Thank you for coming to Samsbiblestories.com and for taking a look at the lessons I have added. These lessons are the result of years of teaching Sunday school at an Elementary level. God has richly blessed me in being able to share His Word with thousands of young people. It is now my privilege to share them with you. Please feel free to use them with your class, wherever God has planted you. The only think I ask is that you drop me a line and let me know who you are and how the lessons are working for you. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated. God Bless you, Sam God Bless

Bible Story-time Follow the Leader (Calling of Matthew) Matthew 9:9-13

1 Jesus character 1 Matthew character 3 Disciples of Jesus 2 Fellow Tax Collectors 2 Pharisees

Today we’re going to talk about how God isn’t just doing SOMEthing; He’s doing something in YOU. God’s love is so amazing that it actually changes us on the inside. And we’re going to talk about a guy named Matthew who changed in a big way and really understood what it meant to follow God. Follow the Leader (Calling of Matthew) Matthew 9:9-13

Now, let me back up and set the scene for you. At this point in the story, Jesus had been doing all kinds of amazing things, and people were starting to see that maybe He really WAS the Son of God like He claimed. Follow the Leader (Calling of Matthew) Matthew 9:9-13 He had the power to calm a huge thunderstorm in the middle of a lake He had healed people—even a guy who couldn’t walk! In fact, He had just come from healing that guy when He came across a guy named Matthew—Matthew, the tax collector.

As we open the scene, we find Matthew, the Tax Collector and his Tax Collector Buddies sitting in their Tax Collector Booth and they are obviously up to no good. Follow the Leader (Calling of Matthew) Matthew 9:9-13 Who can remember anything that we learned about Tax Collectors? (act out scene with coins) 9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth.

Follow the Leader (Calling of Matthew) Matthew 9:9-13 and Matthew got up and followed him. “Follow me,” he told him,

10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. Follow the Leader (Calling of Matthew) Matthew 9:9-13

11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Follow the Leader (Calling of Matthew) Matthew 9: On hearing this, Jesus said…

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Follow the Leader (Calling of Matthew) Matthew 9:9-13

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Follow the Leader (Calling of Matthew) Matthew 9:9-13