May 10 2025

This lesson is going to look at the complexities of taking three different passages that tell the same story and finding a theme about following Jesus.

Pick one person from your group to leave the room. (If you are on Zoom, put them in their own breakout room.) Then have your group sit in a circle with an empty chair for the person out of the room. Pick one student (IT) to start a motion (like tapping their knee, raising their eyebrows, etc.). Everyone else in the circle will copy that motion when the person outside the room returns. The IT person can/should change their motion after everyone in the group is doing the motion for a few seconds. The person who left the room gets three guesses to figure out who the IT person is.

Today we are going to be looking at a couple different Scripture passages about how the first disciples were called. I wonder if we can fully imagine what that experience was like. It’s sometimes great to be first, but it is also perhaps the riskiest place to be, because you don’t know anyone else’s experience in the same situation! No one had ever been a disciple of Jesus before. Other rabbis had disciples, but the disciples chose the rabbi and asked if they could study under him. It was completely different to be a disciple chosen by the Rabbi. They really had no idea what they were getting into.

Today we are going to be looking at the same story twice! As you may or may not know, the first three books of the New Testament are called the synoptic gospels. Most scholars believe that Mark was written first and that the other writers used that as source material and added things they had seen/heard/learned about Jesus. In our story for today Matthew and Mark are very similar. But Luke’s story seems to be very different. We are going to look at some of the differences and try to unpack what each story tells us about this event, and what we might learn today.

(Leader: Depending on the size of your group you can split them up and each take a passage. Have one group look at Matthew or Mark and the other group look at Luke. Give each group the list of questions below. Have someone in the group take notes to share with everyone when they are finished.)

Read Matthew 4:18-22.

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

And/or Read Mark 1:16-20.

16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.

19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

Read Luke 5:1-11.  

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

The instructions for how the groups are to proceed are below. Make sure you also have someone in each group who will take notes to share with everyone when you are finished.

(Leader: You can download and hand out the scripture passages and instructions provided. Give the groups 10-12 minutes to struggle with the text and questions. Do your best not to jump in unless things seem out of hand. When both groups are done and ready to come back together, ask the following questions.)

LEADER’S NOTE

For a Relational Bible Study (RBS) you’ll want to get into the Scripture passage and encourage the youth to imagine participating in the story while it’s happening. Then you will be able to better apply it to your own situation today.

You will need to ask God for the Holy Spirit to be present as your small group discusses the questions (no more than 3-6 people in a group is recommended). Start with the opening question. It is a personal question and the answer is unique for each individual. There is no right answer and nobody is an expert here, so don’t be surprised when you hear different responses. You are depending on the Holy Spirit to be present and to speak through your group. Say what God prompts you to say, and listen to what others share.

Take turns reading the chapter out loud. Follow that with giving the students some time to individually mark their responses to the questions (a PDF version of the handout is available as a download). This gives each person a starting point for responding when you start to share as a group. Next, begin the discussion by asking the students to share what they marked and why on each question as you work your way through. Feel free to take more time on some questions than others as discussion warrants.

Encourage each person in the group to apply what is discussed to their personal lives and to share with the group what they believe God wants them to do. Then ask them to pray that God will help each of them to follow through in doing so. Remind them to expect that God will show them ways to live out the message of this passage in the coming week, and that they are free to ask others in the group to help hold them accountable.

John the Baptist had been killed and Jesus had been rejected by the people of Nazareth. They were filled with anger at His words and almost cast Him off a cliff. He had been rejected by the people of His own hometown. But, Jesus had continued to gather His disciples that would follow Him throughout the next three years.

This week we will meet four new disciples: Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John. These four men were fishermen when they were presented with the opportunity to follow Christ. They were faced with the decision between continuing their lives as normal or joining this teacher and having the opportunity to serve a greater purpose. What will they choose?
 

Who do you consider to be your spiritual leader?

Read Mark 1:16-20.

16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.

19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him. 

Read Luke 5:1-11.

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. 

These four fishermen had just accepted a role that changed the course of their lives. They were made “fishers of men” and followed this teacher. Even though He was despised by authority, He still held an attraction in the hearts of the meek. Jesus had begun to collect His group of twelve disciples that would assist in His ministry.

In the coming weeks, we will study the path that Jesus and His disciples take as they spread the message of salvation. This humble carpenter from Nazareth would become known all over the area; whether loved or hated, He touched the hearts of many.
 

Understanding & Relating to Asian American Youth
By Jane Hong-Guzman de Leon, Kevin Doi & Mike Park

If you’ve read Growing Young, you know how important it is to engage young people in your church. But how? Even when we bring our best intentions to these conversations, the dialogue somehow flops.

This comprehensive 40-page guide is the perfect handbook for any adult looking for a starting point in conversations with today’s Asian American youth. It includes an overview of the reality Asian American youth face, fundamental principles of conversation, plus 30+ questions and ideas for next steps.