Extra Helps #16 - Repetition Works!

Children learn so much through repetition! Perhaps you have children of your own and know firsthand how children love to watch the same TV program or read the same book over and over again! Do they learn? Yes, they do! The same is true with Bible lessons or Bible material. If the students are subjected to the same questions and answers, books of the Bible, a list of Egyptian plagues, the names of the apostles, the cities of refuge, the plan of salvation, or whatever is important at that moment over and over again, they will learn. 

Ideas for repetition in Bible lessons -  Here are a few simple ideas to incorporate repetition in your Bible lessons:

• Question/Answer Boards. In any lesson that you choose, write down nine or ten main points that you want your students to learn well. Then, form the points into a "question/answer" format, meaning asking a question to receive the answer that you want. 
• Example:  Adam and Eve is the lesson (Genesis 2:1-25; 3:20). Questions might be: Who was the first man? Adam.  Who was the first woman? Eve.  Where did Adam and Eve live in the beginning? The Garden of Eden. What was Adam's two jobs in the garden? Take care of the garden and name the animals. What was Eve's job? To be Adam's helper. 
• Cut 22" x 28" poster board into 4" x 28" strips.  (No poster board? Cut 12" x 18" construction paper in half.)
• On one side of the poster board, write a question.
  
• Flip the board over, and write the answer.
  
• For a few weeks, as a review, present these same questions to the students before your lesson begins. They will soon know these answers to these questions whenever you present them. 
• Note of encouragement: By leaving the questions/answer boards out on the tables or desks before class begins, you will find that this type of review encourages the students to ask each other the questions. Praise them for their efforts to let them know how smart they are becoming!
• If basic questions are used in this manner for a few lessons, the boards may be saved for a huge review. 

• Another idea? Matching Phrases. On sentence strips, write matching words or phrases about the lesson. (To be different, use sentence strips which are found in school supply stores. If you don't have any sentence strips, simply use construction paper.)
  
• Example:  The Whole Armor Of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). Matching words might be - "Whole Armor" and "Of God," "Loins Girt About" and "With Truth," "Breastplate" and "Of Righteousness," "Feet Shod With" and "The Preparation Of The Gospel Of Peace," "Shield" and "Of Faith," "Helmet" and "Of Salvation," Sword" and "Of The Spirit," "Praying" and "Always."
• Write each phrase on a sentence strip.
• Cut each phrase in half.
• Staple the first part of the phrases in a column on a bulletin board.
• Randomly staple the second part of the phrases in a column next to the first words.
• Cut yarn and pin yarn or ribbon to the first words.
• After the lesson, the student is assigned a phrase and attaches the end of the yarn to the correct second word or words.
• Let other students take turns, pinning the yarn from one word or words to the matching word or words in the second column.
• Do this a few times, then mix the second words up again and repeat. 
• Definitely not difficult! Students will definitely remember and learn the phrases!

• Another idea? Asking The Same Questions. Simply ask questions from the lesson and encourage the students to answer. Ask the same questions enough times, and the students will respond with the correct answers...over and over again! Simple, yet effective!

Be creative! Make up your own method of repetition! Students love a new idea. Good Bible teachers love new ideas that help students learn the Bible truths easily. With any of the above ideas, the students learn without even knowing they are learning! 

Lesson - A Different Life

VERSES:   Romans 12:1-21

MEMORY VERSE:   Romans 12:9  "...cleave to that which is good."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Review all 27 books of the New Testament. If your students are fairly comfortable with the New Testament books, try the 39 books of the Old Testament. There are two songs on this blog to help. Take a look at The Books Of The Old Testament and The Books Of The New Testament (see March 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3). Click on the orange circles to hear the tunes.

PRAYER:  Pray that we will always obey God. May we read the Bible not seldom, but often.

SPECIAL SONG:   Be Patient And Kind (see April 2014 - Lesson - Joseph Meets His Brothers Who Hated Him on this blog. If you click on the orange circle by the song, you will hear the tune.)  

VISUAL AID:   White board or chalk board, writing the characteristics of a Christian (see below under Lesson Points) on the board.  Large Activity (see below).

