a family-aligned curriculum for every generation GRADES 4-5 teaching guide winter new testament lessons from the early church

Transcription

1 a family-aligned curriculum for every generation GRADES 4-5 teaching guide winter new testament lessons from the early church

2 TEACHING GUIDE Welcome to the New Explorers Teaching Guide...2 Explorers Components...4 Welcome to the Winter Quarter...5 Talking With Children About Spiritual Matters...6 Special Topic God Within Us December 6, 2015 Lesson Who Is the Holy Spirit? December 13, 2015 Lesson The Holy Spirit Guides Me December 20, 2015 Lesson Jesus Is Born December 27, 2015 Lesson The Holy Spirit Is Our Helper Old Testament Have Faith January 3, 2016 Lesson Noah Built An Ark January 10, 2016 Lesson The Rain Came Down January 17, 2016 Lesson God Scattered the People January 24, 2016 Lesson God Made a Covenant With Abraham January 31, 2016 Lesson God Provided a Sacrifice New Testament Lessons From the Early Church February 7, 2016 Lesson The Church Is Born February 14, 2016 Lesson The Church Stands Together February 21, 2016 Lesson The Church Grows February 28, 2016 Lesson The Church Is Persecuted

3 Welcome to the NEW Explorers Teaching Guide! Explorers Teaching Guide is a leader s guide for those who teach grades four and five. This teaching guide will help you connect with the students in your class and challenge them to learn and apply the truths of God s Word. Explorers is part of the D6 family of Sunday School/Bible study curriculum for all ages. D6 is a reference to the Scriptural teaching that says parents are to be the primary spiritual leaders for their children (Deuteronomy 6:5-9). D6 curriculum provides a six-year study of the story of the Bible, helping lead the entire family to interact around the same biblical theme. For more than a decade now, Explorers teaching resources have been the arm of D6 curriculum for upper elementary students. However, you hold in your hands a new generation of Explorers Teaching Guide! What s New? The More You Know...This section on the front page of every lesson provides helpful information with regard to the rationale for teaching that unit s lessons, or interesting background information about the Scripture text being taught. Timeline Many lessons will include a graphic that helps you understand the period of history (both biblical and secular) in which the lesson is set. This is a good reminder that the Bible is not a book of stories or fables, but rather an accurate historical record. D6 Doorposts Each lesson will address key principles that frame a biblical worldview. We will identify how the passage being studied supports a biblical worldview so teachers will be able to reinforce these foundational concepts in age-appropriate ways. D6 Digital For the first time, D6 curriculum is available in a digital format! Now you can study from your laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Go to d6curriculum.com or call for more information. Despite the many exciting changes to Explorers Teaching Guide, the curriculum continues to be built around the CLEAR Learning System, which uses five important steps to help students participate in every lesson. These five steps are: Connect These opening activities help capture the learners attention to help them transition to class time and be ready to learn how the lesson relates to their lives. Two options are provided so teachers can choose the activity that best fits their students and their classroom setting. Learn What does the Bible say? The Learn section answers this question by digging into the biblical text and explaining it in ways students can understand. Explore The Explore section of each lesson provides additional teaching and reinforcement of biblical truths presented in the lesson. It provides a helpful perspective for understanding God s Word. Apply The Apply section provides interaction that encourages students to do more than learn facts and details. It provides emphasis on the application of God s Word in personal ways. 2 Respond The final section in each lesson encourages students to consider specific responses they can make to the lessons learned. Students are challenged to response from their hearts and take practical action.

4 Application Verse: D6 curriculum has always emphasized a memory verse for elementary students. However, there is a more intentional focus for students to apply the verse to their lives and not just memorize the words (James 1:22). Lesson Objectives: It s hard to know if you ve hit the target when you re not sure what you re aiming at. That s why ever lesson now includes three objectives that identify the lesson s threefold target. Know The biblical knowledge you want your students to learn. Think A biblical worldview you hope your students will adopt. Do The practical understanding of how to apply biblical truths to daily life. Preparation Checklist: This lists the items needed for the different parts of the lesson whether it is a Teaching Essential or items needed for activities. The More You Know... This provides the teacher with background information on a section of Scripture, rationale for teaching this topic to students, or even suggestions for creative additions to the lessons. Sometimes the more you know, the better you can prepare. D6 Doorpost: It is important to instill a biblical worldview to students of all ages. The D6 doorposts give an explanation of how the lesson supports a biblical worldview and helps emphasize the relevance of the principle for the world today. Take Note: These are additional tips and information you will find helpful when preparing and teaching the lesson. Are you making a Home Connection with your kids? Home Connection is a FREE download that gives parents a simple way to practice faith at home by providing: A weekly Bible passage to read together as a family Suggestions to help you pray together as a family Suggested activities to do as a family to put your faith in action It s a great tool for parents who want to pass their faith on to their children! Also, if your church uses D6 Curriculum, Home Connection will let you know exactly what each member of the family is learning in small group, Life group, or Sunday School each week. Try it this week by downloading it at: 3

5 Explorers Components Explorers Teaching Guide Application Verse Poster Teaching Essentials Explorers Teaching Essentials provides the resources needed to most effectively teach grades four and five. Each kit includes one Explorers Teaching Guide, teaching pictures and posters, reproducible sheets, application verse posters, an attendance poster, and reproducible take-home piece, Field Notes. Teaching Pictures Explorers Field Notes These are a weekly link between class and home. These reproducible sheets are designed to reinforce weekly lessons and themes through the use of age-appropriate activities that are used in the class and home. One side offers a worksheet activity related to the lesson to be used in the classroom. Reproducibles Field Notes Field Notes Field Notes are reproducible worksheets provided in the Teaching Essentials to be used in class and at home. This side is to be used at home. Includes a weekly activity for families to do together. This can be completed in class or at home. Part of this side is completed in class. Observations students will write what they learned in class. Response students will write possible verses for what they have learned. 4

6 Explorer s Guide Explorer s Guide is the devotional study guide for students in grades four and five. It is a tool designed to help the student establish the habit of spending daily time with God in His Word. This magazine features 13 weeks of daily Bible studies, which help reinforce the themes of the lessons they learn each Sunday. It also includes puzzles, age-appropriate jokes, and short stories and articles to help them grow as Christ followers. Welcome to the Winter quarter! Special Topic God Within Us Having a proper understanding of the Trinity cannot happen without a proper understanding of the Holy Spirit. Over the course of these lessons your students will learn of the vitally important role the Holy Spirit plays in the lives of believers who seek to live God s way. He is truly the day-to-day God who offers us guidance and comfort. He is the God who dwells within us, and we should work to get to know Him better than we do. Jesus made it possible for Holy God to live within sinful man. The Holy Spirit is the one who claims the residence. This unit also contains a lesson about the birth of Jesus and celebrates Him the greatest gift of them all! Old Testament Have Faith This five-week unit explores the lives of two celebrated Bible heroes, Noah and Abraham. Though Noah was not a perfect man, he was a man who was willing to obey God when it mattered most. It s easy to focus on the building of the ark and all the animals with the children, but the more important lesson for them to learn is that Noah was obedient to God s instructions even when it didn t make sense to him; even when all the people who knew him made fun of him for his choices. The biblical account of Noah and the ark is a story that balances grace and judgment. God made salvation available to all men, but no one but Noah s family listened before it was too late. Through Abraham God began building a nation that would one day bring the Messiah the Savior of the world. Like Noah, Abraham had to be willing to go against the expectations his family, his community, and even the desires of his own heart to follow God s plan. Also like Noah, he made many poor choices along the way. See a pattern? Willingness to follow goes a lot further in God s book than our attempts at perfection. New Testament Lessons From the Early Church When the Holy Spirit empowered believers on the day of Pentecost, nothing could stop them from spreading the Good News of Jesus death and resurrection and all the implications of those events. This unit explores the early days of the church, its leaders, and its tenacity through imprisonment, danger, and even death. Some of their biggest challenges, though, came from within the people, who had many differing opinions about what made a person godly. But through all the challenges it faced, God s church was available to all people and began to spread across the world. 5

7 6 Talking With Children About Spiritual Matters One of your most important roles as a church leader to elementary students will be to encourage and guide them in their spiritual journey. God has given parents the most important and influential role when it comes to influencing a child s path to salvation, and leaders at church have the responsibility to support and encourage this process. Ideally, parents will be the ones to help their kids navigate a decision to follow Christ, but children s ministry leaders should be prepared and ready when needed. Kids will have questions about faith at random times, so it s important for everyone on your team to be trained about leading them to Christ and answering questions they may have. Sometimes kids respond to an invitation for salvation, but when you talk with them you can tell what they really need is assurance of salvation, help understanding how to fight temptations, or some other aspect of navigating their walk with Christ. See #4 below for help with those situations. There are many methods that are effective, but the following provides general guidelines and principles with regard to leading a child to Christ. Whenever a child responds, it s important to discern the reasons for the response and the readiness of the child. Ask the child why he responded today (came forward, raised his hand, went to the back of the room, etc.). Don t make the assumption the child is responding to a need for salvation. Sometimes kids just want to tell you about an injury or a pet that is sick. Be careful not to ask leading questions like, Did you come to become a Christian? Ask questions that allow the child to word his reason for responding. If the child provides enough feedback to show readiness for this important step of faith, proceed with the next steps. If you do not feel the child fully understands, listen to why she came and pray with her about her need, but do not proceed. Walking a child through that decision before she is ready can lead to much confusion and provide a false sense of security in salvation. Here are some guidelines for talking with children about salvation: 1. We have a problem we all sin and there s a penalty for sin. What is sin? Sin is anything we think, say, or do that goes against God s Word. Sin breaks our relationship with God. Have you ever sinned? Encourage the child to recognize he has sinned and use the Bible to show that all have sinned (Romans 3:23). Do you know what punishment is? Allow the child to respond. The Bible teaches us the punishment for sin means that at some point everyone will die and be separated from God. It s a punishment earned because of sin (Romans 6:23). 2. God has a solution to the problem Jesus took the punishment for sin and made a way to fix our relationship with God. God loved us so much that He sent His Son to die on the cross to pay the price for our sins (Romans 5:8). God offers the free gift of salvation and all who choose that gift can live with Him forever (Romans 6:23b). God wants to be our friend and guide us every day! 3. You have a choice to make Will you receive the free gift being offered to you? Nobody can make this choice for you. It s a personal decision to follow Jesus (Romans 10:9, John 3:16). Discuss with the child what these verses mean and ask if she believes these things and wants to receive the gift of salvation. Pray with her, but encourage her to use her own words to tell God what she is feeling and wants to do. Children are literal thinkers, so using phrases like, ask Jesus into your heart, or give your heart to Jesus can be confusing to them. Be simple and clear when choosing your words. 4. The choice to become a Christian is just the beginning of an exciting journey with the Lord. He is ready to help His children grow and learn every day. Use these five-word promises from Gods Word to encourage kids along their journey. Encourage them to use the fingers on one hand to be reminded of these truths. God will always forgive me (1 John 1:9). Children need to be reminded that becoming a Christian doesn t mean they will never sin again. Some kids think they need to become a Christian all over again every time they sin. God will never leave me (Hebrews 13:5b). Sometimes kids just need assurance of salvation and a reminder that God is with them even when they cannot physically see Him. The Lord is my helper (Hebrews 13:6). It s not easy to fight sin nature and follow Christ. Children often get discouraged if they feel alone. I can talk to God (Philippians 4:6, 1 Peter 5:7). Children need to be reminded that God cares about everything they are going through and they can talk to Him about anything. The Bible is God s Word (Hebrews 4:12, 2 Timothy 3:16). Children need to know the Bible is not just a book about God or His teachings. It is actually God s Word to us and very useful for learning to follow Him every day.

8 New Testament Lesson 1 February 7, 2016 The Church Is Born TEXT: Acts 2:1-47 LESSON OBJECTIVE Know: The church helps us grow closer to God. Think: Understand that our thoughts, words, and actions should honor Christ. Do: We are to honor Christ because He is worthy of our worship. APPLICATION VERSE: Ephesians 3:20-21 THEME: The Church Is Born PREPARATION CHECKLIST CONNECT Option 1 q Mirror Option 2 q A book (preferably a children s book that is not familiar) LEARN q TE 3-2 q Five envelopes q Four pieces of copy paper q Marker q Pieces of bread q Bible EXPLORE q TE 3-1a APPLY q TE 3-13 q TE 3-14 THE MORE YOU KNOW: You can t really oversell the significance of the Day of Pentecost, but it s super easy to undersell. Your family is made up of the people you love most, but they are also the easiest to take for granted because they are constant. The Holy Spirit is the same way. It is not a small thing that the Lord Himself dwells within us, and the constancy of Him makes it all the more amazing. The God that created us to walk with Him had to separate Himself from us because of our sin. Jesus victory over sin and death enabled God to walk with us again. Sure He had communed with key people, but only so far and so much. On this day that he released His Spirit upon those who believed, He fixed the relationship that had been broken since Adam and Eve ate that forbidden fruit. RESPOND q Field Notes 3-1 q Pencil DAILY BIBLE READINGS Day 1 Acts 1:6-9 Day 2 Acts 2:1-8 Day 3 Acts 2:11-17, 21-24, Day 4 Acts 2:37-41 Day 5 Acts 2:42-47 Copyright This study is licensed to the purchasing church and only to be used by the teacher or teaching team for one group or class. Sharing copies of this study is unethical, illegal, and hinders the efforts of the publisher to provide high quality, affordable resources to you. 59

