INTRODUCTION TO ACTS LESSON 1 (SUNDAY): MEMORY VERSES: SUPPLIES NEEDED CLASS SCHEDULE BIBLE TIME. Acts 2:37-39

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1 LESSON 1 (SUNDAY): INTRODUCTION TO ACTS CLASS SCHEDULE 1. Welcome/Prayer 2. Singing/Memory Verse 3. Bible Lesson 4. Vocabulary/Craft/Games 5. Clean up/prayer MEMORY VERSES: Acts 2:37-39 SUPPLIES NEEDED Bibles Vocabulary worksheet Vocabulary flash cards BIBLE TIME This quarter, you will be taking your students through the book of Acts, touching on all of the main incidents recorded in the book. You are helping the 1st & 2nd grade students get familiar with the accounts in Acts, and helping them understand what the book of Acts is about. This will be a foundation to build upon as they study Acts again in the upper grade levels. You will work on introducing key vocabulary words to your class today. Go over the vocabulary worksheet together, then review the vocabulary with flash cards (these will need to be made). Do not forget to recite the books of the Bible! Lesson: Have you ever written a letter to someone? What did you say? How did the person feel when they got the letter? Did you know that the book in the Bible that we will be studying this quarter is a letter? In fact, most of the books in the New Testament are letters to people, or to churches, telling them very important things. Remember what the Gospels are? Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And what do the Gospels talk about? The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus story! The book we will now study is the book right after the gospels, which book would that be? Acts! That s right, we will be studying Acts! Acts is a book about how Christianity got its start after Jesus was resurrected. Let s all turn to Acts, Chapter one, verse one and read verse one. Who was this letter written to? Theophilus. Do you know who wrote the book of Acts? We know that the person who wrote the book of Acts is named Luke. Luke also wrote another book in the New Testament, what was it? The book of Luke, one of the gospels. Luke was a man who lived during the time of Jesus. He was a doctor! He knew that Jesus was very important and he wanted to share what Jesus did and who he was with all his friends. This is something we should want to do too! The book of Acts will show us what the Apostles did after Jesus went back into heaven. Jesus gave the Apostles a very important job to do after he went away, remember what that job was? To share the love and story of Jesus Christ.

2 The book of Acts will show us how the Apostles shared the story of Christ, and where they shared the story of Christ. We will also meet a very amazing man named Paul. Have any of you heard of Paul? He is responsible for writing most of the New Testament! He was chosen by God to deliver His very special message to a lot of people. The book of Acts also teaches us about the very special helper that God gives Christians who is called the Holy Spirit. He gave the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles in a very special way, so they could spread the good news of Jesus in amazing ways. A final thing the book of Acts shows us is how to become Christians and how the Church came to be. Do you every wonder why we do what we do in worship each Sunday morning? The book of Acts tells us the things we should to to obey God when it comes to being a Christian, and worshiping God. God s people were very used to worshiping God in a very different way. Do you remember what God s people were called? Jews. We are going to have a very exciting time learning about the book of Acts and all of the wonderful people in Acts. Today, we will do some vocabulary work over some of the words I mentioned today, and we will help each other memorize what the book of Acts is about. 1. How the Apostles spread the word. 2. How the church began. 3. How to become a Christian.

3 VOCABULARY Holy Spirit Apostles Christian Church The special men chosen by Jesus to learn from him, and to spread the message of Jesus after he went back into heaven The special helper God gives to Christians to live within them and help them A group of Christians gathered together A person who believes in Jesus and is baptized in Christ to take the sins away in their lives, a person who obeys Jesus

4 LESSON 1 (WEDNESDAY): ASCENSION & PROMISE OF HOLY SPIRIT CLASS SCHEDULE 1. Welcome/Prayer 2. Singing/Memory Verse 3. Bible Lesson 4. Vocabulary/Craft/Games 5. Clean up/prayer MEMORY VERSES: Acts 2:37-39 SUPPLIES NEEDED Vocabulary flash cards White styrofoam cups String, cotton balls Jesus figure BIBLE TIME Tonight, you will discuss the ascension of Jesus and why it was so special for us all. You will also cover the promise of the Holy Spirit. before the lesson, use the vocabulary flash cards to refresh their minds on the words learned Sunday, for this will help them in tonight s lesson. Be sure to have the children take turns (those who can) reading the scriptures as you teach. Remember the three reasons why the book of Acts was written? 1. How the Apostles spread the word 2. How the church began 3. How to become a Christian. Tonight, we will begin in Acts Chapter one to see what happened when Jesus went back home to heaven. Let s begin reading in Acts chapter one verse 3-5. What is going on here? Jesus had been going around, showing himself to a lot of people after he was risen from the dead. Why do you think this is so? To help everyone believe in Jesus as being the Son of God. It would be pretty hard to believe someone was alive after you had seen them die wouldn t it? He walked around, teaching and showing himself to people for how many days? Forty. Jesus asked his Apostles to wait in the city of Jerusalem to wait for a special promise. What did we read the promise was? To be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Let us now read verses What happened? Jesus went into heaven on a cloud and disappeared from the Apostles sight! They didn t know what to think! They just stood there, looking into the sky, very surprised at what just happened. They were confused! How would you feel if you were walking with someone and then just see them float off into the sky? The Apostles did not know what to think, but then...two angels appeared and said what? Why are you looking at the sky? Jesus who was just taken up, will be brought back down again in the same way someday. Why is Jesus going to come back down from heaven someday? To take all of his followers who are called Christians, into heaven to be with God and all of the