LESSON POINTS:

• In the past, we have studied about how animals were sacrificed to God in the Old Testament. It may sound cruel or unjust to us, but it was pleasing to God (Genesis 8:20, 21). God is the One who decides how He wants to be worshiped. Under today's Christian Age, God wants to be worshiped differently than under the Old Law. He wants those who obey and serve Him to be a living sacrifice, one who dedicates their life living differently than the world (Romans 12:1, 2) and obedient to Him.  Christians talk differently, dress differently, behave differently, and live differently than the world because they are separated or set apart from the world. They must live in the world, but they do not live like the world.
• In Romans chapter 12, the inspired writer, Paul, tells us how Christians should live their lives as living sacrifices. If there is one chapter in the New Testament that condenses the Christian life, it is this chapter.
•  We learn that Christians should:
• Love sincerely, without being a hypocrite or pretending to be a friend, yet not really being a friend. A hypocrite is one who says one thing, and does another. God does not appreciate or tolerate hypocrites.
• Hate those things that are evil, and cleave or cling to everything that is good. There is much evil in the world, so when we find something good, we should stay close to it.
• Be kind to everyone, especially those who are in the church.
• Not be lazy, but should be the example of a hard worker. When we think back, we remember what hard workers Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Daniel, Paul and Jesus were. They should be our examples and not others at school or at work. We have a higher standard of "hard work."
• Be enthusiastic about spiritual things, always putting God first in their lives and serving Him with their whole heart.
• Rejoice in hope, knowing that there is a reward waiting all those who love and serve Him. Christians have hope of better things in the life to come. We should always be thankful and obedient.
• Be patient during hard times and difficult trials. Christians know that difficult times will come in their lives and they need to prepare for those trials with prayer, thanksgiving for what they do have, and have the knowledge that God will always be with them as long as they are serving the Lord.
• Constantly pray which does not necessarily mean praying every second of the day, but praying should be a way of life for Christians. Prayer should come naturally and sincerely from their hearts whenever they are thankful or in need. We need to tell the Lord our needs and how thankful we are.
• Take care of those in need. Christians do more than simply wish someone well. Christians make certain that those who are in need have those things that are necessary.
• Show hospitality. Christians show people that they are friendly and sincerely want to know them. They invite them into their homes, share a meal, talk, welcoming their friends, neighbors, and strangers.
• Give good for evil. When others are unkind to us, we are still kind to them. We should do what Jesus would do in that same situation. Just because others show their unpleasant side towards us, we remember that Our Example, Christ, would never return evil with evil.
• Be happy when others are happy and sad when they are sad. We all like our friends and neighbors to sincerely share our joy and comfort us when we are sad. That is exactly what Christians do to their family, friends, and neighbors. When someone is happy, be happy, too! When someone is sad, sit with them. Sometimes words are not necessary, but being there is important.
• Treat everyone the same way. We should never think that we are better than others. God created us just the same. We should treat those who are important exactly the same way as we treat other unfortunate ones.
• Never seek revenge or to "get even" with someone who has done us harm. We should be good, kind, and forgiving to all. 
• Always be honest. There is much dishonesty in the world. Christians answer to a God who sees what we are doing at all times, so if our teacher, our employer, our parents, or anyone trusts us, we should return their trust by always being honest. Always.
• Live peaceably with everyone. As much as we can, we should live a peaceful life with our family, friends, neighbors, and strangers. Living in peace is a blessing from God. We should strive to live a quiet, tranquil life that is free from strife.
• Know that God repays those who do evil. A Christian's job is to do good to their enemies. If those who try to hurt us are hungry, we give them food. If they are thirsty, Christians give them something to drink. By treating our enemies better than they treat us, the Bible says we "heap coals upon their heads," meaning we make our enemies ashamed by showing kindness to him.
• Overcome evil with good. Anyone can respond in an evil way to someone who is treating them badly, but Christians treat that type of person with kindness and goodness. That is more difficult sometimes, but it is the way God wants His children to behave. Christians live differently than the world.

"Older Student" Tips:

• While this is a lesson directed at older students, younger students can still learn from the main topics. The object in the lesson is to teach the students that Christians lead a different life than those people in the world. 
• Stress that Jesus is our example, not other people. People make mistakes; Jesus never did. He is our perfect example (Read Matthew 11:29;  John 13:15;  Hebrews 12:2; and 1 Peter 2:21). When people look to men as their examples, whether it be preachers, teachers, or elders, there is reason for concern because people are not perfect and can lead others astray.
• The Lord's ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8). His ways are higher than man's ways. We must let Him lead us, then we follow. How do we know what He wants us to do and how to do it? We must not only read the Bible, but diligently study the Bible! (2 Timothy 2:15).

ACTIVITY:   Romans 12 -  A Ribbon Of Pennants
Materials needed:  Seventeen 5" x 6" blue construction paper rectangles, sixteen 4" x 5" yellow construction paper rectangles, one 4" x 5" white construction paper rectangle, 8 feet of blue ribbon or yarn (I used ribbon: beautiful, but expensive if there are many students), marker, crayons, scissors, glue, hole puncher, pencil.  *Optional:  Extra ribbon or yarn to tie in between rectangles. I allowed 7" of yarn multiplied by 19 pieces of ribbon which is an extra 11 feet of ribbon. That's a lot of ribbon! Yarn is less expensive. Both may be purchased at any arts and crafts store.  Prepare in advance--buy on sale! Also, to save time, cut all rectangles and ribbon in advance. *Note: Using 17 cards makes the pennant ribbon very long. By reducing the e entire project by a couple of inches, the project may be more manageable for the students. However, it is memorable to pin the pennant ribbon from wall to wall as a visual aid for this lesson.

