Unit 7 Summary:

Mystery Man

Everyone loves a good mystery — investigating the evidence, gathering clues, and finally discovering the answer they’ve

been looking for all along. In this detective-themed series, kids will meet the original Mystery Man, Jesus, and see how he holds the answers to life’s greatest problems. In Jesus the great mystery of God’s love is revealed at last.

The Mystery Man unit is all about knowing Jesus and following Him.

In this series, kids will pick up their magnifying glasses and begin their investigation of the first great stories from the New Testament about the life and early ministry of Jesus. Kids will discover why Jesus came to earth and how He restored our Covenant relationship with God and Kingdom responsibility for God. They will see how Jesus beat temptation in the desert by remembering what God had said about Him, and they will learn what it means to follow Jesus and share Him with the people of peace God sends their way.

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GAME ON: LESSON 29 (Large Group)

Key Concept: I can choose to follow Jesus and do the things He did

Bible Story: The disciples follow Jesus (Luke 6:12-16)

Bible Verse: “Come, follow me,” Jesus said. — Matthew 4:19a

3DM Principle: Covenant and Kingdom

Large Group Overview: Kids will look at the different groups of people who followed Jesus to see how they can follow Him too

Huddle Overview: Kids will play a game of imitating other kids and then discuss how they can imitate Jesus this week

Lesson Outline

Opening Activity Clue Tracker (5 min)

Bible Story The disciples follow Jesus (15 min)

Application & Prayer (5 min)

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Pre-Lesson Setup

Choose a child in advance to be the Code-breaker for the day. Choose one of the earliest kids to arrive so that the kid can get to work decoding the day’s mystery. Give this kid today’s mystery code and the decoder sheet. Have the kid place the solved mystery code in the clue envelope after he/she has solved it. If you can, give him/her a Sherlock Holmes-style deerstalker cap and a magnifying glass. Tell the Code-breaker that you will ask him/her to bring up the sealed clue envelope with the solved mystery code early in the lesson. Make sure to get the cap and magnifying glass back to give to next week’s Code-breaker.

Today’s mystery is “Who will follow Jesus?”

For today’s mystery you will need to collect the Clue envelope from the Code-breaker before the lesson begins instead of during the lesson. Since today’s lesson is about following, you will hide the clue envelope and lead kids to follow clues to track down today’s mystery. When you get back the solved clue, give the Code-breaker another clue envelope with the first directional clue so that the Code-breaker can hand it to you at the beginning of the lesson.

Welcome back to Kairos Quest, where we are in the middle of a big series called Mystery Man. Each week we’ve been solving some kind of mystery related to Jesus, the ultimate mystery man. We call Jesus that because He has the answer to life’s greatest mysteries. If you want to know how to live life God’s way, just look at Jesus.

The first week we solved the mystery, “Who is the Messiah?” The Messiah was a mysterious hero who the Bible said would some day come to earth and fix the mess that Adam and Eve and the rest of us had made of God’s perfect creation. We discovered that the mysterious Messiah was Jesus, the Son of God who had come to earth so that we could be God’s kids living out God’s kingdom.

Last week our mystery was, “How can we beat temptation?” Does anyone remember the solution to the mystery? Kids answer.

We discovered we can beat the devil by remembering God’s word. God’s word tells us who are — kids of the King made for a special purpose. When we remember God’s word and remember who we are, we can outwit the devil and his sneaky schemes.

Now it’s time to get on with today’s mystery. Our Code Breaker today is (introduce Code-breaker). Code-breaker, did you solve the code for today? Great job. Don’t tell anyone else what it is. Please bring me today’s mystery.

The Code-breaker brings up the clue envelope with first directional clue and hands it to the teacher.

Thanks, Code Breaker. Great job!

Opening Activity: Clue Tracker

Instructions

How To Play:

Take four extra clue envelopes and hide them in various places around the room. Put a clue inside these envelopes that will lead you and the kids to the next envelope. For example, one clue may say, “Look up high.” When you read this clue, ask the kids “Where is some place up high in this room that we can find the next clue?”

Once the kids guess the location of the next clue, rush over and “discover” it as if you had no idea where it was. If kids get stuck, pretend to reason it out with them by saying something like, “Hmm, where are places up high in this room where someone might hide a clue?” The hunt should lead you and the kids to the final clue envelope that will contain today’s mystery.

Remember to get the solved clue from the code breaker and hide it before the lesson without any other kids seeing. When you do this, give the Code-breaker another envelope with the first directional clue.

Supplies:

6 Five clue envelopes — manila envelopes with the word clue written on the outside in thick, bold letters. It may help you to number these.

