Community and World

Theme Verse

‍“God will help you be his witnesses.” (Acts 1:8).

Objective

God helps people to do His work.

Teach

Have you ever been in trouble and punished when you did not do anything wrong? (Allow the children to tell what happened. Try not to correct them, just listen.) Today, we learn in Acts 12:5–19 about one of Jesus’s special friends—Peter. When the king found out that Peter was preaching the Gospel, he was arrested and scheduled to be put to death. The king treated Peter like he was a bad man. They put Peter in prison with two chains and 16 guards, and four of the guards watched him at all times.

One night, while Peter was sleeping, the angel of the Lord came to Peter. A bright light shown in his cell. The angel told him to get up, put on his sandals and coat, and follow him. When Peter stood up, the chains fell off. They passed two guards. Next was an iron gate. How do you think the gate might sound when they opened it? (Allow the children to make a squeaking noise.) Do you think someone would hear and find out that Peter was escaping? I would think so too!

After they were outside, the angel disappeared. Peter thought this was a dream, but it was really happening. When he realized it was not a dream, he went to the house where the church was meeting. He knocked on the door. (Make a knocking sound.) Rhoda, the servant girl, went to the door. She became very excited because she recognized Peter’s voice. Rhoda told the people who were praying that Peter was at the door. They did not believe her. Peter kept knocking at the door. When they went to the door, there was Peter. Everyone was so excited. Peter had to motion for the people to be quiet. He then told them how God had helped him.

Our verse this week is, “God will help you be His witnesses.” Acts 1:8. Repeat the verse several times. Use or pretend to use a magnifying glass. Look up and say the verse. Look down and say the verse. Look to the left and say the verse. Look to the right and say the verse.

Discussion Questions

1. Why did we use a magnifying glass to say our verse? (Because a witness might look at things better with one. It makes things look bigger and clearer.)
2. Why was Peter in prison? (For telling people about Jesus.)
3. How did Peter get out of jail? (The angel of the Lord woke him up and led him outside.)
4. What was the church doing during this time? (Praying)
5. Why? (They were doing this to ask God to help Peter.)
6. There will be times when we need help. What should we do? (Trust God and pray.)
7. What if it is a friend of yours who needs help? (Pray for them and do what you can.)

Play

Make a Prayer Chain

Materials:

• Strips of paper
• Pen or marker
• Tape or stapler

Directions:

1. Give each person several strips.
2. Have them write or ask an adult to write something or someone’s name on the strip.
3. Have the person tell why they wrote that person or thing on their strip. How should we pray for them?
4. Connect the strips using the tape or stapler.
5. Hang the Prayer Chain where you will see it each day.
6. Each day, remove a strip and pray for that request.
7. Remind the family that prayer is one way we can help others.

Sing

‍“Tell the World”

Live it Out

We talked about Peter and the church. We learned the church helped Peter by praying for him when he was in jail. We are learning that we can help others by praying for them.

Closing Prayer

Jesus, thank You that we can come to You in prayer and that You hear and answer us. Please help us to be Your witnesses even when it is hard. Help us to pray for those who tell others about You. In your name we pray, amen.

Theme Verse

“…but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Objective

God helps people to do His work in their communities and world.

Teach

Who is your favorite superhero? Superheroes are fun to watch on TV and read about in books. Some have the power of super strength, and others have the power of super speed. Did you know God has given all Christians power that is greater than any superpower? Acts 1:8 tells us we will receive power, and it comes from the Holy Spirit. Once we are Christians, the Holy Spirit helps us do God’s work in our community and the world around us.

In Acts 1:8, Jesus speaks to His disciples. The first place He mentions is Jerusalem, which is where they were living. He wants them to do God’s work in the communities in which they live. Then, He wants them to go to other parts of the world. Where do we live right now? Do you think Jesus wants us to do God’s work right where we live? There are so many opportunities for us to work and serve our community.

