Disciples Follow Jesus Pre-K-2 Lesson

Kids' Corner Pre-K-2 Grade Children's Church / Sunday School Lesson

Title: Disciples Follow Jesus

Verse: Luke 9:23, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

Objective: Kids will learn that a disciple is someone who follows Jesus every single day. They will understand that following Jesus means obeying God and doing what Jesus did—even when we don't want to or it's not easy! Kids will understand that trusting His plan is always best—just like Jesus did.

Spark

"Follow the Leader!"

"Let’s play a quick game of “Follow the Leader”! Everyone stand up, look at me, and do exactly what I do!"

Directions: Do simple, fun body motions for one minute (e.g., jumping on one foot, waving both hands, putting hands on hips, making a silly face). Ensure all the kids are copying you.

Transition: "Great job following my lead! Did you know that the Bible talks about a special word for people who follow Jesus? It’s called being a disciple! Being a disciple of Jesus isn't just about doing good deeds; it’s about moving our hearts to obey God, even when it’s a little hard or or we don’t want to."

Scripture

Read: Open your Bible to Luke 9:23 and read it aloud. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

Explain: Jesus tells us that to follow Him, we have to 'take up our cross daily.' That sounds like a big, heavy instruction, doesn't it? But Jesus showed us exactly what this means. It means choosing to do what God wants us to do, instead of just what we want to do.

Jesus always listened to His Heavenly Father, even when it was hard or uncomfortable! Let's look at a few times He did this:"

Jesus loved food and loved eating with people! But one day, God asked Him to go into the desert for 40 days without any food. Jesus was probably very hungry, but He obeyed God anyway.
Jesus’ good friend Lazarus was very sick. Jesus wanted to rush over and help him right away, but God told Him to wait 4 whole days. It was hard and sad for Jesus to wait—He even cried because He missed His friend! But He trusted that God had a bigger, better plan.
When it was time for Jesus to go to the cross, He knew it was going to hurt and be incredibly hard. He even prayed to see if there was another way. But then He said, 'God, Your will be done.' He chose to go to the cross because He loved us and wanted to save us.

Disciples of Jesus obey God and follow Him every day, even when it’s hard or we don’t want to.

Questions:

What is a disciple? (Someone who follows and learns from Jesus!)
Is it always easy to follow and obey God? (No, sometimes it can be hard or uncomfortable, but we believe in Jesus and trust that His plan is always best.)
What are some ways we can follow Jesus this week, even when it doesn't feel easy?"
- Sharing your favorite toy with your sibling, even when you really want to keep playing with it yourself.
- Stopping your playtime immediately and cleaning up the room when Mom or Dad asks you.
- Being kind and sitting next to someone at school or church who looks lonely, even if you are feeling shy.

Activity

Craft: Chalk Paint Paper Crosses

Give each child a cross cut out of sturdy construction paper. Let them use crayons, pastels, or chalk paint to decorate it beautifully.
Write the words "Follow Me" or "Luke 9:23" on their cross.

To see an example of a similar craft go to Kids’ Corner Pinterest

Live

Prayer Focus: Praise God because His plan is always the best! Thank Him for sending Jesus. Ask Him to help us obey Him this week—even when we don't want to or it’s not easy!

Materials / Supplies Needed: