Lesson Goal: Paul was an Apostle chosen by God to take the gospel to the world. He was the first missionary and the greatest preacher of all time. God called Paul to be the one who would bring the gospel to the Gentiles and to suffer much for His name. This lesson is about how God gave Paul the Apostle great power to preach the gospel through the Holy Spirit.
Introduction: This is the fifth lesson in Unit 7: Paul the Apostle. Paul was an Apostle chosen by God to take the gospel to the world. He was the first missionary and the greatest preacher of all time. In this lesson we will see how Paul healed a lame man when he visited the city of Lystra. This lesson comes from the book of Acts. Acts is the fifth book in the New Testament. This book was written by Luke. The first four books of the New Testament--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John-- tell about the life of Christ. The fifth book--Acts--tells about the beginning of the church. Let's say the first five books of the New Testament together--Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts.
Attention Getter: “Cities” What are some places that you would like to visit? Would you like to go to Washington DC and see all the museums and government buildings? Perhaps you would like to visit the White House where the President of the United States lives? Or maybe you would like to visit a city in Europe like Paris France. You could see the Eiffel Tower there. In London you could visit Buckingham Palace where the queen lives
In his time Paul the Apostle visited some of the major cities of the Roman Empire. God had given Paul a special job to do when he visited those cities. He was to preach the gospel of Christ to everyone--Jew and Gentile. In this lesson we will see how Paul healed a lame man when he visited the city of Lystra.
Optional Activity: Have students imagine that they are going on a journey around the world. They may go anywhere they want. You may choose to display a large world map for kids to reference. Choose one child to pick the first destination (for example, Egypt). Ask another student how you will get there (for example, running). Lead all of the students to act out the mode of transportation for a few seconds before reaching the destination. (Students will run in place.) Announce that you have arrived. Ask two or three other students what they would like to do in that location. Act out those activities (climb the Pyramids, lay in the sand, and so on). Play multiple rounds, giving every kid an opportunity to provide some input into the journey.)
Opening Prayer: “Dear Father in heaven, we are amazed at the boldness of Paul and Barnabas in sharing their faith in Christ with others. Help us to be willing to suffer for you. We thank you for coming down from heaven to die on the cross for our sins. Thank you that you offer to everyone the free gift of salvation. Help us to remember that you love us and were willing to suffer for us so we can go to heaven. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Memory Verse: Our memory verse is Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”
Lesson Video: https://youtu.be/fOx4eL4_VuI Paul was a man who had been miraculously changed by God. Before his conversion he was called Saul. On the road to Damascus Jesus appeared to him in a great shining light. Saul’s life was never the same again. He now knew that Jesus was resurrected from the dead and he was God.
God told Saul that he had been chosen to be an Apostle. He was to be the messenger of the gospel of Christ to the whole world--to the Jews and the Gentiles. God also told Saul that he would suffer much for the sake of the name of Christ.
Saul had been changed by the power of God and he was full of the Holy Spirit. He began to preach in the local synagogue. Now he very powerfully proclaimed that Jesus was the Son of God! Everyone knew that what he taught was real because they could see the change in Saul’s life.
But not everyone in Damascus was happy about Saul becoming a believer. The Jews in Damascus were angry that Saul had been converted. They thought he had become a traitor to Judaism so they decided that they would kill him. When the guards began watching the city gates to try to capture Saul, the believers took Saul to the top of the city wall, put him in a basket and lowered him down over the wall, so he could escape!
After escaping from Damascus, Saul traveled out to the wilderness of Arabia. Saul stayed there for three years. During these three years God revealed Jesus Christ to Saul personally. Saul was taught by Jesus the plan for the redemption of man. In this way Saul would become Paul the Apostle. The message of salvation that Saul received came directly from God not from human insight.
This time alone with God would prepare Paul the Apostle to later be able to write most of the books in the New Testament-- Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon and probably Hebrews. In his sovereignty God can take even the most hated of all people and turn him around for His own good purposes.
After being in the desert for three years Saul went to Jerusalem to meet with the church leaders. But when he got to Jerusalem, the disciples were all afraid of him. They did not really believe that he had been changed by God! Barnabas explained to the Apostles how the Lord had spoken to Saul on his journey to Damascus and how he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. After talking to Saul and Barnabas, the apostles in Jerusalem were greatly encouraged that the gospel of Christ was spreading to many parts of the world.
