Teaching

The Apostle Paul was a man of determination and strength. It seemed that nothing could stop him from accomplishing the mission God gave him. But where did that strength come from? Do you think he just had an amazing amount of will power?

Do you remember what Paul told Joy was the source of his strength? Let’s read what God told Paul, and how Paul responded. 

Read 2 Corinthians 12:9:

Each time He said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

Paul told Joy that his weakness was replaced by Jesus’ strength. Paul even said that he would gladly boast about his weakness so Jesus’ strength would work through him. Paul gave all the credit to Jesus for everything he accomplished!      

Let’s take a closer look at what Paul’s mission was and how it began. In the book of Acts, we read how Paul—then known as Saul—was on his way to capture and persecute the Christians in the city of Damascus. He may have thought that was his mission from God—but he was wrong! Jesus appeared to him in a light so bright that it blinded him. Paul came to know Jesus as his Lord and Savior. God sent a man named Ananias to pray for his healing and tell him what his true mission was. 

Read Acts 9:15b:

“Go, for Saul is My chosen instrument to take My message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.”

Paul’s mission was totally changed! Hold up the Jesus sign. Paul went from persecuting Jesus’ followers to preaching the Gospel so that more people would become believers in Jesus! Paul encountered many hardships on his mission. Hold up the Hardship sign beside the Jesus sign. Paul was attacked by an angry mob and thrown into prison on false charges! Yet Paul never lost sight of the mission Jesus gave him to do! Place the Jesus sign over the Hardship sign to cover it up. 

Read Acts 23:11:

That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to Me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.”

Jesus appeared and gave Paul encouragement and instructions for his mission! Paul was a prisoner in chains when he set sail to stand before Caesar in Rome. A storm came up that lasted for many days! Hold up the Hardship sign. But even then, Paul kept his focus on the Lord. Place the Jesus sign over the Hardship sign. Paul’s faith was rewarded. An angel appeared to Paul and confirmed that he would still accomplish his mission in Rome! Paul told the ship’s crew not to be afraid even though the ship would sink! 

Optional: Read Acts 27:22–26:

“But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in His goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. But we will be shipwrecked on an island.”

Paul and the crew made it safely to land, just as God promised! Yet even on the island of Malta, Paul’s hardships were not over! Hold up the Hardship sign. Paul was bitten by a poisonous snake and the people expected him to die! Place the Jesus sign over the Hardship sign. But Paul simply shook the snake off and was not harmed! Paul kept his eyes on the Lord. The people were amazed and knew that Paul’s God was real and powerful! Paul also displayed God’s power by praying for the sick father of Malta’s leader. God miraculously healed the man. Paul then prayed for all of the people of Malta who had diseases, and they were healed by God, too! Paul was focused on what God wanted him to do! Hold up the Jesus sign. 

Eventually, Paul made it to Rome, where he was under house arrest for 2 years. This meant that he was not allowed to leave the house to go anywhere. Hold up the Hardship sign. Even so, Paul continued his mission. Place the Jesus sign over the Hardship sign. He shared the Gospel with the people who visited him—and he also wrote letters about the Christian faith to believers in other places. Many of these letters, called epistles, became books of the Bible that we can read today!  

We just talked about a few of Paul’s journeys and hardships that he encountered on his mission. Paul was faithful to accomplish his mission. Did you know that God has given us the same mission? He wants us to live as Jesus did and to share the Gospel wherever we go. Hold up the Hardship sign. We can accomplish our mission as long as we don’t focus on the hardships and difficulties, but instead focus on Jesus and ask Him for His power, wisdom and guidance. Place the Jesus sign over the Hardship sign. We cannot do God’s will in our own strength; He gives us the power of the Holy Spirit to obey Him in whatever He asks us to do.

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Now it is time for our Discipleship Challenge! Hand out a New Testament Books Pattern to each child. Have them assemble and put their names on their crafts. Display the model you made for the class to see, and assist the children as necessary.

Let’s look at our crafts. What are the names of the first four books of the New Testament? Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.

Those are called the four Gospels, which are about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. What is the name of the next book? Acts.

The full name of that book is actually “The Acts of the Apostles.” It tells what happened when Jesus went up to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit, empowering the apostles to go out into the world and preach the Gospel. Next come the letters, or epistles, that Paul wrote—some from prison! Let’s read the list. Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon.

Let’s try to memorize the names of all the books of the New Testament through Philemon before we meet next time. Then after that, we’ll learn the names of the last nine books: Hebrews; James; 1 & 2 Peter; 1, 2 & 3 John; Jude; and Revelation.

Take your craft home as a reminder to learn the names of the first two sets of books. When we know the books of the Bible in order, it makes it easier to look up Scriptures and find passages in God’s Word.