1. Hand out white rectangle.
2. Write, "How To Live A Godly Life" and "Romans 12" on white rectangle.
3. Hand out yellow rectangles.
4. On the back of yellow rectangles, write a small consecutive number in a corner, example-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. 
   
5. On different rectangles, write: "Love sincerely," "Hate those things that are evil," "Be kind," "Don't be lazy," Rejoice in hope," "Be patient during hard times," "Constantly pray," "Take care of those in need," Show hospitality," "Give good for evil," "Be happy when others are happy; be sad when others are sad," "Treat everyone the same way," "Never seek revenge," "Always be honest," "Live peaceably with everyone," "Overcome evil with good."
   
6. Hand out blue rectangles.
7. Number the back of the blue rectangles in pencil like the yellow rectangles.
8. Match yellow and blue numbered rectangles.
9. Glue yellow rectangle towards the bottom of the blue, leaving about an inch at the top.
   
10. With the hole puncher, punch two holes at the top of the blue rectangle. This is where the ribbon is threaded.
11. Beginning with last rectangle (number 16), thread the very long piece of ribbon through  the back of the blue paper and threading down through the other hole on the card. It helps to keep the ribbon straight as you go along.
12. Continue to thread papers on to ribbon until ending with the white card, leaving about 10" or so of ribbon on each end. This takes a little patience and time.
    
13. If desired, tie a small piece of ribbon in between the blue papers to secure and for decoration. These can be tied in a knot (which is easier) or a small bow (which take coordination.)
14. This is a project that students usually keep for a long while at home after the lesson. The ribbon of pennants can be hung up on any wall to remind us all how Christians should behave.
15. At the end of class, simply fold the rectangles in and out, in and out, with yellow cards facing each other, then wrap the end of the ribbons around the cards and tie in a bow in the middle. Beautiful--and the student learns at the same time!
    
16. If you believe that this project is too difficult for your students, simply stop before you hole punch, wrap a rubber band around all of the cards, and use as a sequencing game! The correct numbers are already written on the cards in order.)

Lesson - The Letter To The Romans

VERSES:  Romans 1:1-11:30

MEMORY VERSE:   Romans 1:16  "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is  the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:  Review all 27 book of the New Testament together in class.

PRAYER:  Pray that we all stay far away from sin, yet when we stumble, that we will pray to the Lord to forgive us. Pray that we stop doing sinful things and start doing right.

SPECIAL SONG:  The Books Of The New Testament (see March 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog); Be Careful Little Eyes What you See (see March 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog).  All songs can be found on this blog and the tune to each song can be heard by pressing the orange circles.

VISUAL AID:   Bible map showing Rome, Large Activity (see Activity below)

LESSON POINTS:

• Paul lived in a time when there were no computers, no email, not even a telephone! Paul had never been to a city called Rome, but, because God wanted to tell the Christians who lived in this faraway city some very important things, God instructed Paul to write a letter to the Christians in the city of Rome. It wasn't just any regular letter; no, this was a special letter that God told Paul to write. This letter was inspired by God or "God-breathed"(Second Timothy 3:16, 17). Paul wrote everything in the letter that God told him to write. It was a very long letter. Paul wrote mostly about sin and how to live a godly life--a life that would please God. The letter was also not written on rectangles of white typing paper like we have now, but on a scroll which was usually like a roll of parchment or a thin, stiff, flat material made from a skin of an animal. 
• At the time Paul wrote this letter, the Rome and the Roman Empire was the center of the world. Rome was a very large and important city. It was a wealthy city which meant that the people in the city had a lot of money and they used their money to build important buildings and roads. Not many cities had roads like Rome. There is a saying, "All roads lead to Rome," meaning that no matter where the people lived, they could find their way to Rome by just walking on a road. The road would eventually end up in in the city of Rome. 
• Did you know that we can read a copy of this letter that God told Paul to write to the Romans? We know exactly what Paul wrote to the Romans because it is in the Bible! Let's turn to Romans and read the very first word in this long letter. (Read Romans 1:1) The first word is Paul because the Apostle Paul signed his name at the beginning of the letter. Usually, when we write a letter, we sign our name at the end of the letter and put it in the mailbox, but not Paul! Paul wrote his letter, signing it first, then he gave it to a messenger who then took Paul's letter all the way to Rome. Let's look on the map to see where Rome was. We know where the letter was going, but we don't know where Paul was exactly when he wrote the letter because the Bible doesn't say.
• As we read this letter to the Romans, God told Paul to tell the Romans many things like:
• Paul was an Apostle and he was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ because it is the power of God unto salvation. (Romans 1:16)
• The Romans thought they were very wise or smart, but God said they were fools because they had turned away from God to idols and many terrible, sinful things. The Romans should have looked around them and seen all the beautiful things that God had created for them and known that there must have been a Creator (Romans 1:20). He said that the people were so sinful and because they were not sorry for the things they had done, that God had given up on them. (Romans 1:20-32)
• Paul wrote about how to become a Christian. He said that when people were baptized into Christ, they were immersed or buried in water. It is not a sprinkling or pouring of a small amount of water, it is a burial. When the person goes down into the water, their sins are washed away. When they come up out of the water, then they are able to live a new life. The old, sinful man dies and the new man is freed from sin. (Roman 6:1-7). (See Lesson - The Queen's Treasurer - May 2015 on this blog).
• Paul says that nothing should keep us from the love of God (Romans 8:35-39), not death, or life, or angels, or anything! We should always do what God wants us to do!
• Paul tells us in Romans how to get faith: We get faith from hearing God's Word. God doesn't zap us with faith, we cannot buy faith at a store; the only way to get faith is to read the Bible. (Romans 10:17)

