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10.2 Small Group Lesson | Elementary

That’s BonkersPaul’s Great Escape

Scripture marked “NIV” is taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of Biblica. Scripture marked “NIrV” is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version ™, Copyright ©1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. All scripture references are taken from NIrV unless otherwise stated.

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BIG IDEA: The Holy Spirit gives us the power to boldly tell others about the good news of Jesus.

BIBLE BASIS: Acts 9:19–31

KEY VERSE: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Then you will tell people about me…from one end of the earth to the other.” Acts 1:8 (NIrV)

15–25 minutes

7–15 minutes

30–40 minutes

7–15 minutes

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LEADER DEVOTIONALAnyone who travels by plane on a regular basis knows that airports can be a hub for stress and

anxiety, especially when you’re running late, and you’re dragging your kids with you, and your pants are falling down because security needs to check your belt for explosives. In general, airports are easy places to find people in need of help, so during one of my trips I made it a point to make myself available to those people. I prayed that God would show me how I could be a servant to the travelers around me. Then, as I settled into the seat at my gate, I watched with prayerful eyes for ways that I could assist.

What amazes me is that when I’m in a hurry, and I’m being selfish, and I have no inclination to assist anyone but myself, I seem to be surrounded by needy people, but for some reason, as I sat there with watchful eyes, waiting to help at the drop of a hat (I would have literally picked up someone’s hat if they had dropped it), I couldn’t find anyone who needed my help. Amazingly, the airport seemed to be filled with incredibly self-sufficient people. As an introvert who would love nothing more than to live in a world that never required interaction with strangers, it seems odd that I would be discouraged by that, but I was. And as I boarded the plane, I began to lose hope that God would need me for that particular flight. But then I met Andy.

Andy was my seat mate on the plane and Andy was a talker. Again, this would normally have been an introvert’s nightmare, but I wondered if this was in some way how God wanted to use me. As the conversation progressed, I silently prayed that the Holy Spirit would give me the opportunity and courage to share my faith with Andy. And wouldn’t you know it—He did. In a very easy, natural way, I was able to tell Andy the story of how I met Jesus and how He changed my life.

I wish I could tell you that Andy began following Jesus before the plane touched down, but he didn’t (despite the rough landing). Nevertheless, he was very receptive to my story. Moreover, I trust that the efforts of the Holy Spirit are never wasted.

Sharing your faith can be a scary endeavor, especially when you go it alone. But it doesn’t have to be. When you open your eyes to the Spirit’s leading, you might be amazed by how many natural opportunities you have to tell others about the good news of Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the courage and occasion to share your faith with the Andys in your life.

David RauschMooblio President



SMALL GROUP SKILL BUILDING

Being Part of a Kid’s Pit Crew

Life can be rough sometimes. We all get our fair share of bumps and bruises along the way, but wouldn’t it be nice if life had a pit stop that you could pull into so you could get four new tires and a tank of gas? As rough as we think we have it, kids have it just as bad (and sometimes worse). And for a lot of them, their time with you at church is the closest thing they’ll get to a pit stop. Every week they do a lap around life’s track, enduring emotional and spiritual bumps and bruises, before they come screeching into your presence. This is your chance to bang out some dents and refuel those kids for another lap. One of the best ways to do that is with words of encouragement. Don’t know what to say? Start with this:

Call out the truth in them. How often do you notice or think something positive about someone, but fail to share it with them? If all you did was give voice to the wonderful things you notice or think about the kids in your group, you would light up their week. More than that, you’ll be helping them form a positive identity that will stick with them for life!

I’m glad to see you. If kids know that their presence brings joy to people, they’ll want to come back over and over again. A simple “I’m glad to see you” reinforces that they’re someone worth knowing.

I missed you last time. If one of the kids in your group was gone the last time you served, let them know you noticed. This will help your kids realize they’re an integral part of the community.

Great answer! I like how you think! Unfortunately, kids are far more prone to hearing someone tell them they’re “dumb” than they are to having someone call out their brilliance. When you bring positive attention to a kid’s answer and thought process, it encourages them participate all the more in the future. Positive reinforcement helps to produce great thinkers.

Develop an arsenal of encouragement. Have some “go to” words of encouragement that will brighten your kid’s day. Like these: God thinks you’re awesome! Way to go! You’re a really cool kid! Great idea! You’re the best! That was awesome! Nice try! You’re a lot of fun! You make me smile! I can’t wait to see you again!



THAT’S BONKERS COMMUNITY BUILDERSay: Today we’ll be playing a game called “That’s Bonkers” that will help us learn the last part of the Big Bible Story. Does anyone remember what happened in our story last week? (Take answers from kids. Answer: Saul was arresting Christians and having them killed, but then Jesus appeared to him in a blinding light and Saul’s life—and name—completely changed.) In today’s story, we’ll be hearing how Paul made a great escape.

