Tag

You need: A large open space with clear boundaries

Two kids join hands to make the “net”. Everyone else is a fish.
The net chases the fish. When it tags a fish, that fish joins hands and becomes part of the net.
Keep going until every fish is caught. The last two caught start the next round.

Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” The net grows as each person brings someone else.

For youth group · activity · indoors · about 10 minutes

Leave the Boat

You need: A basket for a “boat”

At the start of youth group, everyone puts their phone in the boat. First to touch theirs helps clean up.
Talk: Peter, Andrew, James and John left their boats, their nets and their business.
Ask: what is the hardest thing for you to leave behind to follow Jesus?

They “forsook all, and followed him.” Following Jesus is worth more than anything we leave.

Pray

Ask Jesus to help us follow Him every day.