Additional Scriptures

Isaiah 9:1–4; Psalm 27:1, 4–9; 1 Corinthians 1:10–18

Prelude

Welcome and Community Sharing

Call to Worship

Reader 1: Listen, O people of the Restoration—you who would become a prophetic people…

Reader 2: Listen to the Voice that speaks from beyond the farthest hills, from the infinite heavens above and the vast seas below.

Reader 3: Listen to the Voice that echoes across the eons of time and yet speaks anew in this moment.

Reader 1: Listen to the Voice, for it cannot be stilled, and it calls you once again to the great and marvelous work of building the peaceable kingdom, even Zion, on behalf of the One whose name you claim.

Reader 2: Listen carefully to your own journey as a people, for it is a sacred journey and it has taught you much for the journey yet to come.

Reader 3: Listen to its teachings and discover anew its principles. Do not yearn for times past, but recognize the foundation of faithful service given, even as you build for what is yet to be.

—Based on Doctrine and Covenants 162:1–2b

Opening Hymn

“You Walk along Our Shoreline” CCS 598

OR “The Summons” CCS 586

Invocation

Response

Scripture Reading

Matthew 4:12–23

Hymn of Reflection and Contemplation

“Listen in the Silence” sing several times CCS 153

OR “Spirit Fill Us” CCS 160

Continue playing softly during the spiritual practice.

Dwelling in the Word

Matthew 4:18–20

Print or project the passage. For leading tips: Dwelling in the Word spiritual practice.

First reading: What words, phrases, or images draw your attention?

Second reading: What do you need to leave behind to follow Jesus? How are you being called to “fish for people”?

Use for silent contemplation or small‑group sharing.

Prayer for Peace

Light the peace candle.

Prayer

For those who seek a Saviour, we lead them to the Stable… to freedom, forgiveness, liberty.
For those who seek Assurance, we lead them to the Light… to understanding, God’s Word, truth.
For those who seek Forgiveness, we lead them to a Grace beyond comprehension… to wholeness, healing, peace. Amen.

—© John Birch, 2016, faithandworship.com. Permission granted to reproduce for worship.

Hymn of Calling

“Jesus Is Calling” CCS 578

OR “While Moses Tended Jethro’s Sheep” stanzas 3 and 4 CCS 595

Message

Based on Matthew 4:12–23

Hymn of Response

Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own.

“I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” CCS 499

OR “Jesu, Tawa Pano / Jesus, We Are Here” CCS 71

Disciples’ Generous Response

Scripture: Doctrine and Covenants 162:7a

Statement

God gives and loves graciously and generously. All that we are and have are gifts from God. We share generously as an act of faith and thanksgiving. To be generous for others, we grow in the capacity to share God’s gifts.

Six practices of A Disciple’s Generous Response:

Receive God’s Gifts — God’s grace and love are boundless, revealed in Jesus Christ.

Respond Faithfully — We serve others; generosity becomes part of our nature.

Align Heart and Money — Focus giving on God’s purposes.

Share Generously — Tithing spreads joy, hope, love, and peace.

Save Wisely — Prepare to extend love and create a better tomorrow.

Spend Responsibly — Choose countercultural, Jesus‑shaped lifestyles.

—“We Share Whole‑Life Stewardship,” Sharing in Community of Christ, 4th Ed., pp. 40–42

Blessing and Receiving of Local and Worldwide Mission Tithes

Focus Moment

“Fishing for People” at sermons4kids.com

Hymn of Calling and Commitment

“Christ’s Partners All Are We” CCS 630

OR “Jesus, Partner, Lover, Friend” CCS 40

Sending Forth

Listen carefully to your sacred journey; it has taught you much for the journey yet to come. Discover anew its principles. Do not yearn for the past; build on faithful foundations for what is yet to be.

Leave your nets, burdens, fears, and judgments, and follow me. Embrace the journey, and follow me. Amen.

—from Doctrine and Covenants 162; Matthew 4:12–23, adapted

Benediction

Response

Postlude

Gathering

Welcome

Prayer for Peace

Ring a bell or chime three times slowly. Light the peace candle.

Invite meditation: imagine yourself, a loved one, all peoples, and creation held in God’s loving hands.

God of my life, may I (they, all peoples, this planet) receive your love, peace, and healing. Pause 15 seconds between petitions.

