Being Like Jesus - Follow Jesus

Discussion: Being Like Jesus

Scripture : Ephesians 5:1, 1 Corinthians 11:1

YOU WILL NEED: No items are needed.

Being Like Jesus

Game #1: Follow the Leader

Choose a volunteer to be the leader and in your room play Follow the Leader. Change leaders every 30 seconds. You’ll want to keep this moving fast. Depending on the size of your class, you will either need to tell them that everyone will get to be the leader or that only a few will get to do it.

For Variation: Play the game in one big, long line.

Then split them into teams and play the game in smaller groups.

Discussion

SAY: Just like the game, when you follow someone you do what they do and you say what they say. When you follow Jesus, you do what He did and say things that agree with what He said.

KEY: To follow Jesus means to be like Jesus.

Read from your Bible:

Ephesians 5:1

Ask the students— How can we imitate God? How can we be just like Jesus?

SHOUT OUT COMPETITION

Divide your class into two sides (i.e., split the group down the middle or boys against girls.)

SAY: We’re going to have a competition to see which side can be the loudest. When I point to this side, yell out, “I Can Be!” When I point to the other side, yell out, “Just Like Jesus!”

Go back and forth between the two teams three times to see which side is louder.

Game #2: Simon Says

Play Simon Says with your class. In this game, you either do it right or you’re out. There’s really only one way to win—that’s by following Simon’s instructions perfectly. In life, though, none of us are perfect. We’ve all made mistakes and that’s the reason we all need a Savior. Jesus is the only way to heaven.

Game #3: Animal Imitation

SAY: I’m going to call out an animal and I want you to imitate his noise:

Pig

Horse

Donkey

Cow

Moose (this might be a tough one!)

Duck

Chicken

Lion

Dog

Cat

SAY: To imitate something means to be like it. The Bible says that we should imitate God. We should be like God. A minute ago you did what “Simon” did to be like Simon. We should always do the things Jesus did, to be like Him.

KEY: To follow Jesus means to be like Jesus.

SAY: A minute ago we read a verse that said to “imitate” God.

ASK— Who remembers where that verse was found? (Ephesians 5:1)

ASK — Who knows who wrote the book of Ephesians? (Paul the apostle)

SAY: Listen to something else he wrote:

Read from your Bible:

1 Corinthians 11:1

ASK — What is different about this verse? (Paul is asking them to imitate him!)

ASK — Why did Paul ask them to imitate him? (Because he is imitating Jesus.)

ASK — If someone were to imitate the way you live, would they be like Jesus?

SAY: Paul wasn’t bragging. He was giving them a living example of how to imitate God by saying, “Become like me because I am becoming like Jesus.” Or, like follow the leader, what if the person in front of you went the wrong way and didn’t follow the leader? You would probably go the wrong way too. It’s important that we are like Jesus and that others can follow our examples to be like Jesus too.

SHOUT OUT COMPETITION

Divide your class into two sides again

Go back and forth between the two teams three times to see which side is louder.

Extra Time

Discuss with your students ways that they can be “just like Jesus.” Then pray and thank God for Jesus and for godly examples who follow Him.