unit 7: paul the apostle nt7.12 paul’s third …...paul made three missionary journeys. this...

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NT7.12 Paul’s Third Missionary Journey Ephesus © Beverly Wilson 2018

Unit 7: Paul the Apostle

NT7.12 Paul’s Third Missionary Journey Ephesus

Scripture: Acts 18-19

Lesson Goal: Paul was an Apostle chosen by God to take the gospel to the world. He was the first missionary and the greatest preacher of all time. God used him in a powerful way to write most of the books in the New Testament. Paul made three missionary journeys. This lesson is about Paul preaching in Ephesus and how he was a good teacher of The Way.

Introduction: This is the twelfth lesson in Unit 7: Paul the Apostle. Paul was an Apostle chosen by God to take the gospel to the world. He was the first missionary and the greatest preacher of all time. This lesson is about Paul preaching in Ephesus and how he was a good teacher of The Way. This lesson comes from the book of Acts. Acts is the fifth book in the New Testament. This book was written by Luke. The first four books of the New Testament--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John-- tell about the life of Christ. The fifth book--Acts--tells about the beginning of the church. Let's say the first five books of the New Testament together--Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts.

Attention Getter: “Favorite Teacher” Who is your favorite teacher? Sometimes we think that teachers who are fun to be with or don’t give any homework are the best! But that is not necessarily true! A good teacher is someone who can present difficult ideas and tasks in a way that their students can understand and accomplish on their own. They love and care about their students and want them to be able to do their very best. Teachers have to work hard to prepare good lessons and always be ready to learn more themselves! Having a great teacher can make a big difference in a student’s life! The Apostle Paul was a great teacher of the Word of God. He wanted to educate people about Jesus and His death on the cross so they could believe in Him and be saved. He was an instructor of the Way of Salvation to both Jews and Gentiles. In this lesson we will see how he helped people understand the truth of the gospel on his Third Missionary Journey.

Opening Prayer: “Our Father in heaven, Thank you for this lesson about Paul and his Third Missionary Journey. Help us to be good teachers of the Way of Salvation like he was. We pray that we will be filled with the Holy Spirit so we can boldly tell the message of truth to everyone. We thank you for the opportunity to serve you as missionaries of Christ. Give us many opportunities to tell others about You. Thank you for our salvation and the gift of eternal life. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”

Memory Verse: Our memory verse is Acts 19:20 “In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power Lesson Video: https://youtu.be/Tu9SSBXrH68 Paul was an Apostle chosen by God to take the gospel to the world. Jesus had appeared to him on the Road to Damascus and revealed that He was really the Son of God. Paul believed in Jesus that day and he was a changed man. God called Paul to be the Apostle who would bring the gospel to the Gentiles and to suffer much for His name. He became the first missionary and the greatest preacher of all time. Paul made three Missionary Journeys to Europe.

On his first Missionary Journey Paul and his companion Barnabas visited the major cities in Cyprus and Galatia. Despite much opposition they preached the gospel and several new churches were established.

https://youtu.be/Tu9SSBXrH68

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The gospel spread throughout the region and many Gentiles believed in Jesus as their Savior. On his Second Missionary Journey Paul and his companions Silas, Timothy and Luke visited the churches in Galatia before moving into Macedonia. Led by Paul these men taught God’s Word. Many Jews and Gentiles were saved and churches were established in Philippi, Berea, Thessalonica, Athens, Corinth and Ephesus.

It was not easy to start churches. Paul and his friends faced much opposition. Some Jews who were jealous and did not believe in Jesus would stir up riots and try to stop them. They were thrown in prison and run out of towns but they kept on preaching about Jesus.

One of the problems these new churches faced was understanding the message of salvation. The New Testament had not yet been written. The new Gentile believers had never been taught the Old Testament promises about the coming of Jesus so the people in the churches had to depend on the preachers to teach them. That was why it was so important for Paul to be a good teacher of God's message!

After giving a report to his home church in Antioch, Paul knew it was time again to check back on the churches that had been started. So once again he headed back to Galatia and Macedonia to encourage the new believers. This is a map of Paul's Third Missionary Journey. He left his home church in Antioch, and once again visited the churches in Galatia that were begun on his first trip. He preached in every church and encouraged all the believers. Then he heard some news about the church in Ephesus. Ephesus was the fourth largest city in the Roman Empire, with a population of over 250,000.

