s3.amazonaws.com · Web viewNice job! The angry crowd (kids say “grrr”) joined in the attack on Paul and Silas. The angry crowd (kids say “grrr”) demanded they be punished

10.3 Large Group Lesson | Elementary

That’s BonkersPaul and Silas in Prison

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.

User Agreement:The GO! curriculum by Mooblio is intended for download and print by subscribing entities only. It may not be transferred electronically to or duplicated by other non-subscribing entities. If the GO! curriculum is cost prohibitive for your organization, please contact us about assistance. We are awesomely generous! All use must be in accordance with the Terms of Use agreement as described on the website www.go.mooblio.com.

© 2019 Mooblio. All rights reserved. 1

BIG IDEA: The good news of Jesus is for all people, so we should always be ready to share why we believe.

BIBLE BASIS: Acts 16:16–40

KEY VERSE: “Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you about the hope you have.” 1 Peter 3:15 (NIrV)

15–25 minutes

7–15 minutes

30–40 minutes

7–15 minutes

http://www.go.mooblio.com/


LEADER DEVOTIONALWhile traveling through Italy with a band (it was way less cool than it sounds) we made sure to

visit all of the “must see” cities with Rome being the grand finale. With limited time, we hit all of Rome’s main attractions: The Forum, the Coliseum, etc. But high on my list was a lesser known place called Mamertine Prison, otherwise known as “Paul’s Prison.”

After offering a small donation, I made my way into the cramped and dismal space, the only source of light coming from a tiny hole in the top of the ceiling. Opposed to its advertised claims, it is unlikely that this place held the Apostle Paul, but it gave me insight as to what ancient prisons in Paul’s time were like. It gave me a picture of the dismal conditions and the suffering that Paul must have endured during his numerous incarcerations (2 Corinthians 11:23–28). Eventually, according to many scholars, Paul’s imprisonment would ultimately lead to his death.

Although our suffering might not reach the level that Paul endured, we all experience suffering to some extent. So what do we do when we suffer? I think Paul has some wonderful insights for us.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4–7

What makes it possible to rejoice? Hope. As Christians there is a hope that we have in Jesus that makes all suffering endurable. As you prepare this week, reflect on how Christ is your hope.

John GarrisonGO! Team Member



LARGE GROUP SKILL BUILDING

7 Steps to Becoming a Master of Memorization

Alright, I’m going to be honest here. I’ve never heard anyone say that memorization is their favorite thing in the world, but great communicators love delivering great messages and part of delivering a great message is committing it to memory. Think for just a moment about the best speeches or sermons you’ve ever heard. I’ll bet it wasn’t being read to you from a script. One of the reasons it was so good is because the pastor or speaker had it committed to memory which allowed them to focus on delivering it in a powerfully impacting way. There’s no way around it—memorization requires some work, but the payoff is huge and there are some things you can do to make it easier. Here’s a quick guide to get you started:

Read the whole lesson first. Before you commit anything to memory, you have to know the big picture. It’s kind of like using plans to build a bird house. Before you make your first cut or start hammering on things, it helps to know what it’s supposed to look like when you’re finished.

Mark up the lesson. Pens and highlighters are your best friends! Underline and highlight key phrases, transition sentences, difficult lines and anything else you think is worthy. This will create visual handles that your brain can grab onto in the lesson.

Chunk it. Your brain has trouble remembering vast amounts of unbroken information, so break the lesson down into smaller chunks. When you memorize, just focus on one chunk at a time and then put them all together at the end. The GO! curriculum helps with this by labeling many of the different chunks for you.

Read and recite. Starting with the first chunk, read the first sentence or two. Then put the lesson down and recite it back from memory. Continue doing this until you reach the end of the chunk. Then return to the top and recite the whole chunk in its entirety.

Focus on the transitions. Often, the most difficult parts to remember are the transitions from one chunk to the next. Be doubly familiar with your transitions.

Write out trouble spots. If there’s a line or section that keeps giving you trouble, write it out. This involves a separate part of your brain and can help with retention.

Recite the lines out loud. It may seem awkward at first, but speaking the lines is tremendously helpful. Practice teaching the lesson out loud in front of an imaginary audience. It’s even better if you can do it in the actual space where the lesson is being taught.



UNIT DESCRIPTIONLet’s be honest—kids are all kinds of bonkers! They love acting a little crazy from time to time, and now they get to do it at church too (in moderation, of course). During “That’s Bonkers,” kids will get to play an off-the-wall game that lets them go a little bonkers while discovering the last part of the Big Bible Story. More than that, kids will hear how God is bonkers-in-love with us and wants us to share His love with the world through the good news of Jesus.

SET-UP INSTRUCTIONS Place the “Bonkers Button” on a small table (or something similar) where kids can press it. When the “Bonkers Button” is hit, it should appear to set the video spinner in motion. Practice

advancing the media ahead of time so that it looks like the button set it in motion. Optional: If you would like to use a non-technical method for revealing the acting styles, print out

the “Bonkers Cards” (see Resource Folder) and place them in the order they’ll be used. Reveal them at the appointed time.

Option A: Roll up a large piece of butcher block paper and place it in the teaching area along with a marker. During the lesson, unroll the paper on the floor in the middle of the kids. Be sure you are familiar with how to draw the bridge illustration (see “Bridge Illustration” section of lesson) so you can comfortably draw and talk at the same time.

Option B: Place a paper pad or marker board and marker in the teaching area. Be sure you are familiar with how to draw the bridge illustration (see “Bridge Illustration” section of lesson) so you can comfortably draw and talk at the same time.

Choose which of the Reflect and Respond Stations you would like to make available. Set out the appropriate materials for each of those stations.



CG: “That’s Bonkers” title graphicSound: Play upbeat music as kids move to large group area

Video: Play “That’s Bonkers Intro Video”

THAT’S BONKERS INTROLarge Group Leader: Hello everybody—it’s sooooo good to see you again! Are you ready for another week of “That’s Bonkers”? (Kids respond.) Hmmm—it doesn’t sound like you’re totally ready. I’ll tell you what—I’m going to give you just a little bit of time to get ready. I’m going to count down from 5. While I’m counting down, think about the most bonkers pose you can come up with. When I get to zero, show me your bonkers pose. (Count down from 5 to 0. After 0, say “go” and point to the kids for their bonkers pose.) Whoa—that was bonkers! Five seconds wasn’t a ton of time to get ready, but you did it.

CG: “Are You Ready” graphic

Hey—speaking of getting ready, there are lot of different things we have to be ready for in our life, aren’t there? Let me show you just a few and let’s see if you can guess what they are. (Silently act out the following things one at a time: school, church, a race. Allow the kids to guess each one.) You kids rock! I have one more for you, though. This last one is probably the most important things you can be ready for. See if you can guess it. (Silently act out “God loves you” by pointing up, drawing a heart on your chest, then pointing to different kids.) What do you think I was doing? (Allow kids to respond, but don’t say what the answer is.) Those are great guesses. Do you want to know what the answer is? (Kids respond.) The answer is (pause)…you’re going to have to wait until our story is over. Boohoo—I know—it’s so sad! But you won’t have to wait too long. We’re going to get started with our story right now.

Explain the rules of “That’s Bonkers” to the kids. When prompted by the script, call on a kid to hit the “Bonkers Button.” Get the kids excited by doing a high-energy countdown from 3 before hitting the button. When the button is hit, advance your media to the “Video Spinner” cue. When the spinner stops, it will reveal an acting style such as slow-motion or ninja style. The kid who hit the button will have to act out the next portion of the story using that style. If the video spinner stops on an “all play” space, all the kids have to perform the action. Finally, if the video spinner stops on the “Bonkers” space, all of the kids have to perform the pre-determined “Bonkers Action.” Ask the kids what they want the “Bonkers Action” to be. If they need ideas, you might suggest something like jumping to your feet and acting like a chicken for 3 seconds.

CG: “The Big Bible Story” graphic

THE BIG BIBLE STORY—PAUL AND SILAS IN PRISONIn the Bible, in the book of Acts, Paul learned about the best news ever—the news that Jesus is God’s Son. Paul was so excited about the news that he wanted to tell everyone about it, even if it got him in big trouble. And by big trouble, I mean BIG trouble (illustrate with arms). That might sound a little bonkers to you, but that’s how important it was to Paul to tell everyone about the good news of Jesus’ love.

(Call on 2 kids to hit the Bonkers Button together.) VDO: Play Video Spinner: Penguin style. Paul and his buddy Silas traveled all over telling people how to be saved from their sins. (Point to one side of



teaching area. Prompt kids to walk there and say, “Jesus died for you.”) They traveled this way to tell people that Jesus died for them. (Point to other side of teaching area and repeat.) They traveled that way to tell people that Jesus died for them. A lot of people were happy to hear the news, but not everyone. One day, they were grabbed and taken to the town’s judges. (Gently grab the kids by the arm and walk them to the middle of the teaching area.) An angry crowd gathered around Paul and Silas. Umm—I’m going to need an angry crowd. (Point to audience.) How about all of you. When I say “angry crowd,” I want you to look angry and say “grrr.” Give it a try. (Kids look angry and say “grrr.”) No, no, no. I said angry, not mildly perturbed. Try again. (Kids repeat with more anger.) Nice job!

The angry crowd (kids say “grrr”) joined in the attack on Paul and Silas. The angry crowd (kids say “grrr”) demanded they be punished for teaching these new things about Jesus. So the judges ordered that Paul and Silas be whipped and then put into chains in the deepest part of the prison. (Thank and dismiss kids.)

(Call on a kid to hit the Bonkers Button.) VDO: Play Video Spinner: All Play: Super Sleepy style. At around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns in their jail cell. Everyone in the jail listened to them. Sound: Play “Earthquake” sound effect. Suddenly there was a violent earthquake that shook the entire prison and everyone in it. It was so powerful that the prison doors flew open and the chains shook free from the prisoner’s legs. (Thank kids and have them sit down.)

(Call on a kid to hit the Bonkers Button.) VDO: Play Video Spinner: Slow Motion style. When the prison guard felt the earthquake, he woke up and ran to the prison cells. When he saw that the doors were open, he freaked out. He was sure that all of the prisoners had escaped. But just when he thought his life was over, he heard a voice calling out. It was Paul! He yelled to the guard that everyone was still there! The guard was so relieved. He immediately fell to his knees and asked Paul and Silas how he could be saved from his sin. (Thank kid and dismiss.)

Do you think Paul and Silas were ready to tell the guard how to be saved? (Kids respond.) Of course they were—they were always ready! Let’s see what they said to the guard. (Call on a kid to hit the Bonkers Button.) VDO: Play Video Spinner: Bonkers! (Kids perform the predetermined Bonkers action. Open your Bible to Acts 16:31–32.) When the guard asked how to be saved, (begin reading) “They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus. Then you and everyone living in your house will be saved.’ They spoke the word of the Lord to him. They also spoke to all the others in his house.” (Close Bible.)

On that day, the guard and his entire family were filled with joy—they all became believers in God and were baptized that night! The next morning, Paul and Silas were released from jail. Nothing could stop them from telling others about Jesus!

CG: “Big Bible Story Questions” graphic

BIG BIBLE STORY QUESTIONSAt the end of the Bible story have the kids turn briefly to their small groups and discuss the following questions: For Younger Kids: What was your favorite part of this story? What kind of things do you think Paul and Silas told the guard about Jesus? For Older Kids: What do you think this story teaches us about God? If you were Paul or Silas, what would you have told the guard when he asked how to be saved? After a few minutes, draw their attention back to the teaching area. You may want to ask the kids for some of their answers to hear what they were thinking.