6 Four clues — sheets of paper placed inside 4 of the 5 clue envelopes that lead you to the next envelope

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6 Decoded Mystery Sheet from the Code-breaker — place this inside the final clue envelope. The decoded mystery should say, “Who will follow Jesus?”

Open envelope.

Today’s mystery is… a mystery! What in the world? This doesn’t contain our mystery phrase. It just says, “Want to know today’s mystery? I’ll tell you what to do. Today you have to track it down. Here is your first clue.”

It sounds like we’re going to have to find today’s mystery and to do that, we’re going to have to follow some clues. I’m going to need your help. Do you guys think you’re up for it? Are you ready to use your best detective skills? Then let’s get to work. Here is our first clue.

Read kids the first clue, which should lead to the next clue envelope. Make a big deal about discovering each clue. When you do, open the envelope and read the next clue to the kids. Follow it to the next clue envelope and so on until you reach the final clue envelope, which contains today’s mystery.

Let’s look inside. Hey guys, this is it! We did it! We found today’s mystery! The mystery is, “Who will follow Jesus?”

For the last few minutes, we’ve been following a bunch of clues that led us where we wanted to go, and that was really fun. But if we want to live life God’s way, we don’t have to follow clues; we have to follow a person – Jesus. But how do we do that? How do we follow Jesus? We don’t see Him right here in front of us, so what does it mean to follow Him? Well, today we’re going to find out!

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Bible Story

Set the teaching area with four stools or small tables to represent the various groups of people who followed Jesus. Each stool or table should have a clear jar or other transparent container on it. Each jar will have objects in them to represent the number of disciples in that group — hundreds, 72, 12, and three. You can use marbles, plastic balls, or (for a cheaper option) cotton balls.

Station 1 represents the crowds. It should have a fish tank full of 500-1,000 objects. Station 2 represents the 72 disciples Jesus sent out on mission. It should have a jar with 72 objects. Station 3 represents the 12 disciples. It should have a jar with 12 objects. Station 4 represents Jesus’ three closest disciples. It should have a drinking glass with 3 objects.

Set up and hide Station 5, which will represent the kids’ choice to follow Jesus. This should include an empty jar. You will need one object to place inside to represent their choice to follow Jesus.

In our Bible story, we see that lots of people followed Jesus. Do you know what they were called?

Kids answer.

They were called disciples. Disciple actually means learner, someone who learns stuff. But in Jesus’ day, people didn’t learn stuff by reading it on the internet or listening to a teacher in a classroom. Instead, they actually followed a teacher like Jesus around to watch what he did and to try to copy him.

Can you imagine if you did that to your teacher at school? What if, instead of sitting in a classroom, you hung out with your teacher all the time at her house, with her family, and even when she went on vacation? That would seem pretty crazy to us, but that’s how it worked in Jesus’ day. And it actually worked really well, because disciples who follow don’t just learn stuff in their heads. They learn to live it with their lives.

Jesus had lots of people who followed Him. Check this out. Step over to station 1.

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Some big crowds — what the Bible calls the multitudes — followed Jesus around and listened to Him teach and watched Him do miracles. There were a lot of these people, and when Jesus was doing fun stuff, like healing people and making food for them, they loved following Jesus. But when Jesus did harder things, these crowds went away.

Step over station 2.

Guess how many are in this jar. Kids answer.

There are 72 of them. That’s not as many as in the fish tank, is it? The Bible says there was a smaller group of 72 disciples who stuck a little closer to Jesus. Not only did they watch Him do amazing things and listen to His teaching, but Jesus actually sent them out with God’s power to do some pretty cool stuff themselves.

The Bible says in Luke 10:1: “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.” The Bible goes on to say that they did the things that Jesus did and that Jesus even gave them the power to defeat evil spirits.

But the Bible also says there was a smaller group of disciples than that. Step over to station 3.

Guess how many are in this jar. Kids answer.

There are 12 in this jar to remind us of 12 disciples Jesus chose to follow Him. Let’s read what the Bible says about the 12 in Luke 6:12-16: “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.”

These 12 guys hung out with Jesus all of the time and followed Him almost everywhere. They spent all of their time trying to copy Jesus and be like Him.

But even among the twelve, there were a few who followed Jesus closer than anyone else. Step over to station 3.

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Guess how many are in this jar. Kids answer.

There are three, and there were three guys who followed Jesus closer than anyone else. Their names were Peter, John and James. They were Jesus’ closest friends, and they went everywhere with Him. Because they loved Jesus so much, they wanted to be just like Him. So they watched Him, listened to Him, and tried to do the things they saw Jesus doing.

Sometimes they got it right. Other times, not so much. But just being with Jesus and following Jesus helped them to grow and become more like Jesus.

Application

Walk over to the empty jar.

