Everywhere
WELCOME TO WEEK 4
What’s the farthest place you have traveled to? What’s the shortest trip you have ever taken? Paul traveled to far distances in all directions to spread the good news of Jesus. Once Paul was a believer in Jesus, we wanted to share that good news with everyone all over. This week we will see how God’s message can go everywhere by any believer.
BIBLE STORY
I’m going to give you come clues about what I have in my bag/box and I want you to guess what I am shipping.
Place several items in a few bags or boxes. Give your child a chance to shake, smell, and weigh the bag/box and try to guess what is in the bag. Then give your child a few clues to help them guess what is in the parcel.
Good job trying to guess what was in my parcel. We often ship boxes or gifts to others so they are surprised when they open it. Our parcels sometimes travel a short distance but we can also send packages around the world! This week we will see how God’s message can travel all around the world to everyone. After Paul accepts Jesus and the gospel, he shares what he has learned with everyone. He travels all over to help spread the good news of the gospel to others. Let’s read this week’s passage to see who he meets on his travels.
Read or listen to the scripture Acts 16:9-15
What dream did Paul have? (That a man from Macedonia was standing begging him to come and help them.
What did Paul do after the vision? (He got ready to go because he believed God was sending him there to preach)
On Sabbath where did Paul go? (Outside the city to a river to find a peaceful place to pray)
Who did he find there? (A group of women )
Who was one of the women gathered there? (Lydia who was a believer of God)
What job did Lydia have? (She sold purple cloth)
What did the Lord open her heart to do? (Responded to Pauls message and was baptized with her entire household)
What did she convince Paul and the others to do? (Come and stay at her house)
BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY
Activity
Paul took the message of Jesus everywhere. He went all directions: North, South, East and West. Let’s practice our cardinal directions. Place the 4 cardinal directions on the wall in the correct order. Call out a direction and have your child face that sign after you call it out. Continue to call out directions in a mixed order while your child moves call out another. Move as fast as you are able according to your child’s ability. God’s message can go everywhere, and we can help pass it along by sharing it with the people we know.
Materials: 4 signs labeled North, South, east, West
Alternate
Let’s practice being deliverers of the gospel. Print the following activity sheet on purple paper, or lightly color the paper purple. Attach the purple paper to any packages or boxes you have, or just leave the papers in a small basket. Have your child deliver each box to the place directed on the purple sheet of paper. Paul took the Gospel in all directions including to a woman named Lydia who sold purple clothes. She then had the opportunities to continue to spread that good news to all the people she met when selling her purple clothes. We can deliver good news to the people around us. God’s message can go everywhere we can go!
Materials: empty boxes taped close, printed purple sheets of paper, glue or tape
Independent activity:
Draw a picture of something that you use that is the color purple. Lydia sold purple cloth and would have met lots of people while doing business. God can use us to spread the gospel no matter what big or small job we are doing. The people we meet every day doing our normal activities can know God’s love through us.
Materials: White construction paper, purple crayon, various other colors
ARTS & CAFTS
CRAFT 1
Make a watercolor earth. Color a coffee filter with large sections of green and blue using washable markers. One the filter is filled with green and blue with no white showing, spray the filter lightly with a spray bottle of water. The colors will run together. Allow time for it to dry before glueing the colored filter to a larger sheet of blue construction paper.
Materials: white paper coffee filter, washable green and blue markers, spray bottle filled with water, blue construction paper
Craft 2
Coloring page
Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons
FOLLOW-UP
Where did Paul go to preach?
Is there any place God’s word can not reach?
How can you follow God’s call to spread the gospel around the world?
How did Lydia spread the gospel to others?
How can you share the gospel at school? Practice? On the playground?
Practical Application at Home
This week we’ve learned that we can spread the good news of Jesus to everyone no matter where we are. Paul shared the gospel of Jesus with Lydia who then began a home church just by inviting others to her home. She was willing to listen and then share what she learned with others. It didn’t take any special job, a lot of money, or any special skill for Lydia to bring others to Jesus. God doesn’t need us to have a special job or skill either, He just wants us to listen and then share what we’ve learned with others! We can do that from anywhere! Think about what you would like to be when you grow up. You can carry out the Great Commission in whatever future career God has for you.
Complete the following activity sheet by writing in the job you think you might like to have one day, then completing the statements of how you can show God’s love with that job.
Additional Resources
Outings to Reinforce Lesson
Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?