May this spirit of peace and compassion remain alive in us. Amen.

Spiritual Practice

Walking in the Light

Guide the group through the prompts with ~15‑second pauses.

May my loved ones be embraced in God’s light.

May my family walk in the light of Christ.

May my friends receive the gift of love and light.

May my acquaintances sense the presence of light through our interactions.

May the one with whom I am in conflict be surrounded by the light of Christ.

May my community be blessed by the eternal light of God’s love and grace.

Amen.

Invite brief sharing after the practice.

Sharing Around the Table

Matthew 4:12–23 NRSVue

[Read the passage.]

Commentary: Matthew ties Isaiah 9’s “great light” to Jesus beginning ministry in Galilee, signaling restoration and inclusive mission to Jews and Gentiles. Jesus continues John’s call to repent—a reoriented life in right relationship as signs of God’s reign near. He calls four fishers, who immediately follow; together they teach, proclaim, and heal, embodying the promised light.

Questions

1. Recall a “darkness” moment. What or who became a great light?
2. What does Jesus’s early inclusion of Gentiles teach about Worth of All Persons and Blessings of Community?
3. What relationships are you sensing to restore as part of repentance?
4. For what calling would you “drop everything”? How would you respond if Jesus asked you today?

Sending

Generosity Statement

Faithful disciples respond to an increasing awareness of the abundant generosity of God by sharing according to the desires of their hearts; not by commandment or constraint.

—Doctrine and Covenants 163:9

Offering basket is available for ongoing small‑group ministries. Prayer (Epiphany):

Revealing God, may we always be generous. You give boundless grace and unending love. May our response be humble service to others; make generosity part of our nature. Amen.

Invitation to Next Meeting

Closing Hymn

CCS 287, “Come and Bring Light”

Closing Prayer

Optional Additions Depending on Group

Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

Communion Scripture

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 NRSVue

Communion Statement

All are welcome at Christ’s table. Communion remembers Jesus’s life, death, resurrection, and presence. In Community of Christ, it renews our baptismal covenant and forms disciples for mission. Participate in Christ’s love and peace.

Celebrate Christ revealed in blessing, healing, peace, and community. In preparation, sing CCS 520, “God Extends an Invitation.”

Bless and serve bread and wine.

Thoughts for Children

Materials: small battery candle; lidded box with peeking hole; small papers; pencils.

Show darkness in the box, then add light. Explain “light chases darkness” like God’s care and presence. Invite names for the “box of light” and pray for each name.

Exploring the Scripture

Matthew’s Jewish audience is alerted to Jesus as fulfillment of Isaiah’s “great light,” and to an inclusive mission (All Are Called). Jesus proclaims the nearness of the kingdom—God’s reign on earth, not merely post‑mortem. The disciples’ immediate response underscores urgency and radical obedience amid uncertainty, modeling availability for God’s purposes.

Central Ideas

1. Jesus brings light into dark places and lives.
2. All are invited to follow Christ and invite others.
3. The kingdom of heaven has come near on earth.
4. Disciples respond with urgent, prioritized commitment to Christ’s mission.

Questions for the Speaker

1. When have you sensed Jesus’s “Follow me,” and how did you respond?
2. How has following Christ changed your life?
3. How have you experienced the kingdom near you?
4. What might “immediately” following look like today?
5. How does Matthew’s use of Isaiah shape your preaching?
6. Into what new mission might God be calling this congregation?

Focus Scripture Passage

Matthew 4:12–23

Lesson Focus

All are called to follow Jesus in bringing forth the kingdom of heaven on earth.

Objectives

The learners will…

• affirm Christ’s message is for all people,
• discuss how Jesus reveals God’s reign on earth,
• consider Jesus’s radical call to turn from self and follow.

Supplies

• Community of Christ Sings (CCS)
• Bible
• Chart paper and marker or paper and pens

Notes to Instructor

Read “Exploring the Scripture” for Matthew 4:12–23 in Sermon and Class Helps, Year A: New Testament, p. 34.

Gather

15% of time

Note the third Sunday after Epiphany focus. Observe silence to consider your response to Jesus’s call. Read or sing “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” CCS 499. Pray for courage.