While in Jerusalem Saul began to boldly preach to everyone about Jesus. The Greek Jews got so angry at Saul they tried to kill him! The controversy was so great that Saul had to escape by boarding a ship and returning to his home town of Tarsus. During this time the early church in Jerusalem had begun to have a great deal of persecution. Peter and John had been jailed. Stephen had been martyred.
Many other believers had been arrested. So the followers of Christ began to fee from the city of Jerusalem. At first they moved to Samaria to the cities of Caesarea and Joppa. Later they moved even further north to Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch. Everywhere the new believers went they preached the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. Many more people were saved. So instead of stopping the spread of the gospel the persecution of the church in Jerusalem actually caused the church to grow even larger!
Just as Jesus had commanded the early disciples were going into all of the world and preaching the gospel beginning in Jerusalem, then Judea, then Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth. The Great Commission was being obeyed!
While most of the believers were from Jewish background, the apostles in Jerusalem had heard that there were many Gentiles believers at the church in Antioch. So they decided to send Barnabas to check up on this new church.
When Barnabas got to Antioch he was thrilled to meet the new Christians and encouraged them to obey God. The Jewish and the Greek believers were both demonstrating that they had God's gift of salvation. Barnabas was a man full of the Holy Spirit and faith. He began to preach there and even more people came to believe in Jesus as their Savior.
The church in Antioch was growing so rapidly that Barnabas needed help. He went to Tarsus to get Saul to come help him preach in the church. For a year Barnabas and Paul worked together as pastors of the church in Antioch. They led many more people to believe in Jesus.
A great church was started in Antioch and it was there that the followers of Jesus were first called Christians. God's power was at work in saving many people. This was the first Gentile church.
One day as these men were worshipping and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the special work I want them to do.”
So after more fasting and prayer, the leaders of the church in Antioch laid their hands on Saul and Barnabas and sent them on what was to become the First Missionary Journey. From this time on Saul became known as Paul which was his Greek name. A young cousin of Barnabas called John Mark joined them on their travels.
The men travelled east to the seaport town of Seleucia. They boarded a ship sailing for Cyprus which was once the home of Barnabas. This island was also where some of the persecuted Christians had fled to after the trouble in Jerusalem. The missionaries landed at the port of Salamis on the west coast.
Paul and Barnabas traveled from place to place throughout the island teaching in the synagogues and encouraging Christians. Eventually they arrived at Paphos where the mayor or Roman Proconsul, Sergius Paulus lived and ruled. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the Word of God. But a sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus opposed Paul and Barnabas by trying to convince the mayor not to listen to them.
Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at the sorcerer and told him that he was a child of the devil and an enemy of God and because the sorcerer was full of decit and trickery, God was going to make him blind. Immediately the sorcerer became blind. When the Proconsul saw what had happened, he believed in the Lord. This miracle showed that God was more powerful than Satan's magic or sorcery.
From Paphos in Cyprus, Paul and Barnabas and Mark boarded a ship towards the port of Perga to continue their travels. Perga was a Greek city and capital of a region known as Pamphyllia. The region is now part of modern day Turkey.
When they landed in Perga, John Mark decided to leave Paul and Barnabas and return to Jerusalem. This was very discouraging to Paul because he knew that John Mark was not being faithful to God. When God calls us to a job, we need to finish it, not quit!
From Perga Paul and Barnabas headed inland to a region known as Psidia to the capital city of Antioch. Pisidian Antioch was an important city where several trade routes met. Paul wanted to preach in this city because it was a place where people from many different places could come to hear the gospel.
When Paul and Barnabas went to the synagogue those in charge of the service sent them this message: “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement come and give it.” This was a customary greeting whenever a rabbi or teacher came to visit.
Paul spoke to them explaining how God had delivered the Jews from Egypt and promised a Messiah who would be a descendant of King David. Paul then went on to explain that Jesus, who had been crucified and raised from the dead, was God’s chosen Savior, the Messiah.
When Paul and Barnabas left the synagogue, the people begged them to return the following week to speak further about these matters. The following week huge crowds gathered to hear Paul speak. Some of the Jews, jealous of the attention Paul was commanding, started slandering Paul and argued against whatever he said. Paul then said that because the Jews had rejected the message about Jesus, they would tell it to the Gentiles. Many Gentiles became Christians and were full of joy and the Holy Spirit.
The Jewish leader did not like the fact that Paul was going to preach to Gentiles. They stirred up the influential religious women and the leaders of the city, and incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas. They ran Paul and Barnabas out of town! Paul and Barnabas were enduring much suffering for the sake of the gospel.
