Paul's desire to share the gospel with anyone who would listen led him on a journey to preach and teach to many different people in many different places. Through his travels, he faced challenges and hardships from shipwrecks to snake bites. He faced people who welcomed him and those who adamantly opposed him.
Through it all, Paul recognized that Satan's greatest desire was to cause trouble and heartache for God and his people. Wars and battles were something that happened often--countries invading and conquering other countries. Paul called the battle against Satan spiritual warfare. Satan is trying everything he can to invade the hearts of God's people. We have to be strong and not let him find a way in. This is the story of some of the things that happened during Paul's time in Ephesus. You can read more about this in Acts 28: 1-31. Key Themes: 1. God's power is stronger than the devil's power. 2. When I put on the armor of God, I am equipped to face any trial that may come. 3. There are two kingdoms-God's and Satan's. We should choose to stand for God's kingdom. Memory Verse
Ephesians 6:11 ESV
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Songs
1,2,3 The Devil's After Me
Books of the New Testament Be Careful Little Eyes This Little Light of Mine There is a Flag that Flies in the Castle of My Heart I'm in the Lord's Army My God is So Big I Am A C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N Saint's Medley Story
Begin Class with Songs, Games, Table Activity, or Sharing Time
Open Class in Prayer Introducing the Story Ideas 1. Build Your Muscles Optional Supplies: Small Weights, example of a healthy food like an apple Kids love to show off their muscles. Ask each kid to show your their muscles. Be sure to make a big deal about how big and strong they are! : SAY: God gave us muscles. Muscles help us do hard work like lifting or carrying heavy things. If I wanted to build my muscles and make them bigger, what could I do? Exercise (demonstrate lifting the weight) is one way I could make my muscles bigger and stronger. I can also fill my body with healthy food that will make my body strong. (Show them examples of healthy food). Optional: Let each child have some of the healthy snack and take a turn "working" their muscles. SAY: Paul knew that in order to be strong against Satan, we need to be strong in God's power. He included that in his letter to the Ephesians. 2. The Fear Zone Game by Children's Ministry.com Supplies: Enough Tennis Balls for Half Your Class, Masking Tape, Large Sheet of Paper or Expo Board, Markers Have enough tennis balls so that each Roller will begin the game with one. Use two strips of masking tape to mark three playing areas. (Click here to see a map of the playing areas). Clear the playing area of any obstacles. Work with the children to create a list of things kids fear. Write these ideas on paper, then post this where kids can easily see it. Have children form two teams, the Rollers and the Defenders. Have the Rollers stand in section A and the Defenders stand in section B. SAY: We’ve talked about common fears. Now let’s play a game to see how well we’re able to stop those fears. The Rollers will call out a fear from our list, then roll a ball toward the Defenders. The balls must stay on the floor, but the Rollers can have as many balls in play at a time as they like. Defenders will stand behind their line and try to keep the balls from getting past them and into the Fear Zone. Balls can be stopped only with your hands, and they must be gently rolled back to the Rollers. If a ball gets into the Fear Zone, it has to stay there and can’t be returned to the game. Begin the game. Encourage kids to play quickly, rolling balls as soon as they are returned. After several minutes, have teams switch roles and play again. ASK: Ephesians 6:10 says, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” How can God’s power help us be strong enough to face our fears? SAY: Even though some of the fears got past these Defenders, nothing can get past God. No matter what the problem, we don’t have to be afraid because God is most powerful. Story: When Paul visited Ephesus, Paul met people who were eager to learn more about following God. However, he could not return and teach them more because he was in prison in Rome! Did Paul let this stop him? No! He used this time in prison to write letters to the churches. We are studying part of the letter he wrote to the church in Ephesus. This is the story of some of the trials that Paul faced after he left Ephesus. Perhaps, these experiences inspired him to encourage the Ephesians to "Be Strong in the Lord." SHOW the story Paul Arrives in Rome or read Acts 28:1-31 in the Bible. You may want to focus one or two parts of the story for time's sake. EMPHASIZE that:
Visual AidsGod is...
Connect the story back to God and his character. Explain how this story fits into God's overall story.