While Paul had been gone back home to report to the churches, a man by the name of Apollos had come to the church in Ephesus from the city of Alexandria. This was a large city in Egypt. He was a highly educated man and had studied the Old Testament scriptures. He could speak and debate very well. People liked to listen to him talk.

When Apollos began to give speeches in Ephesus, there was a big problem--many people were being confused about the message of salvation. Over 20 years before Apollos had gone to Judea. This was during the time that John the Baptist was preaching. He had heard John the Baptist talk about the coming of the Messiah and that people should repent of their sins and be baptized. Apollos had heard John the Baptist before Jesus was baptized and had started preaching.

Apollos studied all the Old Testament books and believed John the Baptist's message! Then he had left Judea and returned to Egypt. He had not heard that Jesus had come. He did not know about Jesus' preaching, or his miracles, or Jesus' death and resurrection. He had been telling everyone that Jesus was going to come just like John the Baptist did!

Priscilla and Aquila had been taught by Paul in Corinth. They were very good students of Paul's message so they were quick to realize that this new preacher in town did not have all the facts. Paul had left Priscilla and Aquila to help the church in Ephesus. Now Apollos was preaching and people were getting all confused about the message of salvation.

So Priscilla and Aquila needed to do something quick! They asked Apollos to come to their home. There Priscilla and Aquila told Apollos about all the things that had happened. They told him how Jesus had come. That John the Baptist had baptized him. And that Jesus had preached the message of God and many believed in him. They told Apollos all about how Jesus had died on the cross, and was buried and resurrected the third day. They told him that when Jesus died, he was paying for all of our sins. They taught Apollos that Jesus took the punishment of death for us so we could go to heaven. They told Apollos that John the Baptist had preached that you should be baptized for the repentance of sin. But now that Jesus had come--people should believe in Him and be baptized to show that they believe in His death, burial and resurrection. Apollos was a good student of the Old Testament. Priscilla and Aquila were good teachers and they used the scriptures to help Apollos understand. Apollos realized that what Priscilla and Aquila were teaching him was true! He believed in Jesus! Apollos was very eager to preach what he had just learned!

When the Christians in Ephesus heard that the church in Corinth needed help, they wrote a letter introducing Apollos to them. Apollos then traveled to those cities preaching the message of Jesus! He was a great orator and convinced many people in Corinth to believe in Jesus as their Savior.

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After Apollos left to go to Corinth, Paul came to visit the church in Ephesus. Soon Paul met twelve men that had been taught by Apollos. These men had heard Apollos preach before he knew the whole truth about Jesus. They were still confused by the teaching of the baptism for repentance of sin. When Paul met with them he asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

“No,” replied, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” They had only heard and experienced John the Baptist’s baptism of repentance.

Paul explained that John the Baptist had told everyone to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus. Just like Priscilla and Aquila had taught Apollos, Paul taught these twelve men that Jesus had come to die for the payment of our sins. Paul taught them about Jesus being crucified on the cross and how he was resurrected the third day. He told the men about Jesus being ascended back into heaven. Paul was a good teacher! They believed in Jesus and were baptized in the name of Jesus. Paul then laid hands of them and they too received the Holy Spirit just like the disciples did on the Day of Pentecost.

The Holy Spirit came on them with tongues of fire. As a result they could speak in different languages and began to tell others about Jesus. There were about twelve men in all who received the Holy Spirit that day. This was important because it helped the Gentile believers know that they too were a part of the church just like the Jews.

Paul preached very boldly in Ephesus for three months. Every day he would preach in the synagogue. He was very persuasive in getting people to believe the message about Jesus. Some people were very stubborn though. They did not believe in Jesus and they criticized Paul and those who believed in the Way of Salvation. So Paul and the believers left the synagogue. For the next two years Paul held daily discussions at the lecture hall of Tyrannus. Jews and Greeks throughout the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

God blessed Paul very much. He gave him the power to heal the sick and to cast out demons. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched Paul’s skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled. These unusual miracles helped people know that the words that Paul was preaching were from God.

Some Jews tried to copy what Paul was doing. One day a priest named Sceva along with his seven sons were going from town to town casting out evil spirits for money. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their chants. They said, “In the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out!” These evil men thought that using Jesus’ name was like magic.

But when they did it, the evil spirit came out of the man and said, "I know Jesus and I know Paul who preaches about Jesus but who are you?" Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they had to run from the house. The seven men had their clothes torn off, and were bleeding.

The story of what happened spread quickly throughout Ephesus. This caused great fear to come on all the people. Many people realized that Jesus was much more powerful than the evil spirits that they worshipped. They believed in the message that Paul taught them about Jesus.