After Paul and Barnabas were thrown out of Antioch, they went east toward the three main cities of the Roman province of Galatia. The first town they visited was Iconium. It was one of the chief commercial cities in that region.
Just as they had done in Antioch Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. They stayed in the town for some time and God gave Paul great power to do miraculous signs and wonders. Many sick people were healed.
But then some of the Jews who rejected God’s message began to poison the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas and they divided the people. These Jews wanted the new Gentile Christians to follow all the Jewish laws and customs in order to be saved. Later Paul wrote the book of Galatians, a letter to these churches proving that these arguments were false.
Paul and Barnabas spent a great deal of time trying to convince these people that Jesus is the Lord. They even performed many miracles and signs but the people would not listen. Soon a mob of Gentiles and Jews along with their leaders plotted to attack and stone Paul and Barnabas. Paul and Barnabas heard about the plot and fled from Iconium.
After fleeing from Iconium, Paul and Barnabas travelled south to the town of Lystra. While in Lystra Paul and Barnabas saw a man who had been lame from birth and had never walked. He had been sitting and listening as Paul preached. Paul looked at him and knew he had the faith to be healed.
So Paul called to him in a loud voice, “Stand up!” And the man jumped to his feet and started walking. The crowds who saw this started shouting in their local dialect, “These men are gods in human form!”
They decided that Barnabas was the Greek god Zeus and that Paul was Hermes. So the priest of the temple of Zeus, which was outside the town, and the crowd brought bulls and wreaths of flowers to the town gates, and they prepared to offer sacrifices to the apostles.
Paul and Barnabas tore their clothes in dismay. “Friends, we are merely human beings, just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made everything. It is God who sends you rain and gives you food and joyful hearts.”
Just then some of the Jews who had previously persecuted Paul and Barnabas arrived from Antioch and Iconium. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead. But as the believers gathered around Paul, he got up and went back into the town. Paul was determined to preach the gospel of Christ. He knew that being a disciple of Christ means that you are totally committed to obeying Him and are willing to suffer for His name.
Paul and Barnabas also went back to the church in Lystra to encourage the new believers. The next day Paul left with Barnabas for Derbe. Derbe was fifty miles away and a border town. Once again Paul and Barnabas preached the Good News of Salvation. Many people in Derbe became Christians. A large number of disciples and believers were added to the church.
Although they faced great danger Paul and Barnbas decided they must return to the three cities of Iconium, Lystra and Derbe to encourage the believers. They also wanted to organize the leaders of these new churches. They were willing to risk their own lives to teach those who had become Christians to continue in the faith. They reminded them they must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in each new church to lead them.
After preaching about Jesus in Perga, they travelled to nearby Attalia and boarded a ship sailing for Seleucia. From here they made their way back to Antioch in Syria where their journey had begun. Paul and Barnabas called the church in Antioch together to report everything God had done through them and shared how the Gentiles had become followers of Jesus. They then stayed in Antioch for a long time encouraging the believers.
After completing his first missionary journey Paul probably wrote his letter to the church in Galatia. Galatians was a letter that was circulated among the churches of Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. It was written to refute the Judaizers who taught that the Gentile believers must obey the Jewish law in order to be saved.
Paul and Barnabas were totally committed to preaching Christ. They did not let anything stop them from telling others the good news of salvation—not being run out of town, not having lies told about them, not even being threatened with stoning! They were willing to suffer for Him.
When we read about all the struggles and suffering that Paul and Barnabas endured to tell others about Jesus it makes us ashamed of the little that we have done in sharing our faith with others. We need to be willing to not let anything stop us from telling others about the love that Jesus has for them.
Jesus left all the riches and glory of heaven to come to earth to suffer on a cross to pay the price for our sin. If He was willing to do that for us so we could receive the free gift of salvation, how much more should we be willing to sacrifice our own wants and desires so others can hear the good news of salvation?
Let's obey the Great Commission and tell others about Jesus!
Review Questions: “Hand over Hand” Procedure: One student puts a hand palm down on table or floor. The other students add their own hands to the pile one at a time. The hand on the bottom is withdrawn and added to the top of the pile. Students continue until you signal “Stop.” Student whose hand is on the bottom of the pile answers one of the questions below. Repeat as time permits.
1. What happened to Saul when he was on the Road to Damascus? (Jesus appeared to him in a light and revealed himself to Saul as the Son of God. Saul was blinded and radically changed.)
2. What special message did God say about the life of Saul? (He said that he was chosen to be an Apostle. He was to be the messenger of the gospel of Christ to the whole world--to the Jews and the Gentiles. God also told Saul that he would suffer much for the sake of the name of Christ.)
3. What reaction did Paul often have with a crowd who listened to him preach so boldly about the message of the gospel? (People either believed in Jesus or were angered against Saul. Some wanted to argue with him. Some wanted to run him out of town. Some wanted to kill him or stone him.)
4. How did God prepare Saul to be recognized as an apostle and to write most of the New Testament books? (Saul went to Arabia for three years to be alone with God. God revealed His Son Jesus to him during that time and personally taught him the gospel. Paul learned about salvation through a direct revelation by God.)
5. How did Barnabas first defend Saul? (Barnabas told the apostles in Jerusalem how Saul was changed on the Road to Damascus and how he had boldly preached in Damascus.)
6. How did Saul escape from his enemies in Damascus? (The believers lowered him in a basket over the wall of the city.)
7. How did Saul escape from his enemies in Jerusalem? (He was taken to the seaport town of Caesarea where he sailed on a ship back to his home in Tarsus.)
8. Why did Barnabas go to the church in Antioch? (The apostles in Jerusalem had heard how many Gentile had become believers in the city and they sent Barnabas there to teach the people and to check on the church.)
9. Why was the church in Antioch so special? (This was the first church that was basically consisted of Gentiles with just a few Jews. It was one of the three largest cities in the Roman Empire and there were lots of people in it. The message of salvation was being preached and many were being saved.)
10. What special name was given to the believers in the church at Antioch? (It was the first place that the believers were called Christians.)
11. Why did Barnabas go to Tarsus to get Saul? (He needed help in teaching the new believers in the church at Antioch. He wanted Saul to come serve as a teacher and pastor at the large church.)
12. After serving one year as the pastors of the church in Antioch, what special message did the church receive? (While fasting and praying the leaders were told to ““Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the special work I want them to do.”)
13. Who went on the first missionary journey that was supported by the church in Antioch? (Saul known as Paul, Barnabas, and Barnabas’ young cousin named John Mark went on the first missionary trip.)
14. What place did Paul and Barnabas first go to on the mission trip and what result did they have? (They traveled to the island of Cyprus where the Proconsul Sergius Paulus believed in Christ after Paul made a sorcerer who was opposing them blind.)
15. When Paul and Barnabas left Cyprus what four cities did they next visit? (They went to Galatia and preached at four major cities— Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe.)
16. What happened as a result of Paul’s preaching in Pisidian Antioch? (The Jews refused to believe so Paul preached to the Gentiles. The Gentiles believed and that made the Jews even angrier so they run Paul and Barnabas out of town.)
17. What happened as a result of Paul’s preaching in Iconium? (The Jews refused to believe so Paul preached to the Gentiles. The Gentiles believed and that made the Jews even angrier so they plotted to kill Paul and Barnabas so they had to leave town.)
18. What happened as a result of Paul’s preaching in Lystra? (Paul healed a lame man. The people thought he and Barnabas were Greek gods and wanted to worship them. Then the Judiazers from Antioch and Iconium caught up with Paul and Barnabas and stirred up the people to stone Saul and leave him for dead.)
19. What happened as a result of Paul’s preaching in Derbe? (Paul and Barnabas preached the Good News of Salvation. Many people in Derbe became Christians. A large number of disciples and believers were added to the church.)
20. Why did Paul and Barnabas decide to return to the four cities they had been to earlier despite the fact that it was very dangerous to return? (They wanted to encourage the believers and establish elders and leaders in the churches.)
21. After visiting the cities of Galatia, where did Paul and Barnabas return to? (They returned to the church in Antioch and gave a report of all that they had done and about all the new believers and the churches that were established in Galatia.)
22. While Paul was back at the church in Antioch what important thing did he do? (He wrote the letter to the churches in Galatia which became the book of Galatians that we have today.)
23. What is our memory verse? (Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”
Bible Memory Verse Activity: “Scrambled Feet” The memory verse is Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Have students locate the verse in scripture and read it orally several times together.
Preparation: You will need Bibles, index cards, marker, and tape. Print the words of Romans 1:16 on index cards, two or three words on each card. If you have more than eight students, make additional sets of cards and divide the class into smaller groups to play the game. Procedure: Randomly move among students taping cards to the tops of each student’s shoes. (Adjust the number of cards given to each student according to the size of your group. If more than one card is given to a student, make sure cards are put on shoes in verse order.) Volunteer finds and reads Romans 1:16 in his or her Bible. Say: “Paul was not afraid to tell everyone about Jesus because he knew that is was the message of salvation. The power that God had to save people was so great it made Paul very bold. Paul was always sharing the gospel with others no matter what the opposition was. We too should be bold like Paul and Barnabas and tell others about the gift of salvation.” At your signal students will line up in verse order, referring to the Bible as needed. Another volunteer reads the verse aloud. This time students lift up their feet when the words on their cards are read aloud. Repeat process as time permits, with students exchanging cards, taping on different places (knees, elbows, and shoulders) and trying to line up faster each time.
