Barnabas at Antioch - Sunday March 14, 2021
Sunday March 14, 2021 (Vol 11, Unit 31, Session 2)
Do you have a church home? If not, why not join ours? If you are local to the SoArNoCa region (Southern Anne Arundel/Northern Calvert) we would love to meet you and Easter would be the perfect time to see what we are all about. We offer a sunrise service overlooking the Chesapeake Bay at the Rod and Reel Resort in Chesapeake Beach at 6:30 as well as an in-person service at our facility at 10:30. We hope to see you there!
The following blog is here to be a tool for you to help your kids grow in their faith. Please feel free to use as much of it as you choose. You know your kids and are the best possible teacher for them. God has given you the power of the Holy Spirit to enable you to do more than you think possible (Eph 3:20). So, let’s have some fun and teach our kids from the scriptures.
Parent Devotional
This week’s lesson teaches what God did through Barnabas and others in Antioch and is found in Acts chapter 11. Read this over for insights and suggestions on how to help your kids grasp the concepts taught throughout the lesson.
In the face of persecution, the early church saw growth as believers dispersed following Stephen’s death. (See Acts 7.) As they went, they carried the good news with them. Jesus’ disciples had cared for the church from Jerusalem, but God began to call them out as missionaries too.
In Acts 8, Philip went to Samaria and Judea. The Holy Spirit led him to share the good news with an Ethiopian official. Paul encountered Jesus in Acts 9 and began spreading the gospel. Peter performed miracles and people believed in Jesus. In Acts 10, God made it clear to Peter that the gospel was not only for the Jews but also for Gentiles. Peter gave testimony about the salvation of Gentiles to Jewish leaders in Jerusalem who thought people needed to follow Jewish law to be saved.
As the message about Jesus went out, churches were started. One of these churches was in Antioch, which was the capital of Syria. When the church at Antioch began, it was made up only of Jewish Christians. But, as Acts 11:20 reveals, some Christians from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch and began sharing the gospel with Greeks (Gentiles). Many Gentiles believed.
When the church in Jerusalem heard about this, what was their response? They sent Barnabas to Antioch to encourage the believers there! Then even more people believed in Jesus. The Bible tells us that Antioch was the place where believers were first called “Christians.”
As you teach kids this week, emphasize the story point: Barnabas went to Antioch to encourage believers. Even though some people tried to stop it, the gospel spread throughout the earth—not only to Jews but also to Gentiles. We should celebrate when other people repent and turn to Jesus, and we can encourage them to grow in their faith and in their love for the Lord. The good news about Jesus is for everyone.
Parent Guidance and Instructions
As we begin to explore this week’s lesson, take a moment to pray and remember the verse from Deuteronomy about teaching your children the scriptures. Deuteronomy 6:9 says: "You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." Maybe you do not have time to sit and have an hour of Bible time all at once, or maybe your children are too young to sit for that long. Consider the key points of the lesson and ask God to give you opportunities to speak them into the hearts of your children throughout the week. Let the Bible become a part of your day to day. Be blessed this week my friends!
Each week we include songs, activity pages, the bible lesson video, memory verses and possibly a craft or 2. We pray this will help you find ways to engage your kids spiritually. It is written in script form from the K-2nd grade lesson so you can read directly from it or change it up to suit your children. Take some time to look at and print the activity pages as well as the additional activities and information (found in the links at the bottom of the page) also to review the lesson so you can adjust as needed. I have included the Bible and Discussion questions along with a breakdown of the Gospel in the Older Kids Activities pages as well as loads of activities and crafts on the Preschool Extra Activity Pages. Once you are ready, go ahead and start with these songs if you would like or pick some of your favorite worship songs and then jump right in! Have fun! And remember, this does not need to be done in one sitting! Feel free to break it up over the course of the week. Please contact me if you have any questions or suggestions. I would love to hear from you! - Melissa
Opening
“Blessings and Bummers”
So, let's get started. Tell me, what have you seen the Lord doing in your lives this week? What have your greatest blessings been? How about your biggest challenges?
Parents share your blessings and bummers, encourage the kids to do the same.
Prayer
Let's go to the Lord in prayer: Father God, Thank you. Thank you for providing for our needs. You are so good to us even though we don't deserve it! Thank you for continuing to bless us Lord. Thank you for being patient with us. Thank you for our friends as well as our families. Most importantly, we thank you always for sending Jesus to live a perfect life and die to pay for our sins. Thank you for raising Him from the dead and promising us life with you forever if we believe in Him. Help us to be thankful of all you do for us and to look to you in all that we do. In Jesus name, Amen. (please add to or customize prayer time to fit your family)
Praise the Lord for hearing our prayers!
Let's chat!
Prompt kids to share about a time they learned something new. What did they learn, and who helped them understand?
