Filter Content:

Jesus Calls His Disciples

Reference: Luke 5:1-11

Big Idea: Jesus doesn't call us because we are perfect; He calls us to leave everything behind and follow Him.

Teacher Quick Reference

⏱️
Lesson: Jesus Calls His Disciples
Scripture: Luke 5:1-11
Big Idea: Jesus doesn't call us because we are perfect; He calls us to leave everything behind and follow Him.
Three Main Points:
  1. Jesus taught a large crowd from Simon Peter's fishing boat.
  2. Peter had fished all night and caught absolutely nothing.
  3. Jesus told Peter to let down his nets in the deep water.
  4. They caught so many fish that their nets began to break!
  5. Peter fell at Jesus' knees, and Jesus called him to be a 'fisher of men.'
Activity: Fishers of Men Net (Active Tag Game)
Memory Verse: Matthew 4:19
Take-Home Truth:
"I can be a fisher of men by telling other people about Jesus' love."

Teacher Preparation

Before class:

  • Read Luke 5:1-11 (BSB). You may also reference Matthew 4:18-22.
  • Notice the progression of Peter’s faith: first, he calls Jesus “Master” (a title of respect for a teacher in verse 5), but after the miracle, he calls Him “Lord” (a title acknowledging divine authority in verse 8).
  • Review the rules for the Fishers of Men Net activity, making sure the playing area is safe.
  • Write the memory verse on the board.
  • Decide which age adaptation will work best for your classroom.

Opening Activity: The Empty Net

Ask the children: “Have you ever worked really, really hard on something, and it completely failed?” (Examples: Building a tall block tower and it fell over, studying for a test and getting a bad grade, practicing a sport and losing the game).

Explain: “It is incredibly frustrating when you work hard and get zero results. You just want to give up! Today we are going to read about some professional fishermen who worked all night long and caught zero fish. They were tired and grumpy. But then, Jesus stepped into their boat.”

The Bible Story

1. The Empty Nets

One morning, Jesus was standing by the Sea of Galilee. A massive crowd was pushing forward to hear Him preach the word of God. Jesus saw two fishing boats pulled up on the beach. The fishermen—Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John—were washing their nets.

They were exhausted. They had been out on the lake all night long, doing back-breaking work, and they hadn’t caught a single fish.

Jesus got into Simon Peter’s boat and asked him to row out a little bit from the shore. Jesus sat down in the boat and taught the crowds from the water.

2. A Strange Command

When Jesus finished teaching, He turned to Simon Peter and gave a very strange command:

“Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:4, BSB)

Simon Peter was a professional fisherman. Jesus was a carpenter and a teacher. Peter knew that you fish in the shallow water, at night. Fishing in the deep water in the middle of the bright morning was a waste of time!

Peter sighed and said: “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.” But then Peter did something very important. He said:

“But because You say so, I will let down the nets.” (Luke 5:5, BSB)

3. The Breaking Nets

Peter and his brother rowed out to the deep water and threw their heavy nets over the side of the boat. Immediately, the water began to churn. The net was instantly filled with a massive, swarming school of fish!

There were so many fish that the thick ropes of the net actually began to break!

Peter frantically waved to his partners, James and John, to bring the other boat. They pulled the nets up, and fish spilled everywhere. They filled both boats so full of fish that the boats began to sink! It was the greatest catch of fish they had ever seen in their entire lives.

4. “Go Away From Me”

When Peter saw the massive pile of fish and the sinking boats, he realized that Jesus was not just a smart teacher. Only the Creator of the universe could command the fish in the sea to jump into a net.

Peter fell to his knees in the boat, right there among the flapping fish, and said:

“Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8, BSB)

Peter was terrified because he realized he was a sinner standing in the presence of a holy God. He thought Jesus would want to push him away.

5. Leaving Everything Behind

But Jesus didn’t push Peter away. Jesus smiled at the terrified fisherman and said:

“Do not be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” (Luke 5:10, BSB)

Jesus was saying, “Peter, I know you aren’t perfect. I know you are a sinner. But I am choosing you anyway. You used to catch fish to sell them; now you are going to catch people to save them.”

When they brought their boats to the shore, Peter, Andrew, James, and John made an amazing choice. They didn’t stay to sell the biggest catch of fish they had ever made. They left their boats, they left their nets, and they followed Jesus.

The Deeper Meaning

Peter’s reaction is the correct reaction to coming face-to-face with God. When we realize how holy and perfect God is, it makes us realize how messy and sinful we are. Peter said, “Go away, I’m too bad for You.”