Group Learning Activity: “Shadow Pictures” (Grades K-5) Preparation: Set up the room by hanging a large white sheet tautly in one corner with a bright light aimed at it from behind. Leave enough space behind the sheet and in front of the light for the kids to move around. Also, have space for kids to stand next to the sheet while they are waiting for their turn to act. Optional: Set up a video camera to record the drama. Say: “Today our lesson was about Paul and Barnabas in Lystra. We are going to retell the story of Paul and Barnabas using shadow pictures.” Procedure: The students will go behind the sheet and stand in front of the light. This will create shadows on the white sheet that will illustrate the story. They do not have to talk or even move that much. They simply need to create picture that will match the line from the story. (You may want to go behind the sheet the show them how it works.) Read through the script once quickly and assign the parts. When everyone is ready, have the kids stand behind or near the sheet. Dim the lights so that the shadows show up well. Read each line and pause to give the kids a chance to act it out. Characters: Paul, Barnabas, crippled man, crowd, Priest of Zeus, Jews, disciples Script:
In the city of Lystra, there was a crippled man who couldn’t walk. Paul and Barnabas came to Lystra and began to preach the good news about Jesus. The crippled man listened to them and had faith to be healed. Paul looked at him and said “Stand on your feet.” Immediately, the man jumped up and began to walk. The crowd began shouting: “The gods have come in human form!” The priest of Zeus tried to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas. Paul and Barnabas tore their clothes and shouted: “Don’t do this. We are just men like you!” They tried to tell them about Jesus who gave them power to heal. But the people did not want to listen. Some Jews came from Antioch and turned the crowd against Paul and Barnabas. The crowd stoned Paul and dragged him away. After the disciples had gathered around him, Paul got up and went back to tell the people more about God.
If you have time, you can do the drama again and trade roles or watch the video recording so the kids can see themselves. Use the following questions for discussion:
• Do you think Paul was brave or crazy to go back into the city after he had been stoned? Why?
• If you had been Paul or Barnabas, what would you have done? • How was God working in this story? (Healed the crippled man, healed Paul, gave Paul and
Barnabas courage, etc.)
Group Learning Activity: “Whispers” (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need an individual message for each child and a letter carrier. The letters should be addressed to each of your children telling them that God loves them and stating at least one positive thing about that child. Prepare some extras for visitors, saying how much God loves them. Have someone dressed as a letter carrier come in and deliver the letters. Procedure: Have everyone sit in a circle. Have students whisper a message to the person on their right and one to the person on their left. Have them pass the message around the circle by whispering to their neighbor. When the messages have gone around the circle, ask the person who received it last to say it out loud. Try it two or three times,
starting in different places in the circle and have different people choose a message. Say: “How easy was it to hear, understand, and pass on the messages? How did you feel when there was more than one message at a time? (confused, stressed) God has given us a special message to share with others. It is a message of His grace. It is very important that we find ways to communicate clearly so people understand God’s message. Have someone dressed as a letter carrier come in and deliver the letters that you have previously prepared for the members of the class. Allow time for the children to read their letters. Say: “How did you feel when you got your letter? (surprised, happy, good) Why did your letter make you feel good? (It said something nice.) When you have some good news or something good happens to you, what do you want to do? (tell others) Is it easy to keep good news to yourself? (No, it’s difficult. It just bubbles out.) God has given us the best news of all to share with others—the news that He loves us. Say: “Our memory verse is Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” We need to be like Paul and boldly tell others about Jesus.”
Group Learning Activity: “Places I Go” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: Print out two copies of the “Places I Go” template on cardstock. Cut the cards apart. You will need enough copies of the “fish” cards for each child to receive one card. Say: “In this lesson we learned that Paul and Barnabas traveled to many cities to tell people about Jesus. We are going to play a match up game and tell a way that you can tell people about Jesus at the place printed on your card. The cards are marked with a fish symbol because that is how the early Christians would indicate a sign for the place that they were going to meet.” Procedure: Distribute the fish cards. Guide the children to locate their matches. Direct the children to be seated with their partners. Invite each pair of children to state a way they can tell about Jesus at the location printed on their fish. Here are some ideas or examples of ways to tell about Jesus in the following places:
Grocery store: Be friendly to others who are in line waiting to check out their groceries. Talk to them about Jesus and invite them to church. Help someone who needs extra help to load their groceries in their car.