Guess how many are in here. Kids answer.

There aren’t any in this jar yet. That’s because this jar is the one that helps us solve our mystery today. Today’s mystery question was, “Who will follow Jesus?” The answer is anyone who chooses to — anyone who chooses to make Jesus their King and to let Jesus help them to become like Him. When we choose to follow Jesus, we become a part of God’s family and begin to do what Jesus did.

Place one object in jar.

I’m going to put my (marble, ball, cotton ball) inside, because I chose to follow Jesus when I was (tell age) years old.

Now I don’t see Jesus face-to-face like Peter, James and John did. So here’s how I follow Him.

6 I read about Jesus in the Bible so I know what He did.

6 Then, with God’s power, I try to do those things.

6 I also spend time talking and listening to Jesus every day.

6 With the help of my friends who love Jesus, I try to do whatever Jesus tells me.

6 Finally, I spend time with people who are like Jesus and I copy the things that are like Jesus that I see in them.

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If I see someone share even when she doesn’t have very much, I say, “Hey, that’s just like Jesus. I’ll do that too.” If I see someone be kind to someone who’s mean to him, I say, “Hey, that’s just like Jesus. I’ll do that too.” If I see someone who is honest even when it gets her in trouble, I say, “Hey, that’s just like Jesus. I’ll do that too.”

That’s what it comes down to. Following Jesus means imitating Jesus. Who will follow Jesus? Whoever chooses to be like Him. Will that be you? Well, that’s a mystery only you can solve.

Let’s pray.

Prayer

God, we want to be like Jesus. We want to You to show us the things He did so we can do them too. Please give us friends and leaders who are like Jesus so we can copy the things that are like Jesus in them. We love You.

Amen

GAME ON: LESSON 29 (Huddle)

Key Concept: I can choose to follow Jesus and do the things He did

Bible Story: The disciples follow Jesus (Luke 6:12-16)

Bible Verse: “Come, follow me,” Jesus said. — Matthew 4:19a

3DM Principle: Covenant and Kingdom

Large Group Overview: Kids will look at the different groups of people who followed Jesus to see how they can follow Him too

Huddle Overview: Kids will play a game of imitating other kids and then discuss how they can imitate Jesus this week

Supplies

6 White board or poster board6 Marker6 Bible Verse Cards

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Welcome / Large Group Review

Gather kids in a circle either on the floor or around a table.

Welcome back to Huddle. Have you guys had a good week? Let’s jump right into today’s story!

6 Does anyone remember what our mystery is for today? (Who will follow Jesus?)

6 Do you remember the answer? (whoever chooses to be like Him)

6 Today we learned about some different people who followed Jesus. What do we call a person who follows Jesus and tries to be like Him? (disciple)

6 Who were some of the different groups of people who followed Jesus? (the multitudes, the 72 disciples, the 12 disciples, and the three closest to Jesus — Peter, John and James)

6 What do disciples do? (the things that Jesus did, try to copy Jesus)

6 Who are some people you know who act like Jesus?

Huddle Activity: Copy Cats

The purpose of this activity is to help kids think about what it means to imitate the life of Jesus.

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Huddle Group Outline

Welcome / (5 min) Review questions

Activity Copycats (5 min)

Huddle Discussion (10 min)

Bible Verse & Prayer (5 min)

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How It Works:

Go around the circle and have each child take a turn standing up and doing a crazy action. The other kids will then stand up and try to copy the action. The action can be anything as long as the child stays in his or her place in the circle and can do it in less than 10 seconds.

Following Jesus means that we look at the life of Jesus and copy the things He did. To help us learn to do this, we’re going to play a game called Copycats to see how good you guys are at copying someone.

Here’s how it works: We’re going to go around the circle. When it’s your turn, you’ll stand up and do one crazy action. It could be anything. You could jump, spin, yodel, sing Happy Birthday, cluck like a chicken, do the splits, make a silly voice, salute like a soldier, do a funny dance, make a crazy face, or do whatever else you want.

There are only two rules: You can’t leave your spot in the circle, and you have to be able to do your action in 10 seconds or less. Now, here’s where it gets tricky. Everyone else has to watch whoever is standing up very closely because after they do their thing, the rest of us will have to jump up and try to copy them. OK, copycats, let’s go!

Choose a child to go first. Have that child stand up and do his/her crazy action. Then have that child sit down while everyone else stands up and tries to copy him/her. Repeat until every child has had a chance to go.

Great job copycats! Was it hard or easy to copy your friend? Which person was the hardest to copy? Which one was the

easiest?

Well, fortunately, when we copy Jesus we don’t have to (name some of the silliest things the kids did). What are some of

the things that Jesus did?

Kids answer.

