Average Pete

Peter was just an AVERAGE, ordinary guy. He was a fisherman by trade, and knew nothing but fishing. That is, until Jesus called him to become a follower. Peter had to be willing to leave behind everything he had worked his whole life to build. He dropped his nets, left his fishing business, and followed Jesus everywhere He went for the next three years. Today, the children will learn that God wants to use AVERAGE, ordinary people to do BIG things for Him. If they are willing to give up their dreams for God’s dreams and leave their “old life” behind, then God can use them to change the world—just as he did with “Average Pete.”

God created the universe. He created everything that is in the universe. Therefore, by default, He owns ALL things. He has power and authority over ALL things. We understand this, yet we worry and wonder how we will ever have our needs met when we face difficulty. We forget that we serve the God that owns ALL things. In this lesson, the children will learn of how Peter brought his need to Jesus and Jesus provided exactly what Peter needed—in a very creative and strange way. They will learn that we can trust God to provide for our needs, no matter what our circumstances are.

Peter and the disciples found themselves in the middle of a great storm. They were all alone in the middle of the sea. Jesus appeared to them, walking on the water. Peter asked Jesus to allow him to come out and walk on the water with Him. As Peter was walking on the water, he looked around and got scared by the wind and the waves. He took his eyes off of Jesus and began to sink. In this lesson, the children will learn that when the storms and problems of life come along, they must not look at how HUGE the problems are—but how HUGE the power of God is. They must keep their eyes on Jesus as they are going through life’s storms. He will bring them through safely.

Peter and the disciples were with Jesus as He was teaching on “Forgiveness” one day. Peter thought about it, then asked Jesus a very serious question. “How many times do I have to forgive someone when they hurt me?” That is a question that most of us have wondered at times. “When can I just call it quits and stop forgiving someone for doing the same thing over and over again?” Jesus addresses this issue and answers Peter’s question, letting him know that there is no “magic number.” After all, God forgives us when we sin over and over again. Therefore, we must be willing to forgive others as well.

When Jesus asked the disciples “Who do the people say that I am?” They answered, “Some say Elijah. Some say John the Baptist.” But, when Jesus asked them, “Who do YOU say that I am?” Only Peter was brave enough to answer. Peter spoke to the Lord and said, “You are the Christ. The Son of the Living God.” Then, Jesus went on to say that if anyone considers Him their Lord, they must be willing to “deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow me.” What that means for us is that we have to be willing to do what HE wants, not what WE want. Even if it means we must go through hardship, pain, and sacrifice—we must deny ourselves and follow Him!

When Jesus began to wash the disciples’ feet, Peter was not happy. He felt that Jesus was way too important to take on a job like that. After all, Jesus was the King of Kings. He shouldn’t be serving others. They should be serving Him. Jesus didn’t see it that way. In fact, He told Peter that He didn’t come to be served, but to serve others. He gave Peter an important lesson in leadership. “If you want to be a leader, you’re going to have to serve.” In this lesson, the children will learn how to put “others first—me last!” It is one of the toughest lessons for any child to learn!

Peter is probably best known for his biggest mistake—he denied Jesus three times. This story has been told many many times. What we don’t al- ways realize, though, is that even before Peter made this HUGE mistake, there were signs in his life that something was wrong. In this lesson, the children will learn about the attitudes and actions in Peter’s life that acted as “signs” that trouble was ahead. If he had paid attention to those “signs” and made some changes, he might have avoided the biggest mistake of his life. We must learn from Peter’s mistake and watch for “the signs” in our lives.

Peter had made a HUGE mistake! He had ignored the warning signs and failed Jesus by denying Him three times. He felt like a loser, and rightly so. Jesus knew how Peter felt. He knew that Peter was sorry for his mistake. He showed up while Peter was fishing, and Peter did exactly what he needed to do. He went straight to Jesus and declared his love for Him. Jesus not only welcomed Peter back, but He gave Peter a chance to declare his love three times, the very number of times he had denied Jesus. In this lesson, the children will learn that when we make a mistake, there is only one thing to do: RUN to Jesus and receive His forgiveness!