Campsite: Build a campfire and sing songs about Jesus. Invite fellow campers to join you.
Restaurant: Bow your head and give a prayer of thanks. Ask the waitress if there is some special prayer request he or she would like for you to remember.
Park: Play a game and invite a friend to join you. After the game invite the friend to join you at church.
Church: Attend a worship service, sing songs of praise, read your Bible, pray for others, and talk about the meaning of scripture and your favorite Bible story or verse.
Home: Pray before meals and before you go to bed at night. Read your Bible and share with your family what you have learned.
School: Take your Bible to school with you in your backpack. Share the Bible with your friend at lunch or recess. Tell your friend about Jesus. Invite them to come with you to church.
Library: Take your Bible with you to the library. Read the Bible in the quiet. Look for other Christian books that you can read.
School Bus: Talk to your friends as you ride the bus about events at church or youth group. Invite them to attend those events with you. Share with them what you have learned about Jesus.
Say: “Wherever they went, Barnabas and Paul told people about Jesus. God wants us to do the same thing."
Group Learning Activity: “God’s Gift of Grace” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: Each student will need a pencil and Bible and their spiritual notebook. Say: “In this lesson we learned how Paul and Barnabas went on the First Missionary Journey to tell the gospel to the Gentile people. Paul and Barnabas went to the city of Lystra to tell them about Jesus. Paul healed a lame man and the miracle was to show the power and grace of God in saving men. The towns people thought that Paul and Barnabas were gods and they brought flowers and a cow to sacrifice to worship them. Paul and Barnabas had to make them understand that they were not gods. They wanted the people to know about God’s gift of salvation through His Son Jesus. Today we are going to learn more about God’s grace which has been given to us.” Procedure: Have students look up the following verses in scripture about God’s grace and discuss the application and principles that are given in that verse.
• 1 John 4:9 ‘This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” God’s grace and love is shown to us through His Son Jesus. Jesus came to earth to die for our sins so we could have the gift of salvation and spend eternity with Him. That is the greatest example of grace which means “unmerited favor with God.”
• Colossians 1:12-14 “12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Paul lists five benefits of God’s grace to us. (1) He made us “qualified” or able to share his inheritance (salvation through His Son). (2) He rescued us from the power of Satan and sin. (3) He brought us into his kingdom as His children. (4) He purchased for us the gift of salvation or redeemed us by His death on the cross. (5) He forgave all our sins.
• James 3:17, 18 “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” When we seek God and His wisdom, we will receive the greatest gifts of all. We will have peace, love, joy, humility, and sincerity. The greatest of these is love.
• Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God is leader who knows the future. His plans for us are good and He will be with us all the way. His plans are not only good but give us a future full of hope. This does not mean we will not see some pain and sorrow or hardship but it means that God will see us through to a glorious conclusion!
Say: “Do you remember why Paul and Barnabas set out on their journey? (They were led by the Holy Spirit.) Does God have a plan for our lives? (Yes) Paul had many difficulties. Do we need to worry when we face difficulties? (No, God has promised to be with us.) What do these verses tell us about God? (He loves us. He is with us all the time. He has rescued us from sin and wants what is best for us.)
“God offers the grace of His salvation to all. We are to be His witnesses to the world of His grace just like Paul and Barnabas were. We must be willing to obey Him and tell others about Jesus.)
Have students write in their journals what they have learned about God’s gift of grace.
Group Learning Activity: “Grace Scenarios” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: Pin up a large sheet of paper and put a dot in the middle. Procedure: Say: This dot is you. Let’s draw your world.” Draw three circles and label them: home, school, activities. Read the following scenarios and ask, “How could you be a messenger of God’s grace in these situations? (You may want to substitute other scenarios that better fit your situation. Home Scenarios
• Your older sister is studying for a test. Your little brother keeps nagging her to come and play with him. How can you be a messenger of grace?
• It is not your turn to do the dishes. They are in the kitchen sink. Your mom is helping your dad. There are lots of pans to wash and you hate washing pans. How can you be a messenger of grace?
• Mom or Dad always have to remind you to do your chores. How could you make this into a grace situation?