Many people came to Paul and told them how they had worshipped evil spirits. They had written down many magical formulas to help them have wealth, happiness, and success in marriage. They realized that they needed to get rid of all their magic and sorcery. Satan uses this as a way to get people to follow him. So the people who had believed in Jesus repented of their sins of using magic and sorcery.

They bought all the books of magic and scrolls of sorcery together at a public meeting. They had a big bonfire in the middle of the city and burned the scrolls and books of magic. There were many books of magic burned that day! The books that were burned were valued at over 50 thousand pieces of silver! Many people believed in Jesus and turned away from their sin.

Afterward Paul was compelled by the Holy Spirit to go over to Macedonia and Achaia before going to Jerusalem. He sent his two assistants, Timothy and Erastus, ahead to Macedonia while he stayed a little longer in Asia. He told them that he would come follow later.

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Paul spent over two years in Ephesus preaching about Jesus being “The Way” to God. The new Christians became known as followers of “The Way.”

In Ephesus was the Temple of the Greek goddess Artemis which was worshipped by the Romans as the goddess Diana. People from all around the area came to worship at the temple. They thought that if they worshipped this idol that they would have many children. The temple of Artemis was very large and had 127 pillars. It was known as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Living in Ephesus was a silversmith named Demetrius. He made his living by melting down silver and forming it into images which he sold. He was an idol maker! He had a very large business, employing many craftsmen. They all made silver shrines of the goddess Artemis. When Demetrius saw how many people believed in Jesus, he got worried. He called a meeting of his craftsman and traders who sold items to the worshippers of Artemis.

“Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business,” Demetrius declared. “But Paul has persuaded the people around this area that our handmade gods aren’t really gods at all. I’m concerned that the temple Artemis will lose its influence and the magnificent goddess will be robbed of her great prestige.”

On hearing this, the men got very angry and began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” They told everyone that their city was in danger. Soon they had all the people of the city of Ephesus shouting like a mob! The angry mob rushed towards the amphitheatre, a large stadium in Ephesus that could hold 25,000 people. They dragged two of Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, Gaius and Aristarchus, into the amphitheatre with them. When Paul heard about the riot he wanted to go to the amphitheatre but the believers wouldn’t let him. Officials, who were also friends of Paul, were begging him not to risk his life and to stay away.

Inside the stadium, the people were all shouting, some saying one thing and some saying another. Everything was in confusion and many people didn’t even know why they were there. The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward and told him to explain the situation. He motioned for silence and tried to speak. But when the crowd realized he was a Jew, they started chanting again. “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” They kept this chant up for two hours.

Eventually the city clerk was able to get them quiet. “Citizens of Ephesus,” he said. “Everyone knows that Ephesus is the official guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, and her image fell down to us from heaven.”

“Stay calm! You have brought these men here, but they have not stolen from the temple or spoken against our goddess. If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a case against them they should make formal charges. The courts are in session and the officials can hear the case at once. “We are in danger of being charged by the Roman Government for rioting without a good reason. And if Rome demands an explanation, we won’t know what to say.”

The city clerk dismissed them and the crowd finally left. When the uproar had ended Paul knew that he needed to say farewell to the believers of Ephesus and go on to Macedonia and visit the churches of Philippi and Corinth. So Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia.

Let's trace the path that Paul the Apostle has taken so far on his Third Missionary Journey. First he left from his home church in Antioch and travelled through Tarsus, Derbe, Iconium and Antioch. Then he spent two years in Ephesus and the surrounding area. Paul’s third missionary journey was not like his first two trips. He did not set out to plant churches. Instead his mission was to encourage and strengthen the existing churches. In all these cities Paul faithfully proclaimed the word of God. The result was that many believed in the name of Jesus and were saved.

God still uses Christians to tell others about Jesus. Just as God called Paul to tell people the good news about Jesus He calls us to do the same. Telling people about Jesus will sometimes be very hard but following God’s plan is better than having an easy life.

Paul wanted to follow God’s plan no matter what. Jesus promises to always be with us and to give us courage and power to accomplish what we could not do on our own.

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When Paul was in Ephesus he faced several important problems. First he had to tell the followers of Apollos the whole story of the gospel. They only knew about John the Baptist. So Paul told them the message about the coming of Jesus and they believed in Him. Paul was a teacher who could explain hard things from scripture in a way that people could understand.

