Lesson - A Problem and A Solution

VERSES:  Acts 6:1-7

MEMORY VERSE:  Acts 6:7  "And the word of God increased..."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Matthew.  We are beginning the 27 books of the New Testament, so we will be memorizing "Matthew". Write the word, "Matthew," on small slips of paper, so the students can memorize the first book in the New Testament at home.

PRAYER:   May we pray continually like the apostles did, thanking God for everything He gives us.

SPECIAL SONG:   Read, Read Every Day (see February 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #1 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID:  Large Activity (see below) either drawn on a white board or chalkboard or on paper.

LESSON POINTS:

• The number of disciples or followers of Jesus kept growing and growing, but in time there was a problem. Because there were so many people staying in Jerusalem after the Day of Pentecost, the people who had land were selling it and then giving the apostles the money in order for the strangers from different countries around Jerusalem or the poor people to have food and the things that they needed. During this time, some of the Grecians or people from Greece complained that the Grecian widows were not receiving their daily portion of food. They said the Hebrew widows were receiving their food, but the Grecian widows were not, so the Grecians complained.
• The twelve apostles called all the disciples together and explained to them that it didn't make sense that the apostles should stop teaching the people the Word of God to serve tables or feed the people. They suggested that the people choose seven men who were honest, full of the Holy Spirit, and full of wisdom to set them over the business of serving the people. The apostles were going to devote themselves to prayer and to preaching and teaching the Word of God.
• This suggestion met with the people's approval and they chose seven men like the apostles asked. They chose Steven, a man who was full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, who was a convert from the city of Antioch. The men were placed in front of the apostles and the apostles laid their hands on them.
• The Word of God's influence increased and the number of disciples grew larger and larger in Jerusalem, even a great amount of the priests were obedient to the faith. The church was growing!

"Older Student" Tips:

• "Laying the apostles' hands on someone" meant that, not only could the apostles perform miracles, but also that person on whom their hands had been placed could perform miracles. We find that Stephen in Acts 6:8 could perform great wonders and miracles after the apostles laid their hands on him Acts 6:6. 
• There are no examples of anyone who had been the recipient of the apostles' laying on of hands, being able to pass the same ability on to someone else.

ACTIVITY:  "A Problem And A Solution"
Materials needed:  9" x 12" yellow construction paper, crayons.

1. Hand out yellow paper.
2. Fold paper in half, lengthwise.
3. Fold paper in thirds, width-wise.
4. Unfold paper completely.
5. Trace lines with dark crayon.
6. In Box #1, draw a sad face and a happy face. Over the sad face, write "Grecians' widows." Over happy face, write "Hebrew widows."
7. In Box #2, draw an apostle in front of a crowd of people saying, "Choose 7 men."
8. In Box #3, write "#1. Honest" "#2. Full of Holy Spirit" and "#3. Full of wisdom."
9. In Box #4, write "The apostles prayed and preached God's Word."
10. In Box #5, number from 1-7. Write, Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas.
11. Draw a pair of hands.
12. Fold up paper completely.
13. On bottom box, write "A Problem And A Solution" and "Acts 6:1-7."
14. Review lesson, using the students' papers.
15. Fold papers up to take home.

Lesson - We Must Obey God Rather Than Men

VERSES:  Acts 5:12-42

MEMORY VERSE: Acts 5:39  "But if God be for it, ye cannot over throw it..."

BOOK TO REMEMBER: Recite all 39 books of the Old Testament from memory. Next time we will begin the book of the New Testament.

PRAYER:  Thank God that we can live peacefully and still worship God. We must obey God rather than man just like the apostles. If a time ever came that we would need to suffer for Christ, pray that we would be strong and boldly obey God. God is greater than man!

SPECIAL SONG:  The B-I-B-L-E (see February 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID:  Large Activity (see below)

LESSON POINTS:

• As the apostles performed many miracles, proving they were from God, more and more people were believing and the church was growing. People would bring their sick family members out into the streets, laying them on beds or on couches. They were hoping that Peter would walk down their street and his shadow would fall upon the sick person and heal them! Crowds came from the cities around Jerusalem, bringing their sick people with them and every one of them was healed.
• But there was trouble! The high priest and the Sadducees were filled with indignation or anger! They did not like the apostles healing people in Jesus' name, so they arrested the apostles and put them in a common prison where they were all together. But at night, an angel of the Lord opened up the prison doors and brought the apostles out of the prison! The angel told the apostles to stand in the temple and speak all the words of life to the people. And that's what they did. When it was morning, the apostles were teaching and preaching to the people in the temple again!
• Later that morning, the high priest and Sadducees called the Jewish council and the senate together, sending soldiers to bring the apostles from the prison to them. Then they waited. And waited. The soldiers had gone to the prison to bring the apostles, but the apostles weren't there! The soldiers hurried back to the high priest and all those who were waiting and said that the prison had been securely locked, everything was shut, the keepers of the prison were standing outside the doors, but when the doors were opened, there was no one there!
• As the high priest and his group of people heard what had happened, they were confused and wondered where this was going to lead. Right then, someone came in and told the high priest that the men who he had put in prison were standing in the temple and teaching the people! The captain and his soldiers went to straight to the temple and brought the apostles back to the high priest, but they brought them back in a peaceful manner because the soldiers were afraid of the people. The apostles were healing the sick people and the people knew that only someone from God could do the things that apostles were doing. The soldiers were afraid that the people would throw stones at them, so they did not harm the apostles in the temple. 
• When the apostles were brought in to the high priest and the Jewish council, the high priest asked them, "Didn't we tell you NOT to teach in this man's name? Now, just look! You have filled all of Jerusalem with your doctrine and teachings and intend to bring this man's blood upon us!" Then Peter and the other apostles answered the high priest, "We ought to obey God rather than men," and talked about how those Jews in the room had crucified Jesus.
• When the council heard Peter's words, they were convicted in their hearts because they knew what the apostles said was true.  The council was talking about killing the apostles when a smart Jewish lawyer named Gamaliel, who was also a Pharisee, spoke up and said that there had been other men in the past who pretended to be someone important, but they had died and their followers had scattered. He said that if  the things that the apostles were doing were from God, then they could not overthrow it, otherwise they might find themselves fighting against God. His advice was to leave the apostles alone. The council heard and considered Gamaliel's words and finally agreed with him.
• So, after the soldiers had beaten the apostles and commanded them not to speak anymore in the name of Jesus, they let them go. Now, we would think that being beaten and hurt was a terrible thing and it is, but do you know how the apostles felt about what had happened to them? The apostles were happy and rejoicing because they were considered worthy to suffer shame in the name of Jesus. Did they stop teaching and preaching in the name of Jesus? No, they did not. In fact, they did just the opposite! They went to the temple and in every house every day and did not stop teaching and preaching about Jesus!! They obeyed God rather than man!