School Scenarios • The teacher is out of the room. Everyone is talking and making noise. The teacher has asked you
to work quietly on your papers. How can you be a messenger of grace? • Your friend is having a hard time understanding math. You find it easy. • You want to play ball at breaktime. You want to practice so you will make the team. What can you
do to be a messenger of grace? • Your friends are being unkind to one of the other children. You don’t like that child either, but feel
they are being unfair. How can you be a messenger of grace?
School Activities • You are often chosen to be a sports captain. You like picking the best players for your team. Some
people always have to wait until last to get picked. How can you be a messenger of grace? • You have been offered a leading role in a school program. There are three performances. One is
on Sunday morning. How can you be a messenger of grace?
Say: “Is it always easy to be a messenger of grace? (No) Why? (Sometimes it means sacrificing the things we want to do.) When we are faced with difficult situations/choices, what can we be sure of?” (God’s grace is big enough to help us deal with the situation and help us to spread His grace to others.)
Group Learning Activity: Balloon Volleyball (Grades 3-5) Preparation: You will need Bibles, masking tape, and balloons. Make a 10 foot masking tape line down the center of a large open space in your room. Blow up and tie a balloon keeping extra balloons ready in case the first balloon pops. Procedure: Divide the class into two teams. Teams sit on the floor facing each other on either side of the masking tape line to play a game similar to volleyball. Give one student a balloon. Student taps the balloon across the line to another student. Teams count to see how many times they can tap the balloon back and forth across the line before the balloon hits the floor. When the balloon hits the floor or after the balloon has been tapped ten times, students tell the number of times the balloon was tapped and then work together to name a way where we can tell others about Jesus and His gift of salvation. (Read the Bible. Invite a friend to church. Tell a friend about how Jesus loves them. Say a prayer for a friend to come to know Jesus.). Repeat the activity as the time permits, each time asking students to name things in a different category such as places where we can tell others about Jesus; ways to praise Jesus, etc.
Review the memory verse. Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Talk about the importance of sharing the gospel with others. Optional: For variety have students follow a different rule each round such as only hit balloon with your right hand, clap before hitting the balloon, hit the balloon two times before hitting it to another person, etc.) Be sure to clearly state the rules of the game before playing. If students are having difficulty remaining seated, add the rule that they must also keep one hand on the floor.
Group Learning Activity: “Bible Book Upset” (Grades 2-5) Preparation: You will need Bibles, index cards, marker, large sheet of paper, tape and chairs. Print the names of the New Testament books of History and Letters on separate index cards (Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude.) Make at least one card for each student, repeating names as needed. Also print the book names in order on a large sheet of paper. Display paper in the room. Procedure: Say: “What is the name of the book our lesson came from today? (Acts) Who wrote this book? (Luke) The book of Acts tells the history of the first Christians. It is the only book in a section of the New Testament called History. The next section is called Letters. Why do you think it has this name?” (They are the letters written by Paul and others telling people how to live as Christians.) Students read the names of the books in order from the large sheet of paper. Play a game like Fruit Basket Upset: Give each student an index card you prepared. One student stands in the middle of the room. Other students sit in chairs around the student. The student in the center of the circle points to one of the students who are sitting in the chairs and says, “What’s your book?” Student tells the name of his or her book. The student in the center must quickly tell the name of the book that comes next. If the student standing in the center is correct, he or she takes the place of the student who told the name of the book. If volunteer in the center is not correct or can’t think of the book name, he or she calls out, “Bible Book Upset.” All the students in the circle of chairs must jump up and try to find another chair. Student left without a chair becomes the new student standing in the center. Continue until everyone has had a chance to be in the middle.
Craft Learning Activity: “Passport” Continued (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need a printed photo of each child, copies of the passport example and 6 blank pages for each child. You will also need a real passport to show students. Say: “Our lesson was about Paul’s First Missionary Journey. As we study the life of Paul in the book of Acts we will see that he went on three missionary journeys. He visited several different cities as he preached the gospel to the Gentiles. When a person travels to foreign cities, they have to carry a passport for identification. The passport tells where the person is a citizen and what cities or countries they are visiting. (Show a real passport to students). Today we are going to make a passport for ourselves as we travel with Paul on these trips.” Procedure: Assemble the printed pictures of your students to use on the passport. Make copies of the passport example and make sure that each child has 6 blank pages for their passport. Be sure to include the pages of maps for the passport. Fold the sheets in half to form a book. On the cover they can glue on the illustration that is found in the following pages. On the cover of the passport make sure they write the name of the country they are from. They can
make up their own passport number. On the second page they will glue their picture and they will sign their name. On the third page they can fill out the corresponding information. You can use a hole punch in the corners of the binder and tie with short pieces of yarn. When they’ve finished, collect the passports to use later. Current Lesson: Use Passports that were made for the previous lesson. Have students enter names of cities that Paul and Barnabas visited on the Itinerary cities page for the First Missionary Journey.
