During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide and Student Page, can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted,
we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. …
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.
1 Corinthians 4:12–13, 20
Armando, Ruth, and their 3 children huddled under a bridge as the rain poured down. Sitting in shallow water that was often infested with poisonous snakes, they waited for more than 8 hours, praying they would not be found. More than 200 had been forced out of their village by persecutors who had destroyed many homes and killed 4 Christians.
Many of the villagers fled to other parts of the country. Yet Ruth and Armando stayed. “There is big work in this place,” Armando said. So he and his family minister to the persecuted, bringing hope to those who need to see the love of God in real ways.
How has God called you to help the persecuted? You can support those who are suffering and yet have chosen to stay in dangerous situations. Pray for God to help those whose lives are threatened. His strength can help the persecuted endure.
Encourage the students to ask a family member, “What are some ways we can stop persecution in our community?” Share a way your family can pray for those who are persecuted.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
As the students arrive, assign each of them 1 of the following body parts: arms, legs, heads. They should not tell others what their body parts are. As part of the Connecting activity, the students will get into groups of 5 made up of 2 arms, 2 legs, and 1 head. Try to assign about the correct number of each body part so that the whole class will be able to participate in the activity. But it is okay if some of the students are not able to be part of a group.
When you are ready to begin class, have the students stand on 1 side of your teaching space. Place a Bible on the other side of the space. Then give these instructions.
We are going to have a race. But first you need to find the parts to make a complete body. Each body must have 2 arms, 2 legs, and 1 head. When I say, “Go!” find students who were assigned those body parts and form a group. The challenging part is that you cannot speak. You can only move the body part you were given. So, if you are a leg, you can swing your leg. If you are a head, you can nod or bob your head. If you are an arm, you can wave or swing it. Find a group and then hook arms at the elbow to form a connected line. Once you are connected as a body, race to the Bible. The first group to get the Bible wins.
Give the students 3–4 minutes to do this.
In our game, you had to work together to win the race. Without a whole body with all the parts, you could not even begin the race. Only when the body worked well together was that team able to win. This is often true in life too! We are connected in families, friend groups, and communities. When we work together things are better!
In the Bible, the apostle Paul tells us that Christians are connected like a body. Listen to what he wrote.
Have a student read Romans 12:5 aloud from the Bible. If that is not possible, the verse is printed here.
So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Romans 12:5
The Bible teaches us that all Christian believers are bonded together like a family because we believe in Jesus.
This verse also teaches us that we are all individuals, each with something important to share with others. We may be different genders and come from different types of families, and we may look different. We all have different talents and skills. But we are all equally important to God because we are all created and loved by Him.
The verse we just read was written by a man named Paul. Many of his letters are part of the New Testament of the Bible. Paul was the Roman name of a Jewish man named Saul of Tarsus. He was both a persecutor and someone who was persecuted. Today we will learn more about him.
Optional: If you are using The NIV Action Study Bible, the teens can read more about the body of Christ in the “Unlock It” section on page 1024.
Saul of Tarsus was man feared by most Christians. He was Jewish by birth but also a Roman citizen. He was a Pharisee, trained in God’s Law, and he was well educated. He was dedicated to his religious beliefs so much that he persecuted those who followed Jesus. He had a murderous rage against these early believers. The Bible tells us that the mob that stoned Stephen to death placed their clothing at Saul’s feet. He was there at Stephen’s death and approved of their angry and violent actions.
In Jerusalem and the surrounding areas, Saul imprisoned many men and women who followed Jesus. He worked tirelessly to destroy the growing church … until one day on the road to Damascus when his life was changed forever. Listen to how the Bible describes that day.
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
Acts 9:1–9
Guide the students to understand that he encountered Jesus on the road. The encounter left him blind, so he was led by the hand to Damascus. Jesus had told him to wait in the city for instructions. Saul did not eat or drink for 3 days.
Saul had met Jesus! Saul was baptized and immediately began to preach God’s message of love and forgiveness just as passionately as he had spoken against Christianity. Saul, the man who had once been the greatest enemy of the church, became a great champion of the early church. He travelled all over sharing his faith, and he was often persecuted for his new beliefs. Through his letters to the churches, Paul began encouraging persecuted Christians. Listen to what the Bible tells us about caring for the persecuted.
Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
Hebrews 13:3
Allow 2–3 teens to share their thoughts.
Guide the teens to understand that we should care for each other and treat each other as family members.
Guide students to see that it means to care as deeply as if this were happening to you.
We can learn how to help the persecuted by following Paul’s example. As we have learned already, the first thing to do is pray! Many who are persecuted feel alone and isolated. Here are some specific ways you can pray about persecution:
God cares for those who have been oppressed and persecuted. Listen to these verses that describe who God is.
You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall and like the heat of the desert. You silence the uproar of foreigners; as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled.
Isaiah 25:4–5
Guide students to understand that God is a safe place for the poor and helps those who are needy and in distress. He is a shelter and protector.
Optional: If you are using The NIV Action Study Bible, the teens can see illustrations of Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus and some of the things he did in his ministry. Direct them to the illustrations after page 1046.
These verses show us how God cares for those who are persecuted. They also show us some ways we can help the persecuted. We can support those who are poor and needy by doing what we can to meet their needs. We can comfort those who are in distress due to the difficult situations they face. We can look for ways to provide shelter for someone—either physical or emotional shelter. Finally, we can offer hope that God will one day silence the persecutors.
Finally, consider the effects of your words and actions. When we think of others as less valuable than ourselves or mistreat them because they belong to a different religious, ethnic, social, or political group, we are persecuting them in small ways. When we share these views and opinions with others, we spread intolerance and hate instead of love and acceptance.
Divide the students into groups of 4–5. Have them hook their arms at the elbow to form a connected line as they did in the Connecting activity.
Remember how our groups were connected in the activity we did at the beginning of class? Your group is connected in a similar way. Now, I will come tap 1 person on the shoulder in each group to represent those who are being persecuted.
Randomly choose 1 person on each team to tap. Some may be in the middle of the line, some on an end, or some just toward 1 end.
The person I tapped from each group should kneel as though he is being held down. Everyone in the group must continue to keep their arms hooked at the elbows. The people next to the kneeling student will need to bend down as well.
Now each group will work together to help the kneeling person stand up again. The person who is kneeling cannot use his hands or his body in any way to help him to stand. He can only use the help of the people next to him. Once the group has lifted him up, he can stand. Be creative in thinking of ways to help, but keep your group’s arms hooked together the whole time.
Give the groups 2–3 minutes to complete this activity. Then have the groups discuss the following questions.
Guide the students to understand that when 1 person in the community suffers, all suffer.
Though it is obviously more difficult for the person who is persecuted—just as it was for the kneeling person—persecution affects everyone. But God calls us to help one another whenever we can!
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Galatians 6:10
As we have talked about, we can pray for people who are persecuted to have courage, hope, and endurance. But we can help in practical ways, too. Here are a few ideas.
Let’s pray and think about those facing persecution now. You may pray silently or in your groups. Think about the fear and pain experienced by people who are persecuted and ways you might be able to help bring change. Pray for and think about the specific physical and spiritual ways you can help those who are persecuted.
Give the students a few minutes to think and pray.
Optional: If you are using the Student Pages, your students can write their prayers on their pages.
Close with a blessing based on Romans 12:15.
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
Romans 12:15, NIV
Blessing: May you know that you are connected to many others. May you know how to mourn with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice.
Lead the children in singing this quarter’s song, if possible.
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