Activities
Science Experiment: God Gives Us His Strength Object Lesson
Supplies: Two Balloons (check for latex allergies!), Water, Lighter
Craft: Soft Made Strong Cross by Ministry to Children
Supplies: Cross or popsicle sticks, Yarn or string, markers or crayons, scissors, jewels, decorations, etc. Use flimsy materials on their own that become strong when assembled into the power of the cross.
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This study is focused on the Armor of God. We can find the description of the Armor of God in the book of Ephesians. Ephesians in found in the New Testament, and was originally a letter written by Paul to encourage his the church in Ephesus. Paul was a man who was zealous (or had a powerful energy) for God. Once Jesus confronted him on the road to Damascus and called him to follow him, Paul put that same passion towards the cause of Christ. He was a missionary who traveled around teaching people about Jesus, baptizing them and helping them start churches. This is the story of some of the things that happened during Paul's time in Ephesus. You can read more about this in Acts 19: 1-41. Key Themes: 1. God's power is stronger than the devil's power. 2. When I put on the armor of God, I am equipped to face any trial that may come. 3. There are two kingdoms-God's and Satan's. We should choose to stand for God's kingdom. Memory Verse11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Songs1,2,3 The Devil's After Me Books of the New Testament Be Careful Little Eyes This Little Light of Mine There is a Flag that Flies in the Castle of My Heart I'm in the Lord's Army My God is So Big I Am A C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N Saint's Medley StoryBegin Class with Songs, Games, Table Activity, or Sharing Time Open Class in Prayer Introducing the Story Ideas 1. Good News vs. Bad News Ask the kids if they have ever read a newspaper or watched the news. Say: I am going to read some headlines. I want you to give a thumbs up if that's good news and a thumbs down if it is bad news. Be sure the news stories are age appropriate. You can also make up silly made-up headlines such as: "Hershey's announces a new flavor of Hershey's kiss that will include chocolate mixed with spinach." OR "Local school district will now provide each student with a chrome book and a puppy for in class use." Be sure the kids know these headlines are Untrue, and to be silly! : SAY: Sometimes the SAME new story will be good news to some, and bad news for others. For example, if you were allergic to dogs, giving everyone a dog at your school would be bad news! When Paul told the people of Ephesus about Jesus, it was good news for some! But for those who practiced evil and didn't want to repent it was bad news! 2. Orange Your Glad You Have God's Armor Supplies: Clementine Oranges (some peeled; some with peels on), Bowls or containers of water Demonstrate how a peeled orange will sink but an orange with the peel still on will float. In life, if we have God's protection, he will not let us sink! In today's story, Paul was protected by God's power and he was able to face lots of angry people who were against him and against teaching about the true God. Paul knew he had God's protection and he was not afraid. (See this demonstration of the experiment.) Story: When Paul visited Ephesus, Paul met people who were eager to learn more about following God. However, he also faced others who made lots of money selling false God's or people who believed in sorcery and worshipped evil spirits. To some, the gospel was good news. To others, it meant that they wouldn't be able to sell as many of their idols and they were angry! This is the story of how God protected Paul in Ephesus. SHOW the story Paul in Ephesus or read Acts 19:1-41 in the Bible. You may want to focus one or two parts of the story for time's sake. EMPHASIZE that:
Visual AidsVideo: The Apologetics of Paul in Ephesus by Apologetics Press (better for older) Video: Paul's Missionary Journeys by Bible Project (better for older) Video: Where is Ancient Ephesus by Drive Thru History with David Stotts (better for older) God is...Connect the story back to God and his character. Explain how this story fits into God's overall story. ActivitiesKnocking Down Idols Review Game Supplies: Small toy bowling set, foil, review questions Wrap each bowling pin in silver to create "idols." Divide the kids into teams. When they answer a review question correctly, let them "bowl" down idols for points. The team with the highest amount of points wins. Armor of God Ring Cards from Oriental Trading Tell the kids: Paul would later teach the Ephesians about how to face evil forces. He called it the armor of God. We will be learning about each piece of armor. Salt Dough Map Make a salt dough map of Paul's Third Missionary Journey. You can find directions on this blog. This would be an activity that could stretch across several classes and could be used over the span of the unit. Rooted in Christ Craft Ideas from SundaySchoolWorks.com
Paul had seen first hand the dark forces the Ephesians faced. In his letter to the Ephesians, he said that he prayed that they would be "rooted in loved" and have the strength to face all the powers of evil. Read Ephesians 3:14-21. Discuss the importance of roots to a plant. Then, you can make a painted roots picture OR a planted in Jesus pail.