"Older Student" Tips:

• We live in a peaceful country right now, but think about a future time where we might find ourselves persecuted like the apostles were in this lesson. Will we be brave? Will we be bold? Will we keep teaching about Jesus no matter what the cost might be? Do we believe that Jesus was and is the Son of God? One day, we might need to confess Jesus as the Son of God. Will we confess Him or deny Him? Will we obey God or obey men? Discuss.

ACTIVITY:  "We must obey God rather than men!"
Materials needed:   9" x 12" tan construction paper, 4" x 7" piece of tan, light brown, or white paper, three 2.5" x 4" pieces of construction paper (any light colored paper), marker, crayons, glue, tape, scissors.

1. Hand out tan paper.
2. Fold paper, so that the two ends meet in the middle.
3. Draw black lines down both sides of tan paper to resemble wood, making a rectangle for a "lock" on the door which stretches on both sides of doors in the middle of the paper.
4. Hand out a piece of 4" x 7"  of tan, white, or light brown paper.
5. Draw a prison keeper. Color. Cut out.
   
6. Glue prison keeper only on one side of the doors.
7. Open paper.
8. Draw the floor of the prison by drawing a line from the left corner to the first fold line; from that point straight across to the other fold line; then from that point angled down to right corner of paper. 
9. From top of inside of paper, draw two lines on the fold lines, meeting the floor lines. (See picture.)
   
10. On 4" x 4" scrap of light colored paper, write, "But when the officers came, and found them NOT in the prison, they returned and told..." and "Acts 5:22".
11. Refold on same fold lines.. closing doors.
12. Using a 1" strip of tape, close doors.
13. Turn paper over to the backside. 
14. Hand out three 2.5" x 4" scraps of paper. 
15. Fold back one edge of each small paper.
16. Put glue on edges of paper only. 
17. Place three small papers on back of paper. Papers should open and close.
    
18. On the outside of one paper, write "How did the apostles get out of prison?"
19. Under the question written on paper, write the answer: "...the angel of the Lord opened the prison doors at night..." and "Acts 5:19, 20."
20. On the second paper, write, "Where did the apostles go?"
21. Under the second question, write the answer, "Go, stand, and speak in the temple..." and "Acts 5:19, 20."
    
22. On the third paper, write "What did Peter tell the high priest?"
23. Under the third question, write the answer, "We must obey God rather than man." and "Acts 5:29."

Lesson - Ananias And Sapphira Lied And Died

VERSES:   Acts 4:32-5:11

MEMORY VERSE:  Acts 4:32  "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul..."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:  Review the 39 books of the Old Testament.

PRAYER:  Pray that we will always be truthful and honest because we know that God is truthful and honest. We want to be Hid children.

SPECIAL SONG:  Be Careful Little Eyes What You See (see March 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID:   Large Activity (see below) on paper or on the whiteboard

LESSON POINTS:

• In the early days of the church, all of the believers were united in heart and soul. In fact, everyone shared everything, even their possessions. No one lacked anything. The ones who owned land or possessions or houses sold them and gave the money to the apostles to distribute to those who had need. Luke, the writer of the book of Acts in which we are studying this lesson, spoke of one man named Barnabas, who was a Levite and came from the land of Cyprus. Barnabas owned land,  sold it, and brought the money to the apostles, so the apostles could help other people who were in need.
• But there was another man named Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, who had a piece of land, sold it, but they did not do as Barnabas did. They kept back part of the price for themselves.They did not give all of the money to the apostles, but the big problem was that they said they did. Ananias and Sapphira lied! 
• Peter asked Ananias, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit about keeping part of the price of your land for yourselves? Wasn't the land yours to keep? After you sold it, wasn't it still yours to keep? Why have you thought this up in your own heart? You have not lied to men, but have lied to the Holy Spirit." When Ananias heard Peter's words, he fell down right then and died! Young men who were close by, stood up, wrapped Ananias up, carried him out, and buried him.
• Three hours later, his wife, Sapphira, came in, but she had not heard what had happened to her husband. Peter asked her, "Did you sell your land for so much money?" She said, "Yes, For so much." Peter said to Sapphira, "Why have you agreed together to tempt the Lord? The ones who have just buried your husband are at the door right now and will carry you out as well." Then immediately Sapphira fell down and died. The young men came in, found Sapphira dead, carried her out, and buried her, too. 
• When everyone heard how Ananias and Sapphira had lied and died, the church was greatly afraid. Should we lie and pretend to others that we have done something that we have not? No! We should be very, very careful to always tell the truth.