9 Notes Choose one of these two options to help students transition into the classroom and connect with the lesson. Option 1 Items Needed: Mirror I want everyone to look in the mirror and tell me what you see. Hold the mirror and take it around the room letting each student briefly look in it. Hopefully you brushed your hair and your teeth before coming to church! When you use a mirror, what are you usually using it for? Allow time for response. Right! Mirrors make you see you. Sometimes we can live our lives like we are looking in a mirror. Everything is about us; what we want, how we feel, and how we benefit. It s easy to be this way. In fact, if you aren t putting forth effort not to be all about you, chances are you are more this way than you realize. This month, we will be focusing on the church and its purposes. Today, we will be looking at how the church must be Christ-honoring, not self-honoring. When we are tempted to want things at church to be all about us, or exactly how we want it to be, we should remember that everything about church is to be about Jesus Christ and what draws us closer to Him as a community. What does it mean to honor someone? Allow time for response. When we honor someone, we show that person respect. We show that person they are important to us. Do we honor Christ in Sunday School? Do we honor Christ when we sing? Do we honor Christ with the way we act? As we think about these questions, let s see what the early church was like in the book of Acts and if they honored Christ or not. Are you on Facebook? Join the D6 Curriculum Teachers group, a place of community for you to share stories, ask questions, get advice, and engage in conversations with other D6 curriculum teachers. Option 2 Items Needed: A book (preferably a children s book that is not familiar) For this object lesson, display the book cover to the students. Then open it up, and quickly and obviously flip through to the last page. Read the last few sentences or last page of the book aloud, and close the book. So, what did you think of the book? Allow time for response. Was it funny or sad? Allow time for response. It is very hard to understand a book, its characters, and what is happening without reading the entire book, starting at the beginning. This month we will learn about the church from the book of Acts. We will talk about how the church began and why it was started. 60

10 Items Needed: TE 3-2 Four pieces of copy paper Marker Pieces of bread Bible Five envelopes Before class, cut apart the tasks from TE 3-2 and place each one in an envelope. Label each task accordingly. Write the words Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and Around the World on separate pieces of copy paper. Discreetly put the sign Jerusalem up close, Judea farther out, Samaria farther out than that, and around the world farthest out. Place a Bible for the students to use in the classroom. TE 3-2 Jesus Christ is the Sovereign Lord of all. He came to earth as a man, but was the sinless Son of God. This is why He was able to overcome sin and death when He died for us. Notes During today s lesson, the students will encounter five tasks they must complete to finish the mission. Explain to the students their purpose is to work as a team to complete all five tasks. The class must complete each task before moving on to the next. Jesus came to the earth and completed the purpose of His mission. He did exactly what His Father in Heaven had planned for Him to do. He lived a perfect life and died on the cross for our sin. He didn t stay dead, but came alive three days later, just like He said He would, to show His great power. Did you know that Jesus lived on the earth 40 days after His resurrection? According to the Bible, Jesus met with His disciples and was seen by over 500 people after His resurrection. Today, we want to find out the mission He gave His disciples and the church just before He went back to Heaven. Jesus told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for what God had promised to give them. Have students begin with the first task. Task #1: Jesus gave the disciples a mission. They were to be witnesses to tell what they had seen to four places mentioned in this verse. Choose a student to read Acts 1:8 aloud. Choose a student to open and read the first task inside the envelope. Find the names of those places here in this room, and bring the signs back to your teacher. Allow time for the students to do this. Task #2: The disciples and others waited in a special place called the upper room. Choose a student to read Acts 1:14 aloud. Choose a student to open and read the second task inside the envelope. Sit on the floor and lock arms. Allow time for the students to do this. Task # 3: When the Holy Spirit came to live inside Christ s followers, He helped the disciples speak in other languages ones they didn t even know so the people could understand and hear God s truth. Choose a student to read Acts 2:1-4 aloud. Choose a student to open and read the third task inside the envelope. Let s say glory to God in Spanish: Gloria a Dios. Allow time for students to say it together. Task #4: Peter told the people that even though they killed Jesus, it was part of God s plan to save everyone. Jesus came to earth and gave up His life to pay the price God required for sin. Jesus proved He was God s Son by coming alive after being dead for three days. 61

11 When Peter told the people about Jesus death, the people were sorry for their sin. Choose a student to read Acts 2:41 aloud. Choose a student to open and read the fourth task inside the envelope. How many people decided to follow Jesus and be baptized after Peter s sermon? Allow the group to respond with three thousand people. Notes Task #5: Choose a student to read Acts 2:42, aloud. What did the new church do? Allow the group to respond. The new church listened to the disciples teaching, worshiped, prayed, shared meals, shared their belongings, and praised God. Choose a student to open and read the fifth task inside the envelope. Now, break a piece of bread into pieces and share it with each other. Allow time for the students to do this. The followers of Jesus came together to form the early church. What a great beginning as they told others about Jesus and they begin to love Him also! Item Needed: TE 3-1a As we talk about the beginning of the church, we must start with God. The church was God s idea. Many consider the day of Pentecost to be the birthday of the church. After Jesus went back to Heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit to live inside His followers. It was at this point people could understand the good news in the language they spoke. God joined His followers together as His church. The Holy Spirit lives inside of followers of Jesus. Because of His power, we are able to do great things for God. Ask students what they remember about the Holy Spirit from the first unit. Each week this month, a section from TE 3-1 will be added to create a visual of a church building by the last week. Many people think of the church as a building. It is more than just a building; it is the people within the building. We are to share with others the good news of Jesus through our words and actions. Display TE 3-1a. Our thoughts, words, and actions should be Christ Honoring. The church is God s plan to help the world know Him. God established the home to make disciples and transfer the faith. TE 3-1a Items Needed: TE 3-13 TE 3-14 Each Sunday in the month of February, we will be focusing on the purpose of God s church. Today we learned God joined His followers together as His church. According to the Bible verses we read earlier, what are some things the early church did? Allow time for response. They listened to the disciples teaching, worshiped, prayed, shared meals, shared their belongings, praised God, etc. Do you think that all these things honored Christ or made Him happy? Allow time for response. What do you think the people who saw them do these things thought? Do you think when others saw them loving, sharing, worshiping, giving, and praising that it made them want to 62

