This Week's Bible Lesson

September 27th: Peter has a vision
Main Point: The good news of Jesus is for everyone!
Bible Passage: Acts 10:1-11:30 

LISTEN:

LEARN: Elementary students will benefit from both discussion and activities. 

Pre-schoolers will be more engaged in activities, but 4-5 year olds might be ready for some discussion as well.

1. Have you ever experienced someone “playing favorites”? What happened, and how did you feel about it?
2. Peter had to overcome his discomfort with visiting someone who wasn’t Jewish. Have you spent time with someone who was really different from you?  Someone from a different country or culture, or someone whose family does things differently than yours?  What was it like?  What do you think it was like for Peter?
3. Until God sent Peter to Cornelius, he had thought the Gospel was only for Jews - not Gentiles. Who are our "Gentiles"? Who are the people that we might avoid sharing Jesus' love with because we do not normally associate with them?
4. Read Revelation 7:9 “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” 

How do you think this passage relates to today’s story?

Learning Activities:

1. Aluminum Foil People: Give each child (and yourself!) a sheet of aluminum foil, and invite each person to shape their foil into a person. **Note: If you don’t have aluminum foil, children can also draw people on some paper, and cut them into paper dolls.** If your child enjoys coloring, have them decorate their foil person with markers. Encourage them to be creative! When everyone is finished, admire each person’s creation and notice what is unique about each one. Explain that just as none of the foil people are alike, God made real people with individual differences as well. People can be similar or very different, but no two people will ever be exactly alike. Explain that we find it easy to choose a favorite person that we like, but God does not choose favorites – He loves all of us exactly the same.
2. Accepting Others: A science object lesson with only a few ingredients!
   You will need ¾ cup of milk, 3 tbsp. of cooking oil, food colouring, 1 cup of flour, a mixing bowl and a spoon. Color the milk with food coloring so that it will contrast with the oil when the oil is added. Add the cooking oil to the milk and ask your child to mix the two ingredients together. The water and oil may appear to mix initially, but will eventually separate again. Explain that the water and oil represent two people who are having a hard time getting along or accepting each other’s differences. Give examples that the kids may have experienced.
   Next, measure out the flour. Explain that the flour represents God’s Holy Spirit. Have your children mix the flour, water and oil together. When the flour is added, the other two ingredients will no longer separate.
   Finish by reading Galations 3:27-28.  “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  Explain that when we allow God’s Holy Spirit to fill us, we will find it easier to be loving and accepting of others. The result will be that more people will be welcomed into the body of Christ!
3. For Preschoolers and Toddlers: Sardines!
   Play the sardines version of Hide and seek!  After one person hides, all the others search for them.  When a seeker finds the hidden person, they quietly join them in their hiding place.  Continue until everyone finds the hiding place and joins in the huddle.  After the game, talk about how good it feels to be included.  Ask your children how they would have felt if those in the huddle had told them to go away instead of accepting the newcomers.  End by praying that God would help us them to be children who readily include others in play.
4. Memory Verse Game: Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Write each word on a separate note card or sticky note. Mix them up and let your kiddos put them back in the right order!  **For kiddos who are too little to read, enjoy a repeat of last week’s game, saying only the first half of the verse in different funny voices!  Say it in a loud lion voice, a tiny squeaky mouse voice, a robot voice, and a bubbly fish voice. 

LIVE IT: Apply these ideas to your life!

1. Pray together, asking God to give us courage to show love to ALL of His children.
2. Look for opportunities this week to reach out to people who are different from you.

REMEMBER: The good news of Jesus is for everyone!

Our goal: to help our kids come to love Jesus Christ. 

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