Question: Have you ever made a great escape or had a close call? What happened?

Question: During our game today, we’ll have to perform a made-up “Bonkers Action”—something a little crazy. What do you think the “Bonkers Action” should be? Show us.

ADDITIONAL TIME ACTIVITY—THUMBS UP, THUMBS DOWNIf you have additional time before Large Group begins, play “Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down.” Simply ask the kids in your group to share one good thing that happened this week (thumbs up) and one not-so-good thing (thumbs down). This is a great way for your group to share celebrations and struggles with one another.

STORY QUESTIONSDirections: During the Large Group program, kids will be asked to turn briefly to their small group and answer the following questions:

For Younger Kids:1. What was your favorite part of this story?2. Why do you think Paul wanted to tell so many people about Jesus?

For Older Kids:1. What do you think this story teaches us about God? 2. Why do you think Paul was willing to risk his life to tell others about Jesus?



SHOW AND TELL (Application Activity)Say: God wants everyone in the world to hear about the good news of Jesus and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can be the ones that show and tell them. We’re going to do an activity right now that will help us think about how we can show and tell our friends about the love of Jesus.

Directions: Tell the kids in your group to think of the name of a friend or family member who doesn’t go to church or know that much about Jesus. Next, tell them to think about a way that they could show the love of Jesus to that person (ex. help them when they’re hurt or share something with them.)

When ready, choose someone to go first. Ask them the name of the person who they want to show the love of Jesus. Ask how they know this person and have them share a little bit about them. Then, have that kid act out what they would do to show the love of Jesus. Allow the other kids to guess what is being acted out. When they’ve guessed correctly, allow that kid to choose who goes next. Repeat until everyone has had a turn. When finished, ask the following questions below:

Question: Not only does God want us to show the love of Jesus to others, He wants us to tell them about it to. What could we say to our friends in order to tell them about the good news of Jesus?

Question: Can you think of any other ways to share the good news of Jesus with others?

Pray: Tell your group that one of the best ways to help friends become followers of Jesus is to pray for them. Tell the kids that you’re going to spend some time asking God to help their friends learn about the good news of Jesus. Open the kids in prayer by asking the Holy Spirit for the courage and power to tell others. Next, model the prayer by asking God to help you share Jesus with one of your friends. Finally, give the kids in your group a chance to pray aloud as well. When finished, close the group in prayer.

ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS VERSE BATTLE (Bible Memorization Activity)Directions: Lay the “Bible Verse Segment” cards face up in the middle of your group. Each card contains only a small part of the Bible verse. Encourage your group to help you place the cards in the right order. Read the verse carefully with your group several times so they can begin to memorize it. Today’s Bible verse says:

Older Kids: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Then you will tell people about me…from one end of the earth to the other.” Acts 1:8

Younger Kids: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Then you will tell people about me.” Acts 1:8

Next, divide your group into two teams. Choose one kid from each team to battle against each other by playing a round of “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” Have both kids chant, “rock, paper, scissors, shoot.” On “shoot,” the kids will show with their hand which of the three items they’ve chosen. For “rock” they’ll display a closed fist. For “paper” they’ll hold their hand open flat with palm facing downward. For “scissors,” they’ll hold out their pointer and middle finger in the form of scissors. Rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, and paper beats rock. Play the best 2 out of 3 to determine which kid wins the round. Direct the winning kid to remove one card from the Bible verse. The team that lost the round will



then have to recite the verse with the missing words. Continue playing until all of the cards have been removed and the teams have recited the verse completely from memory.

Question: Do you remember any of the ways that the Holy Spirit can help you tell others about Jesus? (Answer: He gives us the courage and power to tell others, He helps us know what to say, and He works in the hearts of the listeners.)

INTO THE HANDS OF GOD (Group Prayer Activity)Supplies: Paper and markersDirections: Give everyone a blank piece of paper and a marker or crayon. Tell them to trace their hand onto the paper. At the top, have them write “God’s Hand.” For younger kids, you may want to help them with the spelling.

Say: When you put something into God’s hands, it means that you trust He’ll help you with it and you stop worrying or feeling guilty about it. Right now, we’re going to think of some specific people we could share the good news of Jesus with in our lives. Write down their names or a picture of them on their paper.

Directions: When kids are finished writing or drawing, encourage them to share with each other who they put into God’s hands. When finished, open your group in prayer. Invite kids who are comfortable to pray aloud and thank God for always being there with us when we talk to others and ask God to help us be bold in sharing the good news with these people.


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