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Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. ~ Proverbs 22:6 KJV

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    Friday, October 24, 2014

    I love the bible story of Paul and Silas. It isn't your typical bible story you'd tell in your Sunday school class. But, if it is important enough to be in the bible, it is important enough to tell your kids.

    Are you wondering what is so different about this Sunday school lesson that you may be a bit apprehensive about sharing it with your kids?

    This story tells of a young slave girl who can tell the fortunes of others because she is possessed by an evil spirit.

    Now, before you shy away from this story, you can reassure your kids right off the bat that when they accept Jesus to be their Lord and Savior, they will never have to worry about such a thing happening to them. Of course, I've discovered over the years, that smaller children just take the story as is and don't question this part of it.

    The bible isn't sugar-coated and we shouldn't sugar coat it either!

    1 John 4:4 KJV
    Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
     
     
     

    Paul and Silas Sunday School Lesson


    Before beginning this lesson, look up this bible story in your bible. You'll find it in Acts 16:16-40. Of course, the whole chapter is great, so read it all if you'd like!

    It is always best to prepare yourself before attempting to teach a lesson. I have often found that when I get in a hurry and don't study enough, one child will ask me a question I am unsure of how to answer.

    After you've read the verses, let's begin.

    Here is the bible story of Paul and Silas:

    One day Paul and Silas were on their way to prayer, when a girl who was possessed with an evil spirit met them. Because she was possessed, she could tell the future.

    Now, this wasn't an ordinary girl. She was a servant and because she could tell the future, she made a lot of money for her masters. The bible tells us in the book of Acts chapter 16 verse 17, the girl followed Paul and Silas as they went.

    As she followed, the girl shouted, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

    Of course this was true. Paul and Silas were servants of God and they could show the people how to be saved, but day after day the girl followed them saying, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation." which made it difficult for Paul and Silas to show anyone anything.

    You may want to repeat what the girl said several times to emphasized that what the girl said became a bit annoying and made Paul and Silas' job hard. What was their job? To show people the way of salvation of course!

    Here is a good time to ask the kids if they know what salvation means.

    Don't take for granted that kids understand this at any age. You'll be surprised at some of the answers you may receive.

    Wait for volunteers to give their meaning of salvation before telling that salvation means that you have accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior. You believe that he came to earth as a baby, grew up, died on the cross, arose again, and now lives in heaven! When you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be saved. Salvation is a gift from God that saves you for eternity.

    Here is what Paul and Silas say near the end of this bible story when they are talking to the guard:


    Acts 16:31 KJV
    
    31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.


    Let's continue the story.

    Finally, Paul had had enough of the spirit and turned to the girl and said to the spirit, "I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her."

    And guess what. He came out of her!

    Just by the sound of Jesus' name, the spirit obeyed.

    James 2:19 KJV
    Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

    But when the girl's masters saw that she could no longer tell the future of others, they realized that she could no longer make them money. You see, the girl's job was to tell people their fortunes and the people paid her masters. Now that the evil spirit was gone from her, she could not tell anyone's future. Her masters were so mad that they caught Paul and Silas and took them to the rulers.

    The masters told the rulers that Paul and Silas were causing trouble and teaching things they shouldn't. Without even giving Paul and Silas a chance to talk, they beat them and threw them into prison. Their feet was also put into stocks.

    A jailer was in charge of the prison and all the prisoners. It was his job to make sure no one escaped.

    Now, for many people, if they would have been beaten and thrown into prison when they had done nothing wrong, they would have been crying, yelling, screaming, complaining, grumbling, or any number of things.

    But, guess what!

    The Earthquake!!


    The bible tells us that at midnight, Paul and Silas began to pray and sing praises to God!!

    The other prisoners heard Paul and Silas singing and praising God! I wonder what they thought!

    Suddenly, there was a great earthquake. All the doors of the prison were opened and all the prisoner's bands came undone! You would think that all the prisoners would have taken the chance to escape, wouldn't you?

    Let's see what happens.

    When the jailer woke up and saw that all the doors were open, he knew he was in a heap of trouble because all the prisoners were gone. He didn't want find out what the rulers would do to him when they found out that he lost all of the prisoners, so he took out his sword and was going to kill himself!

    But, right before he did, Paul yelled, "Do thyself no harm for we are all here".

    Can you believe that?

    None of the prisoners escaped!

    The jailer grabbed a light, ran into the prison and fell down before Paul and Silas wanting to know how he could be saved!!

    He realized that whatever Paul and Silas had, he wanted too.

    Paul and Silas told the jailer, that he need only to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and he would be saved and all that was in his house.

    Right then and there the jailer was saved!!

    The jailer took Paul and Silas to his house and they told all that was in his house about the word of the Lord and everyone in the jailer's house was saved too!

    Imagine - because of the evil spirit inside the girl, Paul and Silas were thrown into prison, but because they were thrown into prison, a whole family was saved!