Paul Was Arrested - Sunday June 13, 2021
Sunday June 13, 2021 (Vol 12, Unit 34, Session 2)
Hi there, and thanks for joining us this week. The following blog is here to be a tool for you to review the previous Sunday’s Children’s church lesson and 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 – Paul was Arrested!
Acts 21-23
As Paul’s third missionary journey came to an end, a prophet named Agabus warned him that the Jews would seize him in Jerusalem and hand him over to the Gentiles. (See Acts 21:10-11.)
But Paul did not hesitate. He returned to Jerusalem and was seized by a group of Jews who wanted to kill him because he taught things contrary to their law.
The Roman soldiers nearby saw the commotion and stepped in, taking Paul into Roman custody. Now Paul was in Gentile hands. Paul remained under Roman protection and was staying in the barracks when the Lord gave him a message: “Have courage! For as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so it is necessary for you to testify in Rome” (Acts 23:11).
What a comforting message for Paul! The sovereign Lord told Paul his future: You’re going to Rome. Paul wasn’t exactly sure how he was going to get to Rome, but he could trust that God was working all things together for that purpose.
The next morning, Paul’s nephew uncovered a plot to kill Paul and reported it to the Roman army commander. The commander arranged for Paul to go to Caesarea, where he would be safe.
In this Bible story, we see God using human means to bring about His end. Even when others threatened his life, Paul trusted that God is faithful. He believed that God, who showed His love for the world by sending Jesus to die on the cross and rise again, would help him through hard times.
We too can risk everything to share the gospel with courage because we know that God loves us and will care for us. God calls us to be obedient and faithful as we take part in His greater plan to show His glory to us and through us for the fame of His name.
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 perhaps 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 to suit your children. Take some time to look at and print the activity pages and the additional activities and information (found in the links at the bottom of the page) 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 and 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 week. Please contact me if you have any questions or suggestions. We would love to hear from you!
Opening
“Blessings and Bummers”
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 do not deserve it! Thank you for continuing to bless us, Lord. Thank you for being patient with us. Thank you to 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. Please help us be thankful for all you do for us and 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 discuss people whose job it is to protect others.
Say • God protected Paul everywhere he traveled so that he could tell others about Jesus. Even when Paul felt like his own life was in danger, he trusted God to protect him so that he could continue sharing the gospel. Think about people who protect others. How do they protect you? Why is their job important?
Optional Session Starter Activity
Pick one of two options or do both; this is your party. (You can find these on page 2 of the optional activity pages attached at the bottom of the post.)
Big Picture Question
Does anyone remember that really big word we learned last week? That’s right! Sanctification. What is sanctification? Sanctification is the process of becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. Sanctification takes time. None of us wake up and are immediately just like Jesus, but all believers become a little more like Jesus each day. The Holy Spirit changes what we think, say, and do to be the things Jesus would want us to think, say, and do.
Review
Last week we learned that Paul used every opportunity to tell others about Jesus. When it was time to return to Jerusalem, Paul knew there would be trouble there, but he obeyed God. This week, we will find out about the trouble Paul faced in Jerusalem. Let’s watch this week’s video to learn more.
Bible Lesson
Paul knew that going to Jerusalem would result in trouble. When he returned to Jerusalem, he was arrested by Jews who didn’t agree with what he taught about Jesus being resurrected from the dead. But Roman soldiers saw what was happening and took him into Roman custody. This actually saved Paul’s life!
While Paul was in jail, the Lord gave him a message. God told Paul to have courage. God said, “I want you to tell others about Me in Rome, too.” This must have comforted Paul to know that God would protect Him all the way to Rome. Paul did not know when or how he would get to Rome, but he knew God would get him safely there.
God used Paul’s nephew and the commander to protect Paul. Some Jews made a plan to kill Paul and Paul’s nephew heard their plan. He immediately told the commander. The commander sent Paul with two officers to Caesarea to see the governor. Even though Paul was still in jail, he was safe in Caesarea.
Paul never stopped trusting God’s faithfulness. He believed God would help him through the scary, difficult, and dangerous times. Paul knew God was using him to share the good news about Jesus and Paul was obedient in that work.
Christ Connection
Even when others threatened his life, Paul continued to obey Jesus. He believed that God, who showed His love for the world by sending His Son to die on the cross and rise again, would help him through hard times. We too can risk everything to share the gospel with courage because we know God loves us and will care for us. God calls us to be obedient and faithful as He uses us to bring about His plan.
Bible Time!
Distribute a Bible to each kid. Help them find Acts 21–23. Remind kids that Acts is in the New Testament, right after the Gospels division. Help kids distinguish the difference between the large chapter numbers and the smaller verse numbers. Ask the kids if any of them remember who wrote the Book of Acts, and what other book he wrote. (Luke wrote Acts and the Gospel of Luke.)
Ask the following questions. Lead the group to discuss:
· Why did the Jews make a plan to stop Paul from sharing the gospel? (They believed that the gospel went against Jewish laws; Acts 21:28)
· What message did Paul receive while in the Roman prison? (God told Paul to have courage because he would preach in Rome; Acts 23:11)
· What did the Jewish leaders plan to do to Paul? (kill him, Acts 23:12-15)
· Why did Paul continue to obey Jesus, even when his freedom and safety were threatened? Help the kids understand that Paul knew the promises of God. Paul understood that following Jesus is often like a fight. Paul had hope for the future, and was being made more like Jesus each day. Jesus gave His life for us, and we can give our lives so others can believe the gospel.
· What might we risk by sharing the gospel boldly? Talk to your group about the risks they might face. They may be unpopular or have other kids who think they are strange or awkward. Remind the kids that in some places, talking about Jesus can be punished with prison or death, just like Paul faced.
· Will God protect us from all hard times or pain? Help the kids think about Paul and Stephen. God allowed Stephen to be martyred, but He protected Paul. God protected Paul from death, but not from prison. Paul still faced many hardships for Jesus. Help the kids see that God works through all circumstances, even those that are difficult, sad, or scary.
Say • God protected Paul so that he could preach about Jesus. Paul was willing to face all kinds of troubles because He knew that Jesus is worth any price.
Key Memory Verse
Read the verse together.
Paul sent Timothy to help the Ephesians understand the gospel. Paul knew that Christians face real enemies who want to stop people from believing the gospel. That’s why Paul encouraged Timothy to fight the good fight of faith and teach the Ephesians to do the same.
Memory Verse Activity:
Blow up one balloon. Invite the kids to stand in a circle. Explain that the goal is to keep the balloon in the air while saying the entire key passage. Challenge kids to keep it in the air by tapping it gently. When a kid hits the balloon back into the air, he should say the next word in the key passage. To begin the activity, toss the balloon into the circle and say the first word of the key passage. Continue playing several rounds as time allows.
Say • Salvation is a free gift from God. God calls us to salvation, and we respond by putting our faith in Jesus. When we believe in Jesus, we receive the gift of eternal life.
That is all I have for this week. Let’s pray together:
Thank You, Lord, that we can trust You with our lives. You are the faithful God who loves and cares for us. You sent Your own Son to take the punishment for our sins. Help us share the gospel with courage and boldness, as You have called us to do. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Thanks for joining us! I hope to meet you here again next week!
Thank you, Lifeway’s Gospel Project, for allowing us to publish this material.
Additional Activities and Information