Biblical faith if more than just belief; it is also what we DO with that faith. God's story is filled with people of faith who DO the things God calls them to do. Noah demonstrated his faith by building an ark. Abraham demonstrated his faith by moving to a new home. Men and women of faith fought giants, faced lions, moved to foreign lands and fought foreign armies.
The heroes of the early church are also known for what they did to demonstrate their faith in God. Silas and Paul faced persecution when they shared the gospel. Dorcas demonstrated her faith by caring for the orphans and the poor. Timothy was mentored by Paul to be a great evangelist. James helped to grow the local church through his leadership. One of the things many of these followers of God had in common is they had a relationship with God. They prayed, or talked to God regularly, about what they needed from God. Paul recorded many of his prayers in his letters to his friends and churches. Key Themes: 1. We demonstrate our faith by what we do! 2. Prayer connects us to God through Jesus. 3. Prayer allows to partner with God and access his power to do hard things. Memory Verse
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have-not heard?” Romans 10:13, 14
Songs
Books of the New Testament
Apostles Song Be Still and Know Do Lord Father God Let Us Pray Lord I Lift Your Name on High Lord My Desire Read Your Bible and Pray Every Day Wanna Be We Fall Down You're the One Story
Begin Class with Songs, Games, Table Activity, or Sharing Time
Open Class in Prayer Introducing the Story Ideas 1. Prayer Requests Make a sign or write Prayer Requests on the board. Tell the children that today we are going to discuss prayer. Ask them to share prayer requests they have for our prayer time at the end of class. Be prepared to pray for grandmas, grandpas, puppies, kittens and fish! If possible, leave it up and check in on the progress week to week. Put star or sticker next to prayer requests that God answers! 2. Homemade Stethoscope You will need: electrical tape, a Bible, One plastic funnel and 1 ft of plastic or rubber tubing for each homemade stethoscope. SAY: Listen! Can you hear your heart beating? Let’s try to hear our hearts beat after we do 20 jumping jacks. Ready? Go! Afterward, ask,
Give each pair a funnel and 1 foot of tubing. Show kids how to fit the tubing over the funnel’s spout. If the tubing doesn’t fit tightly on the funnel’s spout, secure it with tape. Partners can listen to each other’s hearts by having one child put the funnel over his heart while the other partner listens through the end of the tubing. After every child has had a chance to listen, say: Your heart pumps blood 24 hours a day. There are valves in your heart that keep the blood moving through your body. These valves open and close as the heart pumps the blood. That’s what makes the sound of your heartbeat. Just like this helps us hear our heart beat, prayer allows God to hear our heart in a special way too. Prayer connects our heart to God's heart and when we do that it gives us power! (Idea adapted from childrensministry.com) 3. Prayer Stations Set up different stations up inside your classroom or in a hallway. You can set up stations like: Praise, Healing, Worries, etc. Let the kids write post-its for each station and then take a moment to make that prayer request to God. I love how kidminmama did it! Story
Story: Paul was an amazing evangelist for Jesus and the spread of the gospel. He mentored young Christians. He ministered to growing churches. He faced many trials during this time. One of the things we know Paul did was pray.
Paul THANKED GOD for his fellow Christians. Romans 1:8-10; Ephesians 1:16; 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 Paul ASKED for wisdom and knowledge. Ephesians 1:17; Colossians 1: 9 Paul ASKED for peace and unity. Romans 15: 5-6; 2 Thessalonians 3:16 Paul PRAYED for his fellow Christians to grow. Ephesians 1:18-19; Ephesians 3:16-19; Philippians 1:9-11 Paul PRAISED God in his prayers. 2 Corinthians 1:3; Ephesians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 9:13 Paul ASKED God for more opportunities to spread the gospel. 1 Thessalonians 3:9-10 In his letter to the Philippians, Paul begins his letter with prayer. This letter would have been read when the Philippian church gathered. Let's pretend that we are Philippians at church, listening to someone read the letter Paul wrote to us. PLAY the video of The Book of Philippians Chapter 1 or read Philippians 1 in the Bible. EMPHASIZE that:
Visual AidsGod is...
Connect the story back to God and his character. Explain how this story fits into God's overall story. Ideas: God is...listening, our father, always with you, etc.