How could we can copy those things? Kids answer.

Just imagine if Jesus were your age and lived in your house with your family. How would He treat them? Would He be kind or mean? Would He be patient or impatient? What if your brother or sister broke one of His favorite games? Would He yell at them? Or what if your mom told Him to do something that He didn’t feel like doing, such as clean His room or feed the dog? Would He roll his eyes and have a bad attitude or show her respect and just do it?

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Now imagine if Jesus were in your class at school. How would He treat the kids in your class? How would He treat your teacher? Would He always try to be first in line? Would He make fun of kids who were different? Would He lie to His teacher to get out of trouble?

Following Jesus means that, with God’s power, we try to do the things that Jesus would do if He were us. It means looking at Jesus’ life and copying what you see.

Huddle Discussion

You will need a marker and either a white board or poster board to write on.

Let’s make a list of some of the things we can think of that Jesus did in the Bible. Take answers from kids and write them on white board or poster board.

Now, think about if Jesus was your age and lived in your house and went to your school. What are some things you think He might do? Take answers from kids and write them on white board or poster board.

Think about the last week. Can you think of any examples of seeing someone do something that would have been something Jesus would do? Take answers from kids and write them on white board or poster board.

Those are great examples. The cool thing is that you can copy these things and try to do some of them yourself. Any time you see someone do something like Jesus would do, try to copy that, because that’s how we become more like Jesus.

When you see someone do something that reminds you of Jesus, that may be God talking to you, telling you that it’s something you need to copy. What do we call those moments when God gets our attention? Kairos.

These Kairos moments are why we call our time together Kairos Quest, because we’re always looking for the places God shows up in our lives so that we can join His adventure.

We’re going to take a minute to think about what we want to copy about Jesus this week. We’re going to pray, and then I’m going to go around the circle one more time and ask you this question: What’s one thing from this list that you want to try and copy this week?

Pray for the kids with a prayer like this: God, we love You. We know that your life is the best life. We want to be like Jesus. Please show us one thing that we can copy from Jesus’ life this week. Amen.

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Go around the circle and let kids pick one thing from the list you’ve made or something else that they want to copy from Jesus’ life. Encourage their choices. If possible, follow up by asking them how or where they might have the chance to do these things. If kids can’t think of an answer, tell them it’s OK and remind them that God may show them something later this week.

Pray through this time, asking the Holy Spirit to help you to know to respond to each child’s situation. Whenever possible, point kids back to a Scripture and affirm that God loves them and loves that they are listening to Him in their lives.

Bible Verse

Pass out Bible Verse cards.

Today our Bible is a short one to remember. It comes from the first part of Matthew 4:19: “‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said.” Let’s all say it together.

Have kids repeat the verse a few times.

Jesus invites all of us to follow Him and join Him for a life of adventure. It doesn’t matter who you are — you really can learn to be like Jesus more and more each day.

Prayer

Take prayer requests. Write them down so that you can pray over them during the week. Take time to pray together as a group. Encourage kids to pray for each other during the group time. You may want to close with a prayer like the following one.

God, thanks for talking to us today. Show us this week what You want us to do and give us the power to choose to live Your way. Please send us friends and leaders who are like Jesus so we can copy the good stuff we see in them.

Amen.

Lesson 29 Huddle

BibleVerseCards

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said.

— Matthew 4:19a

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said.

— Matthew 4:19a

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said.

— Matthew 4:19a

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said.

— Matthew 4:19a

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said.

— Matthew 4:19a

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said.

— Matthew 4:19a

LESSON 29 (Family)

Following Jesus

Today I Learned: I can choose to follow Jesus and do the things He did

Bible Story: The disciples follow Jesus (Luke 6:12-16)

Family Challenge

Play a big family game of Simon Says. Make sure everyone in your family gets the chance to be Simon and lead the rest of the family. Afterward, talk about how easy or difficult it is to copy someone else. See if anyone in your family can do an impression of a celebrity or someone you know. Talk about how disciples are people who look at Jesus’ life and try to copy what they see. Share with your kids where you are trying to imitate the life of Jesus and one area where you see them becoming more like Jesus.

Plan • • Discuss

LearningCulture

Act • • Observe

Account • • Reflect

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* The four questions you are asking are ways offiguring out what your kids’ Kairos moment was

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Dinnertime Discussion

At dinnertime this week, ask one of these questions to get your family talking.

1. Did you see anyone today do something that reminded you of Jesus?

2. How can you copy that in your life?

3. If Jesus were your age, lived in your house and went to your school (or worked at your job for parents), what would He do differently than you might do?

4. What’s one thing you can do tomorrow to copy Jesus?

Use these questions to help kids think about how following Jesus means imitating the life of Jesus.

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