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The following is a listing of Bible Truths
in Mark 1:16-20; 2:14; 3:13-19, the story of Jesus calling the apostles.
- The Apostles responded immediately and unconditionally to the call from
Jesus. Mark
1:18, 20; 2:14.
- The apostles left everything when Jesus called. Mark 1:18, 20.
- Jesus called the apostles to be His companions, to be an eyewitness to His
ministry and to preach what He taught them. Mark 3:14
The Apostles
 | Simon, also called Peter, a fisherman from Bethsaida and Capernaum.
Mark 1:16, 21, 29; 3:16; John 1:44. |
| James, son of Zebedee, brother of John, a fisherman. Mark 1:19;
3:17. |
| John, brother of James, son of Zebedee, a fisherman. Mark 1:19;
3:17. |
| Andrew, brother of Simon Peter, a fisherman from Bethsaida and
Capernaum. Mark 1:16, 21, 29; 3:18; John 1:44. |
| Philip, from Bethsaida. Mark 3:18; John 1:44. |
| Bartholomew. Mark 3:18. |
| Matthew, a tax collector. Mark 3:18; Matthew 10:3. |
| Thomas. Mark 3:18. |
| James, the son of Alphaeus. Mark 3:18. |
| Thaddaeus, also called Judas, son of James. Mark 3:18; Luke 6:16. |
| Simon the Zealot. Mark 3:18. |
| Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. Mark 3:19. |
The following activities
can be used to teach the Bible Truths.
Children think literally. So when an adult says something like
"God called me to teach" or "God is telling me this," they
think that the adult really heard God speaking to them. The children then
wonder why God never speaks to them. The children should understand that
God calls us and speaks to us through His words written in the Bible. We
read the Bible to know what God wants us to do and the things that please
God. That is God's call to us.
Bible Story Activities.
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| Gone
Fishin' -
Make a fishing pole using a dowel (1/4" in diameter and
24" long), string, and a magnet. Cut fish out of paper
and put several staples in the fish. The children catch the
fish when the magnet on the line attracts the staples in the fish. |
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| Treasure
Hunters Use this activity to help the children understand what a Tax Collector did
and why they were disliked.
 | Hide small treats such as bubble gum coins or
pieces of chocolates around the room. |
| Ask the children to find the hidden treasure. |
| After the treasure is found, explain that they
must pay the tax collector before they can eat any of the treats. |
| Collect the tax. Make the tax collection
unfair to help the children understand why Tax Collectors were not
liked. For example, any child who plays soccer must pay one treat
as a tax. Any child whose middle name starts with a "S"
pays one treat. Any child whose birthday is in January must pay
one treat. Keep going until the children are complaining about the
unfairness of the tax. |
| Explain they have now experienced why Tax
Collectors were disliked. |
| At the end of the demonstration, give the treats
back to the children. |
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| Role Play
| Actors Needed: Jesus, several fishermen, a
tax collector, people paying taxes. |
| Props Needed: Fishing poles, casting net,
play money, money box. |
| The Play: The fishermen are fishing, the
tax collector is collecting the taxes. Jesus walks to the
fishermen and says "Follow Me." The fishermen stop
fishing, leave their fishing gear and follow Jesus. Jesus walks to
the tax collector and says "Follow Me." The tax
collector stops collecting the tax, leaves the money box and follows
Jesus. |
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| Who is Responding to the Call from Jesus?
| Responding to the call from Jesus means turning
from our old life and ways to a new life with a focus on pleasing
Jesus. While no one is perfect, we learn from 1 John 3:6 that sin
is not a major part of the life of a believer in Jesus. |
| Ask the children to identify whose
behavior indicates they have responded to the call from Jesus?
Emphasize the following points.
 | Jesus knows for sure if someone has
responded to His call. He cannot be fooled. |
| A person that responds to a call from Jesus
tries as hard as possible to stop doing things that displease Jesus. |
| Only Jesus knows if Jimmy, Betty, Bill, and
Susie have responded to His call. |
| Betty and Susie appear to be doing only
things that please God. |
| Jimmy should be trying as hard as possible
to run an honest business. |
| Bill should be trying as hard as possible to
be kind to his friends, to stop using God's name in vain, and to
stop stealing. |
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Brain Teasers
People of the Bible
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