Beyond our communities, God wants us to serve people throughout the rest of our state, country, and world. As kids, it might be hard to travel to other countries and serve other people. However, you can still learn about Christians serving in other countries, known as missionaries, and how we can help them from our own community

Discussion Questions

1. What kind of power has God given us? (The Holy Spirit, to help us do His work)
2. Where does God want us to serve others? (In our community and around the world)

Play

Get a Bible and help your kids find the following verses. Have them read the verse and tell you ways that verse tells us to serve people: Isaiah 58:10, Mark 12:31, Luke 3:10–11, 1 Peter 4:10.

Sing

‍“Tell the World”

Live it Out

For your family to do God’s work or engage in the Missionary Task in your community, you don’t have to move homes, help plant a new church, move to a different country, or sell everything you own. Do you take opportunities to serve others as a family? How cool would it be to take time to participate in a local community service project as a family? Not only would this show obedience to God, but it would draw your family closer together.

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You for giving us Your power to work and serve our community. Give us opportunities to serve our neighbors and help us be obedient when those opportunities are in front of us. We are thankful we can serve You and be obedient by serving others. Amen.

Theme Verse

“…but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Objective

God works through people to do work in their communities and world.

Teach

‍Read the biblical truth again out loud: “God works through people to do work in their communities and world.” God’s work in our community sounds like a huge job. Amazingly, God is going to use us, His people, to work in our communities and beyond. Those jobs might be simple—helping others in need or giving to others or maybe sharing about Jesus. Do you think you are ready for that?

Think about a time when you couldn’t do something that you know how to do now. Do you remember when you didn’t know how to tie your shoes? Or maybe you can remember what it was like to not know how to ride a bike. What are some words to describe what it felt like to not be able to do something (some ideas: frustration when I try on my own, impatience while I wait for help with shoelaces)? When you feel like you cannot do something, are those good feelings or bad feelings? It’s not fun or comfortable not knowing how to do something.

While you learned how to tie your shoes or ride your bike, someone helped and taught you. As our Father in Heaven, God will also send us help and guidance. Look at our verse again, “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you and you will be my witness…” The Holy Spirit is a Helper sent from God to believers. It helps us tell others about Jesus and God’s plan for the world.

God plans to use His people to tell the world about Jesus. In our verse, He declares we will be His witnesses telling the world about the good news, but just like when you struggled with tying your shoes or riding your bike and needed help, God is ready with His help. God’s plan is to use people for His work on Earth, but He also helps them accomplish His plan.

Discussion Questions

1. Who is in our community? (Ideas: neighborhood, school, friends, family)
2. How might God work through us in our community? (Ideas: helping a neighbor clean their yard, giving food to a needy person, sharing about Jesus)
3. How might God help you do this work? (Ideas: helping you notice a need, giving you ideas about how to help others, giving you the courage to share about what Jesus is doing in your life)

Play

Put your hand on a table with your middle finger bent underneath your palm and all the other fingers extended. Raise your pinky finger. Raise index finger. Those are jobs you can do. Now raise your ring finger. It’s impossible without help. Use your other hand to help you raise your ring finger. In the same way, God will help us to work for Him in our community and the world.

Sing

‍“Tell the World”

Live it Out

This week, ask God to show you how you can impact your community for Him. Look for needs in your neighborhood and listen for needs when you talk to friends and family.

Closing Prayer

God, thank You for Your plan for the world. Thank You for using us to help others. Help us this week to recognize where You want us to help others and share about You. Amen.

Theme Verse

“…but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Objective

God allows people to join Him in His work throughout the world.

Teach

It may be hard for you to believe that information used to travel very slowly from one source to another. Because of the internet, we are now able to send and receive information all over the world within seconds. God is doing amazing work all over the world through many different organizations, ministries, and churches, and we can easily find information about this work.

We can access specific prayer requests from different ministries and commit to pray for them. We can discover the needs they have and determine how we can support their efforts. We can be sensitive to the voice of the Lord if He is calling us to serve in one of these ministries on either a short-term or long-term basis. God wants us to minister to those around us every day, but He also calls us to use our resources and gifts to serve others and share the love of Jesus all over the world. All of us can pray. Many of us can give. Some of us can go.