5 other Christians. We do not know when this will happen, but when it does, it will be a wonderful moment because we will get to live with our Heavenly Father forever! Heaven is a place where you never get sad. You never get in trouble for doing something wrong, because there is nothing wrong in heaven! We do not cry in heaven, get sad, or get hurt. This is a very special promise God gives all of His children who obey His commands. What happens when you obey your parents? You get rewarded! Heaven is the same way, a reward for those who try their best to do God s will. Will we mess up? Sure, everyone does, but remember why Jesus died? For our sins. Jesus death gives us a chance to be forgiven of our sins. So tonight, we see how the book of Acts begins by showing how Jesus showed himself to many after he was resurrected so they would believe in him and tell others. We also see how he promised to send a special helper to the Apostles, and how he went back up into heaven on a cloud to be with his Father to help watch over us and get things ready for us when we get to go to heaven someday. We are going to make a special craft today to remember how Jesus went back up into heaven to take care of us from there until he comes back again. Craft Instructions: Pass out the Jesus figures for the children to color. Tape a 12-inch piece of yarn to the back of the figure behind the head. Allow each child to punch a hole in the bottom of the cup with a pencil. Thread the yarn through the hole in the bottom and knot the thread at the end so that it will not slip out. Glue clouds to the outside of the cup. The children will now be able to pull Jesus into the cup as if he is disappearing into the clouds.

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7 LESSON 2 (SUNDAY): MATTHIAS MEMORY VERSES: Acts 2:37-39 CLASS SCHEDULE 1. Welcome/Prayer 2. Singing/Memory Verse 3. Bible Lesson 4. Vocabulary/Craft/Games 5. Clean up/prayer SUPPLIES NEEDED Computer Bibles BIBLE TIME Today you will be discussing the selection of Matthias and how each of us are allowed to make choices and how good choices work, and bad choices work. Review with them the purpose of Acts, and the ascension of Christ. Write the names of the Apostles (all except Matthias, to give them a visual of how Matthias took Judas place. On Wednesday night we learned about how Jesus went back into heaven to oversee us until he comes back again. He also promised the Apostles a special helper to help them spread the word about Jesus, his life, death, and resurrection. Do you remember what this special helper is called? The Holy Spirit. Today, we are going to look at what the Apostles did to get read for this special helper. Lets turn our Bibles to Acts 1:12-14, follow along as I read (the children may have a hard time with the names, so read this passage for them.) Look at the white board, which name up here is missing from the group of Apostles listed in verse thirteen? (Go through and make a check mark next to each name as you read them) Who is missing? Judas Do you remember what Judas did? He betrayed Jesus. Judas did not make a very good decision when he decided to turn his back on Jesus. Do we make bad decisions sometimes? Yes, but we can always change our minds and make better decisions. The other Apostles knew that they still needed to follow God s will, even without Judas. They needed to find another person to be an Apostle, because God s word says that there were to be 12 Apostles, and they only had 11. So they decided to make a good decision, and follow the directions God had given them to do. What happens when we make good decisions? We stay safe, happy, and make God feel happy for us. Lets see what the Apostles did to make the good decision to find another Apostle. Read vv The man who was to be picked had to be with Jesus the whole time he was on earth during his ministry. There were two men who had seen and heard all Jesus spoke about, and saw him die on the cross and be raised again. They were Joseph called Barabbas and Matthias. Who was chosen to be the twelfth apostle? Matthias!

8 Matthias was chosen to help spread God s word to the people! Let s now name all of the Apostles that worked hard to share the story of Jesus to all who would hear! (Write each name of the Apostles down on the board and recite the names with the students. Peter, Andrew, James, John, Phillip, Thomas, Matthew, Bartholomew, James the Less, Simon, Thaddeus, and Matthias! Judas made a bad decision when he disobeyed God and betrayed Jesus, but that did not stop God from sending his son, Jesus to help us! Even when we sin, God cares for us and makes things work out for the good when we obey him. The other Apostles made a good decision to follow God s word and find another Apostle who knew Jesus to take Judas place. Now we are going to watch a video on making the right choices! (Go to this site on your computer and watch the video)