Activities
Prayer Journal
Find inexpensive journals at the dollar store and provide stickers to decorate the outside. Let them make their own prayer journals. You can also use a craft kit like this one from Oriental Trading.
Biblical faith if more than just belief; it is also what we DO with that faith. God's story is filled with people of faith who DO the things God calls them to do. Noah demonstrated his faith by building an ark. Abraham demonstrated his faith by moving to a new home. Men and women of faith fought giants, faced lions, moved to foreign lands and fought foreign armies. The heroes of the early church are also known for what they did to demonstrate their faith in God. In this story, Silas and Paul face persecution when they share the gospel. Dorcas demonstrated her faith by caring for others the same way Jesus did.
Timothy was a young follower who was mentored by Paul. Paul wrote two letters to him that are in our Bible known as 1 and 2 Timothy. Key Themes: 1. We demonstrate our faith by what we do! 2. Faith gives us courage to live for Jesus. 3. People will know we are Christians by how we serve others. Memory Verse
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have-not heard?” Romans 10:13, 14
Songs
Books of the New Testament
Apostles Song Every Move I Make I Am a C Jesus Loves the Little Children Jumping Up and Down Roll The Gospel Chariot Said I Wasn't Sing and Be Happy Stand Up and Shout It This Little Light of Mine Story
Begin Class with Songs, Games, Table Activity, or Sharing Time
Open Class in Prayer Introducing the Story Ideas 1. Simon Says Play a simple round or two of Simon Says. ASK the kids what it means to follow an example. Whose example can we follow? Are there people that set a good example? 2. Useful Items Bring a few items to class that have useful and specific jobs. Good items might be a hammer, a wash rag, hand broom and dust pan, trash bag, laundry basket, etc. As you show each item ask, "how is this item useful?" and "what can I do with this?" Now, show them the Bible. Ask, "how is this useful?" Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17. This is part of another letter, or epistle, that we are going to learn about today. Story: The book of Acts is filled with lots of people who followed Jesus, built the church and spread the Gospel. There were lots of men like Peter, Paul and Silas, who travelled and shared the story of Jesus far and wide. As they traveled and taught, they found younger men who loved Jesus. They taught them and mentored them so that they could continue this work. One of these young men was Timothy. Paul was a mentor to Timothy. A mentor is a special friend that is older than you and helps you learn and grow. READ the story of Paul's Last Days (older) OR Timothy Loves God (younger) or read select passages from the book of Timothy. EMPHASIZE that:
Visual AidsGod is...
Connect the story back to God and his character. Explain how this story fits into God's overall story.
Activities
Biblical faith if more than just belief; it is also what we DO with that faith. God's story is filled with people of faith who DO the things God calls them to do. Noah demonstrated his faith by building an ark. Abraham demonstrated his faith by moving to a new home. Men and women of faith fought giants, faced lions, moved to foreign lands and fought foreign armies. The heroes of the early church are also known for what they did to demonstrate their faith in God. In this story, Silas and Paul face persecution when they share the gospel. Dorcas demonstrated her faith by serving others. James, the brother of Jesus, demonstrated his faith by encouraging other Christians.