When we tell others about Jesus we must be careful to make sure that we tell the complete message about Jesus. God wants people to know that He loves them and that He sent His son Jesus to be their Savior. They need to know that Jesus left heaven and came to earth to pay the debt of our sins by His death on the cross.

It is very important that we tell others how Jesus died on the cross for our sins and showed His victory over death by His resurrection on the third day. We must tell everyone that they need to repent of their sins and believe in Jesus as their Savior in order to receive the gift of eternal life. Just like Paul we need to be good teachers of the Word.

Another problem that Paul faced was that the people of Ephesus were caught up in the lies of Satan. They practiced magic and sorcery. Paul called them to turn from these evil lies and burn their books of sorcery and magic.

We too as Christians should not get caught up in magic or sorcery. Trusting in horoscopes or targot cards should not replace our faith in God and His direction for our life.

A third lesson we can learn from Paul’s teaching in Ephesus was about the negative effect that money can have on our lives. Demetrius and his artisans show us the importance of not allowing our selfish desire for money to keep us from obeying and serving God. Greed and the love of money can keep us from putting Him first.

Remember obey God and be faithful in telling others about Christ.

Review Questions: “Paul’s Third Missionary Trip” Game Board (Grades K-5) Preparation: Print the “Paul’s Missionary Trip” Game board. You will need one dice. Procedure: Divide class into groups of 3-4 students and provide each group with a game board and one dice. Have the students make a paper token. (Cut small squares of colored paper for tokens). Take turns throwing the dice and answering the following review questions. Students may move around the game board to see who arrives back in Antioch first.

1. What special mission did God give to the Apostle Paul? (God chose him to be the first missionary to the world and to be the one who would bring the gospel to the Gentiles and to suffer much for His name.)

2. On the first Missionary Journey who traveled with Paul and what churches did they establish? (Paul traveled with Barnabas and led Gentiles to believe in Cyprus and Galatia. Churches were established in Antioch of Psidia, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe.)

3. Who traveled with Paul on the Second Missionary Journey and to what places did they first go to visit? (Silas traveled with Paul to the churches that were first established in Galatia on the First Missionary Journey.)

4. How was the third Missionary trip different from the first two that Paul made? (The first two trips were about establishing new churches. The third was about revisiting the churches he had already started and strengthening and encouraging the new believers.)

5. What big problem did the new Gentile churches face? (A big problem these new churches faced was understanding the message of salvation. The New Testament had not yet been written. The new Gentile believers had never been taught the Old Testament promises about the coming of Jesus so the people in the churches had to depend on the preachers to teach them.)

6. Who came to the church in Ephesus while Paul was gone to report to the church in Antioch? (Apollos came to preach and he was from Alexandria Egypt and he did not know about the coming of Jesus.)

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7. What important information did Priscilla and Aquila share with Apollos? (Apollos had only been taught what John the Baptist had said which was repentance from sin. That is the first step. They shared with Apollos the whole message which was to repent from sin and then believe in Jesus. Priscilla and Aquila told Apollos about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection and the reality of God’s Spirit. They explained to him the way of salvation.)

8. How did Apollos respond to the new message about Jesus? (He believed and began to preach about Jesus. He was sent by the church in Ephesus to preach at the church in Corinth.)

9. What is our memory verse? (Our memory verse is Acts 19:20 “In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.”)

10. When Paul first returned to Ephesus who did he meet that he needed to teach? (Paul met twelve men who had been taught by Apollos before he knew about the coming of Jesus and Paul had to teach them about Jesus. They believed and received the Holy Spirit.)

11. What special power did God give to Paul to bless his ministry in Ephesus and to help people believe in Jesus? (God gave Paul the power to heal the sick and to cast out demons. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched Paul’s skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.)

12. What happened when a priest named Sceva along with his seven sons tried to copy Paul’s special power? (They were going from town to town casting out evil spirits for money. An evil spirit spoke to them and then attacked them.)

13. How did people respond when they heard the news about Sceva and his sons? (They knew that God’s power was stronger than Satan’s. They gave up their magic and sorcery.)

14. What special event happened in the city of Ephesus that showed that the people had repented from magic and sorcery? (Paul called them to repentance and the people brought their books of magic and sorcery and burned them in a huge bonfire in the middle of town.)

15. What big temple was located in the city of Ephesus? (In Ephesus was the Temple of the Greek goddess Artemis which was worshipped by the Romans as the goddess Diana. People from all around the area came to worship at the temple.)