12 Application Verse Poster TE 3-13 do those same things for Christ, too? Do you and I do these things today? When we join together with other believers at a church building, we should come to honor Christ. Worshiping together is lifting up God and His wonderful name. Display TE Introduce the application verse by reading it aloud to the students. Who is the Him in this Bible verse? Allow time for response. That s God. What are we giving to God? Allow time for response. We are giving Him all the glory. Why are we giving God glory? Allow time for response. God is able to do more than we might ask or think. He has all power. Who should be giving Him glory and praise? Allow time for response. All generations! That s us! We will see in the next few weeks some of the great things God s church was able to do. Allow the students to help you think of actions to illustrate the main words of the verse. Suggestions, some based on sign language, are provided on TE 3-14, but your students may have even better ones. Funny or silly ones sometimes make it easier to remember the words. Say the verses with the students using the actions to help them learn them. TE 3-14 This unit s verses are long, but over the next four weeks, the students will be able to learn them. Consider learning Ephesians 3:20 the first two weeks of this unit and verse 21 the last two weeks. Field Notes 3-1 Items Needed: Field Notes 3-1 Pencil Before class, copy Field Notes 3-1 so each student will have one. Distribute Field Notes 3-1 and pencils to students. Have them fold the Field Notes on the solid line. Allow time for them to use the word bank to fill in the blanks as you discuss what our response should be to our lesson. One of the purposes of the church is to worship God together. As we sing, listen, pray, give, serve, and share the Lord s Supper, we are saying that God is worthy of our praise. There is no one like Him and we should want to join together to worship Him. When Jesus returned to Heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to live inside those who follow Him. Now all believers are the church where He lives (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19). The Holy Spirit lives inside us to help us worship and love God. The Holy Spirit helps us be holy and honor Christ. All that we do in church and all that we do outside of church should honor Christ. He is the head of the church. When all we do honors Christ, others will see and be drawn to Him. Refer to the Next Step section on their Field Notes. Your Next Step is to honor Christ because He is worthy of our worship. Close with a prayer of praise. Encourage the students to participate in the Explore Together activity with their family this week. Field Notes

13 New Testament Lesson 2 February 14, 2016 The Church Stands Together TEXT: Acts 4:1-31 LESSON OBJECTIVE Know: Jesus followers continued to share the Good News with others. Think: Remember the example of the disciples when telling others about Jesus and when praying. Do: Ask God for courage to share the truth with others. APPLICATION VERSE: Ephesians 3:20-21 THEME: The Church Perseveres PREPARATION CHECKLIST CONNECT Option 1 q TE 3-3 q Cookies q Juice boxes or water q Napkins Option 2 q Soft ball LEARN q TE 3-4 EXPLORE Whiteboard and markers APPLY q TE 3-1b q TE 3-13 q TE 3-15 RESPOND q Field Notes 3-2 THE MORE YOU KNOW: Today you will teach an important Greek word to your students, koinonia. You may feel like teaching this is just lofty academia, but in some cases, significant things can get lost in the translation from the original language to English. One of the English words we use in place of koinonia is fellowship, but it doesn t quite hit the mark. We see fellowship simply as spending time with one another. Koinonia is being united with one purpose in mind and working together as one unit to support that purpose. It is agreement and harmony. It is interesting to note that koinonia is mentioned numerous times in the Bible in reference to believers, but only after Pentecost. Without the common thread of the Holy Spirit, true koinonia is not possible. Consider doing a word study on the uses of koinonia in a concordance to continue to wrap your mind around God s intention for our interactions with other believers. If you don t have one, go to biblehub.com/greek/2842.htm. q Pencils DAILY BIBLE READINGS Day 1 Acts 3:1-8 Day 2 Acts 4:1-4 Day 3 Acts 4:5-12 Day 4 Acts 4:13-20 Day 5 Acts 4: Copyright This study is licensed to the purchasing church and only to be used by the teacher or teaching team for one group or class. Sharing copies of this study is unethical, illegal, and hinders the efforts of the publisher to provide high quality, affordable resources to you.

14 Notes Choose one of these two options to help students transition into the classroom and connect with the lesson. Option 1 Items Needed: TE 3-3 Cookies Juice boxes or water Napkins TE 3-3 Valentine s Day is a day where we show our love to others. Let s play some games to celebrate. Three One-minute activities are suggested on TE 3-3. Many people use Valentine s Day to celebrate their love for someone. Some people do it with cards, flowers, candy, or a nice dinner. We can tell someone how much we care, but we can also show it through our actions. Today we will learn about the early church and how they showed their love for Jesus through their words, but also their actions. Share the cookies and drink with the students. Option 2 Items Needed: Soft ball Have all students stand shoulder to shoulder across the room. Choose one student to come to the front and stand facing the others. Give the student three chances to get the ball through the line. The students forming the line should do their best to stand tightly together so the ball won t get through. Students can catch the ball and throw it back, but the ball must be thrown below the shoulder level. Take turns letting students try to get the ball through the line. Why was it hard to get the ball past the line of students? Allow time for response. The early church in the book of Acts had many problems, but when they stuck together, they were stronger than they would have been alone. Just as it was easier to keep the ball from getting through when everyone stood together, it will be easier to keep out what is wrong and do what is right when we stand together. What does it mean to be united and stand together? Allow time for response. When God s people unite, the church is stronger. Today we will talk more about the early church and how they stood together for what is right. Items Needed: TE 3-4 Prior to class, make copies of TE 3-4 so each student will have one. Divide the class into two groups (you can have as few as two in a group). One group will be the temple leaders, and one will be the church, which will include Peter and John. There are a couple 65

15 options for this reader s theater: choose two good readers who will read for each group or have the entire group read together. Distribute TE 3-4 to students. You read the role of Narrator so you can keep things moving. Narrator: At the temple, God used Peter and John to heal a man who had been crippled from birth. The people were amazed at this miracle. They listened to Peter s sermon and thousands believed in Jesus. What a great thing! But not everyone was amazed; some were angry! Temple leaders: We are upset that many people are starting to believe in Jesus and His resurrection. We don t like what these men are preaching, so let s put them in jail for the night. Tomorrow we will see what they say. TE 3-4 Narrator: The next day Peter and John appeared before them to be questioned. Temple leaders: By what power, or by what name, have you done this miracle? The church: It was by Jesus name that this man was healed. This was the same Jesus you crucified, but God raised Him from the dead. This was the same Jesus you rejected, but God made Him the leader of the church. Only through His name can you be saved from your sin. Temple leaders: They are not like us because they are uneducated, but they are very bold. What about the man standing by them who was completely healed? Face the others in this group. What shall we do to these men? A miracle has been done in front of all the people in Jerusalem, so we cannot say it didn t happen. Let s threaten them to speak no more in Jesus name. Even though Peter and John were able to perform miracles, it was with God s power and Jesus name that they did them. Jesus Christ is the Sovereign Lord of all. Narrator: They brought the men back into the room. Temple leaders: We demand that you do not speak or preach in the name of Jesus! The church: Do you think that God wants us to obey you rather than Him? We can only speak about what we have seen and heard. Narrator: The religious leaders threatened the disciples, but let them go. They saw how the people were praising God for the great miracle. The first thing Peter and John did when they were released was rush back to tell the others in the church all that had happened. They joined together and prayed. The church: Lord, You are the God who made the heavens, the earth, the seas, and all that is in them. And now, Lord, please give Your servants boldness to speak Your Word and to do miracles in the holy name of Jesus. Notes Narrator: When they finished praying, the place was shaken. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God with boldness. The more the disciples preached about Jesus, the more people believed in Him. The more they joined together, the more the church grew. The church of God was unstoppable! 66

