Leader Guide

Teaching

Philip Signpost Cards
Three sheets of cardstock or paper
Optional: tape
Permanent Marker
Bibles or the Superbook Bible App

Discipleship Challenge materials:

Philip Seeker Scroll
Sample craft made in Lesson 1

Copy the three Philip Signpost Cards onto cardstock, if possible, in color or black and white.
Discipleship Challenge (for children who missed Lesson 1 or 2):
Make copies of the Philip Seeker Scroll—one per child. See Lesson 1 for details.

Power to Serve: Philip points to Jesus.

Have a child select the first Signpost card and read it aloud. Tape the card to the wall or prop it up so children can see it. Lead a discussion with the information below. Repeat for the other two Signpost cards. Additional material is included for Grades 4–6 to look up and discuss.

Signpost 1: Seek God First

There is a big difference between Philip and Simon. Philip desired a deeper relationship with God and shows us how we can seek God in a way that pleases Him. Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV) says:

“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

Do you think that Simon was searching for God with all his heart; why or why not? No; Simon wanted God’s power to bring him fame and wealth.

James 4:3 (NLT) warns about this:

And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

Simon loved the attention he received from the crowds. Philip also got attention from the crowds—but he always gave the credit or glory to God. His purpose was to spread the Good News to all who would listen. But he didn’t just preach to crowds—he was also obedient when the Holy Spirit sent him away from the crowds, into the desert, to minister to just one person.

God wants us to use His power for His purposes, not our own selfish desires. Jesus tells us to desire God and what pleases Him, rather than the things of the world like fame or possessions—these things will not last. God and His kingdom will never end!

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

Acts 8:20–21 (NLT):

²⁰But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought! ²¹You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God.”

Matthew 6:19–21 (NLT):

¹⁹“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

Philippians 4:19 (NLT):

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 1:3 (NLT):

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

Signpost 2: Power to Serve

Philip’s heart was right; his motive was to serve others. He began as a deacon in the church. His job was to take care of the widows and poor people of the church. By doing this, he took the burden from the apostles and freed them to study God’s Word and to preach the Gospel. When this happened, the believers greatly increased in Jerusalem—even many Jewish priests became believers! Philip’s heart for service was a direct reflection of the life of Jesus. (See Acts 6:1–7.)

Because he was faithful in “little things,” God empowered him for even greater things like performing wonderful miracles to heal people and set them free! When the Ethiopian man was reading in his carriage, what animal was mentioned in the scripture? A sheep, a lamb.

This passage was a prediction or prophecy in the Old Testament book of Isaiah about Jesus. It talked about how Jesus would sacrifice His life to die for our sins. His blood washed away all of our sins. This is the ultimate act of obedience, love, and servanthood. Philip was willing to go wherever the Spirit took him to tell others the Good News about what Jesus did for them.

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

Acts 8:5–8 (NLT):

⁵Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. ⁶Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did. ⁷Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. ⁸So there was great joy in that city.

Isaiah 53:6–7 (NLT):

⁶All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on Him the sins of us all. ⁷He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet He never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, He did not open His mouth.

Signpost 3: Power From The Holy Spirit

Do you remember what Jesus promised to send us after He rose from the dead and ascended to heaven? The (gift of the) Holy Spirit.

Jesus told His followers to wait for God’s gift of His Spirit in Jerusalem. On the day of Pentecost, God poured out His Spirit on everyone who waited for His promise. The Holy Spirit is a free gift to all who believe—it cannot be obtained any other way, as Simon the magician discovered. God gives this gift to spread the Gospel, to live according to His Word, and to serve others. If you believe in Jesus, and accept Him as Lord, you can also have the gift and power of the Holy Spirit. God is waiting to pour out His Spirit so that we may live victorious lives in this world and point others to Him!

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

Romans 10:9–10 (NLT):

⁹If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

Acts 1:8 (NLT):

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

God is ready and willing to fill us with His power to live for Him and fulfill His purpose for our lives! It’s time for our Discipleship Challenge where we will continue to seek God and His kingdom.

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Give any child who missed the previous lessons a Seeker Scroll Pattern. Show children the sample craft made in Lesson 1 and have them complete the craft at home. Hold up the sample craft.

In the past two lessons, our challenge has been to seek God in a specific way. In your last challenge, you were to seek after what God desires instead of your own desires. Would anyone like to share your experience? How did your experience change how you prayed? Children respond.

Would anyone like to try to say Psalm 37:4 from memory?

Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you your heart’s desires.

Let’s discuss the two questions we had for this challenge. What do you think it means to delight in the Lord? To be happy and content with what pleases God. Our desires match up with His will. 

When we delight in the Lord and in His ways, what kinds of things should we desire? Love, joy, peace, patience, etc.

Can we ask for anything and receive it, even if it isn’t pleasing to God? No, this verse is saying that when we delight in Him, our desires are His desires, too, and we ask for what is pleasing to Him.

Our final challenge for this course is to seek to expand God’s kingdom. We learned in a previous lesson that God’s kingdom isn’t a physical place on earth. Where is His kingdom located? In the hearts of those who love, obey, and serve Him and let Him rule over their hearts.

God’s kingdom is a spiritual kingdom. Your challenge is to seek to expand His kingdom on the earth. To do this, you will pray each day for those who do not obey and serve Him, that they would come to know Him and do His will on the earth. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray that God’s will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. This is what we will pray. Once people know God and repent, they will seek to do His will rather than their own.

In the second part of the challenge, you will read Isaiah 55:6–7 each day and ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what you are reading. Then, answer the two questions associated with the verses. We will discuss your challenge experience when we meet next.

Optional: Read Isaiah 55:6–7 and discuss the Scripture now:

⁶Seek the LORD while you can find Him. Call on Him now while He is near. ⁷Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that He may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for He will forgive generously.

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