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A Salvation Lesson
"Get Caught by Jesus...All In!"

This salvation lesson is included in our Vacation Bible School fishing themed lessons.  Fishing was a big part of the culture in which Jesus lived and taught.  At least four of His disciples were fishermen, and He challenged His followers to become "fishers of men."

What does it look like to be "caught by Jesus?"  Some may think it sounds like a negative experience to be caught in a net, but some nets are meant for rescuing!


salvation lesson

Photo by DoDo PHANTHAMALY @ Pexels

Salvation Lesson Overview:

Scripture:  John 3:1-18. Another Follower - Nicodemus

Focal verse:  John 3:17 - "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."

Memory verse for the week:  Luke 19:10 NIV

 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Central thought:  “I can trust Jesus with my all!”

Object Illustration:  Trust Fall – faith demonstrated

Items needed: 

Container of water filled with pompoms.

White board, chalkboard or poster paper with marker or chalk to draw "Bridge Diagram"; two chairs for demonstration; copies of review catcher and scissors if using as a review activity.


Time element: 
This lesson took almost an hour using all activities with a group of thirty 3rd-6th graders.

Rec. Game with Tie-in:  Any game in which students must be chosen for a team.


salvation lesson for kids and youth

"Get Caught By Jesus " - Salvation Lesson 

Introductory Activity (5 min.)

Nets to the rescue!

Fill a large container with water; then place several pompoms in to float around.  Tell students that they are to "rescue" the pompoms.  One at a time they can use a slotted spoon or one of their hands (as a rescue net)  to scoop up as many pompoms as they are able in one scoop.  Then the next person does the same, continuing on until everyone has had a turn or all the pompoms have been rescued.  

Explain that usually we think of being caught in a net like fish are during fishing is a bad thing, but when we are caught in Jesus' net of salvation, it is so that we are rescued.


Salvation Lesson Point 1:
Jesus Gives us a Choice to follow

One of our earlier lessons shared about when Jesus chose and called His disciples.  Four of these were fishermen: Peter, Andrew, James and John.  When Jesus called them, they had to make a choice.  If they had just stood there and not made a choice...that was still a choice.  They would not have been following Jesus.

Many of us can quote John 3:16; let's read it together.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." NIV

Jesus said these words to another person who had to make the choice to be "all in" or not.  His name was Nicodemus.  

Turn in your Bibles to the Gospel of John (fourth book in the New Testament).  Read John 3:1-16.

  1. Was Nicodemus a fisherman?  Who was he? (verse 1: a Pharisee & member of the Jewish ruling council)Jesus came to rescue all - anyone who trusts in Him whether they were fishermen or teachers in the synagogue. 
  2. What did Jesus compare salvation to? (verse 3: being born again) When a baby is born, they are brand new, they have no past, no possessions.  They are dependent upon someone else for everything.
  3. Where did Jesus say He had come from? (verse 13:  heaven)
  4. Why did God send His Son, Jesus? (verse 16: because He loves the world (all people) and wants all to have life and not perish.)

Verse 17 tells us - "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."

When we think of the word "save," what does it bring to mind?  Usually we think of someone rescuing someone from danger.  Jesus came to rescue, and salvation is His rescue net.

A few verses later in verse 18 - "Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

God made the choice to send Jesus to save us because He loves us.  He leaves the choice up to us to accept what Jesus did for us, or not.  God demonstrated His love (Romans 5:8) and allows us to choose to love Him back...or not.

The disciples left their nets (their old lives, what they were trusting in) and chose to follow Jesus.  Nicodemus was given this same choice just as God gives to every person who has ever lived.

Rescuing Nets

Have you ever heard of someone using a rescue net?  It's a really large net which looks similar to a fishing net, but with the purpose of saving.  Who can you think of that might use a net to rescue or offer safety?

Two that I think of are firemen and acrobats.  These nets are held securely to catch someone when they fall or have to jump to safety.  

If you were in a building that was burning and firemen held a safety net below, you would have to choose whether to trust them and jump or perish in the fire.  If you chose to jump, you would have to decide to be "all in!"

In the same way, a circus safety net is there in case an acrobat falls; they would not be able to save themselves.  

Jesus offers us a rescue net in the form of salvation.  It requires for us to make a choice to be all in...to make the jump of faith.


Jesus rescues

Photo by Sami Aksu @ Pexels.com

"Faith Fall" Demonstration:

Have a student ahead of time agree to do the following:  have them come to the front and stand with their back facing you.  Ask them if they trust you to catch them as they fall back.  Have them say, “Yes.” 

Ask the class if they think the person really trusts you…how do they know?  (They don’t for sure.) Next have the student fall back as you catch them.  Now ask the class if they think the student trusts you…how do they know? (Because they saw they trusted you when they fell back and let you catch them.) 