16. Who got very upset when many people began to believe in Jesus and stopped coming to the temple of Artemis? (Demetrius who was a silversmith and made his living by selling silver idols which he made got very angry. He employed many craftsmen whom he stirred up.)

17. What did Demetrius and his workers do to cause problems for the Christians? (They stirred up the people into a riot. They got a large mob to meet in the amphitheatre. They dragged two of Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, Gaius and Aristarchus, into the amphitheatre with them to protest against the Christians.)

18. Who first tried to calm the angry mob in the amphitheatre? (The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward and told him to explain the situation. He motioned for silence and tried to speak. But when the crowd realized he was a Jew, they started chanting again.}

19. Who finally calmed the crowd and got them to go home? (Eventually the city clerk was able to get them quiet. He told them to calm down because the men had not stolen from the temple or spoke against the goddess. He said that they should solve the problem in the courts and warned them that the Romans would not be happy with their actions.)

20. What lesson can we learn from Paul who was a great teacher? (We should tell others about Jesus even if we face opposition or conflict. We should be sure to carefully tell the whole story of the gospel so people can clearly understand God’s message of salvation.)

21. What lesson can we learn from the people of Ephesus burning their books of sorcery and magic? (As Christians we should stay away from all forms of magic and sorcery. It is Satan’s lie and attempt to keep us from trusting in God completely as our guide and Savior.)

22. What lesson can we learn from Demetrius and his men opposing the believers? (We should not allow making money to be more important that trusting in God and obeying Him.)

23. What is the memory verse? (Our memory verse is Acts 19:20 “In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.”)

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Bible Memory Verse Activity: “Verse Wave” Our memory verse is Acts 19:20 “In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.” Have students locate the verse in scripture and read it orally together several times. Say: “God helped Paul preach with great courage. God gave him the power of the Holy Spirit to tell others about Jesus. God changed people’s hearts and the church grew. Let’s say our verse together.”

Procedure: Assign each child or group one phrase from the verse. Direct each child or group to quickly stand, say the assigned phrase while raising both hands to the sky, lower their hands down to their thighs and then sit down. Repeat three times saying the verse faster each time.

Group Learning Activity: “Going on a Trip” (Grades 1-3) Preparation: You will need chairs for each child and a list of the names of the cities that Paul visited on a white board or chalk board so all the children in the class can see the names. Names to list: Paphos, Salamis, Seleucia, Jerusalem, Antioch, Antioch of Psidia, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, Philippi, Berea, Thessalonica, Athens, Corinth, Athens, Troas, Neopolis, and Ephesus.

Procedure: Form a circle with the chairs. Have each child sit in a chair (there should not be any empty chairs). Give each child a name of a city. Use the names of the cities that Paul visited in his first and second missionary journeys. Each child should remember the name you gave them. Stand in the middle of the circle and explain that you are on a boat and you are going on a journey. You will call the names of several cities. For example, say: “I went out on a trip and I went to Antioch and Iconium.” While you say the names of the cities the children who have these names should get up and find a new chair. As you finish the game, you can call out, “The ship is sinking.” This means everyone needs to get up and find a new place to sit, including you. The person who is still standing without a chair is the new one to call out the names of the cities.

Group Learning Activity: “What Would You Take?” (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need white paper for each student, colored markers, and a piece of luggage. Procedure: Give each child a sheet of white paper. Guide them to draw one item that they would take with them if they were going on a journey that they knew might be dangerous. Ask them to draw the item without showing it to their friends. Guide kids to drop their drawing into the luggage. Pull out each drawing out, and ask kids to guess who drew each one. Say: “Paul faced some trouble in our story today, yet he continued to tell others about Jesus, even when it was difficult. Paul traveled to many different places telling people to turn from their sins and trust in Jesus. God chose Paul to be a witness to all he had seen and heard of the risen Christ. Paul was not ashamed to share the gospel with others, nor was he afraid of the harm that might come as a result of sharing that good news. Paul told people to turn from their sins and trust in Jesus even when he knew some people wouldn’t believe and would be angry with him.”

