Philip Helped the Ethiopian Man Know Jesus

Bible Focus

Philip helped the Ethiopian man know Jesus.

Life Focus

Show God’s grace to people from a different ethnic background so you can help them know Jesus.

Growing Up in the Word: 1 Peter 4:10, 11

Set up one or both of the following activities to do as students arrive. Greet the students by name, explain the activities, and invite students to participate.

Memory Activity 1

Supplies

reproducible p. 7, colored pencils or markers, scissors, clear tape, Bibles, paper

Before class, make copies of page 7, one per student. Set the supplies out on tables. Posting the following instructions will make it easier for students to work independently and will allow you to talk to students as they arrive. Give the instructions verbally to the first students who arrive and ask them to assist those who come later. If you have a small class, you might want each student to make two cubes.

1. Find 1 Peter 4:10, 11 in your Bible and read it to yourself.

2. On your cube pattern, number the phrases in correct order from one to six.

3. Color the cube.

4. Cut out the cube pattern on the solid lines.

5. Fold the pattern on the dotted lines.

6. Form into a box.

7. Tape the sides together, folding in the flaps.

This is your students’ first introduction to the unit memory passage. The concepts of spiritual gifts and grace may be new to your students. As students are working, take this opportunity to guide their understanding. Say: This Scripture passage has a lot of information for Christians. First it talks about using our gifts.

•What kind of gifts do you think the Scripture is talking about? Allow time for student responses. See Romans 12:4-8 for a listing of gifts God gives. These gifts include teaching, serving, encouraging others, giving, being a leader, and showing mercy.

Next, it says we are to serve others.

•How can you use your gifts to serve others? (I can teach others about Jesus. I can encourage a friend who is sad or lonely. I can give my time to help an older person. I can help take care of my little sister.)

The Scripture also says that we are to administer God’s grace.

•What is God’s grace? (When God shows us kindness and love that we don’t earn or deserve. Jesus’ death for our sins was the ultimate act of God’s grace.)

Then have students play this game. Divide students into teams of six. If you have a small class, you can have fewer members on a team. All players on one team roll their cubes at the same time and arrange what shows on top in the order of the memory passage. If you have a fewer number of students, let each one roll two cubes.

Set aside all the cubes that show duplicate phrases. Roll the duplicate cubes again until each shows a different phrase. Players then arrange the cubes in order and read the passage aloud. Award five points to the team that did not have to roll any cubes again. Give three points to the team that had to roll again only once. Give one point to the team that had to roll again twice. Award zero points to the team that had to roll again three or more times. Play as many rounds as time permits.

Memory Activity 2

Supplies

reproducible p. 8, scissors, Bibles

Before class, cut apart the phrase strips on page 8.

Guide students to find 1 Peter 4:10, 11 in their Bibles. Ask volunteers to read aloud the verses. Then divide the students into six groups. If you have a small class, do this activity together. Give each group one of the phrase strips from page 8. Each group is to come up with several motions that go along with the words on their phrase strips. Offer suggestions only if students need help.

After a few minutes, tell groups to do their motions as you read aloud the verses. Then read the verses again and encourage the students to do all the motions.

•What is God’s grace? (Jesus’ death for our sins was the ultimate act of God’s grace. He showed us kindness and forgiving love that we did not earn or deserve.)

why grow up?

Supplies

construction paper in a variety of colors (will also need a few sheets of black), scissors, glue sticks

Give each student a quarter sheet of colored construction paper. Tell students they are to each cut out a variety of geometric shapes.

Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a sheet of black construction paper and a glue stick. Tell them that they are to create a design on the black paper using all of their paper shapes. After a few minutes, bring the groups back together and ask them to display their designs. Comment on the beauty of the designs, the variety of shapes and colors and the contrast with the black paper.

•How do you think your designs would look if I had given you all the same shapes, such as brown squares? Accept students’ responses.

The different shapes that each of you brought to your group helped to make a wonderful design. God made people in all different colors, shapes, and sizes too. Our differences make the world a lot more interesting. Sometimes, though, it just feels more comfortable to stay around people who are just like us. Sometimes we’re even afraid of people who are different from us. Our goal for the next few weeks is to grow in grace. Grace means showing kindness and loving forgiveness to others. By showing grace to others, even to those who are different from us, we can help them know Jesus.

how to grow up

Supplies

Bibles, copies of the script, whiteboard, dry-erase markers, index cards

Before class, make a copy of the following script for Philip and the Ethiopian. Write the following questions on separate index cards: (1) What was Philip’s job? (2) What was the Ethiopian’s job? (3) Describe Philip’s clothing. (4) How do you think the Ethiopian might have dressed? (5) What do you think Philip’s home was like? (6) What do you think the Ethiopian’s home was like? (7) How did Philip travel? (8) How did the Ethiopian travel? (9) Describe how you think Philip might have looked. (10) Describe how you think the Ethiopian might have looked.