But the Gospel is the beautiful truth that Jesus draws near to sinners. Jesus didn’t wait for Peter to go to the temple, clean himself up, and become a perfect religious scholar. Jesus climbed into Peter’s messy, smelly fishing boat and called him right where he was. Jesus calls us the exact same way. He knows all of our sins, and He says, “Follow Me anyway.”

Three Things to Remember

1. Obedience Brings Blessing

Peter didn’t understand why Jesus wanted him to fish in the deep water, but he said, “Because You say so, I will do it.” When we obey God’s Word—even when it doesn’t make sense to us—we get to see God do amazing things. Teacher Question: Is it hard to obey when you think your way is better?

2. Jesus Calls Ordinary People

Jesus didn’t pick the richest kings or the smartest religious teachers to be His disciples. He picked ordinary, smelly, exhausted fishermen. Teacher Question: Do you need to be famous or have a lot of money to do big things for God? (No, you just have to follow Jesus).

3. We Are Fishers of Men

A fisherman’s job is to bring fish into the boat. A Christian’s job is to bring people into God’s family by telling them about Jesus’ love. Teacher Question: Who is someone you can “fish” for by inviting them to church or telling them about Jesus?

Age Adaptations

Preschool (Ages 3-5)

Younger Children

For younger children (ages 5–7), focus on the fun miracle of the overflowing boats and following Jesus.

Simplified concepts:

  • Peter fished all night but didn’t catch a single fish. He was tired!
  • Jesus told him to try one more time. Peter obeyed.
  • Suddenly, the net was full! The fish were everywhere! They almost sank the boats!
  • Peter was amazed. He knew Jesus was very special.
  • Jesus told Peter, “Come follow Me!” Peter left his boat and followed Jesus.

Developmentally appropriate questions:

  • Did Peter catch any fish before Jesus helped him? (No).
  • How many fish did they catch when they obeyed Jesus? (So many the boats almost sank!).
  • What did Peter do when Jesus said “Follow me”? (He followed Him!).
Upper Elementary (Grades 4-6)

Older Children

For older children (ages 8–11), focus on Peter’s repentance (“I am a sinful man”) and the massive sacrifice of leaving the boats.

Deeper discussion: Leaving the boats was a huge deal. That massive catch of fish was probably worth a lot of money! Peter walked away from the biggest payday of his life because following Jesus was more valuable.

Discussion Scenarios:

  • Scenario 1: Imagine you just won the lottery, but Jesus says, “Leave it all here and come follow Me on a grand adventure.” Would you do it? What makes following Jesus more valuable than a boat full of fish?
  • Concept: Notice that Jesus told Peter not to be afraid. Why are we sometimes afraid of God? (Because we know we are sinners). How does Jesus take our fear away? (By forgiving our sins and bringing us close).

Discussion Questions

Understanding

  1. Why were Peter and his friends washing their nets at the beginning of the story?
  2. What did Jesus ask Peter to do with his boat so He could preach?
  3. What happened when Peter obeyed Jesus and put his nets in the deep water?
  4. What did Peter do when he saw the massive miracle? (Fell on his knees).
  5. What did the fishermen do when they got back to the shore?

Thinking

  1. Why did Peter tell Jesus to go away from him? (He realized he was a sinner in the presence of God).
  2. What do you think it means to be a “fisher of men”?
  3. Why did Jesus choose ordinary fishermen instead of important kings to be His closest friends?

Personal Application

  1. What is something in your life that you work really hard at? How can you invite Jesus into that part of your life?
  2. Peter obeyed Jesus even when he didn’t feel like it. How can you practice that kind of obedience this week?
  3. Are you ever afraid that you are too “sinful” for God to use you? What does this story tell you about that fear?

Activity Time

Activity Resource: Fishers of Men Net View Standalone →

Type: Active Tag Game (Blob Tag)
Time: 10 minutes
Group Size: 6+
Materials:

  • None.

Purpose

To provide a highly active physical illustration of a “fishing net” growing larger and catching more people, directly tying into Jesus’ call to be “fishers of men.”

Setup

Ensure the room or playing area is clear of obstacles. Choose two children to be the starting “Net.”

Exact Instructions

  1. Have the two starting children link arms. They are the “Net.”
  2. The rest of the children are the “Fish” and they can swim (run) freely around the designated ocean (play area).
  3. Say: “Ready, Set, FISH!”
  4. The Net must work together to run and tag a Fish. (They must keep their arms linked!).
  5. When a Fish is tagged, they must join the Net by linking arms on the end. The Net is now 3 people wide.
  6. The Net continues chasing Fish. Every time a Fish is caught, the Net grows wider and wider.
  7. Rule for Safety: The Net cannot stretch out and “clothesline” people. Only the two people on the very ends of the Net are allowed to use their free hand to tag a Fish.
  8. The game ends when the massive Net catches the very last Fish!