16 Notes The disciples continued each day, going to the Temple and from house to house, telling the people about Jesus. They persevered. Items Needed: Whiteboard and markers God established the church to make disciples and transfer the faith. The believers in the church loved each other and shared what they had with each other. The church grew because others saw their love for each other. Read Acts 2:42-47 aloud to learn more about the early church s actions. Write the word koinonia on the white board. The New Testament was written in Greek. The Greek word for fellowship is koinonia (koy-no-nee-uh). It means to hold things in common. First, the early church had in common a new relationship with Jesus. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to live inside each new believer and He also joined the believers to one another. They shared many things in common their beliefs, interests, goals, activities, possessions, etc. Already, the temple leaders were persecuting the new Christians, and they needed one another for support and encouragement. These new Christians met together to hear the apostles teaching. They ate meals together. They shared their possessions with any who needed them. They prayed for one another. They joined together to accomplish a great mission: to do God s will on earth. Their love for God and one another was the way that others would know they were followers of Jesus (John 13:34-35). When others saw this, the church grew. Thousands were added to the church. Leaders who didn t believe in Jesus could not stop the church. Items Needed: TE 3-1b TE 3-13 TE 3-15 TE 3-1b Application Verse Poster TE 3-13 This month we are learning more about the church. This week we learned the believers stuck together. Add TE 3-1b to TE 3-1a. The church had unity. They continued to meet and pray together. They praised God and worshiped together. They continued to tell others about Jesus. Do you think it was easier for Peter and John to stand up and obey God knowing others were with them? Why or why not? Allow time for response. It probably helped them to know that others were praying for them, believed in, and supported them. Because of their perseverance, many more people believed in and began following Jesus. How can this encourage us? Allow time for response. We can use their example to encourage us to not give up even when we are with people who don t believe in Jesus or don t believe He is who the Bible says He is. We can also learn from their example to pray for boldness to share His Word with others and to remember to pray for others. Before class, cut apart the pieces from TE 3-15 and place them face up on a table on one side of the room. Make sure the pieces are mixed up. Display TE 3-13 and review the verse by reading it with the 67

17 students. Just like last week, we will focus on Ephesians 3:20 today, and focus on Ephesians 3:21 the next two weeks. Do any of you remember who the Him is in the verse? Allow time for response. Yes, God. He has the power to do more than we can ever imagine. He is working in our lives. Say the first part of the verse together several times. Then, have the students line up on the side of the room opposite of the pieces from TE Explain to the students how they must go to the table, find the first words of the verse, and bring the piece to the area you indicate. Then they will return to the table to find the piece with the second group of words to the verse, and bring it there. They will continue until all the words of the verse have been brought in the correct order. But here is the catch they cannot use their hands and they must gather the pieces while connected to one another. If they bring a section of word out of order, they will have to take it back to the other pieces and look for the correct one. Have the students line up and put their hands on the shoulders of the one in front of them or link arms. If you have a large class, copy two sets of cards. Then divide the students into two groups, and let them race against one another to gather the words to the verse in the correct order. Say the verse together as a class to end the activity. Application Verse Activity Pieces TE 3-15 Items Needed: Field Notes 3-2 Pencils Before class, make a copy of Field Notes 3-2 for each student. Distribute Field Notes 3-2 to students along with pencils. Have them fold them on the line and turn to the inside. Peter, John, and the other disciples stood together to share God s Word. They had the courage to obey Jesus when He told them to take the good news to the whole world. It is more important to obey God than to please man. What God thinks should matter more than what others think. On the Field Notes are ten ways we, as the church, can unite to show love to others. Read the list aloud to the students and talk about ways they can use each way to show love to others. Circle one that you need God s help in doing. Refer to the Next Step section on the Field Notes. Your Next Step is to ask God for courage to help you the area you circled. We can learn from our lesson how to keep sharing the truth even when it s hard. Just as the early church needed one another, we need one another. Together we can do God s will. When others see our love for God and others, the church will grow! Allow time for them to find the ways in the word search. End class with prayer for the students that they will be bold for Christ and share the good news with others. Encourage the students to do the Explore Together activity with their families this week. Field Notes 3-2 Field Notes

18 New Testament Lesson 3 February 21, 2016 The Church Grows TEXT: Acts 10:1-48 LESSON OBJECTIVE Know: God used Peter to spread the gospel to the Gentiles. Think: Remember the church s mission is to reach everyone for Christ. Do: Share God s Word with others. APPLICATION VERSE: Ephesians 3:20-21 THEME: The Church Expands PREPARATION CHECKLIST CONNECT Option 1 q White board and marker or a large sheet of paper and marker Option 2 q White board and marker or a large sheet of paper and marker LEARN q TE 3-5 q TE 3-6 q TE 3-7 q TE 3-8 q TE 3-9 EXPLORE q TE 3-1c APPLY q TE 3-10 THE MORE YOU KNOW: Consider for a moment what going out among the Gentiles to share the Good News of Jesus must have been like for Peter. There are certain things, right or wrong, that are deeply engrained into who we are by our culture and by our families. Think of one of those things in your life right now. As a faithful Jewish man, being a separatist was one of these cultural norms for Peter. He had been raised since birth to view people who were not like him as unclean and outside of his association. Can you even imagine all that he had to overcome in order to go out among these people and share Jesus with them? Even some of the other Jewish leaders in the early church who believed in Jesus still wanted Him to just complete Judaism. They reluctantly admitted that Gentiles could be saved, but they wanted them to live like the Jews in order to be part of the church. A significant challenge for Peter was first to overcome his prejudices, then to help the Jewish believers overcome theirs. q TE 3-13 q Globe or world map RESPOND q Field Notes 3-3 q Pencils DAILY BIBLE READINGS Day 1 Acts 10:1-8 Day 2 Acts 10:9-20 Day 3 Acts 10:21-28 Day 4 Acts 10:34-43 Day 5 Acts 10:44-48 Copyright This study is licensed to the purchasing church and only to be used by the teacher or teaching team for one group or class. Sharing copies of this study is unethical, illegal, and hinders the efforts of the publisher to provide high quality, affordable resources to you. 69

19 Notes Choose one of these two options to help students transition into the classroom and connect with the lesson. Option 1 Items Needed: White board and marker or a large sheet of paper and marker Explain to the students that you are going to give them a mission. They are to line up in the order of their birthdays without speaking. They can use hand signals, such as 5 for the fifth month, etc. To add to the idea of this being a mission, consider having the mission written out in an envelope and tearing it open to reveal the mission. After students have completed the mission and returned to their seats, write the word missionary on the white board. To understand what a missionary is, watch as I erase the last three letters of the word. What word do you see? Allow time for response. A missionary is someone who is on a mission. Why do we need missionaries? Allow time for response. People need to hear the good news about Jesus so they can go to Heaven. Some people go to other countries and tell people about Jesus as their full-time job. Some of you might do that some day. Some people do the same in their own country. There are many, many people who do not know about the one true God that loves them. Many missionaries go to other countries to tell people about Jesus. Missionaries love God and love people! Can we be missionaries? Yes! We may not be able to work full-time telling people about Jesus, but we can still tell others who need to hear about Jesus. What are ways we can tell others about God s love? Allow time for response. Option 2 Items Needed: White board and marker or a large sheet of paper and marker Write the word missionary on the white board. What is a missionary? What word do you see? Erase the last three letters, -ary. Allow time for response. Missionaries are on a mission for God. Why do we need missionaries? Allow time for response. People need to hear the good news about Jesus so they can go to Heaven. God tells some people to go to other countries to tell people about Jesus; that is their job. Some of you might do that some day. Some people stay in their own countries and tell the people there about Jesus. There are many, many people who do not know about the one true God who loves them. Missionaries love God and love people! Missionaries have a lot of challenges as they move to a new area, especially those who move to a new country. They have to learn different traditions for the country where they will live. For example, in some places in Thailand when two people meet, each person will put his or her hands together as though he or she is praying. It is called a wai (pronounced as why). It is similar to our handshake. It is definitely more hygienic, because there is no physical contact and no germs spread. There are even rules on how high the hands are raised to show the importance of the person to whom the wai is made. The 70

