PAUL AND SILAS SING…IN PRISON!
2022 Theme: “Doing Life with Jesus”
Week 40: Paul and Silas Sing…In Prison!
Weekly Bible Bite: Acts 16
Video lesson:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y24Ak7DJZFg (Crossroad Kids Club – Paul and Silas)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41vnmcocZ1A (Saddleback Kids – Paul and Silas in Jail – for older children)
On Paul’s second missionary journey, he and Silas travelled to Macedonia and were able to teach people about Jesus in the city of Philippi. Many people believed. But while they were teaching, a slave girl followed them and was very disruptive. The Bible tells us that she had a demon in her that helped her tell the future and her slave masters made lots of money from this. Paul became so annoyed one day with her constant disruptions, that he told the demon to leave. The slave girl was healed, but her masters were so annoyed they dragged Paul and Silas before the courts.
Paul and Silas hadn’t done anything wrong, but they were still beaten with rods and then locked in the inner cell of the prison with their feet locked in stocks. Paul and Silas could have become angry or fearful or depressed, but they didn’t do any of these things. Instead, they prayed and sang songs of praise to God. The other prisoners listened, probably pretty surprised by Paul and Silas’ thankfulness. But not as surprised as when God caused an earthquake to shake the prison apart and made it possible for all the prisoners to escape.
This was bad news for the jailer. He decided to kill himself, rather than face the punishment for having let any prisoners escape. But Paul and Silas told him to stop…they were all still there. The jailer took Paul and Silas to his home for food and medical treatment and decided to follow their God who had obviously helped them.
The jailer’s decision to follow Christ, along with his whole family, was as a result of Paul and Silas’ thankfulness, that caused them to praise and worship God, who sent the earthquake that freed them. God had used a bad situation and made something really good come from it!
Family goal:
• Is your family experiencing some difficulties? How can you remember to be thankful still?
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[Be sure to pick a measurable goal involving a task so that children will know when they have completed it.]
Weekly verse:
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NLT – “16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
Family activities:
• Colour the picture of Paul & Silas singing in prison.
• Complete the “I am thankful…” sheet
• Create a ‘thankful’ wreath and/or pumpkin to decorate your home.
Prayer:
Thank you, God, for all the good things we enjoy. Help us to be like Paul & Silas who didn’t dwell on their problems, but on you. They knew they could trust you no matter what situation they found themselves in. Help us to trust you always too.