Discussion

Ask: “Was it easier to catch fish when the net was small (2 people) or when the net was huge?” “Did the fish try to run away? Do you think people try to ‘run away’ when we tell them about Jesus?”

Connection Back to the Bible Story

Explain: “Jesus told Peter that instead of catching normal fish, he was going to catch PEOPLE. Being a ‘fisher of men’ means telling people about Jesus’ love so they can be brought into God’s family. Just like our net grew bigger and bigger as more people joined, God’s family grows bigger and bigger every time we tell someone about Jesus!”

Craft Time

Activity Resource: Woven Fishing Net Craft View Standalone →

Materials:

  • Paper plates (with the center cut out)
  • Yarn (cut into 3-foot lengths)
  • Hole puncher
  • Colorful construction paper (for drawing fish)
  • Tape or glue

Templates:

📄 Fish Shapes Template

Purpose

To practice weaving a fishing net, giving children a visual reminder of the heavy, breaking nets from the story, and Jesus’ call to become “fishers of men.”

Setup

Finished Woven Net

  1. Cut the center circle out of the paper plates, leaving only the outer ring (like a donut).
  2. Use the hole puncher to punch holes all the way around the inner edge of the paper plate ring (about 1 inch apart).
  3. Cut yarn into long pieces (one piece per child). Put a small piece of tape on one end of the yarn to act as a “needle” so it’s easier to thread.

Instructions

  1. The Net: Give each child a punched paper plate ring and a piece of yarn. Tie the untaped end of the yarn to one of the holes so it stays in place.
  2. Have the children weave the yarn back and forth across the center of the plate, going in and out of the holes to create a web or a “fishing net.”
  3. When they reach the end of the yarn, tie or tape it to the back of the plate.
  4. The Catch: Have the children cut small fish shapes out of the colorful construction paper.
  5. Let them weave or glue their paper fish into the yarn net so it looks like they caught a huge amount of fish!

Discussion While Crafting

  • “How many fish did Peter and his friends catch all night long?” (Zero!).
  • “What happened when they obeyed Jesus and threw their nets down one more time?” (They caught so many fish their nets began to break!).
  • “Did Jesus want them to just be fishermen forever?” (No, He called them to be fishers of men).
  • “What does it mean to be a ‘fisher of men’?” (It means we share the good news about Jesus with people so they can follow Him too!).

Memory Verse

Matthew 4:19 (BSB)
“Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”

Practical Way to Teach:

  • “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, (Wave your hand toward yourself like you are calling someone).
  • “and I will make you” (Point up to heaven).
  • “fishers of men.” (Pretend to cast a fishing rod and reel it in).

Knowledge Check

Knowledge Check

Question 1 of 5

Loading...

Application

Being a disciple of Jesus means following Him, even when it is hard. You might not have to leave a fishing boat behind, but Jesus might ask you to leave behind a bad attitude, a mean group of friends, or a selfish habit. This week, practice being a “fisher of men” by inviting someone to church or telling them a story about Jesus!

Take-Home Challenge

When you brush your teeth tonight, look in the mirror and say, “Jesus calls ordinary people.” Remember that Jesus doesn’t need you to be perfect; He just wants you to follow Him.

Closing Thought

Peter tried to do everything in his own strength, and he came up with empty nets. But when he let Jesus take control of his boat, he experienced a miracle. Jesus loves stepping into our messy, ordinary lives and calling us to a great adventure. He doesn’t call us because we are perfectly clean and holy; He calls us because He loves us and wants to teach us how to catch the hearts of the people around us.

Closing Prayer

“Heavenly Father, thank You that You call ordinary people to follow You. Thank You that You don’t wait for us to be perfect. Forgive us for the times when we try to do everything in our own strength instead of obeying Your Word. Help us to leave our sins behind and follow You closely. Give us the courage to be fishers of men this week. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

One-Minute Teacher Quick Reference

JESUS CALLS HIS DISCIPLES
Luke 5:1-11

Big Idea

Jesus doesn’t call us because we are perfect; He calls us to leave everything behind and follow Him.

Memory Verse

“Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” — Matthew 4:19 (BSB)

Three Points

  1. Obedience Brings Blessing
  2. Jesus Calls Ordinary People
  3. We Are Fishers of Men

Opening

The Empty Net (Discussion about working hard and failing).

Activity

Fishers of Men Net (Active blob-tag game illustrating a growing net catching fish).

Take-Home Truth

I can be a fisher of men by telling other people about Jesus’ love.

Closing

Pray for the willingness to quickly obey Jesus and the courage to share His love with others.