Rotation.org Writing Team
Peter Sinks, Jesus Saves!
The story of Jesus walking on water
Bible Skills and Games Workshop
Summary of Activities
Students will play a "sinking" quiz game as part of their Bible study, and several versions of a "Fear Freeze" game to illustrate teaching points in the story. They will then finish with a quick game of "Blob" tag to illustrate how the church reaches out to "make disciples" in Jesus' name.
Scripture for the Lesson
Matthew 14:22-33
(Mark 6:46-52 and John 6:15-21 also tell the story of Jesus walking on water but they do not include the story of Peter sinking.)
Memory Verse: "Take courage! It is I! Don’t be afraid!" Matthew 14:27
Lesson Objectives
See the Bible Background at rotation.org for this set's complete list of objectives and things you can share with your students.
Preparation and Materials
- Read the Bible Background and scripture.
- A copy of the Bible study quiz questions seen below.
- One sheet of red and green paper per student.
- pencils or pens.
Lesson Plan
Open
Welcome your students and tell them that today they will be playing several games about the story of Jesus walking on the water.
"O YE OF LITTLE FLOAT" --a quiz about the story
INSTRUCTIONS: 
1. Begin the quiz by having students sit ("sink") next to their chair.
2. Give each student a green and a red sheet of paper.
3. Explain that after you have read the story, you will ask questions, and they will choose between two answers (voting by holding up either a sheet of green or red paper). If they answer correctly, they get to get their "head above water" by sitting on their chair. If they answer correctly again, they get to "walk on water" by standing on their chair. But, if they give a wrong answer, they sink back down a level (i.e. if they were standing on the chair, they sink back down to sitting on it).
Game Tip: Say "raise your answer" to have students show their green or red paper all at the same time. This will keep them from waiting to see how others vote.
Game Fun: Make a fun sign with the name of the game on it. Place a blue tarp on the floor to be the sea.
Game Secret: They think the goal is to stand on the chair with their head above water and "win," ...but your last questions are going to "sink" all of them! When you sink them all at the end, this will illustrate an important point in the story's meaning.
Please remember that each question and its correct answer is an opportunity to quickly and briefly elaborate.
Say: Listen carefully as we read together the story of Peter Sinks, Jesus Saves! from Matthew 14:22-33. You're going to need it in order to float!
Do: Read the story from Matthew 14:22-33.
O YE OF LITTLE FLOAT QUIZ QUESTIONS
(Correct answers in Bold)
- Why wasn't Jesus on the boat? Green: He stayed behind to teach and heal. Red: He stayed behind to pray.
- What sea or lake were the disciples on when the storm hit? Green: Sea of Galilee Red: Dead Sea.
- What time of day did the disciples see Jesus walking on the water? Green: Early morning Red: Midday.
- What did the disciples say when they saw Jesus walking on the water? Green: We're afraid! Red: It's a ghost!
- What did Jesus immediately say to the frightened disciples? Green: Take heart, it is me. Red: Don't worry, I'm here to save you.
- What other Bible story has the message "Do not be afraid" in it? Green: The story of the Exodus. Red: The story of the angel visiting Mary.
- When did the winds and storms cease? Green: When Jesus got in the boat. Red: When Peter started to sink.
- Did Jesus ask Peter to walk on water? Or did Peter ask Jesus if he could try and walk on water? Green: Jesus asked Peter. Red: Peter asked Jesus
- What was Jesus' response to Peter when Peter asked to come join him on the waves? Green: "Come." Red: "Be not afraid."
- Why did Peter start to sink? Green: He became frightened. Red: He let go of Jesus' hand.
- What did Peter say when he cried out? Green: Lord, give me faith! Red: Lord, Save me!
- What did Jesus immediately do when Peter started to sink? Green: He grabbed Peter's hand. Red: He lifted him into the boat and said, "You of little faith, why do you doubt?"
- When did the wind stop blowing in the story? Green: When Jesus grabbed Peter's hand. Red: When Jesus and Peter got into the boat.
- What did the disciples do when Jesus and Peter got in the boat? Green: They proclaimed Jesus the the Son of God. Red: They bowed down and asked for forgiveness.
Students must WRITE their answer on their paper for these final questions. The object is to 'sink' them all. - Hard Question 1: What chapter in Matthew's Gospel did we read this story from? (14)
- Hard Question 2: What is the only Gospel that DOES NOT have this story in it? (Luke)
- Hard Question 3: Does the Sea of Galilee have salt or fresh water? (fresh water)
- Hard Question 4: (If needed) Name two disciples other than Peter that Matthew says were in the boat with Peter. (Trick question. Matthew doesn't give names.)
- Final Question: Why did I want all of you to be "SUNK" at the end of this quiz? What am I trying to teach you?
Possible answers and additional discussion points:
- We all sink, fail, doubt, lose faith, especially in the face of things that make us afraid.
- What things scare us in life? What makes people stop believing in God? (Thinking God didn't help them in a time of trouble. Thinking they don't need God's help. Thinking God doesn't exist. Thinking they are not worthy enough to be saved.)
- Could Peter have saved himself? This story tells us that Jesus saves —that we can't walk on water, that we need Jesus.
Game 1: Fear Freeze!
You're going to play three quick versions of "Fear Freeze Tag" to illustrate some key ideas.
Fear Freeze
One person is designated as the tagger-freezer-sinker. You may call them "O Ye of Fear and Little Faith-Sinking Freezer" to make your point. The tagger stands in the middle of the room while all other players stand against one wall waiting for the referee to shout "go." The object of the game is to run across the room to the opposite wall without being "tagged (frozen) by the tagger. If tagged, you must immediately freeze and sink to the floor. Do this for two or three rounds.
Illustrating the Point: In this warm-up game, the "tagger" is like fear and doubt that tries to stop us from our goal: being faithful.
Fear Freeze with More Freezers ("People want to drag you down...")
Play Fear Freeze again, but this time, allow those "frozen" to try and reach out and tag the players as they try to run from one end of the room to the other. The frozen players cannot move anything but their arms. Play this for several rounds.
Illustrating the Point: There are people who don't have faith. Who have sunk and will try and get your faith to sink. They will try and pull you away from believing, worshiping, doing the right thing.
Fear Freeze with Jesus (Jesus unfreezes!)
This time when you play Fear Freeze, designate one person as "Jesus." Tell the students that this time they are not trying to get to the other wall. Instead, they are simply trying not to be tagged. And if they are tagged/frozen/sunk, only Jesus can "unfreeze" them IF they have their arms reaching towards Jesus. Once unfrozen/unsunk they can get back up and run again. The 'tagger-freezer' will have to work frantically. Depending on your group size, you can designate two tag-freezers. (This will be a bit exhausting.)
Illustrating the Point: Jesus unfreezes! unsinks!
"The Church is Blob Tag"
In this familiar game of group tag, one person starts as "it" and when they tag someone else, that person joins hands with the tagger. They then run to try and tag another free runner who then joins them. Eventually the tagged group turns into a "blob" holding hands and running trying to tag the last free runner.
Illustrating the Point: The Church is like this. We don't sit around waiting for people to hear the message that Jesus saves and unsinks us. Instead, we use the boat Jesus has put us in to go out and "make disciples" and teach them about Jesus.
Final Question: How is Sunday School like our game of "blob" tag?
Written by the Rotation.org Writing Team
From a game idea contributed by member Grace Buchanan.
First photo (blob tag game) in the Public Domain.
Second photo (standing on chairs) Copyright © 2017 by First United Methodist Church, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Lesson Copyright 2016, Rotation.org Inc.