"Older Student" Tips:

• Talk about how God cannot lie (Titus 1:2), but the devil or Satan is the father of all lies (John 8:44). There is no such thing as a "little white lie." A lie is a lie. Discuss.
• Ananias and Sapphira did not need to lie. They could have kept their land and not sold it at all or they could have told the apostles that they had kept a portion of the sale money. Their trouble began when they conspired to tell a lie and then told the lie. As Peter said, "they did not lie to men, but they lied to the Holy Spirit."

ACTIVITY:  Ananias and Sapphira
Materials needed:  9" x 12" light blue construction paper, marker, crayons.

1. Hand out blue paper.
2. Fold the paper down 2 inches.
3. Fold the bottom of the paper up 2 inches.
4. Unfold.
5. Trace lanes with black marker or crayon.
6. Draw a line down the middle of the middle panel.
7. In the top panel, write "ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA."
8. In the middle panel, on the left, draw Peter talking to Ananias. Write "Ananias, why did you lie and keep back part of the price of the land?" and "He lied" with an arrow pointing to Ananias.
9. In the middle panel on the right, draw a picture of Peter talking to Sapphira. Write "3 hours later" in the left of corner of Sapphira's panel. Write "Did you sell the land for so much?" and "Yes." Also, write "She lied" with an arrow pointing to Sapphira.
   
10. In the bottom panel, write "...and they died." and "Acts 5:1-11."
11. Fold bottom panel to the back of the paper before sending the papers home.

Lesson - Peter And John Heal A Lame Man

VERSES:  Acts 3:1-4:31

MEMORY VERSE:  Acts 3:19  "Repent ye therefore, and be converted..."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Review all 39 books of the Old Testament.

PRAYER:  Thank God for the many blessings He gives us like food, good health, and a family who loves us.

SPECIAL SONG:  The Family In God's Plan (see March 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #4 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID:  TV Box (see February 2014 - Visual Aids #1 TV Box on this blog. Scroll down to February 2014)

LESSON POINTS:

• About 3:00 in the afternoon, Peter and John went to the temple together to pray. As they entered into the temple, they saw a lame man begging at the gate of the temple. We don't know this lame man's name, but we do know that he had been lame or couldn't walk all of his life. Every day, someone carried the lame man to the Beautiful Gate of the temple and he sat there and asked for money from all who went inside.
• When the lame man saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them, too, for money. With John beside him, Peter looked intently on the lame man and said, "Look at us." The lame man thought that Peter was going to give him money, so he looked at and listened to him. Then Peter said, "We do not have any silver or gold, but what I have, I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth stand up and walk." Peter took the lame man by his hand and lifted him up. Immediately his feet and ankle bones were strong! The lame man didn't just stand up, he leaped up! He stood, walked, and entered into the temple with Peter and John, all the time praising God! The people saw the lame man walking around and praising God and they knew it was the same lame man that sat begging for money at the Beautiful gate of the temple. They were filled with wonder and amazement when they saw what had happened! As the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, the people ran up to them on Solomon's porch. The people tremendously wondered how all this could have happened! They knew this man, they knew he had been lame his entire life, yet here he was walking around! They had no explanation.
• When Peter saw that they people were wondering about this lame man who had just been healed, he said to the people "You men of Israel, why are you amazed at this? Why do you look at us so closely as though through our own power we made this lame man walk?" Then Peter preached to the people in the temple that day. He talked about how it was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who glorified His Son, Jesus, who they had killed and it was through Jesus' name that the lame man had been made strong and could walk. Peter told the people that he knew it was through ignorance that they had killed God's Son, how God had showed through all of His prophets that Jesus had to suffer and die because it had been prophesied about in the Old Testament. But then Peter told the people that they should repent or have godly sorrow and be converted, so their sins could be blotted out or washed away. Peter then quoted Moses and Samuel and preached about how God had raised Jesus to life after He was dead. He told them how Jesus was the Christ that they had been looking for!
• Just about the time Peter was talking to the people in the temple, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John. They were all grieved and saddened that they had been preaching about Jesus and how He had been raised from the dead. They arrested Peter and John and put them in the prison until the next day. But, by Peter's teaching the people, there were 5,000 who heard and believed what Peter had said. The church was growing!
• The next day, the rulers came to see Peter and John. They sat Peter and John in the middle of them and asked them, "By what power or by what name have you done this?" Peter, who was filled with the Holy Spirit, began to preach to the important people. He said that the one responsible for making the lame man walk again was Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom God raised from the dead. Peter went on to say that there was no salvation in any other name than Jesus Christ. Did these men know the name of Jesus Christ? Yes! They had just put Him to death on the cross not fifty days earlier!
• When the important people heard Peter and John, they noticed that they were very bold, were not the least bit afraid, and knew they were unlearned and ignorant men. They also remembered that they had been with Jesus, but they could not deny that the lame man had been healed. They sent Peter and John in another room and talked among themselves. They did not know what to do with the two men. They knew a great miracle had been performed, but they didn't want them teaching and preaching to the people. So, they called Peter and John back in and told them exactly that--not to teach or even to speak the name of Jesus! Peter said they had to listen to God more than the men standing there. So they threatened Peter and John a little more and let them go because they did not know how to punish them. They were afraid of the people.
• Guess what Peter and John did when they were let go? They went back to the apostles and followers of Jesus, told them what had happened, and prayed to God. After they finished praying, the Bible says that the place where they had prayed was shaken, they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the Word of God with boldness.