"Older Student" Tips:

• Looking with simple eyes at the book of Romans, we can learn many things. Some say that this book is more difficult than others in the New Testament, but we can always look at the simple things in a book to find out a few important facts. 
• The theme of the whole book of Romans is "Justification By Faith." We can be made right in God's sight by having faith in Him. (Romans 5:1).
• For a biblical definition of 'faith', read Hebrews 11:1. To see if we can please God without faith, read Hebrews 11:6.
• Preachers have beautiful feet! Read Romans 10-13-17 to see if this is true.
• We know from the book of Esther (Esther 8:13, 14) that there were posts who rode mules and camels to send letters to the Jews. Jeremiah 51:31 talks about posts and messengers meeting each other. There was a method in place way back then to send letters to people far away.

ACTIVITY:  The Letter To The Romans
Materials:  4" x 6" tan construction paper, 3" x 6" red construction paper, 2" x 5" red construction paper, two 1/2" x 4" brown construction paper, 3" x 6" brown construction paper, 3" x 8" white paper, scissors, glue, tape, pencil, crayons, 4" of twine if desired, 9" x 12" blue construction paper if desired (I did not use blue paper or twine).

1. Hand out tan construction paper.
2. Using most of the paper, draw a long necked messenger's head.
   
3. Cut out head with long neck.
   
4. Glue about 2" of bottom of neck.
5. Hand out large red paper. This is the messenger's shirt.
6. Attach neck to top of 3" x 4" red shirt.
   
7. Hand out two long strips of brown paper.
8. Round corners on one end of each strip.
   
9. Matching rounded corner in the middle of the top of red shirt, angle down and across red shirt. These are the straps of the messenger's mailbag.
10. Glue edges of brown strips on red shirt.
    
11. Cut edges of brown strips to make even with red shirt.
12. Hand out 3" x 6" brown paper.
13. Place 3" x 6" brown paper at an angle on man's back. This is the messenger's mailbag.
14. Glue mailbag to red shirt. Cut bottom of mailbag even with red shirt.
    
15. Hand out 2" x 5" red paper. This is the messenger's arm.
16. Round top corners of arm.
17. Glue arm to the middle of the shirt.
18. Write "To ROME, ITALY" on brown mailbag.
19. Set messenger aside.
20. Hand out white paper. This is the letter to the Romans.
21. In the middle of the white paper, write "Letter to the Romans."
22. Roll white paper to the middle.
23. Secure with tape.
24. Roll other side of white paper to the middle.
25. Secure with tape.
    
26. If desired, tie twine around the letter, gently.
27. Turn messenger on his back.
28. Place rolled up letter a little above the the brown mailbag with words not showing.
    
29. Secure with tape.
30. Turn messenger over to the front.
31. Color.
    
32. If desired, glue messenger to blue paper.  (I chose not to use the blue paper.)
33. Make certain all students know that this is the messenger who took Paul's letter to the Romans to Rome.
34. Take messenger home at the end of class.

Introduction To The New Testament Letters

WHAT ARE THE LETTERS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT? Romans; First and Second Corinthians; Galatians; Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians; First and Second Thessalonians; First and Second Timothy; Titus; Philemon; Hebrews; James; First and Second Peter; First, Second, and Third John; Jude.

MEMORY WORK:  Review all 27 books of the New Testament.