Say • Learning new things can be really rewarding and exciting. Today we will learn about a time a man called Barnabas traveled to a new place to teach the people there, new things. What do you think Barnabas taught them?
Optional Session Starter Activity
Pick one of two options, or do both, this is your party. (These are found on page 2 of the optional activity pages attached at the bottom of the page.)
Big Picture Question
Let’s review out big picture question before we get too far into the story. What is the gospel? The gospel is the good news that God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to rescue sinners. God’s plan all along was to bless the world through His chosen people. Jesus was that blessing. His life, death, and resurrection made the way for sinners from every nation to be saved from sin and transformed into new creations that love and worship God.
Review
Last week, we learned how God showed Peter that the gospel is for all people. God doesn’t love only certain kinds of people. All people are made in His image, and He wants every person to hear the gospel, repent of sin, and be saved by faith. This week we will hear a story called “Barnabas in Antioch.” Let’s watch the video to learn more…
Bible Lesson
Once Peter had explained his vision, the early church realized that keeping the gospel for just Jewish people wasn’t God’s plan. The church experienced more growth as many Gentiles began to hear the gospel and believe it.
When the church leaders in Jerusalem heard about the new believers in places like Antioch, they decided to send someone to help them live the way Jesus wanted them to live. Barnabas went to Antioch to encourage believers. He even found Paul to help teach them and grow their faith.
The Bible tells us that Barnabas’ real name was Joseph. The nickname Barnabas means “son of encouragement.” You’d have to be a really great source of encouraging words for people to basically change your name to “The Encouraging Guy.” That was exactly what the early church needed though. Christians at this time faced a lot of persecution from people who did not believe the truth. In the middle of hard times, we all need someone to remind us of the gospel and how good God is. What is the gospel? The gospel is the good news that God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to rescue sinners.
Christ Connection
Even though some people tried to stop it, the gospel spread throughout the earth—not only to Jews but also to Gentiles. The good news about Jesus is for everyone. God calls us to celebrate when others believe and to help them know and love Jesus more.
Bible Time!
Distribute a Bible to each kid. Help them find Acts 11. Consider pointing out Jerusalem and Antioch of Syria on a New Testament Mediterranean Map. Remind kids that Acts is immediately after John.
Ask the following questions. Lead the group to discuss:
· How did the Jewish believers react after Peter explained what happened with Cornelius? (They glorified God and understood that Gentiles could be saved by faith too, Acts 11:18)
· Who did the scattered believers share the gospel with? (only the Jews, Acts 11:19)
· In what city were believers first called Christians? (Antioch of Syria, Acts 11:26)
· Who can we share the gospel with? Direct kids to see that God’s plan all along has been for people of all nations and tribes to come to faith. As a result, we can be sure that God wants us to share the gospel with everyone we meet.
· How do you feel when you think about sharing the gospel with someone? Help kids think through the common emotions they might experience. Remind them that it is normal to feel nervous, afraid, or uncertain. Help them understand that the Bible teaches us the Holy Spirit will empower us and help to give us the words we need to share the gospel. Remind them that even a negative reaction from the person listening doesn’t mean we should stop sharing the gospel.
· How can you encourage other believers? Guide kids to think practically. Remind them that telling someone you care or thanking them for the ways they help you love Jesus are great ways to encourage others. Sometimes, even just listening to others’ problems is all it takes.
Say • Barnabas went to Antioch to encourage believers. The gospel spread and the church grew. We can encourage others and spread the gospel too, which in turn can grow the church.
Memory Verse
Read the verse together.
Say • Although this key passage comes from the Old Testament, it fits perfectly with these stories of the church growing and moving outward from Jerusalem as Gentiles began to believe. God is the God of the whole world, and of all people.
God wants to see everyone come to faith. That’s the reason for the gospel! What is the gospel? The gospel is the good news that God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to rescue sinners. Someday, Jesus will return, and all of creation with praise God together.
Memory Verse Activity:
Print onto card stock the “Key Passage Flip Cards” printable and cut the cards apart. Provide each kid with one card and demonstrate how to fold the card in half so that only one level is showing at a time. Kids will work through the levels, filling in the missing words to complete the key passage. After each level, kids should fold that level under to work on the next level without peeking at earlier levels.
Say • What is the gospel? The gospel is the good news that God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to rescue sinners. God’s plan is reason to rejoice. Apart from Him, we have no hope of salvation. In Him we have hope and a promise of eternal life. We know that God loves us, and His plans cannot be stopped. Someday, all nations will rejoice in Him when Jesus returns and destroys all evil.
That is all I have for this week. Let's pray together:
Say • Father, we love You because You are good, and You love us. Thank You for all You have done and all that You will do. Help us to be encouraging to one another and lift one another up to love and worship You. Amen.
Thanks for joining us! I hope to meet you here again next week!
Thank you, Lifeway’s Gospel Project, for allowing us to print this material.
Additional Activities and Information
