St. Paul and his Journeys, Part 2

PAUL AND HIS JOURNEYS, PART 2

 

Objectives:

  1. Students should know the general plan of Paul’s travels all around the Mediterranean.
  2. Students should know that Paul traveled later with Silas.
  3. Students should know that Paul traveled last to Rome as a prisoner and died there.

Possible Lesson Plan:

  1. Open with prayer.
  2. Read the story of Paul’s later travels in the Beginner’s Bible pp. 500-503, the CBR pp. 278-291 or Read with Me Bible, pages 424-435, and/or the Golden Children’s Bible, pages 477-507. This is a lot of story to read: My favorites are Paul and Silas in jail in Philippi and the shipwreck on the way to Rome. Review the name “Silas” as Paul’s traveling companion on his later trips. Do the children remember anyone else from earlier lessons who traveled with Paul? (Luke, the physician, Barnabas and John Mark). Who wrote down the story of Paul’s travels? (Luke) In what book of the Bible is this recorded? (Acts)

Add St. Silas and St. Timothy to your timeline. 

 

  1. Feed the Elephant True/False Questions:

True                                                                 False

                  Paul traveled with Silas later in his life.                Paul took Silas on his first trip.

                  Paul and Silas were in jail in an earthquake.         The earthquake killed Paul and Silas.

                  Paul’s ship was wrecked on the way to Rome.    Paul’s ship was wrecked in Antioch.

                  Paul died in Rome.                                               Paul died in Jerusalem.

 

  1. Discuss “natural disasters”: What is an earthquake? Has any of the students felt one? What happens? What could have happened to Paul and Silas? What were Paul and Silas doing when the earthquake hit? What really happened? What was the end result? What is a storm? Have students describe a storm: thunder, lightning, wind, darkness. Has anyone been in a boat in a storm? What happens to the waves? What can happen to the boat? What was Paul doing in the boat? What really happened? What was the end result? So, God can use natural “disasters” for His own purposes. Do we need to fear earthquakes, storms? Try singing the song from the Sound of Music, “My Favorite Things” with these words:

Earthquakes in jail cells that break open the chains.

Storms in the ocean that lead ships to land.

Soon people hear of the word of the Lord,

These are a few of my favorite stories:

When the snake bites, when the rocks sting, when I’m feeling sad.

I simply remember my favorite stories and then I don’t feel so bad.

  1. Paul went to Rome as a prisoner. He was beheaded there. So, Paul, too, was a martyr; review the word. Why was Paul in jail? Was he guilty of a crime? What crime? Is it illegal today to be a Christian? In our country? In other countries?

 

  1. Make Paul’s Chains: These are really just the usual paper chains made with strips of colored construction paper, but see if you can write the name of Paul and a companion of his on each link.

 

  1. Close with prayer: Lord, help me to be brave and trust you through all the scary things in life.