9 LESSON 2 (WEDNESDAY): THE ARRIVAL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT CLASS SCHEDULE 1. Welcome/Prayer 2. Singing/Memory Verse 3. Bible Lesson 4. Vocabulary/Craft/Games 5. Clean up/prayer MEMORY VERSES: Acts 2:37-39 SUPPLIES NEEDED Bibles Construction paper cut to 16 x 3 Flame cutout Glitter BIBLE TIME Today we are going to move on to Acts 2 in class. Remember what was in Acts 1? Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to help the Apostles, Jesus goes into heaven, and the Apostles make a good choice to choose Matthias to make the group whole again. Remember who wrote the book of Acts? Luke! And who was Luke? A Doctor! Let s read Acts 2:1 to see what happens to the Apostles next. When we left the lesson on Sunday, they were all gathered in one place in the city of Jerusalem awaiting the promised helper which is called what? The Holy Spirit. Read Acts 2:1-4 with the children. Wow! That would be a really neat sight to see wouldn t it? What came to the Apostles? The Holy Spirit. How did the Holy Spirit come to them? WHOOOSH! It rushed in, like wind, filled the house, and divided tongues of fire rested on each of them. Hmm... Have you ever seen that before? I know I haven t! God promised to send a helper to the Apostles, and so He did, in a very big way! What happened to the Apostles after this happened? Let s read v. 4. He gave them the ability to speak in tongues. What do you think speaking in tongues means? Speaking in tongues is a miraculous gift that allows the apostles to be able to talk in any language! They didn t even have to study! They just knew how because of help from the Holy Spirit. Just imagine if you were able to all of a sudden speak another language without even having to study! What other language would you like to learn? Now imagine you being able to just speak it, and understand it just like you do English! What was the job Jesus gave the Apostles to do? Spread the Word, share the Gospel, teach about Jesus. Think about this job and the gift the Apostles just received. Why do you think God gave them the ability to speak any language they wanted to? So they could tell everyone about Jesus, even those who did not speak the same language. If they wanted to share the message with someone who spoke Hebrew, they could speak Hebrew. If they needed to tell someone who spoke Spanish about Jesus, they could speak Spanish! God did this so EVERYONE would hear about His son, and believe in His son. The gift of the Holy Spirit also gave the Apostles the ability to heal people with

10 miracles just like Jesus did. The Spirit also would help the Apostles find what words they needed to use when they talked to others about God. Remember what Prophets are? They were men God spoke to, to deliver a message; he showed them the message with visions and dreams. He showed the Apostles what to say with the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Holy Spirit was very special to the Apostles and they were the only ones who received the Holy Spirit in this way. They needed this gift to show the power of Christ to others so they would believe. Today, we get to see all of it right here in the Word of God! Lets read on in Acts 2:5-13. As I read, there were people from all over the place that spoke in many different languages and they were amazed that the Apostles could speak their language. God was showing His power through the Apostles! As we continue our study in Acts, we will see how the Apostles used this power to teach many people about Jesus. We have the power to teach people about Jesus too! Our power comes through the Word of God! Craft Instructions: Give each child a flame to cut out. After they have cut out the flames, set out a tablecloth and allow the children to use gluesticks and glitter to decorate the flames. Shake and let dry. Attach the flames with a stapler to the 16 x 3 construction paper to create a headband.

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12 LESSON 3 (SUNDAY): PETER S SERMON CLASS SCHEDULE 1. Welcome/Prayer 2. Singing/Memory Verse 3. Bible Lesson 4. Vocabulary/Craft/Games 5. Clean up/prayer MEMORY VERSES: Acts 2:37-39 SUPPLIES NEEDED Bibles Card stock Booklet strips Glue stick Heart stickers BIBLE TIME Jesus has gone into heaven, and the Apostles received the gift of the Holy Spirit, and can speak in all different languages what God needs them to say, and the people around them are curious. What happens next? Peter, one of the Apostles stand up among the crowd and delivers a wonderful message about God s love to all the people who were listening. Today, we are going to study what he had to say, and what the people did after hearing. Open your Bibles to Acts chapter two and find verse 14. We read that Peter lifts up his voice and speaks to the crowd. What do you think he is about to say? Let s find out! Read Acts 2: 17. Peter begins by repeating a prophesy spoken of in the book of Joel, which is in the Old Testament. Joel was a Prophet. What was a Prophet? A special messenger God spoke to to deliver messages. This message was a prophecy, do you all remember what a prophecy is? A prediction of what will happen in the future. What does the prophecy say? It says that God would pour out His Spirit. What gift had the Apostles just received? The Holy Spirit! The prophecy came true! God keeps His promises. Let s read on Read Acts 2: Peter is simply saying that Jesus was the son of God, and did many mighty miracles in the name of God, but was rejected and crucified. What happened after Jesus was crucified? He arose! Peter was telling the people the Gospel which is the story of Jesus, or the good news of Jesus life. Peter was telling all the people the story of how Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life, taught others about God, was crucified, and rose again because he has power to save us from sin! How does that make you feel to know that Jesus wants to save you from sin? How do you think the people felt when they heard this? What do you think they did? Read Acts 2:37. The Bible says they were cut to the heart. This is an expression to say they were very sad and felt sorry for being sinners. They asked, What can we do? Read with me in verse 38 what Peter said they should do (Read vv ). What do we need to do when we make the decision to become a Christian? Repent and be baptized. Repent means to turn away from, so basically they are

13 to turn away from sinning. They were also told to be baptized, what is that? To be washed in water. Have you ever seen someone be baptized? When you saw that person being baptized, it meant they were sorry for the sin they had and wants Jesus to take the sin away, they are then baptized to show they have been washed. As we continue on studying the book of Acts, we will get to see a lot of people make good decisions and listen to the Gospel and obey the Gospel. We will also see some people making bad decisions, and not following God s will. Peter did a very good job telling others the simple story of Jesus. Last quarter, you all learned the story of Jesus didn t you? Do you think you can tell the story to others? We are going to make a little craft today to help us remember the story of Jesus so we can remember it, and share it with others, just like the Apostles did! John 3:16 Book 1. Pass out the strips of paper for the students to decorate. 2. Once finished, help them glue the top part of the strip, the part with the world, onto the pre-cut square piece of card stock. Make sure you even up the first box with the card stock. Place the heart sticker on the world. 3. Fold at the dotted line each box accordion style, and glue the other piece of card stock to the bottom of the square with the Bible on it. 4. Show the children how to fold the craft into a booklet, and how to undo it. 5. Review with the students how to use the pictures to explain John 3:16.