Key Themes: 1. We demonstrate our faith by what we do! 2. Faith gives us courage to live for Jesus. 3. The gospel is for everyone. Memory Verse
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have-not heard?” Romans 10:13, 14
Songs
Books of the New Testament
Apostles Song Be Careful Little Eyes Pass It On Sing and Be Happy Stand Up and Shout It This Little Light of Mine I Want to Be Where You Are You are My Brother Story
Begin Class with Songs, Games, Table Activity, or Sharing Time
Open Class in Prayer Introducing the Story Ideas 1. Show and Tell Have a few show and tell items on hand such as a horse bit, matches or a lighter, a small toy ship (bonus if it has a rudder!), money, clothing, and band aids. Show each item and remind them of what it is called and what it is used for. SAY: James taught the people about how to live like a Christian. He used items and examples that they would be familiar with (much like Jesus did!) These are a few items that are mentioned in the book of James. As I read our story, see how many of these items can you spot! 2. Saying vs. Doing Put a small treat such in a secret bag. SAY: Today, I have brought you a secret treat! It's in my bag but before we get the treat I want to tell you about the bag. (Describe the bag in detail) Then say, okay now before I give you the treat, I want to tell you a little big about what I have for you. (Describe the treat in detail. Why you chose it, what store you purchased it from, why you got it from that store.) By this point, the kids should be getting a little impatient. ASK: Are you tired of me talking about the treat? What do you want me to DO? (Hopefully, they want you to give them the treat!). As you pass out the treat SAY: There is a big different between SAYING you're going to do something nice for someone and actually DOING it. That's just one of the lessons James teaches us in his letter called James. Let's talk about it today! 3. Word Study Today, we are going to read a epistle. Do you know what an epistle is? An epistle is another word for letter. Do you like to receive letters? So, today we are going to read the epistle of James. We also call it the book of James. However, James did not sit down to write a book. He was writing a letter to friends, to encourage them and teach them how to live in a way that honors God. Story: The book of Acts is filled with lots of people who followed Jesus, built the church and spread the Gospel. Some were men who traveled across the world and taught others like Paul. Others were women who served the people in her own church and community like Dorcas. Today, we are going to talk about a follower of Jesus names James. Some believe he was Jesus's brother. In the beginning, he was skeptical of Jesus and his ministry but after the resurrection, he became a leader in the local church and wrote letters encouraging other Christians. READ the Epistle of James or read selected passages from the book of James in the Bible. EMPHASIZE that:
Visual Aids
Video: Book of James Summary by Bible Project (Better for Older Kids)
God is...
Connect the story back to God and his character. Explain how this story fits into God's overall story.
Activities
Scrolls from Oriental Trading
Allow the kids to write encouraging messages from the book of James and deliver them to a friend. You may need to write the words on a small pieces of paper and let younger kids glue them on. Biblical faith if more than just belief; it is also what we DO with that faith. God's story is filled with people of faith who DO the things God calls them to do. Noah demonstrated his faith by building an ark. Abraham demonstrated his faith by moving to a new home. Men and women of faith fought giants, faced lions, moved to foreign lands and fought foreign armies. The heroes of the early church are also known for what they did to demonstrate their faith in God. In this story, Silas and Paul face persecution when they share the gospel. Dorcas demonstrated her faith by caring for others the same way Jesus did. Key Themes: 1. We demonstrate our faith by what we do! 2. Faith gives us courage to live for Jesus. 3. People will know we are Christians by how we serve others. Memory Verse“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have-not heard?” Romans 10:13, 14 SongsBooks of the New Testament Apostles Song Every Move I Make I Am a C Jesus Loves the Little Children Jumping Up and Down Roll The Gospel Chariot Said I Wasn't Sing and Be Happy Stand Up and Shout It This Little Light of Mine StoryBegin Class with Songs, Games, Table Activity, or Sharing Time Open Class in Prayer Introducing the Story Ideas 1. Sharing Time Ask the children to share a time when someone was kind to them. Ask the children how they would feel to remembered for being kind. Today, we are talking about a woman who was remembered for being kind. 2. Famous People Show the children pictures of famous people they may know. Famous athletes, singers, cartoon characters. Ask them to describe what they are famous for doing. Then, SAY, today we are going to talk about a woman who is famous for being kind to others. Her name was Dorcas, and sometimes she was called Tabitha. 