LESSON 3

THE POWER TO SAVE

LESSON PROPER:

 Check the attendance of your children

 Open the session with a prayer
 Review the memory verse they had on first day (don’t forget to reward those who were able to
memorize the Bible verse)
o “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Acts 2:21)
o “At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.” Acts 9:20
 Introduce to the children another Bible memory Verse on Acts 16:31
o “They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.’”
Acts 16:31
 Motivation:
o Let us play another guessing game. Can anyone guess what this is? (Show pinecone or picture
of pinecone) This is a pinecone or a conifer cone. Pinecones are amazing creations of God. A
full-grown pinecone can hold up to 150 seeds! The pinecone stays closed during cold or wet
weather to protect the seeds so they can be germinated and grow into big, beautiful pine
trees. Maybe you have heard of the giant sequoia trees that grow in California in the United
States. (Show picture of giant sequoias) These trees can grow over 300 feet high and live as
long as 3,000 years! Sequoia cones grow at the tops of these huge trees. The cones are filled
with seeds but are tightly closed. If the seeds are not released, they will never become trees.
Do you know what causes the cones to open on these very special trees? Fire. Usually, we
consider a wildfire to be a horrible disaster. In a forest, fire can cause so much destruction! But
God has created the giant sequoias in a special way, and fire causes something wonderful to
happen to them. Heat from the fire causes the cones high in the treetops to open and release
their seeds. The seeds fall to the ground, which has just been softened by the fire. The tiny
seeds can sink into this soft soil and begin to sprout. When the tiny baby trees poke up through
the soil, there is plenty of sunlight for them because the brush and shrubs have burned away.
Instead of destroying the Sequoia National Forest, fire ensures that new trees will continue to
grow. Isn’t it wonderful that God can take something we assume is bad and use it for good? Do
you know what’s even more wonderful? God can do the same thing for people. He can take
circumstances we assume are bad and use them for good.
 Lesson Proper:
o We can read about one of the times God did this in the Bible. Do you remember learning about
Saul, the man who hated Christians? God transformed Saul, and he began to tell people
everywhere about Jesus. Saul changed so completely that he even began to go by a new name:
Paul. You might assume that once Paul began to follow Jesus, everything in his life would go
well. The truth is, Paul experienced some hard times as a Christian. One day, people grabbed
Paul and his friend Silas and took them to the authorities. They accused Paul and Silas of
stirring up trouble, and the rulers ordered soldiers to beat Paul and Silas with big sticks! After
the men were severely beaten, the authorities put them in jail and told the jailer to guard
them carefully. The jailer put them in an inner cell and even locked up their feet so that they
could not move. Guess how Paul and Silas responded to this horrible treatment? They prayed
and sang hymns to God! And while they were praising, the jail began to shake. It was an
earthquake! The prison doors flew open, and all the prisoners’ chains fell off! When the jailer
saw the open doors, he was terrified. He assumed all the prisoners had escaped and he would
be in big trouble. But Paul called, “We are all here!” The jailer came and fell down at Paul’s
feet. He asked, “What must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you
will be saved—you and your household.” Then they told him all about Jesus. That same jailer
who had locked them up now took them and lovingly washed all their wounds, and then he
and his whole family were baptized! Next, they took Paul and Silas to their home and fed them
 a good meal. The Bible says the jailer was filled with joy because he and his family had come to
believe in God
o Do you know what else is wonderful? God is still able to take bad things and use them for
good. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who
love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Maybe you are facing some
challenging situations right now. Will you bring those difficulties to God, who loves you? You
can trust him. He brought salvation to a family through Paul and Silas’s time in jail. He brings
new life to the Sequoia Forest after it experiences fire. If you let him, he can bring good into
your life as well. Let’s pray
 Lead the prayer for the children:
o God, thank you for being a God who can work for my good, even in hard circumstances. Help
me to bring the heavy things in my life to you. Thank you that I can trust you. Amen.
o You might also wonder how you can join God’s family. The same message Paul and Silas told
the jailer is true for you: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. Is there anyone
who would like to put your faith in Jesus?
o Dear Jesus, thank you for wanting to save me and welcome me into your family. Thank you for
loving me, even while I am a sinner who makes bad choices and has bad thoughts and bad
attitudes. Please change my heart. Take away my sin and fill me with your love. Amen
 Discussion: Guide the children in a discussion about
o Ask: How did Saul act toward Jesus? (He acted like an enemy. He fought against Jesus and his
Ask: How did Paul and Silas act when they were unjustly thrown in jail? (They prayed and sang
praises to God.)
o Ask: Who set Paul and Silas free? (God did!) Ask: What did the jailer ask Paul and Silas? (What
must I do to be saved?)
o Say: God can bring good even from bad situations! He wants to save us with his love.
o What did Paul and Silas do while they were in prison? (They prayed and sang praises to God. •
We can also choose to pray and sing even when times are hard
o In the Bible, who was unjustly thrown in jail? (Paul and Silas) What happened when they
prayed and sang praise? (God set them free!)
 Let the children do the craft: