Opening Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for your promise to always be with me. Help me be like Stephen, bravely speaking up for you even when others give me a hard time. Fill my students with faith and love for you, so that they also may boldly share your Word with others. Amen.
This Sunday’s Lesson: Faithful Stephen
In our Bible lesson, we’ll learn about many different things that God helped his people do. In our Bible lesson, we will learn what God helped Stephen do.
Read: Acts 6:1-15, 7:51-8:4
Aim: What did God help Stephen do?
TRUTH: God helped Stephen bravely tell enemies about their sin and the Savior.
– Application: God is always with us, helping us.
– Response: We ask God to help us bravely speak up for him when others give us a hard time.
Lesson Summary: Jewish leaders arrested a believer named Stephen and brought him to trial because he would not stop teaching about Jesus. As false witnesses told lies about him, Stephen’s face shone like an angel’s. After Stephen bravely told the enemies about their sin and the Savior, he told them he saw heaven opened and Jesus standing there. The enemies dragged Stephen outside the city and stoned him. Even as he died, Stephen prayed for his enemies.
Memory Treasures: Isaiah 41:10
Discussion:
- Draw a heart and an arrow pointing up.
- Do: Point to the heart.
- Explain: Stephen’s heart was filled with faith in Jesus as his Savior.
- Draw a cross inside the heart. Then, point to the arrow.
- Ask: What did God allow Stephen to do to help him stay strong? [Look into heaven and see Jesus.]
- Say: God helped Stephen bravely tell the enemies about their sins and their [Savior].
- Say the memory treasure and then with the children.
- Say: God loves us and is always with us. We ask him to help us bravely speak up for him when others give us a hard time.
Sing Praise: Practice Singing Jesus Is Amazing and then One, two, three – Jesus is ALIVE!
Activity Ideas:
- Watch Gods Story – Stephen
- Sing: Do Not Be Afraid ~ our Memory Treasure for this week
- Sing: He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands
He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands (Psalty Version)Disclaimer: I do not own the content in this audio! The audio is from Psalty’s Funtastic Praise Party! CD album…. - Work Out The Wiggles:
- Purpose: To move to a rhyme about God being with us.
- Say the following rhyme and have the children do the actions
- When I spring and hurt my knee, (rub knee) I know God is there with me. (point up and then to self) When swinging from a great big tree, (pretend to swing) I know God is there with me. (point up and then to self) When I hear God’s Holy Word, (form an open book with hands) I know God is there with me. (point up and then to self) When I tell the Lord, (point to mouth) I know God is there with me. (point up and then to self)
Closing Prayer:
Dear God, help us tell others the good news of Jesus, the Savior from sin. When others give us a hard time, remind us that you are with us and will help us bravely speak up for you. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.