3. Clothing or Blanket Drive Let the children help you fold and package clothing or blankets to donate to your church's food pantry or local charity. Younger children may be most helpful decorating brown grocery sacks and folding a few items and putting them in. Older children could make simple tied blankets to donate. Note: If you plan ahead, you can even ask kids to bring in their own donations of clothing or fabric. SAY: We demonstrate our faith by serving others. These items will go to children who need them. We are following the example of Dorcas (also known as Tabitha) in the Bible. We are going to talk about her today! Story: The book of Acts is filled with lots of people who followed Jesus, built the church and spread the Gospel. There were lots of men like Peter, Paul and Silas, who travelled and shared the story of Jesus far and wide. However, there were also women, like Dorcas who shared Jesus with others by serving the people in her very town. Dorcas was so kind and giving the all of the people loved her very much. Let's read about Dorcas READ the story of Dorcas or read Acts 9:36-43 in the Bible. EMPHASIZE that:
Visual AidsGod is...Connect the story back to God and his character. Explain how this story fits into God's overall story. Worksheet: Decorate a sweater worksheet
Biblical faith if more than just belief; it is also what we DO with that faith. God's story is filled with people of faith who DO the things God calls them to do. Noah demonstrated his faith by building an ark. Abraham demonstrated his faith by moving to a new home. Men and women of faith fought giants, faced lions, moved to foreign lands and fought foreign armies. The heroes of the early church are also known for what they did to demonstrate their faith in God. In this story, Silas and Paul face persecution when they share the gospel. Key Themes: 1. We demonstrate our faith by what we do! 2. Faith gives us courage to live for Jesus. 3. The gospel is for everyone, even the jailer! Memory Verse“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have-not heard?” Romans 10:13, 14 SongsBooks of the New Testament Apostles Song Every Move I Make I Am a C Jumping Up and Down Roll The Gospel Chariot Said I Wasn't Sing and Be Happy Stand Up and Shout It This Little Light of Mine StoryBegin Class with Songs, Games, Table Activity, or Sharing Time Open Class in Prayer Introducing the Story Ideas 1. Reaching the Lost Tape Paper Hearts or Candy Bars (anything kids would want to work to get) high enough that the students could not jump and reach them. Ask the kids to try to get the items down, but they cannot use furniture or each other to do it. They have to do it by themselves. (No one should be able to). Then, allow the kids to work in teams of 3, giving each other a boost or forming a pyramid. Be sure to spot kids or encourage them to spot each other. Together, they should be able to reach the items. Discuss how difficult it was to reach the item by yourself. What about when you worked together? Why is reach the lost easier with a friend? Introduce Silas, a friend of Paul and partner in spreading the gospel. 2. What is a Missionary? Show kids people of missionaries that you, or your church support. SAY: A missionary is someone who leaves their home and goes to another land to teach people about Jesus. These are some of the missionaries that we support. (Go over each one and tell their names and where they teach.) ASK: Do you think it would be lonely to be so far from home? Would you want to take a friend with you? SAY: Do you remember Saul, who Jesus called to follow him? He changed his name to Paul and became one of the church's first missionaries. His friend, Silas joined him in many of those journeys and we are going to learn about something that happened on one of those journeys today. 3. Praise Time! Discuss how singing makes God happy. Singing also is a way to lift our own spirits and encourage one another. Ask kids to share their favorite Bible class songs and share how they feel when they sing it. Take turns singing each of the songs. SAY: Today, we are going to learn about how two of Jesus's followers sang to encourage one another. Story: The book of Acts is filled with lots of people who followed Jesus, built the church and spread the Gospel. Saul was called by Jesus on the road to Damascus. Then, he changed his name to Paul and began traveling all around the world telling people the Gospel, or Good News. One of the friends he took with him was named Silas and this is the story of something that happened to them while they were in a place called Philippi. READ the story of Paul and Silas in Prison or read Acts 16:16-40 in the Bible. EMPHASIZE that:
Visual AidsGod is...Connect the story back to God and his character. Explain how this story fits into God's overall story. Activities
When Jesus left for heaven, he told the disciples to "go into all the world and preach the good news." He also promised that he would be with them always, even to the end of the age. God sent the Holy Spirit to help the disciples fulfill this important work. Luke recorded the history of the church in the book of Acts. This is the story about how Peter, one of Jesus's first disciples, learned about God's plan more clearly and shared the gospel with the Gentiles.