20 Notes most common wai between two equals is with the tip of the fingers at nose level. At this point, have the students go around and greet one another using the wai. What would you like about this tradition? Allow time for response. What would you dislike about it? Allow time for response. Could you ever get used to this greeting? Allow time for response. If you were a missionary, where would you like to live? Allow time for response. No matter where a missionary lives, his or her job is always the same: to reach out to others who don t know the good news about Jesus! In today s lesson, we ll see how Peter and the early church reached out to a group of people who did not know about Jesus. Items Needed: TE 3-5 TE 3-9 TE 3-5 TE 3-6 TE 3-7 TE 3-8 Display TE 3-5. Cornelius, a Roman army officer lived in Caesarea, a town about 70 miles from Jerusalem. Even though he was an honest, God-fearing man who gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly, he did not know about Jesus. With no television, radio, Facebook, or other media, the people in Caesarea may not have heard about Jesus, His miracles, death, and resurrection. One afternoon, Cornelius had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. Cornelius! the angel said. Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering! Send some men to the city of Joppa to find Simon Peter who will tell you what to do. Display TE 3-6. As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a loyal soldier, told them what happened and sent them off to find Peter. Display TE 3-7. Around noon, Peter went up to the roof to pray. He had a dream where a voice told him that he was no longer to call anything unclean as they did in the Old Testament. God had given the Jews certain rules about what to eat and what not to eat to protect them from getting sick. Jews were quick to consider people who ate unclean animals or who practiced unclean customs as unclean people. When God spoke to Peter through this dream, He was telling him that the gospel, the good news of Jesus, was for everyone. Just then the men sent by Cornelius arrived. The Holy Spirit instructed Peter to go with the three men who were looking for him because God had sent them. Peter invited the men to spend the night and they, along with other Jewish believers, left the following day for the long trip to Cornelius house. Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and friends. As Peter arrived, Cornelius fell at his feet and worshiped him. Display TE 3-8. But Peter pulled him up and said, Stand up! I am not God! I m a human being just like you. So they talked and then went inside, where many others were gathered. Peter told them, You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter the home of a Gentile (non-jewish), but God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean. So I came as soon as I was sent for. Now tell me why you sent for me. Cornelius replied, Four days ago I was praying in my house about this same time, three o clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, a man in dazzling 71

21 clothes was standing in front of me. He told me that my prayer had been heard, and God had noticed my gifts to the poor. He told me to send messengers to Joppa, and find a man named Simon Peter who is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore. So I sent for you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here, waiting before God to hear the message the Lord has given you. Peter told all who were gathered that God shows no favoritism. In every nation He accepts those who fear him and do what is right. Then Peter shared this message with them. Choose a student to read the message from TE 3-9. This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. Through God s power, when Jesus lived on this earth, He went around helping others, teaching, loving and healing those who came to Him. We, His disciples, are witnesses of all He did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging Him on a cross, but God raised him to life on the third day. Then God allowed Him to appear to us whom God had chosen to be His witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead. He ordered us to tell everyone about Jesus, the one appointed by God to be the judge of all. He is the one all the prophets told about, saying that everyone who believes in Him will have their sins forgiven through His name. TE 3-9 God had to show Peter that all the world could know Him and it was okay to be different from the Jews. God believes that I am a special creation of God, with an eternal soul, and you are too. Cornelius and the others believed in Jesus and were filled with the Holy Spirit. This was a new thing to have Gentiles accept Jesus. The Jews who had come with Peter were amazed to see these Gentiles praising God and speaking in an unknown tongue as the disciples had done at Pentecost. They were then baptized to show everyone that an inward change had taken place. Item Needed: TE 3-1c Read Revelation 7:9-12 aloud, which describes a scene in Heaven. Who will be gathered there? Allow time for response. A group of people so large it can t be counted from every single nation on earth will be there! What are they doing? Allow time for response. They were praising God. In Heaven, we will praise God for His great love and plan that saved us from our sin. Instead of suffering punishment for our sin, we will be allowed to live in Heaven where there is no sin or sadness. What a great sacrifice Jesus made for us! People from every nation, tribe, people group, and language will give praise and glory to God because He deserves it. Notes When we tell others, when we pray for missionaries, and when we give money so missionaries can go to other countries, we are sharing the best news ever with the world. God does not love or prefer one person to another (Acts 10:34). He sent Jesus to die for the sins of the Jews and the Gentiles. He sent Jesus to die for people of every nation. He loves every person and wants each one to be saved and live with Him in Heaven. But how 72

22 will they know unless someone tells them? Remember, the church is more than just a building it includes all who follow Jesus. Add TE 3-1c to TE 3-1b. This week we learned how the church reaches. The church s mission is to reach all people because that is God s example for us to follow. TE 3-1c God offers salvation and forgiveness [to all] through faith in Jesus Christ. TE 3-10 Application Verse Poster Items Needed: TE 3-10 TE 3-13 Globe or world map Jesus loves everyone. He does not give certain people special treatment. No one should be treated differently because of the color of his or her skin, or because of how he or she looks, dresses, or talks. Jesus commanded us to love one another, including our enemies. I am going to read some sentences and I want you to tell me if it describes an action that describes how we, the church, should act. Read the different scenarios from TE 3-10 to the students. Display TE 3-13 and review the application verses with the students by reading them aloud. This week we are going to focus on verse 21. When we share the Good News with others, it brings glory to God. Let s do activity to help us remember our verse. Place a globe or world map on one side of the room. Line up students behind a starting point on the other side of the room. The first person will run to the globe, say the first word of the verse loudly, and then run back. The next person in line will run to the globe, say the next word of the verse, and then run back. Each person will need to go to the back of the line, because he or she will probably need to run more than once. Be sure TE 3-13 is visible to students to use as a guide, if needed. End the activity by saying the verses together as a prayer of praise to God. TE 3-13 Items Needed: Field Notes 3-3 Pencils Field Notes 3-3 Before class, copy Field Notes 3-3 so each student will have a copy. Distribute Field Notes 3-3 to students along with pencils and have them answer the questions and fill in the blank. Remember, a missionary is someone who is on a mission from God. It is someone who tells others about Jesus. How was Simon Peter a missionary? Allow time for response. He not only told Cornelius about Jesus, but he also told others what he had seen and knew about Jesus. How can we be missionaries? Allow time for response. Even though we have not seen Jesus with our own eyes like Simon Peter did, we can still tell others what we know about Jesus. We can share what we know Jesus has done in the Bible and can tell what He has done for us how He has forgiven our sin. We can tell others when He 73

