Put it on the class screen
This object lesson about trusting God takes about ten minutes and uses a chair, a mesh bag and a bowl of fish crackers. Kids see the difference between saying you trust something and putting your weight on it, hear how Peter let down his net after a long, empty night (Luke 5:1-11), and learn to trust in the Lord with all their heart (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Get ready
Spread the blue towel on the floor. That's the lake. Lay the empty mesh bag on it. Hide the bowl of fish crackers under a dish towel nearby, and put the chair where everyone can see it.
Teach it: the chair
Point to the chair.
"Who thinks this chair can hold me?"
Most hands go up. Now stand in front of it and bend your knees, hovering just above the seat with your legs shaking.
"Okay, I believe this chair will hold me. Am I trusting the chair?"
(Usually: "No! Sit down!") Sit down and lift your feet off the floor.
"Now I'm trusting it. Saying I believe in the chair didn't do anything. Trust is when you put your whole weight on it."
Teach it: the empty net
Hold up the empty mesh bag.
"This is Peter's net. Peter was a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, and he had been out on the lake all night long. Guess how many fish he caught."
Turn the bag upside down and shake it. Nothing.
Tell Luke 5:1-4 in your own words. Peter and his partners were back on shore washing their nets. Jesus climbed into Peter's boat, taught the crowd from the water, and then said, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."
"Now, Jesus grew up as a carpenter (Mark 6:3). Peter was the fisherman. Who do you think knew more about fishing?"
Let them answer. Then read Peter's reply:
"Master, we worked all night and caught nothing; but at your word I will let down the net." (Luke 5:5)
Pull the towel off the bowl and pour the fish crackers into the net until they spill over the sides.
"The net filled up so full it started to break. They called their friends in the other boat, and they filled both boats so full they began to sink."
Did you know?
Fishing on the Sea of Galilee was night work. One of the main nets, the trammel net, was set in the dark, because in daylight the fish could see the linen netting and swim around it. When Jesus found Peter, the night was over and the nets were being washed (Luke 5:2).
So Jesus wasn't only asking Peter to try again. He was asking a tired, expert fisherman to go back out at the wrong time of day and get his clean nets wet all over again. In 1986 a drought uncovered a real fishing boat from around that time in the mud of the lake, about 27 feet long and 7.5 feet wide, the kind of boat Peter would have used. Read more in Fishing on the Sea of Galilee.
Trust in the Lord, not your own understanding
Sit back down in the chair and lean back.
Read Proverbs 3:5-6 (WEB British Edition):
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and don't lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
"Peter's own understanding said, 'There are no fish today.' He knew a lot about fishing, and he still put his weight on what Jesus said. Trusting God doesn't mean you stop thinking. It means that when your worry and God's word disagree, you lean on God's word."
Point back to the overflowing net.
"And Peter's path did get straight. That same day he left everything and followed Jesus (Luke 5:11)."
Talk about it
- What's the difference between saying the chair will hold you and sitting in it?
- Peter was tired and had caught nothing all night. Why do you think he let down the net anyway?
- What is something you're worried about right now that you could trust God with?
- When is it hard to trust God instead of leaning on your own understanding?
Pray together
"God, sometimes our nets feel empty and we don't understand what's happening. Help us trust you with all our heart and lean on what you say. Thank you that you are strong enough to hold us. Amen."
Share the fish crackers.
Take it further
- Preschool: Let each child take a turn sitting in the "trust chair" and saying, "I trust God." Then let them scoop crackers into the net with you.
- Elementary: Try a trust walk. One partner closes their eyes and the other guides them across the room with words only ("three steps forward, turn left"). Clear the floor first. Afterward, ask: what made it easier to trust your guide?
- Preteen: Read John 21:1-14, another empty night and another full net. What's the same as Luke 5, and what's different? Then talk about Proverbs 3:6: what does it look like to "acknowledge him" in school, friendships and screens?
Questions teachers ask
What is a good object lesson about trusting God for kids?
Use a chair and an empty net. Kids see that believing a chair will hold you isn't the same as sitting in it, then hear how Peter fished all night, caught nothing, and still let down his net because Jesus said so (Luke 5:1-11). Proverbs 3:5-6 ties it together.
What does "trust in the Lord with all your heart" mean for kids?
Proverbs 3:5 says to trust the LORD with all your heart and not lean on your own understanding. To lean is to put your weight on something. Trusting God means that when your worry and God's word disagree, you rest your weight on what God says.
Why did Peter fish at night?
The common net on the Sea of Galilee, the trammel net, was set at night because fish could see it in daylight and swim around it. So Jesus asking Peter to fish again in the daytime, after a whole empty night, was a big ask. Read more in [Fishing on the Sea of Galilee](/bible-times/fishing-on-the-sea-of-galilee).
Is the catch of fish in Luke 5 the same story as John 21?
No, they are two different days. Luke 5 happens near the start of Jesus's ministry, when Peter first follows him. John 21 happens after the resurrection, when the disciples again fish all night, catch nothing, and fill the net when Jesus tells them where to cast it.
What is a simple trust object lesson for preschoolers?
The chair works well with little ones. Hover over the chair with shaky legs and ask, "Am I trusting the chair?" They'll shout "No!" Then sit down and lift your feet. Trust is putting your whole weight on something.