PRAYER:  Thank God for the opportunity of learning how to read, so we can also read the books of the Bible whenever we choose.

SPECIAL SONG:   The Books Of The New Testament (see March 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID:  Bible; Large Activity (see below)

LESSON POINTS:

• For many weeks, we have studied from the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John about how Jesus came to this earth, died on the cross, and rose from the grave. We learned that the reason that these four books were written was so that we might believe that Jesus is the Son of God and have life through His name (John 20:30, 31). 
• From the book of Acts, we studied about the history of the early church and how people were baptized into Christ, becoming members of the Lord's church. We discovered how many Christians were persecuted, suffering beatings, time in prison, and sometimes even death in order to spread the Gospel of Christ (Acts 7:57-60).
• Now, we find ourselves beginning the letters of the New Testament and will soon begin learning how Christians should live their godly lives after they are converted to Christ.. Studying the letters that inspired men wrote, we learn many things, such as how to please God, the biblical definition of sin, if there is a commandment for children to obey their parents, what kind of thoughts should be filling our minds, and how to defend ourselves against the devil. 
• We will begin with Paul's letter to the Romans and continue through the New Testament to the book of Jude. Following the book of Acts in God's Word, we find that there are twenty-one letters which address the manner in which Christians should live. These letters were written by inspired men like: Paul, Peter, Jude, and James. God told these men what to write and they wrote. We now have the opportunity of reading these short letters in book form from our Bibles and learning "How To Live The Christian Life." May we learn, remember, and apply what we read.

ACTIVITY:  The Books Of The New Testament Puzzle

Materials needed:  Four red 3" x 5" construction papers, one blue 3" x 5" construction papers, twenty-one white 3" x 5" construction papers, and one green 3" x 5" construction paper, one rubber band, markers, a Bible or list of the books of the New Testament. (Multicolored index cards may also be used for convenience. They are a bit more expensive and are found in school supply stores.)

1. Using their Bibles, students should be able to find the list of the books of the New Testament in the front of their Bibles. The Bible is used for reference and spelling.
   
2. Hand out four red cards.
3. Write "Matthew," "Mark," "Luke," and "John" on the four red cards. These are the Gospels or books of Biography.
4. Hand out one blue card.
5. Write "Acts" on the blue card. This is the book of History.
6. Hand out twenty-one white cards. (May hand out a few at a time, if desired.)
7. Write "Romans," "First Corinthians," "Second Corinthians," "Galatians," " Ephesians," "Philippians," "Colossians," "First Thessalonians," "Second Thessalonians," "First Timothy," "Second Timothy," "Titus," "Philemon," "Hebrews," "James," "First Peter," "Second Peter," "First John," "Second John," "Third John," and "Jude" on each white card. These are the letters that were written by four men and inspired by God. Some may say that writing all 27 book titles is time-consuming, but students learn by writing. By writing the names, they become familiar with spelling the names of the books.
   
8. Hand out one green card.
9. Write "Revelation" on the green card. There is no 's" in the title of the book "Revelation." (Some adults do not know this.)
10. The "Puzzle" part:  When finished writing, shuffle the cards and see if the student is able to put their cards back in order.
11. At the end of class, hand out rubber bands to secure their 27 cards.
    

Review - Paul's Journeys In Cups

Taking the time to review at the end of a book, a series of lessons, or a complicated topic can be of great help, especially to the serious Bible student. Having one more opportunity to cement the facts can help a student remember details for a long time. We have had over twenty lessons on Paul's journeys and have learned what happened on each journey along the way. Many things have happened to Paul--some good and some bad. It may be helpful at this time to review the main events, characters, and cities of these journeys to remember what we have learned. Perhaps the Activity below may be of benefit to your Bible students...and the Bible teacher!

VERSES:  Acts chapters 13-28

HELPFUL INFORMATION:  

• Paul's First Missionary Journey:   Read Acts 13:1-14:26
• Paul's Second Missionary Journey:   Read Acts 15:36-18:22
• Paul's Third Missionary Journey:  Read Acts 18:23-21:8
• Paul's Journey To Rome:   Read Acts 23:23-28:16

                                            

ACTIVITY:  The Ultimate "Paul's Missionary Journey And To Rome" Review or Paul's Journeys In Cups
Materials needed:  Twenty 3" x 5" white index cards, markers, a pencil, four paper or plastic cups.