23 answers a prayer. We can speak up when we have the chance. We are to share God s Word with those in our neighborhoods, in our classes, on our teams, and anyone else we know. Each one of us is a missionary to some extent. Is there someone whom you need to tell about Jesus? Allow time for students to think about this. Refer to the Next Step section on the Field Notes. Your Next Step is to share God s Word with others. We need to remember that we have all been commanded to tell others about Jesus. End class with prayer for your students that they will be aware of opportunities to share how Jesus has changed their lives and have the confidence to do so. Encourage students to do the Explore Together activity with their family this week. Field Notes 3-3 Are you making a Home Connection with your kids? Home Connection is a FREE download that gives parents a simple way to practice faith at home by providing: A weekly Bible passage to read together as a family Suggestions to help you pray together as a family Suggested activities to do as a family to put your faith in action It s a great tool for parents who want to pass their faith on to their children! Also, if your church uses D6 Curriculum, Home Connection will let you know exactly what each member of the family is learning in small group, LIFE group, or Sunday School each week. Try it this week by downloading it at: Notes 74

24 New Testament Lesson 4 February 28, 2016 The Church Is Persecuted TEXT: Acts 12:1-25 LESSON OBJECTIVE Know: God answered the prayers of the early Christians who prayed for Peter who had been arrested and placed in prison. Think: Remember God hears and answers our prayers in ways He knows is best. Do: Pray for your friends, especially those who are hurting. APPLICATION VERSE: Ephesians 3:20-21 THEME: The Church Is Persecuted PREPARATION CHECKLIST CONNECT Option 1 q Two pieces of wood (one smooth and one rough) q Piece of sandpaper Option 2 q Four bowls of similar size q Two bags of popcorn (bring extra for a snack, if you like) q Two paper plates LEARN q Props (paper chains for Peter, swords for guards, etc.) q Video camera or cell phone (optional) q Construction paper q Markers APPLY q TE 3-1d q TE 3-11 q TE 3-12 THE MORE YOU KNOW: Peter was rescued from prison by God because Peter still had a job to do. Not because God loved Him (which He did), and not to reward him (at that point Peter probably considered death a greater reward than life). There is a problem in the church today with people offering shout-outs to God when their life is somehow made easier. Statements like, God is so good, my car is only going to cost $70 to be repaired, and My cancer is gone, God really does hear my prayers are made all the time, and those things really are praiseworthy! However, there is an unspoken question that always trails a statement like that: What about the person who died from cancer? What about the believer who had to replace a motor last week? Does God not care for them? God s plan is not and never has been to make life easier for us. Just before Peter was rescued from prison, James was executed. God loved James just like He loved Peter. Spiritual warfare and the ways of God are two things we know very little about. We should take care to recognize the benevolence of God in the good and the bad, with the understanding that God is more concerned with our holiness than our happiness. He works with and through us to accomplish His will. q TE 3-13 q Field Notes 3-4 q Whiteboard and marker q Scissors q Colored pencils RESPOND q Field Notes 3-4 q Colored pencils DAILY BIBLE READINGS Day 1 Acts 12:1-5 Day 2 Acts 12:6-11 Day 3 Acts 12:12-17 Day 4 Acts 12:18-24 Day 5 2 Timothy 1:6-12 Copyright This study is licensed to the purchasing church and only to be used by the teacher or teaching team for one group or class. Sharing copies of this study is unethical, illegal, and hinders the efforts of the publisher to provide high quality, affordable resources to you. 75

25 Notes Choose one of these two options to help students transition into the classroom and connect with the lesson. Option 1 Items Needed: Two pieces of wood (one smooth and one rough) Piece of sandpaper Hold up a piece of sandpaper. How many of you know what this is? What is it used for? Allow time for response. Builders use sandpaper to make something rough smooth, like this. Demonstrate by rubbing the rough piece of wood with the sandpaper and then showing the smooth surface it created. Let a student or two take a turn as well. Without the process of sanding the wood with the sandpaper, the wood would stay rough, in bad shape, and limited in its use. I m sure if the wood could talk, it might say something like, Hey, that hurts, or You re being too rough, or I don t like this! But the builder knows in the end the wood will end up being a smooth, more usable piece of material one that will display his craftsmanship. Did you know there is something God uses in the lives of His children that is sort of like sandpaper against wood? It is suffering and persecution. For reasons sometimes known only to Him, God allows Christ s followers to go through difficult times and circumstances because they have chosen to live for Him. Even though the process certainly is not fun and is often painful, God uses the process to accomplish His good will in their lives and in the lives of others. Today we ll learn how the Christians encouraged Peter during his time of hurting and how we can encourage others when they are suffering. Option 2 Items Needed: Four bowls of similar size Two bags of popcorn (bring extra for a snack, if you like) Two paper plates This activity is a simple relay with the purpose of helping the students say encouraging words to each other. To begin, fill two of the bowls with the popcorn and put them at one end of the room. Next, put the two empty bowls at the other side of the room. Divide the students into two teams. Give the first student on each team a paper plate and tell him or her to run to the popcorn bowl and put as much as he or she can on the paper plate. Then, while holding the plate, he or she will take it to the empty bowl, but he or she cannot walk. He or she can hop, crawl, scoot, but not walk. Then, he or she must go back and tag the next person, who will repeat the process. Have teammates shout encouraging words. If they stop saying encouraging words, their teammate has to freeze. If you do not have enough students for two teams, let all of them work together to reach the goal and time them to see how long it takes to complete the relay. If you want to reduce the amount of popcorn in the relay, limit the students to a certain amount of popcorn each turn. What words of encouragement did your teammates shout to you? Allow time for response. How did you feel when they were shouting your name and encouraging words? Allow time for response. Did 76