"Older Student" Tips:

• A true miracle is one that no one can deny. The lame man was known of the people. They knew without a doubt that he had been lame for his entire life. It was not a trick. The lame man had been healed and healed quickly! Today, we may hear that this was a miracle or that was a miracle, but few people use the word 'miracle' as it was used in Bible times. People on television sometimes say that a miracle was performed, but it is always something that is inside a person like their gall bladder or their intestines; it is never a miracle like in Bible times such as a known lame man instantly healed.  A miracle was from God!
• The purpose of a miracle was to prove that the one performing the miracle was from God.
• The rulers who came to see Peter and John were the elders, scribes, Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander and many of the high priest's family--all people of authority and importance. Remember these were the people who were responsible for crucifying Jesus, trying to stop His preaching. Did it work? Had they silenced Jesus? No! Here there were two of Jesus' followers and they were now the ones who were preaching!!
• We should always obey God rather than man. We should obey the laws of the land, but when the laws go against God's laws, we must obey God first!

ACTIVITY: Lame Man Healed
Materials needed:  9" x 12" tan construction paper, marker, scissors, crayons, two 1/4" round fasteners, glue.

1. Note:  The best time to buy round fasteners is at Back-To-School time. Occasionally, Dollar Tree or discount stores will stock round fasteners; most often they are found at stores that have office supplies like Wal-Mart, Target, or Office Depot. Fasteners usually come in a box of 100 and the cost is between $1.00 and $3.00.
2. Hand out tan paper.
3. Draw Peter and John standing up; Peter should have one outstretched arm.
4. Draw lame man in thirds:  Head and waist, waist to feet, arm.
5. Label men: Peter, John, Lame Man.
6. Write "Acts 3, 4" on John.
   
7. Color.
8. Cut out everything.
9. Using a fastener, poke holes in lame man's arm, shoulder, and waists on each section of body.
10. Insert fastener through arm and shoulder.
11. Flatten backside of fastener.
12. Insert second fastener through both waists.
13. Flatten backside of fastener.
14. Glue Lame Man's hand to Peter's hand.
    
15. Idea of Project:  Lame man is able (with help from student) unfold his legs and 'walk.'

Lesson - The Day The Church Began

VERSES:  Acts 2:1-47

MEMORY VERSE:  Acts 2:37  "...And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:  Review all 39 books of the Old Testament as a class. (This is a longer lesson, so the Bible teacher might want to eagerly begin the lesson.)

PRAYER:  Thank God for the church that Jesus bought with His own blood.

SPECIAL SONG:  How Do Christians Worship God?  (see May 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #5 on this blog)

VISUAL AID:  A Map of the Bible areas around Jerusalem; An Activity (see below) that can be placed on the Bible teacher's head as the lesson is told.

LESSON POINTS:  (This is one of the longer lessons, but such a wonderful one! This lesson may be divided into two lessons--one telling about the miracle of the languages and another about Peter preaching. I always chose to combine them for the complete story.)

• Fifty days after Jesus rose from the grave victorious over death was the day of Pentecost. On this special day, the apostles were gathered together, united in one house. Jesus had already told His disciples that they were to receive power after the Holy Spirit had come. We remember that Jesus had promised that the Holy Spirit would be a comforter to them, teaching them all things, bringing the things that Jesus had taught them to their memories, and He would be a guide to truth for them (John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:13). Jesus was right!
• On that day of Pentecost, they were all gathered together in one house. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven that sounded like a tremendous wind and it filled the house where they were all sitting. (It wasn't a wind, but it was the sound of wind.) Then, on each of the apostles' heads, there appeared cloven tongues just like fire and it sat upon each one of them! All twelve apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages! The apostles had not been to school to study languages, had they? No, what were their occupations or their jobs? They were men who were common people like fishermen. How could they speak in languages that they had not learned? It was the Holy Spirit who enabled them to speak languages that they had not known up to that time. It was a miracle!
• On this special feast day, the day of Pentecost, there were thousands of devout Jews who had come to Jerusalem from all over the area; some came from many, many miles away even from different countries. When others in the city found out that this miracle was happening, they all came together and were puzzled because every man heard the apostles speak in their own language. The people were amazed and they marveled because they knew these men to be humble and uneducated men from Galilee. They said to each other, "How can we hear every man in our own dialect or language?" 
• There were many people from at least 15 different regions around Jerusalem and they could all hear and understand the apostles in their own language! Truly, a miracle! Everyone was amazed and was in doubt. They said to each other, "What does this mean?" But, there were some men who made fun of the apostles and said that they were drunk.
• Then, Peter stood up with the rest of the eleven apostles. He raised his voice so he could be heard and began to speak. He addressed the men of Judea and those who lived in Jerusalem and said that they were not drunk like some of the men were saying. It was only 9:00 in the morning! But, he said, this was what the prophet, Joel, had prophesied about and now it was coming true. Peter then preached to all of the men, reciting Old Testament prophecies about what was happening. He also spoke about Jesus of Nazareth, a man who had God's approval because He could do many miracles, wonders, and signs. Peter said that Jesus had been crucified and killed by wicked hands, but that God had raised Him alive from the grave! Peter spoke words from King David in the Old Testament. The listeners listened carefully because they knew who King David was and they knew his words. 
• Finally, Peter told the tremendous crowd that they--the ones who were in the audience--were the ones who had crucified Jesus who was both the Lord and the Christ! When the people heard that statement from Peter, it cut them to the heart or they were convinced that what Peter said was true. They all began to ask what they should do. Peter told them God's answer. They were to repent of their sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ in order that their sins could be washed away and then they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit which was salvation. Peter said that this promise would not only be to the ones who were listening, but to everyone who was afar off. He was talking about us--me and you! 
• On that day, there were 3, 000 people who repented and were baptized in water. They stayed in Jerusalem for many days, listening to the apostles and their teaching. They steadfastly continued to apply what the apostles were teaching to their lives, enjoyed the fellowship of other believers, partook in the Lord's Supper, and prayed much. The apostles proved that they were from God by doing many miracles, wonders, and signs in front of the people and the people respected and were in awe of what they saw. All who believed were together and they shared their food, shelter, anything that they needed. Some sold what they had and divided it among the ones who were in need. They all continued meeting together in unity daily in the temple, and eating together with happiness, praising God, and having favor with all of the people. The Lord added the saved to the church every day and the church grew. The church was established on the Day of Pentecost.

