Paul & Silas Praise Jesus: A Lesson for Families

This week the lesson is over Acts 16:22-40 — the account of Paul and Silas in jail. Paul and Silas were facing a tough situation — they had been beaten and thrown into prison for doing the right thing. Yet, they did not spend time feeling sorry for themselves or complaining. Instead, they praised Jesus — loudly and joyfully! This is a great example for all of us. No matter what we are going through in life, we can praise Jesus — loudly and joyfully! He is right there with us — helping us through all of our trials.

Enjoy the lesson and have a great week!

Cheri

Opening Activities

Today’s Bible lesson takes place in a jail. Make your own “jail” and have fun pretending you are in jail. A fun and easy way to do this is to make your jail under your dining room or kitchen table with your chairs serving as the prison bars. Younger kids might enjoy “arresting” their stuffed animals and putting them in jail. When you finish playing, say: Today’s lesson is about a time when Paul and Silas were in jail. Let’s find out what happened.

In today’s lesson, Paul and Silas are singing praises when there is an earthquake that causes the chains to fall off and the prison bars to break. Can you build a structure that would withstand an earthquake? Find some supplies around the house and see what kind of structures your family can create. Then cause an “earthquake” to come by shaking the table holding the structures. Which one handles the earthquake the best? Say: In today’s lesson, God sends an earthquake that frees Paul and Silas from their prison. Let’s find out what happened.

The Lesson

This week’s video shares the story of Paul & Silas in jail — if it would have happened in Mayberry! Join Andy, Barnie, Opie, and Aunt Bea for this fun retelling of the biblical account. The video also includes a stop motion video and experiments by Mr. Science, Senior Science, and Mortimore. Watch the video below:

Discussion/Application

Read the account of Paul & Silas in jail found in Acts 16:22-40.

Use the following questions to aid in your discussion:

Why were Paul and Silas in jail? (check out Acts 16:16-21 for more on this)
How did Paul and Silas respond to being in jail?
What happened when Paul and Silas were singing praises?
How did the jailer react when he thought the prisoners had escaped? Why?
What happened when the jailer saw that the prisoners had not escaped?
What happened to Paul and Silas?

Paul and Silas were going through a tough time. They had been beaten and thrown into prison for serving Jesus. Yet, their response was to praise Jesus! Praise is an awesome response to tough situations! When you are going through a rough time, spend some time praising Jesus and see how that impacts your attitude!

Spend some time praising Jesus together! If you are a singing family, sing a few songs. If you do not enjoy singing, make a list together of things that you praise God for and spend time praying and praising!

Additional Activities

Use pretzels and mini-marshmallows to make a jail cell! If you have gummy worms or teddy grahams, put those inside the cell. Sing a song and have an “earthquake”, then eat the snack!

Make a “praise chain”. Cut out strips of construction paper and write different praises on each strip. Then staple the strips together to form a chain. For added fun, start a chain today (tape it to a wall in your house) and add to it each day. See how long you can make this chain before next week! Remember, Paul and Silas were in chains, but they praised God and their chains fell off!

Have a little jailhouse rock! Put on some of your favorite Christian tunes and have a praise party together! For added fun, make your own instruments and play and sing together.