Use this children’s Sunday School lesson to teach kids how helping other people can lead them to Jesus.
Needed: Bibles
Intro Game: Disciple Tag
Choose one student to be It. When they tag someone, that person links hands with them and joins their team. They continue adding people to their team, linking hands with each one until all but one student is part of their chain. That remaining student becomes It for the next round.
Play two or three rounds and then, explain that when we tell people about Jesus, we want them to believe in Jesus too. If they do, they become a Christian and join our team. Then, they help us tell more people about Jesus.
Lesson
Ask students, Why does God want us to do nice things for other people?
(Read Acts 9:32-33.)
“As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord’s people who lived in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years.”
What was wrong with Aeneas? (He was paralyzed. He couldn’t walk and had to stay in bed.)
How long had Aeneas been like that? (Eight years.)
How do you think Aeneas had become paralyzed? (Maybe he fell off his camel, fell off his roof, was injured in battle, his legs got infected, etc.)
How would you like it if something bad like that happened to you and you couldn’t walk anymore?
(Read Acts 9:34.)
“’Aeneas,’ Peter said to him, ‘Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.’ Immediately Aeneas got up.”
What did Peter do for Aeneas? (He healed him in Jesus’ name.)
How did Peter get the power to heal Aeneas? (God gave him the power.)
Do you think God can give you power like that? (Yes.)
What can God give you the power to do? (Ideas might be God giving us the power to heal or not be afraid of things, to do the right things, to talk to people about Jesus, etc.)
(Read Acts 9:35.)
“All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.”
When people saw that Aeneas was healed, what did they do? (They believed in Jesus.)
What Peter did for the man was nice, but the best part was that people saw it and believed in Jesus. If people see us doing good things, maybe they will want to believe in Jesus, too. We can be a good example for people, just like Peter was.
What are some things that you can do to be a good example for other people to believe in Jesus? (Help other people, be good and don’t do bad things, tell people about Jesus, etc.)
Activity: Acting It Out
Divide students into groups of two or three. Have each group decide on and act out one way that they can help someone and convince them to believe in Jesus. Name some outreach activities that your church does if students need help thinking of something.
Game: Aeneas Tag
Divide students into two teams. Pick one team to be “It.” When an “It” tags someone, they must lie on the ground like they’re paralyzed, like Aeneas was. Their team members can run up to them, touch them, and say, “Jesus heals you!” and then, they are unfrozen again.
Play until everyone is frozen or until 5 minutes is up. Then, switch roles for the teams.
Closing Prayer
Jesus, help us to think of ways You want us to help other people so that they will turn to You. Amen.
You can also find this lesson for Kindle or in print in my book, The Rock.