"Older Student" Tips:

• "Tongue" is another word for "languages."
• "Cloven tongue" is like a snake's tongue; it is divided and not like our tongues.
• This was not a miracle of the 'ear,' but a miracle of the tongue because in Acts 2:4, the apostles began to speak with other languages.
• There were men from at least 15 different areas, They were Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Rome, Jews, Cretes, and Arabians ;yet, everyone could hear and understand the apostles in their own language. How was this possible? It was a miracle. A miracle is something that would be impossible for man to do, but not impossible for God. Read Matthew 19:26.
• The book of Acts is also called "The Book of Conversions." This is the first example in the Bible that shows how a person is added to the church and is saved. Read Acts 2:38, 41, and 47.  We have book, chapter, and verse for repentance followed by baptism, and then the Lord adding the people to the church. The way to be added to the church (baptism) is the same way a person gains church membership. No signing of cards, writing in the back of a Bible, or being voted into the church is found in this text. Let us be aware of each conversion as we study through the book of Acts.

ACTIVITY:  "Cloven Tongues As Of Fire"
Materials needed:  Two strips of 3" x 18" brown construction paper, 6" x 8" shiny red wrapping paper, 7" x 9" orange construction paper, glue, scissors, crayons, stapler, staples.

1. (Note: Shiny, red wrapping paper can be very expensive; however, it the Bible teacher buys it after Christmas and stores it until it is needed, money can be saved! Sure looks nice with this project; however, simple red construction paper can be used instead.)
   
2. Hand out brown paper.
3. Tape one end of a brown strip to the other end of another brown strip of paper. Set aside.
4. Hand out shiny red paper.
5. Round bottom two corners of paper.
6. Cut a large "V" out of the middle of the red paper. This is the cloven tongue.
7. Hand out orange paper.
8. Glue cloven tongue in the middle of the orange paper.
9. Cut orange paper just a little bit bigger than the red cloven tongue. This will give the red shiny paper the support to stand up on the student's head.
10. Glue the cloven tongue in the middle of the brown strips where the tape is taped. Again, this is additional support.
11. Measure the head of the student with the long brown strip, allowing two extra inches of brown.
12. Cut extra brown paper off. If the extra paper is not cut off, the words in step #13 might be cut off when the strip is stapled.
13. On the brown strip, write, "Suddenly, there came a sound from heaven AS a rushing, mighty wind...and there appeared unto them cloven tongues AS of fire, and it sat of each of them." and "Acts 2:2, 3." Explain how it was not wind and was not fire, but "AS" wind and fire. 
14. Place around student's head and staple the ends of the brown paper together.
15. It would be nice to take a group picture, if possible and if desired.

Lesson - Matthias Is Chosen

VERSES:  Acts 1:12-26

MEMORY VERSE:  Acts 1:26  "...and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Review all 39 books of the Old Testament. Sometimes, it helps to sing a song to remember something important. Take a look at the song, The Books Of The Old Testament. Words and tune are found under March 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog.

PRAYER:  Thank God for taking care of us and giving us the things that we need. Thank God for being a loving, compassionate God.

SPECIAL SONG:  Be Patient And Kind (see April 2014 - Lesson - Joseph Meets His Brothers Who Hated Him on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID:  TV Box  (see Visual Aids #1 - February 2014 for instructions and comments).