That is faith.  It is one thing to say we believe; it is another to act on that belief.

Alternative Object Lesson on Faith


Romans 10:9-10 says, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; or with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

God has chosen each one of us.  He created us and loves us. But something in us separates us from Him and His love…something called sin. Sin is anything against God; it’s basically when we put ourselves in God’s place and think and act like we know better than He does.

It may be doing things we know we shouldn’t do or it may be not doing something we know God wants us to do, but we don’t want to.  We choose what we want over what God says is right.

The Bible says in Romans 3:23 that we have ALL sinned.  Think about it.  Have you ever done anything that you know was wrong; something you did because YOU wanted to even though you knew it was wrong and would not please God?  How about a lie?  How about disobeying your mom or dad?  How about being mean to someone else or talking bad about them or even “thinking” wrong thoughts?! 

Those may seem like little things, but sin is sin; it is against God, no matter how “big” or “small” we may think it is.   Sin separates us from God because He is perfect.  He is holy and righteous (He is ALWAYS right!).

God doesn't want to be separated from us; He made a way for us to know Him and have a relationship with Him.  He didn't sit back and wait for us to do better or be perfect.  He came to us; He made the sacrifice!

Romans 5:8 - 

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." NIV


Salvation Lesson Point 2:
Jesus Came ... to where we are

Luke 19:10 tells us - “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Jesus said in our earlier verses, John 3:13, "No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven - the Son of Man."

Jesus left heaven and came to earth in a human body.  He died on the cross and paid the price for our sin.  He did what we could not do for ourselves.  He made a rescue net called salvation. 

God sent.  Jesus came.  All to save us!


The Bridge Illustration with demonstration:

salvation message illustration

Have one student (preferably smaller than yourself!) stand on a chair on one side of the room representing “us”; have another chair on the other side representing “God in Heaven”.  Tell them that between the two is a huge chasm representing sin so the student cannot just walk across the floor to the other chair.  At the same time draw a visual of this illustration on the board as follows:

Wow…sounds kind of hopeless on our own, doesn’t it?

There is hope though!

We all probably know John 3:16 …let’s say it together.

 It says God so loved the world! Who do you think the world is?  Yes, us!  God so loved each of us; in other words, He chose us even while we were doing wrong. (Romans 5:8) God chose to send His Son, Jesus, to die in our place because the Bible in Romans 6:23 says “the wages of sin is death”; there is a consequence to sin, a punishment.  That’s not only our body dying, but it also means separation from God in a place called Hell forever. It’s separation from everything good, because God is good.  It’s separation from love, because God is love.  Get the idea?  The price for sin is NOT good; it is not fun! 

gospel bridge illustration

Jesus came and paid for our sin when He died on the cross.  It goes on to say, “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Finish the bridge illustration by drawing a cross between and label it “Jesus”:

Also…walk over to the student on the chair and allow him/her to get on your back and carry them over to the other chair.

Jesus said in John 10:10, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No man comes to the Father except by Me.”   Jesus died and took our punishment for sin; He is the only One Who can carry us to God the Father in Heaven.

God has chosen to make a way for us to be forgiven so that we can have eternal life with Him in a place called Heaven.  It is not automatic though.  He gives us a choice.

Salvation Lesson Point 3:
All In! 

Faith is not just a head belief.  Faith takes action.  It takes a choice...a decision to be all in trusting Jesus with our all - our life now and eternal life.  

Charles Blondin Story:

[Tell the following story of  Charles Blondin in your own words:]

The amazing Charles Blondin story is that of the famous French tightrope walker crossing Niagara Falls.

It is a great story illustration of what true faith is.

Blondin's greatest fame came in June of 1859 when he attempted to become the first person to cross a tightrope stretched over a quarter of a mile across the mighty Niagara Falls.  He walked across 160 feet above falls several times, each time with a different daring feat - once in a sack, on stilts, on a bicycle, in the dark, and once he even carried a stove and cooked an omelet!  On one occasion though, he asked for the participation of a volunteer.A large crowd gathered and a buzz of excitement ran along both sides of the river bank. The crowd “Oooohed!” and “Aaaaahed!” as Blondin carefully walked across one dangerous step after another -- blindfolded and pushing a wheelbarrow.  Upon reaching the other side, the crowd's applause was louder than the roar of the falls! Blondin suddenly stopped and addressed his audience: "Do you believe I can carry a person across in this wheelbarrow?" The crowd enthusiastically shouted, "Yes, yes, yes. You are the greatest tightrope walker in the world. You can do anything!"  "Okay," said Blondin, "Get in the wheelbarrow....."  The Blondin story goes that no one did!