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Group Learning Activity: “Fruit Snack Tree” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need a branch from a tree and a container to hold the branch upright. You will also need wrapped fruit snacks or real fruit and twine and paper clips. Say: “In this lesson we learned that The Apostle Paul ministered in Ephesus for two years and "all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:10). His ministry was so effective, that all of the people who lived in the province of Asia heard the gospel. Paul's faithfulness in his service to the Lord led to a fruitful life, what a tremendous testimony of faithfulness. We can see that faithfulness leads to a fruitful life. Today we are going to do an activity that illustrates this principle.” Procedure: Make a fruit snack tree with a branch or a poster. Take wrapped fruit snacks or use pieces of real fruit tied with twine to stem and paperclip it to the branch or tape it to the drawn poster tree. Instruct your class to mimic you as you do several different gestures. Pat your head, clap your hands, snap your fingers, and pantomime a variety of motions. When you have done a few, stop the class and now show them the fruit snack tree. Tell them that you want them to mimic you again, but this time they will be rewarded. Take them through the paces, but make it more difficult by increasing speed and complexity. Allow the children to come and receive a reward. Explain to your class that faithfulness to the tasks set before us will reap a “fruitful” reward. Faithfulness leads to a fruitful life. Say: “God is more concerned with faithfulness than results. We need to follow Paul's example and faithfully share the gospel with everyone. We cannot make people believe the gospel but we are responsible for sharing with them the opportunity to believe in Him. The Lord desires that we focus on doing His will from our hearts each day. Don't miss out on the wonderful ways God wants to use and bless you. Faithfulness leads to a fruitful life. A faithful man will abound with blessings (Proverbs 28:20).”

Group Learning Activity: “Repentance” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: Each student will need a pencil and Bible and their spiritual notebook. Procedure: Distribute to each child their spiritual notebook journal. Ask the students to draw a picture of what it means to turn away from sin. Prompt them by giving examples like a street sign that says: “Dead End” or “Turn Around” or “No Outlet.” Or, have students draw a picture of themselves sharing a toy with their brother or sister instead of keeping it to themselves. Say: “When the Holy Spirit works in our lives to show us that we need to trust Jesus, He helps us to turn away from our sin.” Have students draw a big heart on their paper. Say: “The Holy Spirit changes our heart and helps us become more and more like Jesus. Paul told people about Jesus and helped them understand that they needed to turn away from their sins and follow Him. We need to do the same! Today we are going to look at some scriptures that tell us about repentance from sin.” Have students look up the following scriptures and discuss the meaning:

2 Corinthians 7:10 “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” When we are truly repentant it will result in a change of behavior. Just being sorry that you got caught or that you are sorry for the effect of sin in your life is not true repentance. True repentance means that you realize that you have sinned against God—or that you have broken the relationship Him. Your sin has caused you to be separated from Him and that you need a Savior to restore that relationship. Acts 2:38 “Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” If you want to follow Christ you must repent. To repent means to turn from sin or changing the direction of your

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life from selfishness and rebellion against God’s laws. You must also turn to Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins. Luke 5:32 “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” When Jesus came to earth the religious leaders of the Jews or the Pharisees appeared to be good by publicly doing good deeds but inwardly their hearts were rebellious against God and they rejected Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus chose not to spend time with them but with people who sensed their own sin and knew that they were not good enough for God. No one is good enough to go to heaven based on their own merit of good deeds. 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God is waiting so that more sinners will repent and turn to Jesus as their Savior. We must live with the reality that Jesus will return to earth soon and that his patience is not indefinite. We need to be ready to meet Christ at any time.

Conclude by praying that the Holy Spirit will move in the hearts of the students so they will become more like Jesus. Pray that God will help your students turn from their sins and follow Jesus.

Group Learning Activity: “Passport: Third Missionary Journey” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: You will need a printed photo of each child, copies of the passport example and 6 blank pages for each child. You will also need a real passport to show students. (Use passports created in earlier lesson.) Say: “Our lesson was about Paul’s Third Missionary Journey. As we study the life of Paul in the book of Acts we will see that he went on three missionary journeys. He visited several different cities as he preached the gospel to the Gentiles. When a person travels to foreign cities, they have to carry a passport for identification. The passport tells where the person is a citizen and what cities or countries they are visiting. (Show a real passport to students). Today we are going to make a passport for ourselves as we travel with Paul on these trips.” Procedure: Assemble the printed pictures of your students to use on the passport. Make copies of the passport example and make sure that each child has 6 blank pages for their passport. Be sure to include the pages of maps for the passport. Fold the sheets in half to form a book. On the cover they can glue on the illustration that is found in the following pages. On the cover of the passport make sure they write the name of the country they are from. They can make up their own passport number. On the second page they will glue their picture and they will sign their name. On the third page they can fill out the corresponding information. You can use a hole punch in the corners of the binder and tie with short pieces of yarn. When they’ve finished, collect the passports to use later.