Craft Learning Activity: “Paul’s Sailboat in a Bottle” (Grades 2-5) Preparation: Print the template below of Paul’s Sailboat onto brown construction paper. You will need a paper straw, white cloth or white paper, blue paper confetti for water, and glue, scissors, and a clean clear 2 liter soda bottle for each student. Say: “Paul and Barnabas sailed on a boat several times during their first missionary journey. What cities did they sail to? (Seleucia to Salamis, Cyprus; Pafos; Cyprus to Perga; and Attalia back to Seleucia.) Today we are going to make a ship in a bottle to help us remember the events in our lesson.” (Review story as children work on craft). Procedure: Wash and clean the 2 liter soda bottle. Cut a square “window” in the side of the liter bottle. (Teacher may do this in advance for younger students.) Fill the side of the bottle with blue paper confetti to simulate the water. Distribute the printed copies of the sailboat to students. Have students cut the ship out of the brown construction paper. Fold along the bottom edge of the boat to form a 3 dimensional boat. Insert a paper straw as the mast. Cover the sails with white paper or white cloth and glue to the pattern. Attach the white sail to the paper straw mast. Insert the finished boat into the 2 liter plastic bottle.
Craft Learning Activity: “Flip Flop” Book (Grades K-3) Preparation: Print the “Flip-Flop” pattern. You will need colored craft foam, colored construction paper, scissors, ribbon, items to decorate booklets, hole puncher, stapler, and pencils. Precut the ribbon to 8 inch lengths (2 per child). Provide craft items for the children to decorate the outside of the books. Precut the craft foam. Say: “What is one of your favorite Bible stories? Why is it your favorite? What Bible stories can you tell people about Jesus? God wants us to tell people about Jesus wherever we go. Let’s create a list of Bible stories we can use to tell people about Jesus.” Procedure: Distribute the craft foam, patterns, pencils, and scissors. Guide the children to follow the directions to create their flip flop book: (1) Fold the craft foam and papers in half. Align the pattern on the fold. Trace and cut through both layers of the foam and papers. Set papers aside. (2) Punch 3 holes through the foam as indicated on the pattern. (3) Locate and knot the center of the ribbon. Insert both ends of the ribbon (from the backside of the foam) through the top hole. Pull tight. (4) Place 1 end of the ribbon in each side hole. Tie a knot in the end of the ribbon to secure in place. (5) Place the papers inside the booklet covers. Staple in place. (6) Decorate Say: “On the pages in your books, write a few words to help you remember Bible stories you can use to yell people about Jesus.” Examples of stories about Jesus: (1) Jesus healed the sick and made the blind man to see. (2) Jesus feed the 5,000 people when he blessed the bread and fish. (3) Jesus loved the little children and said that we must become like a little child’s faith to have eternal life. (4) Jesus walked on water and stilled the
storm. (5) Jesus died on the cross for our sins. (6) Jesus rose again and was victorious over death. Each of these stories show us His power over sickness and disease, His provision to meet our needs, His love for us as His children, His great power over nature, His forgiveness for our sin, and His power over death. All of these stories are easy to tell and help others see that Jesus is the Son of God. Review today’s Bible story and memory verse. Have students form a circle. Say: “Let’s pray for people standing beside us. Let’s ask God to help them tell people about Jesus this week.” Pray.
Life Application Challenge: Spreading the Word Say: “What is your greatest fear in telling others about Jesus? (We might have a fear of rejection; fear of not knowing what to say; fear of what others’ think; etc.) Why do you think we should overcome our fears and be more like Paul and Barnabas? (God has commanded us to tell others. It is important for people to have salvation for eternity.) What way have we discussed in this lesson that you could do to share your love of Jesus with others?” “We can’t share our love for Jesus if we have never ask Jesus to be our Savior? Have you done that? Would you like Jesus to be your Savior today? (Review the ABC’s of the gospel—Admit that you have sinned against God; Believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died to take away your sins; Confess that Jesus is Lord and ask Jesus to be your Savior in a prayer of Commitment.”
Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”
![Whittington 2005 Apostle Paul[1]](https://static.documents.pub/doc/80x56/577cc1741a28aba711931c75/whittington-2005-apostle-paul1.jpg)