1. On Cup #1:  Write, "Paul's #1 Missionary Journey."  (A permanent, black marker works well.)
2. On Cup #2:  Write, "Paul's #2 Missionary Journey."
3. On Cup #3:  Write, "Paul's #3 Missionary Journey."
4. On Cup #4:  Write, "Paul's Journey To Rome."
5. Set cups aside.
6. Hand out 20 white index cards.
7. On each card, write a question, event, character, or city, and the verse where the answer is found and which number or name of the journey Paul was on.
8. The Way It Works:  Every student has four cups, a marker, a pencil, 20 white index cards, and a Bible. Using their Bibles, the students write a question, or character, or event, or city on a card. Also in small print on the same side of the card is the "Proof" (book, chapter, and verse), proving on which of Paul's journey that this particular event, character, or city happened. When everyone is finished writing, the students pair up, questioning each other, or, if desired, questioning themselves.
9.  The "Question-Asker" is responsible for covering up the answer at the bottom of the card as they ask the question.
10. All correct answers are placed in the correct cup and the number of points totaled at the end of the student's turn.
11. At the end of class, stack up all four cups and place all index cards inside top cup.
12. Encourage students to play "Paul's Journeys In Cups" with someone at home.

SPECIAL NOTES:  There is nothing wrong in having a difference in degree of question difficulty. Here is another example of this activity:

• Divide up the questions into "Easy," "Not-So-Easy," "Serious Thinking,"  and "One Of The Most Difficult Questions Ever." 
• Use a different color of index cards for each category. For example, all the "Easy" questions would be written on a white card, "Not-So-Easy" questions would be written on yellow index cards, "Serious Thinking" questions would be written on green index cards, and  "One Of The Most Difficult Questions Ever" questions would be written on pink index cards, so the student could choose which question they wanted to try.
• Weigh each category with more points for the degree of difficulty. For example, 1 point for "Easy" questions, 3 points for "Not-So-Easy" questions, 5 points for "Serious Thinking" questions , and 10 points for "One Of The Most Difficult Questions Ever" questions.
• Dividing groups up selectively may encourage more interest.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS:

1. Elymas, the sorcerer - Acts 13:6-12  First Journey
2. John Mark went back home - Acts 13:13  First Journey
3. Jews envious of Paul - Acts 13:45  First Journey // Acts 17:5  Second Journey 
4. Paul and Barnabas called gods because they healed a crippled man - Acts 14:8-18  First Journey
5. Paul and Barnabas disagree about taking John Mark - Acts 15:37-40  Second Journey
6. Timothy - Acts 16:1-3  Second Journey
7. The Macedonian Call - Acts 16:9-10  Second Journey
8. Lydia and her household is baptized - Acts 16:14-15  Second Journey
9. At midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang in prison - Acts 16:25  Second Journey
10. The Philippian jailor is baptized - Acts 16:29-34  Second Journey
11. "These that have turned the world upside down!" - Acts 17:6  Second Journey
12. Berean Christians more noble than those in Thessalonica - Acts 17:11  Second Journey
13. Paul on Mars' Hill - Acts 17:16-34  Second Journey
14. Acquila, Priscilla, Paul are tentmakers  - Acts 18:3 Second Journey
15. Crispus - Acts 18:8 Second Journey
16. Apollos - Acts 18:24-28  Third Journey
17. Demetrius, the silversmith - Acts 18:24  Third Journey
18. Paul preached until midnight on the first day of the week - Acts 20:7  Third Journey
19. Eutychus fell out the window - Acts 20:9  Third Journey
20. The Ephesians cry as they say goodbye to Paul - Acts 20:36-38  Third Journey
21. Agabus took Paul's belt and tied his hands up with it - Acts 21:10, 11  Third Journey
22. The chief captain - Acts 21:32  Third Journey
23. "Be of good cheer, Paul!" - Acts 23:11  Journey to Rome
24. Felix  - Acts 23:24 Journey to Rome
25. Festus - Acts 25:1  Journey to Rome
26. King Agrippa - Acts 26:1  Journey to Rome
27. "Almost thou persuadest me to become a Christian" - Acts 26:28  Journey to Rome
28. The Fair Havens - Acts 27:8  Journey to Rome
29. "Wished for the day" - Acts 27:29  Journey to Rome
30. Shipwreck! -Acts 27:44  Journey to Rome
31. Bitten by a deadly snake - Acts 28:3  Journey to Rome
32. Melita - Acts 28:1  Journey to Rome
33. Publius - Acts 28:7,8  Journey to Rome

Lesson - Paul Arrives In Rome

VERSES:  Acts 28:12-31

MEMORY VERSE:  Acts 28:30  "And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:  Revelation.  Write "Revelation" (no 's') on small slips of paper and hand out to the students at the end of class.

PRAYER:  Thank God for our homes, having a safe place in which to live.

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:  Bible map, tracing Paul's steps from city to city, ending in Rome; a large Activity (see below).