In their passports, allow them time to work on the itinerary of the third missionary journey. Have them trace the route in the map. Say: “Paul’s purpose in this new journey is to visit some of the churches that have been started. Even though Paul knew that something bad could potentially happen, he was faithful and continued forward. Before leaving Jerusalem he said good-bye, because he knew that the possibility existed that he might not return. Paul had both good and bad experiences on his missionary journey. Take time for each group to share their findings with everyone. Paul was a faithful disciple, who lived out Jesus’ great commission. His life is an example for us. Who else in your lives is an example of faithfulness? What are the ways God asks us to be faithful in God’s mission? Have the children share their ideas. What are ways that we show our faithfulness at church? What responsibilities do we have within the family of God? What responsibilities do we have to share the good news of Jesus?”

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Group Learning Game Activity: “Turn Away” (Grades K-4) Preparation: No special equipment is needed. This game is played like “Red Light, Green Light.” Procedure: Have students stand against one wall of the room. Ask them to begin walking to the opposite wall. When you say “red light” the students should freeze in place. When you say “green light” the students should walk quickly in the direction they are facing. When you say “turn away” the students should face the opposite direction and begin moving in that direction. Say: “This game helps us to understand the message that Paul was teaching the people in Asia. What did Paul tell the people to do? Paul tried to get the people to listen to his message by performing miracles or other events like preaching in the center of the city. That is like the direction “red light” which means to stop and listen. Paul then told the people to turn from their sins and trust in Jesus. Turning away from sin doesn’t mean that we will never sin again, but it means we want to stop doing things that don’t please God. When we turn away from our sin and trust in Jesus as our Savior and Lord that is like walking in the right direction. We will then get to spend eternity in heaven with God!”

Craft Learning Activity: “Coin Covered Cross—Paid in Full” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: You will need copper paint or your choice of metallic paint, a wood cross from a craft store, paint brush, coins (your choice) and glue. Say: “In this lesson we learned how Demetrius and his craftsmen led a mob riot against Paul and the Christians because they were afraid of losing their business of making idols for the Greek god Artemis. Choosing money over obeying the Lord is a form of idolatry. In contrast we are to look to Jesus the One who has paid the ultimate price for our salvation—his death on the cross. Today we are going to make a craft that will remind us that Jesus paid the price of our salvation in full. All we have to do is have faith in Him to receive that gift.” Procedure: Paint the cross with metallic paint using the color of your choice. If you are using pennies then copper metallic paint works well. The crosses really only need one coat of paint but you will need to wait for the paint to dry well before adding the coins. Next, lay out the coins in the pattern that you desire. Decide if you want the heads or the tails showing or both. You can use different types of coins for different colors if desired. Once the coins are laid out, you can start gluing them on. Having the cross painted allows the option to not cover the entire surface should you desire. The copper pennies look very nice by themselves but you can add dimension and color by adding another layer of a different coin such as nickels. Say: “When Jesus died on that cross, he paid the penalty for all our sins and by doing so, he purchased eternal life for all who believe in him. These Coin-Covered Crosses are a beautiful way to illustrate the price he paid. Let’s use them to share with others the good news of the gospel.”

Craft Learning Activity: “Paul’s Handkerchiefs” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need several pieces of fabric that are at least 45” square. You will cut 3” bias strips from the square. The center strips will be long enough to use for the necklaces. These can be plain colored muslin, white or cream cotton blends, bandana, prints, etc. You will also need scissors, 9 marbles per student and matching colored embroidery floss. Say: “In this lesson we learned that God gave Paul extra ordinary spiritual powers to heal the sick. Even handkerchiefs that had touched Paul were used to heal people. These unusual miracles helped people know that the words that Paul was preaching were from God. We know

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that today handkerchiefs or pieces of cloth cannot heal someone. But we do know that God wants us to pray for the sick and encourage them. He desires to heal them in a way that will bring Him glory. Today we are going to make a handkerchief necklace to help us remember to pray for others.” Procedure: Lay out the fabric and cut a 3” wide strip running diagonally from the two corners. This means that the strip of fabric will be cut on the bias. Lay nine marbles in the center of the strip. Working from the center out, carefully wrap the marble up until it is completely enclosed in the fabric. Tie off the strip between each of the marbles with matching embroidery floss. Continue until all of the marbles have been twisted in the fabric and tied. See photo of handkerchief necklace. Tie the necklace at the back of the neck. Craft Learning Activity: “Triangle Get Well Cards” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need several colors and sheets of construction paper. Say: “In this lesson we learned that God gave Paul extra ordinary spiritual powers to heal the sick. Even handkerchiefs that had touched Paul were used to heal people. These unusual miracles helped people know that the words that Paul was preaching were from God. We know that today handkerchiefs or pieces of cloth cannot heal someone. But we do know that God wants us to pray for the sick and encourage them. He desires to heal them in a way that will bring Him glory. Today we are going to make some “get well” cards to share with people who need our prayers as a way of encouraging them.”