14 For God so Loved the world For God so Loved the world That He gave His only Son That He gave His only Son That whoever believes in him That whoever believes in him Shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

15 LESSON 3 (WEDNESDAY): THE LAME BEGGAR HEALED CLASS SCHEDULE 1. Welcome/Prayer 2. Singing/Memory Verse 3. Bible Lesson 4. Vocabulary/Craft/Games 5. Clean up/prayer MEMORY VERSES: Acts 2:37-39 SUPPLIES NEEDED Bibles Cards Envelopes, stamps Stickers, crayons, etc. Prayer list BIBLE TIME By this time, you will have given the children a good overview of why the book of Acts was written, and why it was written. As you go along the rest of the quarter with the accounts, continue to refresh them on the vocabulary words from lesson one, and on purpose of the book of Acts. Thank you very much for bringing this book to life for the children! Don t forget to work on the memory verse by adding to it throughout the quarter. As we continue on in our journey of Acts, we will now see how the Apostles use the Holy Spirit to help people just like Jesus did when he was on earth. Today s lesson comes from the book of Acts, and we will be reading in chapter three. Have the children who can read take turns reading Acts 3:1-10 while everyone else follows along. If the children get distracted while reading, stop and ask a few questions after a couple of verses to keep them focused. Have you ever seen someone who could not walk? How did they get around? Wheelchairs In biblical times, people who were lame, which is another word for not being able to walk, did not have wheelchairs to get them around. They sat on mats in busy places hoping someone would pick them up and carry them to where they needed to go, or give them money so they can buy food. That does not sound like fun does it? How would it make you feel if you could not walk and had to beg people to take you places and feed you? The man from Acts 3 needed help from the Apostles Peter and John, and asked them for money. But what they gave him was even better! What did they give him? The ability to walk! Let s read again in verses 6-7. Peter said, In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, get up and walk! Do you know why he talked about Jesus when he gave the man the ability to walk? He said this because God gave the Apostles the gift to perform miracles through the gift of the Holy Spirit so they could do their very special job of teaching others about Jesus! What happened when the man was healed? (Read verses 8-10) The lame man, and those around him praised God! They wanted to learn more about how Peter had the ability to heal the man. Peter then sat with the people and told them the gospel, which is the story of Jesus life, death,

16 and resurrection. Peter and John helped the lame man very much that day. They were able to give him the gift of walking to show Jesus love and power. How can we today show Jesus love and power to those who need him? We can lead them to the Bible so the can see for themselves what Jesus did for them! We can also be a good example and help those who need help. If we see someone in need, we can help in the name of Jesus. For example: What if someone who is in a wheelchair can t reach something they are grabbing for? What can you do? Get it for them. That is showing love like Jesus. What if someone is sick and needs encouragement? We can send them a card, give them a call, pray for them, pray with them, help mom or dad make food for them etc. There are all kids of ways to show we care just like Peter and John showed they cared with the lame man. By being kind to the lame man, a lot of people were able to see God s love for them. By helping others around us, God s love will show through our kind actions as well. Allow the children to write get well or encouragement wishes to people on your prayer list and pray for the people during class. Don t forget to mail the cards!

17 LESSON 4 (SUNDAY): FELLOWSHIP OF THE BELIEVERS CLASS SCHEDULE 1. Welcome/Prayer 2. Singing/Memory Verse 3. Bible Lesson 4. Vocabulary/Craft/Games 5. Clean up/prayer MEMORY VERSES: Acts 2:37-39 SUPPLIES NEEDED Things for a service project BIBLE TIME Today, you will give a short, 5 minute devotional over the way the Christians helped each other out in Acts 2. After this lesson, lead the kids in a service project they can do to imitate the selflessness shown in Acts 2. They can organize, plant, write cards, make treats, visit shut ins, etc. Just select a project that you can do in the class time given, and stress the importance of serving others. After the Gospel was introduced, Christianity began to grow. Lets read Acts 2: These people devoted themselves to learning God s Word, teaching God s Word, singing praises, sharing with each other, and giving to those who were in need. These are things that we all are called to do as part of the church. We should always be looking for ways to serve the people in our church, and in your community. Today, we will take part in a special project so we can show the love of Christ.