LESSON POINTS:

• After the disciples watched Jesus ascend or go up into heaven, they knew not to leave Jerusalem because Jesus had told them to stay there. So, they traveled less than a half of a mile from the Mount of Olives to an upper room in Jerusalem. Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James were all in the upstairs room. There, they prayed with the women, including Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Jesus' brethren.
• Peter stood up in the middle of about 120 of the disciples who were in the room and talked about Judas Iscariot who had betrayed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He said that the the scriptures needed to be fulfilled concerning Judas. He had guided the Jews and the soldiers to Jesus where they had then arrested Him. Judas had been part of the twelve disciples from the beginning, but now he had died. Peter said that, with the money that Judas had received from the Jews, a field had been bought and turned into a cemetery for poor people. It was called "The Field Of Blood." 
• Since it was prophesied that someone would take Judas' place, there needed to be a choosing of a twelfth man to take Judas' place. Not just anyone could have been apostle. Peter listed the qualifications of an apostle:
• Must have been with the disciples all the time that Jesus was preaching and teaching, beginning with the baptism of John to the day Jesus was taken up into heaven, having witnessed Jesus' resurrection. 
• Then, they chose two men--Joseph, who they also called Barsabas, and Matthaias. The disciples prayed and said that the Lord knew the hearts of all men and asked for Him to choose between the two men to be Judas' replacement. Then they cast lots between the two men and Matthias was chosen. From that time forward, Matthias was part of the twelve apostles.

"Older Student" Tips:

• Read Psalm 41:9. Who could this be talking about? (Judas Iscariot). Discuss.
• Read Psalm 109:8. Who could this be talking about? (Judas Iscariot). Discuss.
• If a person killed himself, how would they ever ask for forgiveness for doing that act?They cannot. Judas had killed himself. Only being sorry for betraying Jesus was not enough to be forgiven; there was no way for him to repent of his sin and act on his repentance. He would be forever lost.
• Does Jesus know our hearts? Does the Lord know the hearts of all men? Read Acts 1:24. We, too, can know the hearts of others; we see their actions which begin in their hearts, as they can see ours.
• Casting lots is lot like 'flipping a coin' or 'drawing straws'. It was a method in which man had no control over who was chosen. That is the reason they prayed to God and asked Him to choose.

ACTIVITY: Matthias is chosen.
Materials needed:  9" x 12" tan construction paper, crayons, shiny sticker or star.

1. Hand out tan paper.
2. Fold paper in half like a book.
3. On outside, write "WHO TO CHOOSE?" and "Acts 1:12-26."
   
4. Open paper.
5. At top of paper, write "Joseph OR Matthias?"
   
6. Draw a line under words at the top of the paper.
7. On each side of the paper, draw Joseph on one side and Matthias on the other side.
8. Draw a line between the two men.
9. Color the men.
10. Place a sticker or star on Matthias' side of the page, showing he was the one to be apostle.
    
11. Turn paper over to back.
12. Write "An apostle MUST have been with the disciples all the time Jesus was preaching and teaching, beginning with the baptism of John to the day that Jesus was taken into heaven, having witnessed Jesus' resurrection." and "Acts 1:21, 22."
    

Lesson - Jesus Ascends Into Heaven

VERSES:   Acts 1:1-11

MEMORY VERSE:  Acts 1:11  "...this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner..."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:  Malachi. Write "Malachi" on small slips of paper, so the students make take this last book of the Old Testament home to memorize.

PRAYER:  Pray that Jesus will come back soon and that we will be ready for Him.

SPECIAL SONG:  Jesus Loves Me and Jesus Loves The Little Children (see February 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #2 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID: Large Activity (see below)

LESSON POINTS:

• To review a bit, we remember that Luke was the writer of this fifth book of the New Testament and that he wrote this book to his friend, Theophilus, telling him of the things that had happened since Jesus died on the cross. Jesus had showed himself alive to His disciples during this forty day period and had spoken to them about the kingdom of God.
• While Jesus had all of His disciples together, He told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of God which they had heard Jesus speak about. He said that John baptized with water, but in a few days, His disciples would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. 
• As they were all together, they asked Him if He was going to restore the kingdom to Israel? They were thinking that Jesus was going to set up an earthly kingdom in Jerusalem like King David had, but Jesus said that it wasn't for the disciples to know, but they would receive power after the Holy Spirit came upon them. Jesus said that His disciples would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and even to the end of the earth.
• After Jesus had finished speaking, His disciples were standing, looking up into heaven, Jesus was taken up into a cloud and they didn't see Him anymore. As they were still standing and looking up into the sky as Jesus went up, two men dressed in white clothes stood by them. They said, "You men of Galilee, why are you standing here gazing up into the sky? This same Jesus will be coming back just like you have seen Him go up." 
• We will see next time what Jesus meant by the disciples receiving power.

"Older Student" Tips:

• Read Daniel 7:13, 14. Hundreds of years before Jesus came to the earth, Daniel had a vision that the Son of Man came in the clouds of heaven. His kingdom would last forever. Daniel was talking about Jesus and the church where Jesus would be the King of an everlasting kingdom.

ACTIVITY: Acts 1:11
Materials needed:  9" x 12" light blue construction paper, crayons, glue, cotton balls.

1. Hand out light blue paper.
2. Draw eleven men and two angels dressed in white towards the bottom of the paper.
3. Hand out cotton balls.
4. Flatten two or three cotton balls. 
5. Glue flattened cotton balls in the top right corner of the paper.
6. Draw Jesus' tunic or robe in the very tip top corner on the right side. Write "Jesus" on his robe.
7. Write "Acts 1:11" in red at the top of the paper.
8. Write, "Why are you standing here looking up into the sky? This same Jesus which is taken into heaven will come back in the same way." in the middle of the paper.
9. Draw lines from the words to each angel.