Select two volunteers to read the parts of Philip and the Ethiopian. If possible, give them a chance to read their parts silently before reading them aloud.

I have invited some special guests to come and share with us today. First I would like to introduce you to Philip, a disciple of Jesus and a first century missionary. Let’s give Philip a warm welcome! Encourage applause.

Philip: Hi, my name is Philip. From the moment Jesus called me as a disciple, I couldn’t help telling others about Him. After Jesus went back to Heaven, I became a full-time missionary. Missionary life is pretty hard. I left my home and all my possessions behind to follow Jesus. I had to rely on friends to provide for my needs. My clothing was very simple—a robe and a pair of sandals. Those sandals were important because I had to walk everywhere.

I was on a mission trip in Samaria when God’s angel told me to get up and go down the road south of Jerusalem. On my way, I met a very important-looking man in a chariot. I found out that he was in charge of all the money for Candace, queen of the Ethiopian people. As I got closer, I heard him reading from the book of Isaiah. It was a prophecy that told of the coming of the Savior. I asked him if he understood what he was reading. He said he didn’t, so I did what I always do. I told him about Jesus!

Teacher: Thank you, Philip. Next I’d like you to welcome the keeper of the royal treasury, from the court of Queen Candace of Ethiopia.

Ethiopian: Hi. Yes, I was riding in a royal chariot when a man came up to my chariot. He looked pretty dusty—I guess he had been walking on a desert road. I had come from Ethiopia to Jerusalem to worship, and I was reading about the God of the Jews, but the book of Isaiah was a mystery to me. Philip knew the Scriptures and explained to me that Jesus was the Savior. His words made so much sense that I knew God had sent him to me. We were by water, so Philip baptized me right there beside the road. Then he just vanished. For the rest of my life, I told others about Jesus.

Teacher: Thank you, sir.

Direct the students to find Acts 8:26-40 in their Bibles. Divide the board into two columns with the headings “Philip” and “Ethiopian.” Depending on the size of your class, give a question slip to individuals, pairs of students, or to small groups of students.

Ask the students to read their questions and think of an answer to share based on the Scripture and the messages they just heard from Philip and the Ethiopian. Give the students a few minutes to work. Then call the students’ attention to the board and ask them to share their answers as you record them. Point out the many contrasts between these two men.

Philip recognized that even though the Ethiopian man was very different from him, he still needed to hear about Jesus. Our memory passage says that each one should use whatever gifts he has received to serve others. Philip used his gifts to show God’s grace to the Ethiopian man and to lead him to faith in Jesus.

ready to grow up

Supplies

round sugar cookies, tubes of frosting in a variety of colors, plastic knives, paper plates, napkins, drinks

God’s grace that gives us eternal life through Jesus is not something we can earn. We just need to trust in Jesus. And that is very sweet. In our story today, Philip showed God’s grace by speaking about Jesus to someone very different from himself.

You have an assignment this week! Speak to someone very different from yourself, someone you have never spoken to before or someone you have spoken to only once or twice. It can be a neighbor or a classmate, maybe even someone here at church. Just say hello or ask him a question. Maybe you can give the person a compliment or find out something about the person’s family. When you show kindness to someone different from yourself, you pass on some of the sweetness of God’s grace.

Today we’re going to make cookie faces to help us remember the sweetness of sharing God’s grace with others. Hand out the cookies and set out the frosting. Ask the students to decorate their cookie as the face of a person who knows about God’s grace. The sweetness of God’s grace brings a smile to everyone’s face. Thank God for the snack and let students enjoy!

growing up every day

Supplies

none

Have the students form a circle. Ask the students to close their eyes and think of the person they plan to speak to this week while you pray. Dear Lord, thank you for making a beautiful world with many different kinds of people. Help us to remember that all people need Jesus. Teach us how to show your grace to others. Help us as we share your grace this week. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

Lesson 1: Grace Brings People to Jesus 8

Permission is granted to reproduce this lesson for ministry purposes only—not for resale. Scripture taken from

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others,

faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.

If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides,

so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.

To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 4:10, 11).

Lesson 1: Grace Brings People to Jesus 8

Permission is granted to reproduce this lesson for ministry purposes only—not for resale. Scripture taken from