Key Themes: 1. The good news, the gospel, is for all! 2. The disciples continued Jesus's work on Earth. 3. Baptism is an important step in obeying the gospel. Memory Verse
19 So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach them to obey everything that I have told you. You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of the world.” -Matthew 28:19-20
Songs
Begin Class with Songs, Games, Table Activity, or Sharing Time
Open Class in Prayer Introducing the Story Ideas 1. Animal Sort Materials: Pictures of different animals (farm animals, wild animals, pets, etc.) Two large baskets with labels. Instructions: Show the child the pictures of different animals and ask them if they know the names of any of the animals. Ask the child to sort the animals into two groups. E.g. farm animals and wild animals. Putting them in the correct box. As they work, encourage them to name the animals they are sorting and talk about any interesting characteristics of the animals. Repeat the activity again with different animal pictures or categories of animals. (Idea from TruewayKids.com) 2. Special Delivery Tell the kids you have a special message to give to them. How could I get you that message? (They may say: the mail, e-mail, text, etc.). Say: God had a very special message he needed to give to Peter. He used an unusual way to do it! He gave Peter the message through a very interesting vision or dream! 4. Apples and OrangesSupplies: an apple, an orange Play: Form a circle. One child will pass an apple to the right around the circle. Another child will pass an orange to the left around the circle. This seems easy right? Once the apple and oranges have made it around the circle, say now we are going to change the rules. In the second round, the kids can’t pass the fruit with their hands. Kids can use their feet, elbows, or knees to pass the fruit. If someone drops the fruit or it touches the ground, the child must close his eyes to continue playing. Play continues until only one person with his or her eyes open remains. Discussion: For most of the Old Testament, God's people were divided into two groups-Jews and Gentiles (or apples and oranges!). At first, God used the Jewish people to fulfill his plan for redemption. He wanted to keep them separate to keep them holy for his plan. However, once Jesus came and died for EVERYONE's sins, the game changed. Now, God is calling EVERYONE to be his people-the Jews and the Gentiles. Today's lesson is about how God made this known through the apostle Peter. Story: When Jesus left for heaven, he told the disciples to "go into all the world and preach the good news." He gave them the important work of spreading his message of salvation. But, Jesus' new way of salvation (sometimes we call it the New Law) was much, much different than the Old Law that God had given to Moses thousands of years ago. The old law required animal sacrifices and had important rules like which animals were clean and could be eaten and which animals must not be eaten. The Law also said what kind of people the Jewish people could associate with and which ones they could not. This was a BIG change for the new Jewish Christians who had been following some of these rules their entire life! Fortunately, God was there to help the apostles in this important work. Luke recorded the history of the church in the book of Acts. This is the story about how Peter, one of Jesus's first disciples, learned about God's plan more clearly and shared the gospel with the Gentiles. READ the story Peter Tells Cornelius about Jesus or read Acts 10:1-48 in the Bible. EMPHASIZE that:
Visual AidsGod is...
Connect the story back to God and his character. Explain how this story fits into God's overall story.
Activities
Craft: Invited by Love Letter from Ministry-to-Children.com
When Jesus left for heaven, he told the disciples to "go into all the world and preach the good news." He also promised that he would be with them always, even to the end of the age. God sent the Holy Spirit to help the disciples fulfill this important work. Luke recorded the history of the church in the book of Acts. This is the story about how one of the most unlikely followers of Jesus became a follower and one of the his most passionate evangelists. Key Themes: 1. The good news, the gospel, is for all! 2. The disciples continued Jesus's work on Earth. 3. Baptism is an important step in obeying the gospel. Memory Verse19 So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach them to obey everything that I have told you. You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of the world.” -Matthew 28:19-20 SongsBooks of the New Testament Apostles Song Every Move I Make I Am A C Jumping Up and Down Roll The Gospel Chariot Said I Wasn't Stand Up and Shout It This Little Light of Mine StoryBegin Class with Songs, Games, Table Activity, or Sharing Time Open Class in Prayer Introducing the Story Ideas 1. Flashlight Fun Create a dimly lit environment by covering the outside windows and turning off the lights. A night light may be necessary if it is too dark. Allow the kids to play with flashlights, such as tag or make shadow puppets. Discuss the dark and how difficult it would be to suddenly not be able to see. (Idea from TruewayKids.com) 2. Who Am I? Blindfold a child. Let each of the kids take turns saying: "Hello. Who Am I?" They can even be silly and try to disguise their voice. The child in the blindfold must guess who said hello. You can let the kids take turns being blindfolded if time allows. Then, SAY: It is so important to listen to Jesus. Today, we are going to learn about someone who thought he was following God, but he was actually grieving God and persecuting Jesus's church! His name was Saul. (Idea from TruewayKids.com) Story: Jesus had gone up to heaven and his apostles and followers had formed the first churches. At first, everything was wonderful, but before long, the church began to face persecution from the government and the Jews who did not want the message of Jesus to spread. One of these Jewish leaders was named Saul and was passionate about getting rid of the followers of Jesus. However, after meeting Jesus himself and finding out he was not pleasing the Lord, he repented and became equally as passionate about spreading the gospel. This is the story of how Saul, later known as Paul, became a Christian. READ the story The Conversion of Saul (Paul) or read Acts 9:1-31 in the Bible. EMPHASIZE that:
Visual AidsGod is...Connect the story back to God and his character. Explain how this story fits into God's overall story. ActivitiesGame: Blindfolded Guide Challenge Team kids up in groups of 2 or 3. One student is blindfolded and the other two are to act as guides. Set up an obstacle course around the room with stations and challenges. At each station, the guides must help the blindfolded person complete the challenge before moving on to the next station in the obstacle course. Examples of challenges may be to put a simple memory verse in order, do 10 jumping jacks, hops scotch station, hula hoop, sort small objects into buckets, shine a flashlight at a target, etc. You can make it a competition by timing each group to see who can do it the fastest. Discussion Questions: 1. How hard is it to complete a task when you can't see? 2. How much did you depend on your guides? 3. Why do you think God took Saul's vision from him? 4. What is the difference between being physically blind and spiritually blind? 5. What are some changes you can see in Saul when his physical vision is restored? What do those changes show us? 6. Are you a guide? Craft: Light on Damascus Road by TruewayKids
Supplies: Template, Plastic Zip Bag, Crayons, Markers, Scissors
When Jesus left for heaven, he told the disciples to "go into all the world and preach the good news." He also promised that he would be with them always, even to the end of the age. God sent the Holy Spirit to help the disciples fulfill this important work. This is the story about how one of Jesus' followers, Philip, shared the gospel with a man from Egypt.
Key Themes: 1. The good news, the gospel, is for all! 2. The disciples continued Jesus's work on Earth. 3. Baptism is an important step in obeying the gospel. Memory Verse
19 So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach them to obey everything that I have told you. You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of the world.” -Matthew 28:19-20
Songs
Books of the New Testament
Apostles Song Every Move I Make Jumping Up and Down Roll The Gospel Chariot Said I Wasn't Stand Up and Shout It This Little Light of Mine Story
Begin Class with Songs, Games, Table Activity, or Sharing Time
Open Class in Prayer Introducing the Story Ideas 1. Scrolls Unroll a scroll (or a piece of paper) that says PROPHECY. Remind the children of what a prophecy is and some of the prophecies about Jesus. Read Acts 8:32-33 to the class. Is this verse hard to understand? Who is the verse about? Today, we are going to learn about how a man was reading this verse, but he didn't know what it meant. One of Jesus' followers helped him! 2. Map Quest Show the kids a map of the world during the Early Church. (Here is one. ) Show them where Jerusalem is and where Gaza is. Explain that this is where our story today took place thousands of years ago. Emphasize that we are learning all about church history. Just like you learned about how our country was founded in school, we are learning about how the church was founded in Bible school. 3. Share the Love of Jesus! Supplies: microphone, heart or talking stick SAY: Before Jesus went to Earth, he told his followers to (review memory verse). And they did that very thing! They were telling everyone they could about Jesus! Before we read our story, I want us to practice talking about how good Jesus is! When I pass you this item, that means it is your turn to speak up about Jesus! Tell me one thing you know or love about Jesus! Let the kids take turns. Encourage them to come up with different answers from the ones who went before them. Alternative: You can have the kids each share someone that they want to tell about Jesus (a friend, relative, etc.) Story: Jesus had gone up to heaven and his apostles and followers had formed the first churches. He left his disciples the Holy Spirit to help them as they built the church and spread the Good News. God sent an angel to tell Philip where to find someone who wanted to know more about God and Jesus. READ the story of Philip and the Ethiopian or read Acts 8:26-40 in the Bible. EMPHASIZE that:
Visual AidsGod is...
Connect the story back to God and his character. Explain how this story fits into God's overall story.
Activities
Game: Chariot Races
Supplies: Two boxes or laundry baskets, Two stuffed animals, and a Two pieces of rope, and tape. Create two "chariots" and put a stuffed animal in each one. Let the kids pull the chariots back and forth across the lines as they answer review questions about the story. You can read more in depth directions at the Sunday School Network.
Create Your Own Scroll
Use these scrolls from Oriental Trading and Encourage the kids to write or draw pictures that share things that are true about Jesus and God.
Chariot Craft from Trueway Kids
Supplies: Template (best on cardstock), 2 Cardboard Tubes, String, Colors, Scissors, Glue |
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May 2024
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