Lesson - Introduction To The Book Of Acts

VERSES:  Acts 1:1-3

MEMORY VERSE:  Acts 1:1  "...all that Jesus began both to do and teach."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:  Zechariah.  Write "Zechariah" on small slips of paper and hand out to the students at the end of class, so they memorize another Old Testament book at home. We are almost through memorizing the Old Testament book. It might be a good idea to sing "The Books Of The Old Testament" (see The Books Of The Old Testament  - March 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)

PRAYER:  Let us pray for others around the world who are also studying from the same bible that we are. While we are studying in a peaceful time, they may not be, so let us keep them in our prayers.

SPECIAL SONG:   Read, Read Every Day (see February 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #1 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID:  Write "The Book Of Acts" on the whiteboard or chalkboard. Also, a large activity (see below).

LESSON POINTS:

• The fifth book of the New Testament is called "Acts." The book of "Acts" is short for "The Acts of the Apostles." It is the only New Testament book that tells about the establishment and the history of the church and the things that the apostles did during that time. This book is written by a doctor named Luke who also wrote the Gospel of Luke. Luke was not an apostle, but he was a follower or a disciple of Christ. The book of Acts begins right where Luke's Gospel stops--with Jesus ascending or going up into heaven. 
• Luke addressed both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts to his friend, Theophilus. In the book of Luke, Luke told all that Jesus did and what He taught up to the point where He was taken up into heaven. The book of Acts continues the story and tells how Jesus continued to show Himself alive to others for forty days after He died on the cross, and how Jesus spoke about things concerning the kingdom of God. In Acts, Luke tells how the church began, how people were added to the church, and how the apostles went around to many countries and cities and preached about Jesus.
• Later in the book of Acts, we find that Luke actually traveled around with the Apostles because, as he writes, he changes the word "they" to "we." Luke was with the Apostles as they traveled from city to city (Acts 16:10). Luke accompanied the Apostle Paul on many of his journeys. We will be studying many exciting lessons from this historical book of Acts.

"Older Student" Tips:

• It is interesting to notice that Luke mentions 32 countries, 54 cities, 9 Mediterranean islands, 95 people (62 people of which are not named anywhere else in the Bible), including Augustus, Tiberius, Claudius Caesar, the Herods, Felix and Festus. Everything Luke mentions is historically correct compared to today's history. He made no mistakes and the cities, people, etc. can be proven that they existed by other books that were written, besides the Bible.

ACTIVITY:  The Book of Acts
Materials needed:  five 6" x 9" pieces of different colored construction paper, crayons, stapler, staples.

1. Hand out one piece of paper. This is the cover.
2. Write, "The Book of ACTS" on the cover.
3. Turn page over. Write, "5th book of the New Testament."
4. Hand out another piece of paper.
5. On one side, write, "Written by Luke who was a doctor."
   
6. Turn paper over. Write, "Acts begins where the Gospel of Luke stops--with jesus going up into heaven."
7. Hand out another piece of paper.
8. On one side, write, "Acts is a letter Luke writes to his friend, Theophilus."
   
9. Turn paper over. Write, "Acts tells how the church began."
10. Hand out another piece of paper.
11. On one side, write "Acts tells how people are added to the church."
    
12. Turn paper over. Write, "Acts tells about the history of the church.
13. Hand out another piece of paper. This is the back cover. 
14. On one side, write, "Everything in the book of Acts is true. 2 Timothy 3:16, 17."
    
15. Nothing is written on the back side of the paper.
16. Put pages in order. (Numbers may be written as the pages are written or when everything is done, if desired.)
17. Staple book.
18. Read before leaving classroom.

Words Of Encouragement #21 - A Greater Appreciation

For the past fourteen lessons, we have been studying about Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Let us examine ourselves for a moment as 2 Corinthians 13:5 encourages us to do. 

• Have we, as Bible teachers, learned anything new through this study? 
• Have we re-learned 'old' things and now have a better grasp on the details? 
• By studying a harmony of the Gospels (which only means we have taken all four of the Gospels--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John--and have combined all the accounts on a certain event to get the whole picture), can we see through more enlightened eyes?
• Do we have the right attitude as we study and learn?

Studying God's Word is never a waste of time or energy. We are never too young or too old to read and study God's Word. Reading the Bible keeps our minds alive, so we can distinguish right and wrong, good and evil (Hebrews 4:12), produces more faith (Romans 10:17), and gives us a greater appreciation for the beauty of God's Word and the power of His might (Ephesians 1:18-20). 

Reading in Psalms 119, we find a great chapter in this Old Testament book that teaches what our attitude should be towards God's Word. 

• Are we hiding God's Word in our heart and meditating on it throughout the day (verses 11, 15)? 
• Are we turning away from the vanity of this life and turning to God's Way (verse 37)?
• Do we love God's laws (verse 97)? Are they sweet to our taste (verse 103)?
• Are we using God's Word as a lamp to guide us along our journey in this wicked world (verse 105)?
• Do we desire understanding (verse 130)? 
• Do we stand in awe of God's Word (verse 161)?

So, how is our attitude? Do we grumble about the next week's lesson or do we look forward to opening up the Bible, having a greater appreciation of God's Word as we study? May we cling to God's Word and find great comfort the more that we read. 

Lesson - More Appearances of Jesus After His Death

VERSES:  Luke 24:50-53; John 20:24-31; 21-1-25

MEMORY VERSE:  John 20:28  "...My Lord and My God."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Haggai.  Write "Haggai" on small slips of paper, so the students may memorize another Old testament books at home.

PRAYER:   Thank God for His Word which we can read and know that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for our sins.