------------------

(Later in August of 1859, his manager, Harry Colcord, did ride on Blondin's back across the Falls.)

Ask, “Who had faith?  (Harry Colcord)  Who had belief? (people in the crowd)

Choice Game:

For this part of the salvation lesson, have students follow directions and choose one or the other of each choice. [depending on time more can be added, but end with Life or Death:]

Would you choose…  

(Stand for:)

  • M&Ms
  • Hot Weather
  • Super Power to fly
  • Play basketball
  • Pizza
  • LIFE


OR

(Remain sitting for:)

  • Skittles
  • Cold weather
  • Super power of super strength
  • Play baseball/softball
  • Hamburger
  • DEATH


In each of these, you had to make a choice.  Not making a choice (staying where you were) was still making a choice. 

Again, John 3:17-18, the verses right after John 3:16 talk about this.

"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Jesus didn’t come to tell us we are bad and leave us to die, but because He died on the cross in our place and overcame death and still lives, He gives us a choice of life and not death.

We have a choice to trust God with our life here and now on this earth and also with our forever life.  When we say YES to Jesus and choose Him as our Lord and Savior, He will come into our lives and be with us now and forever! 

Ephesians 3:17 says, “Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.”

When Jesus asked Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow Him and become fishers of men, they laid down their nets and followed.  They said yes and chose Jesus!  They laid down their old life and totally trusted Him for a new life, an eternal life.  Nicodemus must have made the same choice to be all in and follow Jesus; later we see him helping Joseph of Arimathea with the burial of Jesus. (John 19:38-39) 

What have you chosen?  You may have already said “Yes!” to Jesus…best choice you’ve ever made!  Or you may feel something like a “tug” in your heart right now or this week. It’s like a deep knowing that it is time; realizing you want and need God in your life right now.

Any adult here would love to talk to you and answer any questions you may have, or you can stop and talk to God yourself and just tell him you realize you’ve done wrong against Him and need His forgiveness.  You want to trust Him with your life now and forever and live for Him and follow & obey Him.  God promises when we come to Him in faith trusting Him to save us, He will do just that. So take time to thank Him for saving you!  But it’s also important that you tell someone about your choice today!  Share that INCREDIBLE news!

But then you may not be quite ready.  Don’t just go through the motions because a friend does or you think others expect you to.  Remember…it’s not about the outward appearance or actions; God sees our heart.  If this is you, keep seeking God, keep learning and asking questions.  We can do that at church or home reading our Bible.   Hey, we have all been in your shoes and are here to help! 


fishing Bible lessons

Sum up Salvation Lesson (5 min.)

(Ask students to bow their heads and close their eyes; this helps us not focus on what’s around us.)

God thinks each of you are pretty special!  He chooses to invite each of us to follow Him, to jump into His safety net once and for all, to be born again, adopted into His family.

Let’s take time to thank God for a few things:

       1) Thank God that He has chosen you and loves you just the way you are (freckles, warts and all!)

       2) Thank God that He has made a way for us to choose life because of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection!  Ask Him to keep teaching you about Himself and how much He loves you!

       3) Ask God to show you how He can use you in incredible ways right now…not just when you’re older and grown up, but right now as an eight year old, a nine year old, a ten year old, an eleven year old, a twelve year old or whatever age you may be.  Thank Him for the talents and abilities He has given you to serve Him in incredible ways…even the ability to smile at someone or speak a kind word.  Thank Him for the ways you can help others right now.

Close Salvation Lesson with prayer:

Dear Father, thank you that truly You have a plan and purpose in each of our lives.  Thank you for showing us Yourself through Jesus, Your Son.  Help us today to remember this rescue net of salvation you offer us. Help each of us follow you like the disciples and be all in for Jesus!  Thank You, that You have chosen us and created us to be INCREDIBLE!   In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.


© Copyright 2025 Susan Smart


Printable Lesson Plan:  "Get Caught by Jesus - All In!"


Extra Activities:

Sometimes Bible lessons for kids can finish early; therefore we have included some extenders for this salvation lesson!

  1. Bible memory verse activity to practice Luke 19:10.
  2. Our Share Jesus Catcher and Cut & Fold Cross are both fun crafts kids can then use as conversation starters to share the Gospel with others!


Jesus Catcher correct

Other Craft Ideas for Salvation Lesson


Stained Glass Cross

Music

Optional Salvation Lesson Video - 

Special note: We do preview the websites to which we link, but are unable to peruse them completely. We try to check others' faith statements and make sure they do profess Jesus Christ as God's Son and salvation is found only in Him. It must, however, be your responsibility to personally dig into God's Word and allow the Holy Spirit to be your first and final teacher on all subjects.

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