CG: “That’s Bonkers” title graphic

ALWAYS BE READYWhoa! Isn’t that story amazing—angry crowds, prison chains, ginormous earthquakes! The most amazing part of the story, though, is what Paul and Silas were ready to do. They were ready to tell the guard that God (point up) loves (draw a heart on your chest) you (point to different kids). Do you remember that charade from before the story? (Kids respond.) When the guard asked them how to be saved, Paul and Silas didn’t have to ask their parents, or look it up on Wikipedia, or Google it. They were ready to give an answer about the love of God that saves us from our sins. In fact, that’s exactly what Peter said to do in the Bible in 1 Peter. Let’s look at it together.

Call on a kid to hit the “Bonkers Button.” When hit, advance your media to the “Video Spinner” cue to reveal an acting style. After the acting style is revealed, advance the media to the Bible verse. Read the verse together using the style indicated.

VDO: Play Video Spinner: Oldest Person Ever styleCG: “Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you about the hope you

have.” 1 Peter 3:15

How about you? Are you ready to give an answer to people who ask you about Jesus? It’s the most important thing we could possibly be ready to do! And I’m going to teach you a really easy way to do it.

BRIDGE ILLUSTRATIONOption A: spread out a piece of butcher block paper on the floor in the middle of the kids. Have them gather around as you draw. Option B: use a large paper pad or marker board in the teaching area. Follow the step-by-step drawing instructions below as you illustrate for the kids how to draw the “Bridge Illustration.”

This is “Us” and this is “God.” God loves us and wants to be with us, but there’s a problem.

Sometimes, we make bad choices—we lie, we cheat, we steal, we think bad things. Those things are called sin. And when we sin, it separates us from God because God is perfect and we can only be with God if we are perfect, too.

No matter how hard we try, we can never get to God on our own. No matter how good we are, we’ll always fall short of being perfect and we’ll always be separated from God, even after we die. But, here’s the good news.



We might not be perfect, but Jesus was. When Jesus died on the cross, He took the punishment for our sins.

And when we believe in Jesus and choose to follow Him, our sins are forgiven—that means they’re wiped away. And because our sins are now gone, we can be with God forever, even after we die!

(Sit or kneel near kids.) Isn’t that a cool way to tell others about the totally bonkers love of Jesus? And here’s the best part—you can draw this on your own and use it to tell people about the good news of Jesus, just like I did. In fact, you’re going to have a chance to practice drawing this a little bit later. But right now, let’s pray and ask God to help us always be ready to tell others about Him.

Close the Large Group time by praying for the kids in whatever way the Holy Spirit prompts you. Following the prayer, explain to the kids which of the Reflect and Respond Stations will be available. Remind them to move about the stations very quietly. Tell them they are free to respond to God in whatever way the Holy Spirit leads them, but if they need suggestions, some of the stations will give them ideas for how to pray, write, or draw. Give each child one “GO! Home” sheet and instruct them to take it with them to the stations. Place small group leaders at the different stations to quietly help the kids. The stations listed below are just the ones that have prompts that are specific to today’s lesson. For more instructions on how the Reflect and Respond Stations work as well as a full list of possible stations, see the “GO! Guide.”

CG: “That’s Bonkers” title graphicMusic: (Optional) Play quiet reflective music

Prayer Station prompt: Tell God about someone that you want to tell about Jesus. Ask God to help you tell that person.

Journal Station prompt: If someone asked you how to be with God forever, what would you say?

Bible Station prompt: Read it for yourself: Acts 16:16–40. Draw a picture of the story or write to God your favorite part of the story. Tell Him why you like it.

Art Station prompt: Imagine you were telling your friend about the good news of Jesus. Practice drawing the picture you learned from the lesson. Imagine what you would say while drawing it.


Documents

s3.amazonaws.com · Web viewNice job! The angry crowd (kids say “grrr”) joined in the attack on Paul and Silas. The angry crowd (kids say “grrr”) demanded they be punished