Praising Through the Hard Times
Today in Calvary Kids, we learned that in the beginning of the chapter, Paul was travelling from place to place wherever the Lord had him go to speak the Gospel. More and more people believed and came to the faith and Paul continued to be led by the Holy Spirit on where to go and not go.
Read Acts 16:13-40
Paul was always sharing about Jesus wherever he went. On his journey, he met Lydia who already worshipped the true God, not a pagan idol like a lot of places he went. It must have been a nice feeling to meet someone like that along his journey! After their conversation Lydia and all of her household were baptized.
On one of the nights that Paul and them were going to a place a prayer, a servant girl with a "special" spirit followed them and said that they were servants of the most High God. She said they were telling people about how they could be saved. When Paul turned and spoke to her, he commanded this spirit to come out of her in Jesus name. IT DID!
The enemy, Satan, has helpers too and sometimes they try to hurt and confuse people. This little girl had a special spirit that probably helped her to see into the lives of others and tell them things that would happen in the future. People would pay money for this! There are people today who do the same thing and make others believe that they can believe in this witchcraft more than God. We should never go to those people because they will always try and trick us and lie about our lives. People look for answers and they will try anything but God, but Paul knew where the real power was.
Once the girl had this spirit called out of her, she could no longer make money for her masters. They were so upset, that they had Paul and Silas attacked and thrown into jail. Instead of letting this bring them down, they started singing in their cells songs to God. Suddenly, there was an earthquake and all the cell doors were opened! The officer there to guard the prison was so shook that this had happened and thought they all had escaped, that he was preparing to kill himself because he knew he would be in big trouble. Paul yelled to him to stop and that they were all there.
Can you imagine this scene? A bunch of bad men who were in jail alongside Paul and Silas simply had listened to them just singing to God. When this amazing earthquake happened, they did not even leave even though the jail cells were wide open! The officer then took Paul and Silas out and in trembling and fear asked them how he could be saved. He took them to his house and gave them a meal and his whole household was saved that night.
The next day, the jailers came to free Paul and Silas. Paul was very smart because instead of just leaving, he made it known that Silas and he were Roman citizens. When the officers learned of this, they were afraid and they told Paul and Silas how sorry they were and took them out of the jail and asked them to leave the city. Paul and Silas immediately went to Lydia's house and encouraged the other believers there before leaving.
Do you praise God even in the hard times? If there is something you are going through today, lift up your hands in praise and worship to Him and trust that He has you!
Discussion Questions:
1. Who did Paul and Silas meet in Macedonia?
2. How did Paul help the little girl?
3. Were the people happy about this?
4. What happened to Paul and Silas?
5. Why can we praise God even when we are going through something hard?
6. How can singing to God help us?
Memory Verse:
"And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts 16:30
Read Acts 16:13-40
Paul was always sharing about Jesus wherever he went. On his journey, he met Lydia who already worshipped the true God, not a pagan idol like a lot of places he went. It must have been a nice feeling to meet someone like that along his journey! After their conversation Lydia and all of her household were baptized.
On one of the nights that Paul and them were going to a place a prayer, a servant girl with a "special" spirit followed them and said that they were servants of the most High God. She said they were telling people about how they could be saved. When Paul turned and spoke to her, he commanded this spirit to come out of her in Jesus name. IT DID!
The enemy, Satan, has helpers too and sometimes they try to hurt and confuse people. This little girl had a special spirit that probably helped her to see into the lives of others and tell them things that would happen in the future. People would pay money for this! There are people today who do the same thing and make others believe that they can believe in this witchcraft more than God. We should never go to those people because they will always try and trick us and lie about our lives. People look for answers and they will try anything but God, but Paul knew where the real power was.
Once the girl had this spirit called out of her, she could no longer make money for her masters. They were so upset, that they had Paul and Silas attacked and thrown into jail. Instead of letting this bring them down, they started singing in their cells songs to God. Suddenly, there was an earthquake and all the cell doors were opened! The officer there to guard the prison was so shook that this had happened and thought they all had escaped, that he was preparing to kill himself because he knew he would be in big trouble. Paul yelled to him to stop and that they were all there.
Can you imagine this scene? A bunch of bad men who were in jail alongside Paul and Silas simply had listened to them just singing to God. When this amazing earthquake happened, they did not even leave even though the jail cells were wide open! The officer then took Paul and Silas out and in trembling and fear asked them how he could be saved. He took them to his house and gave them a meal and his whole household was saved that night.
The next day, the jailers came to free Paul and Silas. Paul was very smart because instead of just leaving, he made it known that Silas and he were Roman citizens. When the officers learned of this, they were afraid and they told Paul and Silas how sorry they were and took them out of the jail and asked them to leave the city. Paul and Silas immediately went to Lydia's house and encouraged the other believers there before leaving.
Do you praise God even in the hard times? If there is something you are going through today, lift up your hands in praise and worship to Him and trust that He has you!
Discussion Questions:
1. Who did Paul and Silas meet in Macedonia?
2. How did Paul help the little girl?
3. Were the people happy about this?
4. What happened to Paul and Silas?
5. Why can we praise God even when we are going through something hard?
6. How can singing to God help us?
Memory Verse:
"And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts 16:30
Posted in Calvary Kids