SPECIAL SONG:   No, Not One (see June 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #6 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID:   Large Activity (see below)

LESSON POINTS:

• After Jesus had risen from the grave, we remember that He appeared to His disciples on that evening of the first day of the week. While they were gathered together, He stood in the middle of them and showed them His hands and his side, proving that it was really Jesus who had risen from the grave. His disciples believed that it was Him, but there was one disciple who was missing and that was Thomas. The other disciples had told him that they had seen the Lord, but Thomas did not believe them. He said that unless he saw the nail prints in His hands, put his finger in the nail prints, and put his hand into Jesus' side, he would not believe. 
• Eight days later, Jesus' disciples were again gathered together and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus appeared in the middle of them, and said, "Peace, be to you." Then He turned to Thomas and said, "Reach with your finger and look at my hands. Put your hand here in my side. Don't be without faith, but believe." Thomas believed and said, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus talked to Thomas and said to him, "Thomas, you have believed in Me because you have seen Me. Blessed are those who have not seen Me, and yet believe."
• Jesus performed many other miracles in front of His disciples which were not written down (John 20:30, 31), but the reason that all of those things were written down, were to persuade people to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and, that if they believe in Him and obey His Will, they might have eternal life.
• Another time, Jesus appeared at the Sea of Tiberias where Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James, John, and two other disciples were together. Peter told them that he was going fishing. The others said that they would go with him, so they immediately got inside a ship. They fished all night, but caught nothing. In the morning, the disciples saw someone standing on the shore. They didn't know it was Jesus! Jesus called to them, "Have you caught anything?" They said that they hadn't. Jesus then told them to cast or throw their net on the right side of the ship and they would find fish. They threw their net down on the right side of the ship and there were so many fish that they were not able to pull the net up! John instantly said to Peter that the person on the shore was Jesus. He threw his fisherman's coat to Peter and threw himself into the sea. Because they were not far from the shore, the other disciples came in a little ship, dragging the net with fishes. When they got to the shore, they saw a fire of coals and fish and bread were cooking on it. Jesus told them to bring the fish that they had caught. Peter drew the net up to land and it was full of fish! 153 fish, but the net was not broken! Jesus told them to come and eat. No one asked Jesus who He was because they all knew it was Jesus who gave them fish and bread. This was the third time that Jesus appeared to His disciples after He had risen from the dead.
• After they had eaten, Jesus said to Peter, "Do you love Me more than these?" Peter replied, "Yes, Lord. You know I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." Jesus again said to Peter, "Do you love Me?"  Peter again replied, "Yes, Lord. You know I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep."  For the third time, Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me?" Peter was grieved and saddened that Jesus had asked three times if he loved Him. Peter said, "Lord, You know all things. You know I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep." Later, Peter would be the one who would be the first gospel preacher in Acts 2. Peter would be teaching the people or what Jesus had said "feeding the sheep."
• Soon after, Jesus led the disciples out as far as Bethany, lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. The disciples worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and happiness! What did Jesus' disciples do after that?  They were continually in the temple, teaching the people and praising and blessing God.

"Older Student" Tips:

• There is a phrase, "doubting Thomas"; this is where that phrase comes from.
• In the book of John, John refers many times to "the disciple whom Jesus loved," but never reveals his name. John tells us at the very end of his book who this disciple is. Read John 21:24 for the answer! It was himself--John, the one who wrote the book.

ACTIVITY:  "Feed My Sheep!"
Materials needed:  6" x 18" light green construction paper, scraps of dark green and tan paper,crayons, scissors, tape.

1. Hand out green paper.
2. Fold green paper in half.
3. Fold paper in half again. There should be four panels.
4. Fold last panel in opposite direction on fold line. This will form a box later.
   
5. Unfold paper.
6. Trace lines.
7. On one side, number the first three panels, #1, #2, #3.
8. In PANEL #1: write, "Peter, do you love Me?" in red. Below those words, write, "Yes, Lord. You know I love You." in blue. Below those words, write, "Feed My lambs." in purple.
9. In PANEL #2: write, "Peter, do you love Me?" in red. Below those words, write, "Yes, Lord. You know I love You." in blue. Below those words, write, "Feed My sheep" in purple.
10. In PANEL #3: write, "Peter, do you love Me?" in red. Below those words, write, "Lord, you know all things. You know I love You." in blue. Below those words, write, "Feed My sheep" in purple.
    
11. In last panel, draw a large square and cut it out. This is the window. Above the window, write, "What did that mean?" Below the window, write "Peter would be teaching the people or feeding the sheep." Write "feeding the sheep" in purple.
    
12. TURN PAPER OVER, making sure that the words can be read on the other side.
13. In the first panel with the window, nothing should be written.
14. In the second panel next  to the window, write "John 21:15-17."
15. In the third panel, draw many, many small circles. These are the faces of people on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. 
    
16. In the fourth panel, write "Acts 2-First Gospel Preacher."
    
17. Hand out scraps of paper.
18. Cut a green triangle out of the green paper. This is Peter's body.
19. Cut out two shorter green triangles. These are Peter's arms.
20. Cut out a tan circle. This is the back of Peter's head.
21. Cut out two tiny tan circles. These are Peter's hands.
22. Glue Peter's body to the bottom of the green paper, covering some of the faces of the people.
23. Glue Peter's arms to his body.
24. Glue Peter's head to his body.
25. Glue Peter's hands to the end of his arms.
26. Color the back of Peter's head with hair.
    
27. Fold paper on lines again with Peter inside the box.
    
28. Tape the two open sides together.
29. Students should read their "box before leaving class.