18 LESSON 4 (WEDNESDAY): ANANIAS & SAPPHIRA CLASS SCHEDULE 1. Welcome/Prayer 2. Singing/Memory Verse 3. Bible Lesson 4. Vocabulary/Craft/Games 5. Clean up/prayer MEMORY VERSES: Acts 2:37-39 SUPPLIES NEEDED Visual aids (see link on GROW file site) Books of the Bible game BIBLE TIME Tonight s lesson will focus on telling the truth in every situation. Before the lesson starts, discuss with the students how it felt to help on Sunday during the service project. Try to keep the lessons of sharing and lying separate, because we do not want to confuse them as to what the sin was if Ananias and Sapphira. Pre-talk: How did everyone like the service project on Sunday? Did it feel good to help someone out who needed help? The early church, shared with one another and made sure everyone had what they needed to live. They shared everything! On Sunday, we shared (insert what you shared on Sunday here) with (whomever the project was for). It was so good to see that! You showed God s love by giving to others, just like Peter did with the lame man, and just like you did when we prayed for the people on our sick list and sent them cards. If feels good to help! Break up the service project conversation with going over the memory verse with the children and sing a few songs. Then move on to the lesson below: Today s lesson comes from what book are we studying again? ACTS! Turn to Acts 5, and we are going to learn about a couple named Ananias and Sapphira. Have you ever told a lie? I think we all have lied a time or two in our lives. Acts 5 tells us about a couple who got caught lying, and that were punished pretty bad for it. Do you get punished when you get caught lying? Have you ever lied to someone and they never found out about it? Do you think you were able to hide the lie? Did you know that God loves us so much that He watches our every move, every day, all the time?! He is always watching to make sure we are safe and obeying His word. Sometimes, when we lie, others may not know about it, but God does, and it makes Him sad. He does not want us lying to people because it is not the right thing to do. We should always try to tell the truth, even when its hard. (Use the visuals to tell the story below) Ananias and Sapphira lied to their friends and to God. They sold some land they had and kept a bit of the money for themselves. They gave the rest of the money to the apostles to use for whoever needed it. That was nice wasn t it? They wanted to give their money to God to help others. But something else happened. They told

19 the apostles they gave ALL their money from the land to the apostles. Was this true? No, because they kept some back to use. Was it wrong to keep some of the money? Not at all! It was their money and God loves a cheerful giver, they gave what they thought was right, and it was a good thing! But then they lied about it and made it sound like they gave everything. That was wrong. Ananias knew it was wrong and his wife Sapphira knew it was wrong. They lied and God punished them for lying. Psalm 34:13 says, Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Evil is something against God, and deceit is not telling the truth. God loves us and wants us to be truthful to Him, and to everyone around us. For the remainder of class, use the extra time to play some of the books of the Bible game to help the children continue to build on their knowledge. They should be able to identify what books are the gospels, and what book (Acts) is the book of history.

20 LESSON 5 (SUNDAY): APOSTLES ARRESTED CLASS SCHEDULE 1. Welcome/Prayer 2. Singing/Memory Verse 3. Bible Lesson 4. Vocabulary/Craft/Games 5. Clean up/prayer MEMORY VERSES: Acts 2:37-39 SUPPLIES NEEDED Bible Visual aids BIBLE TIME Today you will discuss choosing to do the right thing, even if others do not understand. Help the children relate to the fact that they should always obey God and stand up for their beliefs. Have you ever been made fun of for something you knew was right? Think about choosing to go to worship God on Sunday morning instead of staying the night with your friend. They may make fun of the fact that you want to be in church. Or what about someone telling you not to play with someone else because your friend does not like that person, but you play with that friends anyway because God wants us to treat everyone the same? We can find ourselves wanting to do the right thing, even when others do not think we should. Did you know this happened to the Apostles many, many times while they were going around teaching the word? People would get angry when they spoke about Jesus and his love, and they would want to hurt the Apostles, or put them in prison! What would you do if someone told you they would throw you in prison if you talked about Jesus? What do you think the Apostles did? Lets turn to Acts 5:17 and see what they did in this situation. Remember the lame man? The Apostles healed this man in the name of Jesus and made many people happy! But there were also some mad people, people who did not understand Jesus and how much he loved them. (Read vv ). The Apostles were arrested for helping a man who could never walk, walk again! But guess what? God blessed them and protected them while in prison. (Read vv ). God sent an angel to get the Apostles out of prison, and back into the temple to teach others about God! God protected the Apostles while they taught others about God. Sometimes they were thrown in jail, sometimes, they got beat up pretty badly, but through it all, God watched over them and helped them share the good news with others. We too should always stand up for what is right and tell others about Jesus, just like the Apostles! God wants us to obey Him rather than men. If the Apostles did what the men had said and stopped telling others about Jesus, what would have happened?

21 They didn t listen to the men, but they did obey God s command to teach everyone about Jesus. Remember that God wants us to obey Him, the next time someone makes fun of you for doing what God wants, He will protect you! Play a game of Mother May I to help the children understand the meaning of obedience. Make a list on the white board of all the different words the children can come up with that means the same as obey. Some examples are: heed, listen, mind, behave, follow, do what you are told, follow directions, etc.

22 LESSON 5 (WEDNESDAY): STEPHEN S STORY CLASS SCHEDULE 1. Welcome/Prayer 2. Singing/Memory Verse 3. Bible Lesson 4. Vocabulary/Craft/Games 5. Clean up/prayer MEMORY VERSES: Acts 2:37-39 SUPPLIES NEEDED Visual aids Stones Sharpie markers Tempera paint, paint brushes Art smocks BIBLE TIME Tonight, you will talk about Stephen and his bravery. The children need to understand that a lot of brave people died because they believed in Jesus so much that they gave their lives to share Jesus love with others. If the weather is nice, this would be a good lesson to do outside on an old sheet or table cloth for painting. On Sunday we learned how it is always best to obey God, and not listen to, or act like those who want to do things that are not ok. The Apostles loved Jesus so much, that they got into some pretty scary situations just to show others that God cared for them. Tonight, we are going to talk about a very special man named Stephen. His story is found in Acts chapters six and seven. Stephen stood up for what was right and taught a lot of people about God and how he sent His son to die on the cross for everyone s sins. While he was teaching others about Jesus, some people tried to say Stephen was making everything about Jesus up. But, we know better than that! Remember the special helper we have talked about that was sent to help spread the word of Christ? The helper was the Holy Spirit, sent by God to give Stephen the words he needed to share Jesus love. Stephen too, was arrested for talking about Jesus, and brought before some people who wanted Stephen to be hurt. Stephen, full of God s love and bravery, because remember, he had the Spirit of God living inside him, taught the people present all about why Jesus lived and died, and why we all need him. This made some who just did not believe get so angry with Stephen that they began to throw big heavy, dangerous stones at Stephen. They wanted him to die because he believed In Jesus. The people threw so many stones at Stephen that he died from all of the injuries. Before he died, he looked up and saw Jesus standing right beside God, looking down on him from heaven. Stephen asked God and Jesus to forgive the people for not understanding that Jesus was their savior. And with that, he fell asleep. It was a very sad thing that Stephen had to die because others were so full of something we call hate. Hate is a very strong word that means we really, really, REALLY do not like something that it makes us very very angry. It is never OK to hate

