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    • Optional Memory Verse: 

    Today's Theme:

     

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    Today's Story:

    		Paul writes letters from jail
    Acts 28  
    Optional Memory verse: 
    		"We know that in everything God works for 
    the good of those who love him."   Romans 8:28
    International Children's Bible, New Century Version
     
    God makes good things happen from bad things.
    • Materials Needed:
    		Paul figure,
    8 or 9 Fisher Price or similar type figures, (kids can make figures from play dough - see the optional craft below)
    Bible Story mat,
    paper island from last week's lesson
    Toy boat (big enough to fit Paul and several other figures),
    Foreign king figure (use the Pharaoh figure from previous lessons),
    Children's Bible,
    juice and cookies for snack to be used during the action game.
    2 Treasure maps leading to snack hidden in the room.
    		Make 2  maps leading to a hiding place in the room.
    		one will lead to the juice,
    the other will lead to cookies
    Cut each map into the same number of pieces (5 or 6 each),
    Put each piece into small envelopes,
    		You should have 2 sets of 5 or 6 envelopes (one set for each map),
    heavy string,
    2 pinch type clothes pins,
    2 plastic jars that roll easily with wide mouths (big enough to stuff one of the envelopes in and easily remove it.
    Make 3 letters from 3 pieces of paper each about 3" X 1  1/ 2" (8 X 4 cm):
    		On one piece write, "Keep loving one another. Think happy thoughts."  Sign it, "From Paul", fold it shut and on the outside write, "To the Philippians".
    On the second write, "Keep trusting in Jesus. Forgive one another. Always do your best work."  Sign it, "From Paul," fold it shut and label the outside "To the Colossians".
    On the third piece write, "I hear good things about you.  Good job!  Make sure you always tell the truth.  Be kind to one another."  Sign it "From Paul", fold it and label the outside, "To the Ephesians"
    Snack: juice and cookies 
    		These will be needed during the action game
    Make treasure maps to find the snack (see above)

     

    • Optional Craft: Play dough figures:
    		Have the kids make figures from play dough to use during the story:
    		Roll a barrel for a body,
    Add a round head.

     

    • Action Game: 

    Object of the Game:  For team members to figure out a way to send letters to their team members. 

    		Divide the class into 2 teams,
    Divide each team in half.
    Give each team 
    		one set of envelopes containing the pieces to the treasure map,
    a piece of string long enough to stretch across the room twice,
    1 pinch type clothes pin,
    A plastic jar
    Each team has to send the letters one at a time to the other half of their team.  
    They have to figure out how to send them.  They cannot hand deliver them.
    		They can string a loop of line to the other side and send them on a clothes pin (like a clothes line on a pulley), or
    roll it in the jar, 
    or any other way they can figure out.
    Once they've sent all the pieces to their team members, the team halves come together, put the puzzle pieces together and follow the map to find treasure.

     

    • Closing Discussion:

    • Close in Prayer: 

    • Telling the Story: 
    		In our game you had to think of a way to send a message to your team members on the other side of the room.
    Well in today's story Paul had to figure out a way to send a message to people who were far away.  
    He couldn't go and visit them and tell them in person.
    Listen carefully to find out what Paul did and who he wanted to send a message to.
    We're also learning that God makes good things happen from bad things.
    So listen carefully to find out what was bad in the story and how God made it for good.
    Last week we learned that Paul got shipwrecked on an island.
    Let's put the island with Paul on it right here.
    		Place the island on the floor and put Paul on it.
    Let's put the Promised Land way over there since he is far away from the Promised Land.
    		Have several of the kids put the Promised Land on the other side of the room.
    Do you remember what Paul was doing before he went back to the Promised Land and was put in jail?
    		He had traveled all over teaching people about Jesus.
    Paul taught many people about Jesus in towns all over.
    They didn't have church buildings yet so they met in each other's houses to pray and worship God.  
    Let's put some blocks right here to show houses in some of the towns where people who believed in Jesus met. 
    		Place 2 or 3 blocks together on the floor to represent a house.
    Make a house for 3 towns.
    Place some figures in front of each house.
    Do you remember where Paul was going when he was shipwrecked on an island?
    He had been in jail for 2 years in the Promised land.
    But the leaders forgot about him and just left him in jail even though he hadn't done anything wrong.
    So Paul finally asked to see the king who ruled over all the lands.
    That king lived in a far away city called Rome on the other side of the sea.
    		Designate a place in the room to be Rome and place the foreign king figure there (make it close enough that you can reach it during the story).
    Finally after 3 long months a ship came to the island where Paul was.
    		Sail the boat to the island.
    That ship was heading for Rome!
    So Paul and the others who had been shipwrecked got on the boat and headed for Rome!
    		Place Paul and some Fisher Price or similar type figures onto the boat.
    Let the kids take turns sailing it to Rome. 
    When Paul got to Rome he was allowed to live in a house instead of a jail even though he was still a prisoner.
    A soldier stayed with him and guarded him.
    		Place a figure next to Paul to represent a soldier
    Some of his friends from these towns came to visit him.
    		Point to the figures by the block houses.
    Paul wanted to go back and visit his friends at these towns.
    He wanted to teach them more about God and the Bible.
    But he wasn't allowed to.
    He had to stay where the soldier could watch him.
    		Point to the soldier
    But he had so much he wanted to tell them?
    How do you think he could teach them more about Jesus from such a far away place?
    		Discuss kids ideas
    He decided to  write letters to the people who lived in each of these towns.
    		Place the 3 letters in front of Paul
    I need each of you to be letter carriers and take these letters to the people in these 3 towns. 
    		Let the kids take turns passing the 3 letters to each other, then have the last child place one in front of each of the 3 block houses.
    What do you think he wrote in those letters?
    Let's read them and find out.
    		Read each letter to the kids.
    What do you think the people from these towns did with their letters from Paul?
    		Discuss kids ideas
    Everyone of those letters was kept and I'm going to tell you a surprise.
    You each have those letters right inside your Bibles. 
    		Open the Children's Bible to Philippians, Colossians and Ephesians and show the children.
    If Paul hadn't been in jail, he probably would have visited the people in those towns instead of sending them letters. 
    Then we would never get to read them.
    Those letters help us to learn about God.
    God made Paul's being in jail turn into good.
    God makes good things happen from bad things.
    What was bad for Paul in today's story?
    		He was in jail and couldn't visit his friends in these towns.
    Why did Paul want to go and visit the people in these towns?
    		Because he wanted to teach them more about God
    How did Paul teach them even though he couldn't go there?
    		He sent letters.
    What happened to those letters?
    		They are in our Bible
    How did God make good happen from Paul's being in jail.
    		Those letters help us learn about God.
    God made Paul's being in jail turn into good.
    God makes good things happen from bad things.
    God makes bad things turn into good for us too.
    		Read the memory verse, Romans 8:28 to the children.
    Always remember when something bad happens to you that God makes good things happen from bad things.
    Thank God that Paul wrote the letters because they help us to  know more about Jesus.
    Thank God that He makes good things happen from bad things.
    Ask him to help us to remember every time something bad happens that he will make good things come out of it.

     

    Snack:  Celebration Snack - juice and cookies
    		Celebrate the last day of the quarter with the juice and cookies that the kids found earlier.

     

    Supplemental Bible Readings:  Also available as a take home paper. 
    Click     The Home Sower  to access it.

    (Suggested daily readings)

     

    © 2000 Linda Lawler.  
    Permission granted to copy for personal use only.  Not for resale.

    Home Sower 52      Lesson 41    Home Sower 41    Lesson 42    

    Home Sower 42    Lesson 43    Home Sower 43     Lesson 44   

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