LESSON POINTS:

• After three months on the island of Melita, Paul and all those who were with him left the island on a ship that had wintered there.  They landed in Syracuse first and stayed there three days. After they went and found a compass, they came to the city of Puteoli where they found members of the church and stayed with them for seven days. From there they sailed on to Appiiforum and a place called The Three Taverns where more friends came to greet Paul when they heard that he was coming. Paul was thankful for his friends and was greatly encouraged that they were there with him. 
• Finally after a very long journey, Paul, his friends, and the other prisoners arrived in Rome. The centurion delivered the other prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was required to stay in a place by himself with a soldier that took care of him.
• After three days in Rome, Paul called for the important Jews to come together and said to them, "Men and brothers, I have done nothing wrong against the Jews or the customs of our fathers, yet I have been brought from Jerusalem as a prisoner into the hands of the Romans. When the Romans questioned me, they would have let me go because they found that I had done nothing worthy of death. But when the Jews spoke against me, I was forced to appeal to Caesar. I have nothing bad to say about my own nation and for this reason I have called you all together, to see you, and to speak to you for it is the hope of Israel that I wear this chain."
• The Jews replied that, while they had received no letters from Judea concerning Paul, and no one had come to speak to them about him, they had heard many things about the church and wanted to hear what Paul believed. They selected a day to come and hear him and many came to his house where Paul was staying and listened to him preach and teach about the kingdom of God and Jesus Christ from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets from morning until night! Some of the Jews believed what Paul had to say, but some did not. Paul spoke words from the prophet, Isaiah, whom even the Jews knew, saying that the salvation of God was also sent to the Gentiles and anyone else who would hear it. The Jews reasoned among themselves after they left Paul, thinking about the things he had said to them.
• In Rome, Paul lived two whole years in his own rented house and welcomed everyone who came to him. He taught about the church and many things concerning Jesus. He spoke with boldness and confidence and did not need to fear anyone.

"Older Student" Tips:

• We all enjoy good friendships. As Paul sailed from place to place, making his way to Rome, the church and his friends encouraged him, giving him hope and cheering him along. We can think of our friends and know that there are friends we have that encourage us, making us feel better just by being there for us. That is how Paul felt when he saw his friends.
• Think what a journey Paul, his friends, and the other prisoners had endured: violent storms, little food, fear of being thrown in the sea and death! 
• In Jerusalem, Paul was thrown into prison for preaching and teaching about Jesus and, in the end, even though he is in Rome and in chains, what did he continue to do? Preach and teach about Jesus. Would we continue to teach about Jesus if it meant that we would go to prison and be in chains?
• Read Acts 28:23. How long did Paul preach? From morning to night! Today we are squirming in our seats if the preacher preaches more than 30 minutes! Here is an example of how long a sermon could be! Let us be more patient and attentive.
• While Paul was in prison, he made the best of his time and wrote letters to congregations of the Lord's church encouraging them and, also, scolding them for doing things that were not right in God's sight. Many smart men who have studied the Bible for many, many years believe that Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon from prison. Whether Paul wrote the letters from Rome is hard to tell, but these letters that Paul wrote are in all of our Bibles. We can read these letters or 'books' any time we choose, simply by picking up the Bible and reading!

ACTIVITY:  From Morning Until Night
Materials needed:  9" x 9" light blue construction paper, 9" x 9" black construction paper, two 3" x 3" brown scraps of construction paper, four 1" x 1" scraps of green construction paper, 1" x 4" white paper, tiny star stickers (perhaps six or seven), fastener, glue, scissors, white, red, and black crayons, black marker, pencil, 9" pie pan or bowl.

1. Hand our light blue and black paper. 
2. Place the light blue paper exactly on top of the black paper.
3. Place pie pan or bowl on top of paper.
4. Trace with pencil.
   
5. Cut circles out of both papers at one time, holding papers tightly (or trace the pie pan or bowl on both papers with pencil).
   
6. Draw a tiny circle in the middle of the light blue circle.
7. Cut four inches off of light blue paper, saving both pieces.
8. Lining the light blue paper on top of the black paper, insert fastener into both papers at once. (The Bible teacher may need to help with this step.)
   
9. Secure fastener on the back. (Students may do this part. This is the fun part!)
   
10. On the smaller of the light blue semi-circles, glue to the black portion that shows.
11. Hand out white paper.
12. Fold paper in half.
13. Draw a cloud with a pencil.
14. Cut out clouds.
15. Glue clouds to the outer edges of the light blue paper.
16. Glue brown paper just above the larger light blue paper. This is Paul's house in the morning.
17. Add door, windows, and people in the windows, especially Paul preaching.
18. Hand out green scraps.
19. Cut four grass patches.
20. Glue two grass patches in front of the house, saving two grass patches for later.
21. Write "Paul's house" above door.
    