23 people. We are to always choose love, above all else. Stephen chose love because he wanted others to know about Jesus. Stephen was a very brave man for standing up for what he believed in. He believed in Jesus so much that he risked being stoned to death just so others would know about him. He is not the only one who has stood up for Jesus in this way, many people in biblical times, and even today risk being in danger just so they can talk about Jesus love. They chose love, and so should we! To remind ourselves that we are to be brave and follow God, we are going to make stones that say, I Choose God. The stone will remind us to stand up for what is right always, just like Stephen did. It will also remind us to chose God s way, even when its hard. Help the children write, I choose God on their stones with sharpies; decorate the rocks with tempera paint.

24 LESSON 6 (SUNDAY): SIMON THE MAGI- CIAN BELIEVES CLASS SCHEDULE 1. Welcome/Prayer 2. Singing/Memory Verse 3. Bible Lesson 4. Vocabulary/Craft/Games 5. Clean up/prayer MEMORY VERSES: Acts 2:37-39 SUPPLIES NEEDED Quarters for each child Quarter trick holders (see GROW file site) Deck of cards BIBLE TIME Today you will be discussing what the difference is between magic, and a miracle. You will use a deck of cards to show the children how one performs magic, and why it is very different than miracles. After the lesson, pass out the quarters and the quarter holder and show the children how to perform magic, discuss the difference between magic and miracles, and tell them to always give God the credit for their talents. Who likes magic tricks? Today, we will talk about magic and miracles! There is a very big difference between magic and miracles, and we will see how a magician named Simon saw the Apostles perform miracles, and asked them to teach him their magic. He soon learned that magic had nothing to do with the amazing power the Apostles had, they had something even more special. Take out the deck of cards and perform the magic trick on the opposite page. Do the trick a few times for the children, and then explain to them how you were able to trick them. Magic is a special trick to amaze those who watch it. We see magicians perform in circuses, on TV, and even at birthday parties. It is a fun way to trick friends into thinking they see something that really isn t there. Magic is something we can learn, practice, and get better at with time. Magic is also something that can be explained step by step, just like I showed you the trick to my cards. What is a miracle? A miracle is something that cannot be explained, it just happens! A miracle cannot be learned, or cannot be practiced. A miracle is God s way of showing His power. God gave the Apostles and others the ability to perform miracles to help spread the message of Jesus. Do you see the difference? Magic is learned, and can be explained step by step. A miracle is something that cannot be explained and just happens by the power of God. Remember the lame man? His legs being healed was because of a miracle, not magic. Acts chapter eight tells us about a magician named Simon. His job was to entertain people with magic tricks. Simon met Phillip one day while Phillip was

25 teaching others about how to be a Christian. Simon, and many others believed in Jesus and were baptized to wash away their sins and become Christians. Simon followed Phillip and was amazed at the miracles Phillip was able to perform with the power from God. Simon thought this special power was just a magic trick and he wanted to be able to do it too so he could be famous. He tried to pay Phillip to give him the special ability through the Holy Spirit. Philip told him that it was not a trick, or something that could be used to make you look good and told him he needed to change his selfish heart. Simon wanted the power God gave the Apostles to teach others about Jesus, and use it to make himself look good. This is called selfishness, or being prideful. He put his wants before God. Philip told him he needed to always remember to put God first, and be a humble Christian. Simon said he was sorry and asked for the people to pray for him because he had done wrong. When you do good things for others, or if you are given a certain talent, do not forget to give God the credit! He created you, and loves you, and wants you to use your special gifts to tell others about his son Jesus. Card Trick: 1. Have a child pick a card, then instruct them to show the card to the class, then put the card back on the top of the card deck. 2. Cut the deck in half, remembering the card on top. As you put the deck together to shuffle, as the cards fall, remember to peak at the top card as the deck finishes its shuffle. Now you know what the card is! 3. Give the deck back to the child and have them shuffle the deck themselves. 4. Take the deck back and then pretend to use your magical powers to envision the card. 5. Start to lay the cards, face side up, until you find the card the child chose, then hold it up to show the class you magically found the card. Magic Coin Trick: Perform the trick for your students using the instrucitons in the kit.