Procedure: Cut several different colors of construction paper into 1” strips. Stack them so they are thin enough stack to cut through and make triangles out of the 1” strips. Take whole sheets of construction paper and have your class fold them in half to make cards. With glue sticks let them paste the different color triangles to make whatever pattern or picture they would like. Encourage students to see what objects they can make using triangles. Examples would include roofs of houses, cats, trains, fish, etc.

Say: “These cards that we are making are to encourage people who are sick and need our prayers.” As the children work on their cards go around the class and ask each student who his card is for. Pray with each child for the recipient. Tell your class that even though these cards don’t have the supernatural power to heal, God does and we need to pray for those who are sick.

Life Application Challenge: “Light a Candle” Preparation: You will need a candle and a lighter. Procedure: Have students gather around the lighted candle for a time of review, discussion, and prayer as a closing. Say: “When Paul shared the gospel with all the Jews and Gentiles in Asia and Europe, his life was like a candle. He was telling people the good news of salvation and sharing how Jesus came to bring salvation. His life was like a light that shone in a dark place. What message did he bring and tell to the people? (He told them about Jesus and his death on the cross, his sacrifice for our sin, his resurrection and ascension.) What is in this story that encourages us to tell others about Jesus? (Give children an opportunity to express their understanding of the story). Is there anything in today's Bible story that shows us how we should or shouldn't share God's love with others? (Remind children that sometimes God uses the stories of the bible to show us how we shouldn't act toward God or others and give them a chance to consider how we might show God's love instead), Is there anything in the Bible story that shows us how we should help or serve God or others? (Explore concrete ways the children could live this out in the coming week) Is there anything in the Bible story that shows us how we should accept God's love for us and others? Ask: How do you feel about God? How would you like to respond to God? What would you like to say to God?” Close in prayer asking for opportunities to share the gospel with others.

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Paul's Third Missionary Journey Map

.

1. Paul started his third missionary journey from the church in the city of A __ __ __ __ __ __ .

2. After visiting the churches he started on his First Missionary Journey a man named

_A_ __ __ __ __ __ __ had come from Alexandria Egypt to the church in Ephesus.

3. Apollos did not know about the coming of Jesus but had only heard the preaching of _J_ __ __ __ the

Baptist.

4. A couple named _P_ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ and _A_ __ __ __ __ __ taught Apollos about the coming of

Jesus.

5. When Paul came to Ephesus he taught twelve Gentile men about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.

He laid hands on them and they received the _H_ __ __ __ _S_ _P_ __ __ __ __ .

6. God gave Paul the power to heal many people. A man named S_ ___ ___ __ __ and his seven sons tried

to cast out demons using the name of Jesus.

7. In Ephesus many people believed in Jesus and turned away from worshipping the idol of Diana. They burned

their books of _M_ __ __ __ __ and sorcery in a big bonfire in the middle of the city.

8. All the silversmiths who made idols were led by _D_ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ to cause a big riot in the city of

Ephesus.

9. Paul left Ephesus and went to the churches in Macedonia to collect an o_ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ to give to

the Christians in Jerusalem who were suffering.

10. When Paul came back to Troas to preach to the church, they met in a small room on the third floor. A young

boy named _E_ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ fell out of a window and died. Paul brought him back to life.

11. Paul said _F_ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ to the believers from Ephesus and told them to protect the church,

strengthen the weak, and give to the poor.

12. Paul went to the city of Caesarea and stayed at Philip's house. He was visited by a man named A_ __ __ __

__ __ . He told Paul that he was facing prison in Jerusalem.

Demetrius Apollos John Antioch farewell Sceva Priscilla Aquila offering Agabus Holy Spirit Eutychus magic

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Passport

Name:

Address:

Age:

Birth Date:

Itinerary:

Countries/cities Visited:

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Paul’s First Missionary Journey

Paul’s Second Missionary Journey

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Paul’s Third Missionary Journey

Paul’s Trip to Rome

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unit 7: paul the apostle nt7.12 paul’s third …...paul made three missionary journeys. this...

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