22. Write "morning" on the blue sky by the house with a red crayon.
    
23. Turn wheel so that black paper shows.
    
24. Glue other brown square in the middle of the black area. This is Paul's house in the evening.
25. Again, add a door, windows, and people in the windows, especially Paul still preaching in the evening.
26. Add other two grass patches and glue them in front of the house.
27. Add stars in the black sky.
28. Write "Paul's House" above the door.
29. Write "evening" on black sky by the house with a white crayon.
    
30. On the unmarked light blue wheel, write "Paul preached from __________ till _______." and "Acts 28:23."
31. The idea of this project:  Stressing how Paul preached about the kingdom of God and about Jesus to the Jews and anyone else who would hear him---from morning until the evening.

Lesson - Paul Is Bitten By A Deadly Snake!

VERSES:  Acts 28:1-11

MEMORY VERSE:  Acts 28:4  "...there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:  Review all New Testament books from Matthew through Jude.

PRAYER:  Pray for others who are sick that they may get well.

SPECIAL SONG:  The Books Of The Old Testament and The Books Of The New Testament (see March 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tunes.)

VISUAL AID: Bible map; large Activity (see below)

LESSON POINTS:

• We remember that Paul had appealed his case to Caesar in Rome, Italy and had been on a sailing ship as a prisoner. Luke and other friends traveled with him, along with other prisoners. Their ship was shipwrecked on a small island called Melita, and all 276 people who were on the ship were stranded, but alive. Their journey to Rome was filled with hardships.
• Sometimes islands in the oceans and seas do not have any people living on them, but this was not the case with the island of Melita. Although the people were described as "barbarians," this only meant that they were of a different culture and language than the group on the ship. The people on the island were kind and showed compassion to the shipwrecked passengers. Because it was raining and cold, the people of Melita built a fire for them.
• While they were collecting wood for the fire, Paul gathered a bundle of sticks when a snake came out of the fire and bit him on the hand! When the people of the island saw the snake hanging on Paul's hand, they talked among themselves. They said, "Certainly this man is a murderer and, although he has escaped the sea, he will not live." Then they stood by and watched Paul. Paul shook off the snake into the fire and felt no harm at all! The people continued to watch Paul to see how he would react to the snakebite, but nothing happened to him. His hand was not swollen and he did not suddenly fall down dead. The people could see that the snake bite had not harmed Paul. Then they changed their minds from thinking he was a murderer and said that he was a god! They did not know that the God of Heaven was watching over Paul.
• The most important man on the island was an official named Publius. He had a place where he stored his possessions and let some of the passengers on the ship stay there. Publius was extremely kind to the men, politely letting them stay there for three days. However, Publius' father had a fever and was very sick. When Paul heard about the official's father, he went into the room where he was laying, prayed, and laid his hands on him. and the father was healed! When everyone on the island heard what Paul had done for Publius' father, the ones who had diseases came and Paul healed them, too. The people were so thankful and grateful that they honored Paul and Luke and all that were with them. When they left the island three months later, the people of Melita gladly gave the men all the things they needed to make the trip to Rome. 

"Older Student" Tips:

• The island that Paul was shipwrecked on was called Melita, which today is called Malta.
• Read Mark 16:17, 18. Jesus told his disciples that signs would be accompanying them, proving to all who saw them taking up snakes such as Paul did in this case and other unnatural situations that they were truly from God. These signs were their credentials, showing that they were God sent. The people of Melita believed that the men were from God when they saw that Paul did not die or even get sick from a deadly snakebite and then witnessing many people whom they knew to have diseases be healed. 
• The whole purpose of the snake incident was to show the people on this island that Paul was a man of God and that his message would be a message from God.

ACTIVITY:  Snakebit!
Materials needed:  9" x 12" brown construction paper, 4 1/2" x 9" green construction paper, scrap of red construction paper, scrap of aluminum foil, glue, scissors, pencil, crayons, markers.

1. Hand out brown paper.
2. Lay the student's hand and arm down on the paper.
3. Trace with pencil.
4. Trace pencil line with black crayon.
   
5. Cut out hand and arm.
6. Set aside.
7. Hand out green paper.
8. Draw a snake.
9. Cut out snake.
   
10. Set aside.
11. Cut two small 1/4" red circles. (These are the bite marks on Paul's hand.)
12. Glue red circles close together on hand.
    
13. Cut two small triangles out of foil. (These are the snake's fangs.)
14. Glue fangs on snake's head.
    
15. Write, "Deadly snake" on snake.
16. Color snake.
17. Write, "Paul's hand" on edge of arm.
18. Write, "...there came a snake out of the heat and fastened on to his hand."  and "Acts 28:3" on the palm of the hand.
19. Glue snake's fangs to red circles.
    
20. Carefully, carry project home.