26 LESSON 6 (WEDNESDAY): PHILLIP & THE ETHI- OPIAN EUNUCH CLASS SCHEDULE 1. Welcome/Prayer 2. Singing/Memory Verse 3. Bible Lesson 4. Vocabulary/Craft/Games 5. Clean up/prayer MEMORY VERSES: Acts 2:37-39 SUPPLIES NEEDED Visual aids Pocket chart game template **This lesson will require extra prep-work!** BIBLE TIME Tonight you will be discussing how important it is to take the time to tell others about Jesus, just like Phillip did with the Ethiopian Eunuch. If class time allows, work on the memory verse with the students at the end of class in more detail to help them all get on the same page if they are not already. Remember to help them memorize by going over it a few words at a time each class period. Let s see if you all can remember what the book of Acts is about. There are three main things the book of Acts talks about, what are the three things? 1. How the Apostles spread the word. 2. How the Church began. 3. How to become a Christian. Who wrote the book of Acts? Luke And what type of book is the book of Acts? Book of History. Tonight s lesson comes from Acts 8. Let s all turn there to v. 26. Read vv to the children as they follow along. We see that an Angel of the Lord talked to Phillip and told him to go see someone. Who did he go see? The Ethiopian eunuch. This man was in charge of the money for the queen of the Ethiopians, Candace. Follow along with me through vv The Ethiopian was trying to read a passage from the prophet Isaiah. He was having a hard time understanding what it was saying. Phillip asked him if he understood, and the Ethiopian said, How can I unless someone helps me? For some, reading the Bible may not make much sense at first because it is easy to get confused sometimes. It is nice to have people to help us read the Bible and understand what it is saying. That is why we open up our Bibles and read it together in class, so we can help each other understand. The Ethiopian invited Phillip to come sit with him, as Phillip began to explain the passage. Read vv Who do you think the passage is talking about? Jesus! It is talking about how Jesus died for our sins. Read vv Phillip used this

27 opportunity to teach the Ethiopian about who Jesus was and what he meant for the world. What do you think happened next? Read vv The Ethiopian wanted to become a Christian because he understood the gift Jesus gave when he died on the cross and the Ethiopian wanted to receive that gift. They found water, and he was baptized and became a Christian and was very happy. Phillip was very happy for him as well. If you have friends who do not understand who Jesus is, you can be like Phillip and tell them all about him! You can learn more about him by reading his Word and studying with friends in Bible Class. You can also learn more about him during worship time when the preacher gives a lesson. The more you know about Jesus, the more you will come to love him, and want to tell others about him, just like we see the Apostles doing in the book of Acts. Get out the pocket chart game and let the children review the story.

28 Instructions: Print chariot and scroll game pieces on card stock. Write review questions on the chariot and the answers on scrolls. Color and laminate. Use as game pieces for pocket charts Start2Finish. All rights reserved.

29 Start2Finish. All rights reserved.

30 LESSON 7 (SUNDAY): SAUL ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS CLASS SCHEDULE 1. Welcome/Prayer 2. Singing/Memory Verse 3. Bible Lesson 4. Vocabulary/Craft/Games 5. Clean up/prayer MEMORY VERSES: Acts 2:37-39 SUPPLIES NEEDED Saul is Blind glasses BIBLE TIME This lesson will be introducing the children to Saul/Paul. You will spend the next two weeks on who he is and why he was so important to the spread of the gospel. You will be doing a lot of character study, so try to relate Saul/Paul s mannerisms to the children s mannerisms and compare and contrast. Help them relate to Paul and by doing so, you will help them begin to understand repentance and grace. Who all remembers a few weeks ago when we talked about the stoning of Stephen? He was put to death because he was teaching others about Jesus. After he was put to death, the men took his clothes and gave them to a man named Saul. Saul was a very educated man, and was a very very serious Jew. He did not like Christians. he did not like Christianity. He tried to destroy each and every Christian he could find. He did not believe in Jesus either. He was full of something called zeal. Zeal is a word used to describe a feeling about something that you are very excited for. Saul had a lot of Zeal, or excitement for God. He loved God very very much, and did everything he could to obey him. This sounds kind of silly doesn t it? Saul loved God so much that he put Christians to death? Well, Saul had a very good heart, and he thought he was protecting God by doing away with Christians because he did not understand who Jesus was. He did not believe Jesus was the son of God! He thought Jesus was an impostor, someone who pretends to be something they are not. But we know that Saul was very wrong. have you ever been wrong like that? Believed in something so much that you tried all you could to protect it? God knew Saul s heart and wanted to use Saul to help the Apostles tell others about Jesus. God knew that if Saul knew who Jesus really was, that Saul would feel sorry for hurting those who loved Jesus and begin to love Jesus himself. Let s all turn to Acts chapter nine and lets read vv 1-2. Saul is on his way to get permission to capture anyone who believes in the Gospel. Read verse 3, and then have one of the children read verses 4-6 with your help. Who was talking to Saul? It was Jesus, calling out to Saul form heaven asking him why Saul was treating Jesus so badly.

31 Saul was probably pretty scared! Why do you think Jesus called out to Saul from heaven? I think it is because Jesus wanted to show Saul that he really was the Son of God and that he loved him. If you didn t believe something to be real, but then it all of a sudden appeared to you, would you believe then? I think Saul sure believed! Read verses 7-9. After talking to Jesus and seeing the bright light, Saul became blind! He could no longer see! How scary would that have been? He had friends who then took him by the hand and lead him to Damascus where Saul would meet someone who would tell him the story of Jesus, which is called the Gospel and tell him what to do next. Saul thought he was doing a good thing for God, but the truth was, he was hurting God. Sometimes we can do things we think are good, but we end up hurting God instead. Like maybe lying to keep yourself or a friends out of trouble. You may have gotten out of trouble and thought that was good, but what you really did was hurt God and the people you lied to. On Wednesday, we are going to learn more about Saul and how he became a very good helper to God by telling others about Jesus! What do you think he did when he got to Damascus? Discuss the possibilities with the children and help them relate to Saul trying to do good, but being misled.

32 LESSON 7 (WEDNESDAY): SAUL IS BAPTIZED CLASS SCHEDULE 1. Welcome/Prayer 2. Singing/Memory Verse 3. Bible Lesson 4. Vocabulary/Craft/Games 5. Clean up/prayer MEMORY VERSES: Acts 2:37-39 SUPPLIES NEEDED Computer Youtube Video: youtube.com/ watch? v=ghcojuwrjfi&feature=plcp BIBLE TIME Tonight, you will tell the children how Saul met Ananias and became a Christian **Play Video - 6 minutes long** Remember whom we spoke about on Sunday morning? His name was Saul, and what was he doing to Christians? He was harming them and trying to destroy Christianity! Was this wrong? Yes, it was very very wrong. Did Saul think it was wrong? No, he did not! Why did Saul think he was doing the right thing? Because he thought Jesus was a fake and trying to get people to stray from God s Word. While Saul was walking down the road, someone appeared to him in light, who was this person? It was Jesus! Jesus said Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? Saul answered, Who are you Lord? And Jesus said, I am Jesus, the one whom you are persecuting! Saul was very scared and asked what he needed to do. Do you remember what Jesus told him to do? He told him to go into the city of Damascus and wait for instruction. Open up your Bibles to Acts chapter nine and find verse ten. I will read verses Follow along well so we can discuss the passage after I finish reading. We see the Lord talk to a man named Ananias. He wants Ananias be the one to meet Saul to help him understand who Jesus is and what God wants Saul to do to help others know Jesus too. Ananias was scared to meet Saul because he knew Saul was very mean to Christians. The Lord told Ananias not to worry because he chose Saul to be a very important person in spreading the news about Jesus. Remember how God can look into our hearts and see what s inside? God saw something very special in Saul, and he knew that Saul would be just right for the job that needed to be done. Let s read on to verses Saul was lead to Damascus by his friends, because remember, he could not see! Ananias came to him, and put his hands on him, and God gave Ananias the power to give Saul his eye sight back. Something like scales fell off of

33 his eyes and he could see again! It was a miracle! Saul knew that Jesus was the Son of God and wanted to become a Christian. he turned away from his sins and was baptized by Ananias and then began to tell others about Jesus. Saul thought he was doing God s work by being mean to Christians, but later on, he found out he was very wrong. He was not doing the right thing at all! We see though, that God gave him a second chance because he believed that Saul loved him very much. Saul just needed to be steered in the right direction and God used Ananias to help Saul learn. God wants us all to be lights to the world. This means He wants us to shine Jesus light to to others and spread the word just like we are seeing here in our Bible lessons.

34 LESSON 8 (SUNDAY): WHO IS SAUL/PAUL? MEMORY VERSES: Acts 2:37-39 CLASS SCHEDULE 1. Welcome/Prayer 2. Singing/Memory Verse 3. Bible Lesson 4. Vocabulary/Craft/Games 5. Clean up/prayer SUPPLIES NEEDED Brainstorm worksheet Map BIBLE TIME This morning, you will be taking a look at Jewish culture, and showing the children how Saul was shaped as a young man. Compare his education to their education. This class, and Wednesday s class will be a character study over Saul/Paul, and how God was able to use Paul to bring glory to Jesus. Last week, we studies about a man named who? Saul! This week, we will be studying more about the man named Saul. Did you know that after becoming a Christian, his name was changed? Can you guess what his name was changed to? It is very similar to the name Saul. It even rhymes with Saul! What did Saul change his name to? He changed his name to Paul! It was very common for people to change their names back in Biblical times, everyone s name had a special meaning, and a lot of the times, if something big, or different happened in someone s life, they would change their name! Remember how Jesus changed Peter s name after he met him? Do you remember what Peter s name was before? It was Simon! From now on, when we talk about Saul, we are going to call him Paul! Just remember that when you read about Paul in the book of Acts, he is the same person, his name was Saul when he was born, and it was Saul up until he became a Christian, then his name changed to Paul. Today, we are going to learn a little bit about how Paul grew up. Paul was born in the city of Tarsus. (Show the children Tarsus on the map.) Tarsus was best known for its great schools, and the city was also known for having great wealth. it was very close to the Mediterranean sea, so if it was close to the sea, what do you think Paul ate a lot of while he lived there? Fish! He probably ate a lot of fish. Paul s father was an official in the city of Tarsus, and taught Paul to become a tent maker. The tents he made were made of goat s hair! Paul went to school in Jerusalem (show on the map) to learn how to become a Pharisee. A Pharisee was a leader in the Jewish religion, and made sure everyone followed every single one of the commands in Jewish law. Some of the Jewish leaders added a lot of new rules to the Law that God gave His people and it was very hard for everyone to follow