In Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas keep telling people about Jesus even when it is hard, and God helps them do it. This lesson is for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, so you can use it in a Sunday school class or at a family devotion.
Big Idea
God gives us courage to tell others about Jesus, even when people are not happy about it. He is with us in the hard moments.
Memory Verse
Acts 14:3
Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
(WEB)
Hold both hands out in front of you, palms up, like you are carrying something to share. Lower them slowly and then raise them again while you say the verse with the children. This motion reminds them that God helps us speak boldly.
The Story: Acts 14 for Kids
Paul and Barnabas went into a city called Iconium. They walked into the synagogue, which was the Jewish meeting place, and told everyone about Jesus. Many people believed, both Jews and Greeks. But some people did not like what they were hearing, and they made others angry at Paul and Barnabas.
The two friends stayed in Iconium for a long time and kept speaking boldly about Jesus. God showed His power through them, and He did amazing things through their hands. Still, some people in the city took sides, and some wanted to hurt them. When the trouble got worse, Paul and Barnabas left and went to a new city called Lystra.
In Lystra, a man who had never walked sat near the crowd. He had been unable to use his legs since the day he was born. He was listening while Paul talked, and Paul saw that the man believed God could heal him. Paul looked at him and said in a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet!” The man jumped up and began to walk.
The crowd was so amazed that they thought Paul and Barnabas were gods. They wanted to bring animals to offer as a sacrifice. Paul and Barnabas ran into the crowd, tore their clothes, and shouted, “Why are you doing this? We are only people like you! Turn to the living God, who made the sky and the earth and the sea.” It was hard for them to stop the crowd.
Some people from other cities came and turned the crowd against Paul. They threw stones at him and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But the friends who gathered around him saw him stand up, and he went back into the city. The next day, Paul and Barnabas went on to Derbe to keep telling people about Jesus.
Read It Together
Acts 14:8-10
8 At Lystra a certain man sat, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked. 9 He was listening to Paul speaking, who, fastening eyes on him, and seeing that he had faith to be made whole, 10 said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet!” He leaped up and walked.
(WEB)
Point out that the man could not walk, but Paul saw that he had faith. Ask the children what they think faith means, and explain that it means trusting God completely. Show them how Jesus helped the man stand up.
Acts 14:15
“Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them…
(WEB)
Help the children notice that Paul called himself and Barnabas men like everyone else. Explain that Paul wanted the crowd to worship the living God, not the apostles. Talk about how we point people to Jesus and not to ourselves.
Acts 14:22
Confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many afflictions we must enter into God’s Kingdom.
(WEB)
Show how Paul and Barnabas encouraged the new believers to keep following Jesus, even when life was hard. Ask the children how a friend can encourage them when something is difficult.
Talk About It
- What did Paul and Barnabas do even when people were angry at them?
- How do you think the man who could not walk felt when he got up and started walking?
- Why did Paul tell the crowd to stop trying to worship them?
- What is one way you can tell someone about Jesus this week?
- When you are scared to do something good, what can you remember about God?
Activity Ideas
Paper Plate Walkers
You will need paper plates, markers, glue, and yarn or craft sticks. Have each child draw a person on a plate and cut out legs from paper to glue on the bottom. Let them attach the legs with a brad or tape so they can move. Talk about how God helped the man in Lystra stand up and walk.
Stand Up and Speak
Gather the children in a circle and have them sit on the floor. Tell them to pretend they cannot walk, then stand up slowly when you say “Stand up on your feet!” Take turns being Paul and being the man who gets healed. Afterward, say the memory verse together while you move.
Share the Good News Card
Give each child an index card and a pencil. Ask them to write or draw one thing about Jesus that they can tell a friend or family member. They can take the card home and place it on the fridge or by their bed. Encourage them to share it with someone during the week.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that sharing the gospel often comes with opposition, yet God gives His messengers courage and power to keep going. Paul and Barnabas kept preaching, healing, and encouraging the churches even when they were stoned and driven out. The passage reminds us that our mission is about pointing people to the living God and not seeking attention for ourselves.
Be careful not to overstate the idea that faithful people will always be safe or successful. Children may come away thinking that God always protects us from pain. Gently explain that God is with His people through hard times, and that some believers in the Bible faced serious suffering.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for helping Paul and Barnabas tell people about Jesus. Give us courage to share the good news with our friends and family, even when it is hard. Help us remember that You are always with us. Amen.