Discussion Questions

‍Let this be a time of family discussion.

• Do you have conversations about God or church with any of your friends?
• Do you feel that there are people around you that do not go to church or know about God?
• How could you feel more like a missionary where you are each day?
• How can you serve the nations as a preteen?

Play

See how many countries you can name from this online quiz.

Was there a country you have never heard of? If so, research some information about that country and take some time to pray for the Gospel to be shared with the citizens of that country.

Sing

‍“Nobody”

Live it Out

Find a local, national, or international missions organization that you can begin praying for and supporting.

Closing Prayer

God, help us to see all the people around us as people You love. Also, help us to expand our view of the world by learning about Your work all over the world. Amen

Theme Verse

“…but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Objective

God continues to work in the world, and people are invited to join Him in His work.

Teach

Studies show this generation of students is the most information-overloaded in the history of man. They are the most targeted through marketing and media-centered generation—which is not necessarily a bad thing! There is a message behind almost every word students hear and see daily, and they are constantly filtering through what voices and information to either occupy their mind or release. With all of this busyness, it is easy for our students to be sidetracked from what the Lord has in store for them and us!

Many voices are speaking into our every interaction with people and media, and oftentimes the world sees the Lord’s voice is thrown in as just another voice that speaks. When in reality, His voice has authority over all the others! God desires to lead and guide us through our daily lives, away from the voices of the world. Then, we can show His love through His plan to His creation around us. He calls us to live a life on mission for Him as a testimony to the community around us. With the growth and progress of media and technology, not only do we have the ability to live a life on mission in our community, but now it is at our fingertips to be His witnesses around the world with the resources God has provided for us!

Discussion Questions

‍Let this be a time of family discussion.

• What voices are the hardest to tune out?
• How can you be God’s witness in your community?
• Do you feel like people around you know that you are a follower of Christ? Are they followers of Christ?

Play

Think of all your favorite funny advertisements you’ve seen on billboards, television, or any media! Share a few and maybe watch a few that’ll make you sing or laugh!

Sing

‍“Nobody”

Live it Out

Find a place in Memphis your family can go and serve the community as you seek to live life on mission even here in your “Jerusalem.” Or you could make a list of all of the voices or things that are trying to be heard and realize just how many voices there are!

Closing Prayer

Lord, help us to live in the power of the Holy Spirit, sharing Christ with those in our family, neighborhood, and all around the world. Amen.

Theme Verse

“…but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Objective

God continues to work in the world, and as we join Him in His work, He uses people to accomplish His eternal purpose.

Teach

Read Acts 1:8. “…but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.”

Do you know someone who never finishes a project? Some people are very handy—they build houses, remodel houses, build computers, etc. Other people are not quite so handy, so they finally hire a contractor to finish the project. Think about God; there are no pauses or stops in His work. God is always at work and desires to use us to accomplish His purposes.

We have hope to know God is always at work—never idle or done. Because He is always at work to bring more people into salvation, we must never stop sharing the good news. The work of spreading the Gospel in our community never ends. There is always someone who needs to hear the Gospel. There is always someone in need who needs encouragement and ministry. Just as God never stops working, neither should we!

Discussion Questions

‍Let this be a time of family discussion.

• Knowing God is always at work, what kind of work do you think He does?
• Have you ever shared the Gospel with anyone? If so, how was it?
• What are some of the ways you’ve seen others share the Gospel?

Play

Go around the dinner table and create a prayer list of people who are far from God. Once you’ve created this list, take a few moments to pray for each name.

Sing

‍“Come Alive (Dry Bones)”

Live it Out

The message of the Gospel always needs to be shared. Many of us sit idle in our faith and find excuses rather than sharing the Gospel. Remember, our lives are all for His glory, not ours.

Closing Prayer

Dear Jesus. There are so many people around me that need to hear the message of the Gospel. I know You desire for them to know You; use me to speak the message they need to hear. Amen.