Engage

35% of time

Read Matthew 4:12–23. Discuss fulfillment of Isaiah 9, inclusive mission, and Jesus’s message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

• How does this affirm Worth of All Persons and All Are Called?
• How are you challenged to share beyond your congregation?
• How do you understand repentance as reorientation toward God’s reign?

Consider the disciples’ immediate response—radical obedience beyond security.

• List demands of discipleship and how each reveals God’s purposes and rewards.

Respond

35% of time

Explore “withdrew” as nonviolent kingship (Matt 12:14–21; 14:13; 26:51–56). Discuss:

• What happened? How did Jesus respond?
• Which Enduring Principle is affirmed?
• How does this reveal the kingdom near?
• Which Enduring Principle best depicts your vision of God’s reign?

Send

10% of time

Prayerfully consider: In what specific ways are you called to pursue peace on/for the Earth? To whom are you called to share Christ’s invitation?

Bless

5% of time

Invite sharing a phrase from “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” CCS 499 as commitment.

Focus Scripture Passage

Matthew 4:12–23

Lesson Focus

Discipleship begins by hearing God’s call and saying “Yes!”

Objectives

The learners will…

• retell the call story in modern vocations,
• explain All Are Called as Jesus’s inclusive invitation,
• describe Jesus meeting four disciples and his instructions.

Supplies

• Bibles
• Community of Christ Sings (CCS)
• Notepads and pens
• Sharing in Community of Christ, 4th Ed.
• Flip chart and markers

Notes to Teacher

Read “Exploring the Scripture” for Matthew 4:12–23, p. 34 (Year A).

Gather

15% of time

Sing or read “You Have Come Down to the Lakeshore” CCS 582.

Engage

35% of time

Dwelling in the Word

Read Matthew 4:12–23 twice. First: listen for a word/phrase. Second: imagine as Andrew or Simon—how would you respond to “Follow me”?

Discuss rabbi‑student customs and Jesus’s initiative to call; note the immediate response.

• If you stood on that shore, what questions would you ask?

Respond

35% of time

Who “fished” for you? Whom are you noticing fishing for others?

All Are Called

• God gives gifts and opportunities to share in God’s purposes.
• Jesus invites disciples to share his life and ministry.
• Some are ordained for community ministries.
• We respond with the Spirit’s help to our best understanding of God’s call.

Interview adults about All Are Called; compare responses and insights.

Send

10% of time

Brainstorm “gear” for fishing for people (e.g., Bible, phone, food, coats). Discuss most surprising and most essential items.

Bless

5% of time

We, the church, are called to proclaim the gospel until Christ comes again… May we drop the nets of our day and, without a word, follow. Amen.

—adapted from Sharing in Community of Christ, 4th Ed., pp. 59–60

Focus Scripture Passage

Matthew 4:12–23

Lesson Focus

All Are Called to follow Jesus as disciples.

Objectives

The learners will…

• hear Jesus’s call of the first disciples to “fish for people,”
• learn what “fish for people” means,
• know that All Are Called to follow Jesus.

Supplies

• Bible
• People images/cards with needs written on back
• Stick/dowel and yarn per child; fish shapes; hole punch; crayons
• Optional: fishing net; colorful yarn (6 in / 15.24 cm) for prayer net

Notes to Teacher

Read “Exploring the Scripture” (Year A), p. 34.

Gather

15% of time

Place “people” cards face up; needs hidden. Children pick a person, flip, and discuss how to help. Introduce “fishing for people.”

Engage

35% of time

Read an adapted call story (Matt 4:12–23). Discuss “fish for people,” the difficulty of following, and possible worries. Play Follow the Leader to reinforce following Jesus.

Respond

35% of time

Teach All Are Called in simple terms. Explore worries and obstacles kids face. Why the disciples left nets; what we might leave behind today.

Craft: Fishing Poles

Cut fish, punch holes, tie to sticks with yarn. Write learnings on fish: “I can follow Jesus,” “All Are Called,” “I can help others.”

Send

10% of time

Project: Prayer Net

Hang a net; children tie yarn pieces as prayers (help to follow Jesus, help to “fish,” or other). Adapt as needed (prayer wall or spoken prayers).

Bless

5% of time

Dear God, thank you for calling us to be fishers of people. Help us give up what keeps us from following Jesus. Show us people who need your love. In Jesus’s name, Amen.