26 Notes your teammate s encouragement make you want to keep going? Allow time for response. Sometimes we have to do hard things. There will be times of hurt, pain, and trouble. It helps to have friends who help and support you. Their encouraging words can make it easier for you to do the things you know you should do. That is one of the reasons to be a part of a church; you can encourage and help one another by praying for each other and saying kind words to each other. Today we ll see how the Christians encouraged Peter during his time of hurting. Items Needed: Props (paper chains for Peter, swords for guards, etc.) Video camera or cell phone (optional) Construction paper Markers Consider videoing the students acting out the story and then watch it together. This is a fun way to review! Splink is a simple way to link your family together spiritually. Through FREE weekly s packed with ideas, Splink helps you and your family engage in conversation. Whether it s making memories or having fun together, Splink allows you to capture those teachable moments to impress spiritual truths and life lessons on your kids. No matter where you are, there s always time to Splink! Sign up for Splink at D6family.com/Splink. Act out today s Bible story from Acts 12:1-18. Assign the following parts: King Herod, Peter, soldiers (at least two), angel, and Rhoda. To ensure all students participate, the other students can be part of the church or additional soldiers. Explain that as you read through today s Bible story, they should perform the action when their part is mentioned. Write prison on one piece of construction paper and Mary s house on another. Hang them in different parts of the church to designate the different locations. The early church was preaching the good news about Jesus, but not everyone liked it. Herod, a wicked king, began to persecute those in the church. He had James the apostle killed with the sword. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he planned to arrest Peter too. Herod sent soldiers to arrest and put Peter in prison. Pause to give soldiers time to arrest Peter and put him in prison. Herod ordered four squads of four soldiers 16 soldiers in all to guard Peter. Soldiers should stand guard at the jail. Peter was fastened on either side with chains to two soldiers. The soldiers should be on either side of Peter and pretend to connect themselves to him. The others stood guard at the prison gate. Herod s plan was to keep Peter heavily guarded in prison and then bring him to trial after the Jews celebrated their Passover. Meanwhile, the church was diligently praying for Peter. Pause to show the church praying. Some were probably still grieving over the loss of James and could not bear losing another leader like Peter. Perhaps some were praying that Herod would change his mind and let Peter go or some may have prayed that Peter would have the strength to endure the persecution. The night before Peter s trial, God heard the prayers of the church and sent an answer. Back at the jail, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers. Pause to allow Peter to pretend to be asleep and snore. God sent an angel. Pause for angel to go to the jail. Suddenly a bright light shone in the prison. The angel woke Peter up and told him, Quick! Get up! Pause for the angel to wake up Peter. Immediately the chains fell off his hands. Peter should pretend to have his chains fall off. The angel instructed him, Get dressed and put on your sandals and he did. Pause for Peter to do this. Put on your coat 77

27 and follow me, the angel ordered. Have Peter pretend to do this. Peter left the jail, following the angel. Pause for Peter and the angel to leave the jail. All the while, Peter thought he was dreaming. They passed through the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, which opened for them all by itself. They passed through the gate and started walking down the street. Pause for the angel and Peter to walk through the guards and gate. Suddenly, the angel left Peter. Pause to let the angel exit. When Peter realized what had happened, he praised God for sending the angel and for delivering him from Herod s evil plan. Pause to allow Peter to praise God! Peter went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark where many had gathered to pray. Peter should go to where the church is gathered. Peter knocked at the door of the gate. Pause to let Peter knock. Rhoda, a servant girl, came to open it; but when she recognized Peter s voice, she was so excited she forgot to open the gate for him. Instead, she ran in and told the others, Peter is at the gate! Pause to let Rhoda run to tell the others. The people did not believe her. You are out of your mind! Church members shake their head in disbelief. The church was growing and Satan was trying his hardest to make it stop. Bad things happen because the world is a sinful place and Satan doesn t want God to heal it. When Rhoda insisted that it was really Peter, they decided it must be his angel. Rhoda continues nodding head and gesturing toward the gate. Meanwhile, Peter is still standing outside knocking and waiting for them to let him in. Pause to let Peter continue knocking. Finally, they opened the door and were shocked to see Peter. Pause for Rhoda and others to show their shocked faces and hug Peter! Peter motioned for them to quiet down and he told them how God had delivered him from prison. Pause to let Peter settle the crowd and pantomime him telling of his release from jail. Tell James, Jesus brother, and the others what happened, he said and then he left to go to another place. Pause to let Peter leave the scene. At dawn the next morning, can you imagine the uproar among the soldiers discussing what had happened to Peter? Pause for soldiers to talk about themselves. Meanwhile, the Christians were still praising God who answered their prayers and miraculously released Peter from prison. Pause to show the Christians smiling, slapping one another on the back, giving high fives, and praising God! What is God able to do? Allow time for response. How did the followers of Jesus react when God did something amazing for Peter? Allow time for response. When God answers our prayers with a yes, we should give Him the glory. We should praise Him for His great power and thank Him. What if God answers our prayers with a no? God has all power and can do whatever He chooses, but He is not a magic genie, waiting to grant all our wishes. We must praise Him and trust Him to do what is best. He may choose to do a miracle like He did when He delivered Peter from prison. Then again, He may not choose to do a miracle. God did not deliver Apostle James from Herod s sword in prison; James had to die for his faith. The persecution of the church was a terrible thing. The Christians were being hurt, made fun of, tortured, and some were even killed! How could God allow such bad things to happen? Even though the persecution Notes 78

28 Notes was terrible, God allows each person the free will to choose to do wrong things to others. It does not mean that God doesn t see or that He doesn t care. He sees and He has promised to work things out for good for His followers (Romans 8:28). When the church was persecuted, many of them left Jerusalem to find safety in other cities (Acts 8:1). While there, they told people who had never heard about Jesus and many believed in Him. God is so powerful that He can take even bad things and bring good out of them. We can ask God anything, but we must ask Him to work out His will in the situation. Remember that He is wise and knows what is best. God is able to do much more than what we think or ask, but He may do something that we don t understand. Even if God doesn t do what we want, we must never doubt that He cares. He wants us to bring our problems to Him (1 Peter 5:7). We should give Him glory because He hears and answers our prayers. Application Verse Poster TE 3-13 TE 3-1d Field Notes 3-4 TE 3-11 Items Needed: TE 3-1d TE 3-11 TE 3-13 Field Notes 3-4 Whiteboard and marker Scissors Colored pencils Prior to class, copy Field Notes 3-4 so each student will have a copy. Write the words to both verses on the whiteboard. Display TE Our application verse for this month reminds us God is able to do more than any of us could ever imagine. He is that powerful! God s Word reminds us we can trust Him with even the most difficult situations. He allowed Peter to leave a jail that was heavily guarded! Let s see if we can say our verse by erasing one word at a time. Take turns letting the students erase a word or two of the verse from the whiteboard. Say the verse after each time. Read or ask a student to read 1 Corinthians 12:12, 26 aloud. To what does the Bible compare the church? Allow time for response. If one part of the body hurts, the rest of the body hurts too. Add TE 3-1d to TE 3-1c. This week we learned the church hurts. There is suffering that people experience every day. The Bible tells us we are to care for those who are hurting. What are some ways we can do that? Allow time for response. One of the best ways to care for someone is to pray for him or her. Sometimes it s hard to know what or how to pray for someone. Distribute Field Notes 3-4 along with colored pencils to the students. Have them fold them on the solid lines. Instruct them to fill in the blanks as you discuss what the Bible teaches us about how to pray for others. Display TE In Ephesians 3:16 we learn we can pray for strength to know and do what is right. We also learn from Ephesians 3:17-19 that we can pray for understanding of just how much God loves us. Ephesians 6:19-20 teaches us we can pray for boldness and the right words to tell others about Jesus. We learn in Matthew 5:44 79