Bible, Glitter and Glue

Paul was under arrest in Jerusalem because of false accusations by the Jews.  Paul’s Roman citizenship demanded a fair hearing, so the Roman commander in charge set up a meeting with Jewish priests and the Sanhedrin.  This meeting ended in chaos, with Paul back in protective custody.  

Paul’s young nephew overheard some of the Jews plotting to kill Paul, so Paul asked him to tell the commander.  The commander had no choice...

At the conclusion of his third missionary journey, Paul followed the direction of the Holy Spirit in making his way to Jerusalem.  As he stopped along the way, many Christians warned him of the dangers awaiting him.  In Caesarea, a man named Agabus prophesied that the Jews in Jerusalem would harm Paul if he went there. Despite all of these warnings, Paul was determined to obey the Holy Spirit.  In Jerusalem, Paul met with an angry ...

In the last stages of his third missionary journey, Paul stopped in Troas and met with the church in an upstairs room.  During Paul’s very long preaching,  a young man named Eutychus went to sleep and fell out of a window and onto the ground below.  Paul miraculously brought the boy back to life.

For a practical lesson, help students understand how to pay attention and participate with the church in listening when God’s Word is bein...

During his third missionary journey, Paul returned to Ephesus and spent three years there. He taught about Jesus in the synagogue and a city school. Some of the most unusual miracles in the Book of Acts occurred during Paul’s stay in Ephesus. They were so convincing that magicians and sorcerers burned their expensive sorcery books and turned to God. So many people stopped worshipping idols (and buying idol statues) that a silversmi...

In Corinth, Paul met a couple named Priscilla and Aquila.  The three of them built tents together to earn a living.  Whenever he was not making tents, Paul taught people about Jesus.  After a year and a half, Paul, Priscilla and Aquila travelled to the city of Ephesus together.  Priscilla and Aquila stayed in Ephesus to make tents and tell people about Jesus, while Paul went on to Antioch.  A while later, when a great teacher named...

Paul continued his second Missionary Journey by stopping in the wealthy and cultured city of Athens. Idols and altars of false gods filled the city. Paul addressed a group of philosophers meeting on a rock hill called the Areopagus (Mars Hill). Idols were humanity's attempt to make gods, but Paul preached that humans cannot make the true God. God has created humans, and all that is in the world. There is only one God, and it i...

Paul continues his 2nd Missionary Journey by visiting the cities of Thessalonica and Berea. Several people began to follow Jesus in Thessalonica, but others were jealous and caused trouble. Paul went on to Berea where the people received the message of Jesus with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul said was true. Troublemakers from Thessalonica soon followed and caused so much trouble that the Chri...

Paul cast an evil spirit out of a young slave girl, but her owners were angry and brought Paul and Silas before the city magistrates.  Even though they were both beaten and thrown into prison, they were heard singing hymns and praying to God during the night.  After an earthquake, Paul and Silas taught the jailer and his household about Jesus.  Before the night was over, they were all baptised.  The next day, Paul and Silas were re...

After sailing to Macedonia, Paul arrived in the city of Philippi.  When he found a group of women gathered beside a river praying, he told them about Jesus.  One of the women was Lydia, a businesswoman who sold expensive purple fabric. When Lydia heard about Jesus, she was baptised.  Then, everyone in her household was baptised, too.  Lydia was so happy that she invited Paul and his friends to stay at her house.

Baptism was a natura...

Paul suggested to Barnabas that they re-visit the churches they had established on their 1st missionary journey.  Before leaving Antioch, he and Barnabas disagreed over who they should take with them, so they took different people and went to different places.  Paul re-visited churches and attempted to enter new areas to teach people about Jesus.  The Holy Spirit actively guided Paul and his companions, and one night, Paul had a vi...

The Holy Spirit directed the Antioch church to send Barnabas and Saul on a mission trip to teach people about Christ.  This trip is often called “Paul’s First Missionary Journey”.   One of the stops on this journey was the city of Lystra, where Paul healed a man who had never been able to walk.  A frenzied crowd first worshipped Paul and Barnabas as gods, then turned on them and stoned Paul.  Despite this, Paul miraculously stood u...

King Herod (King of the Jewish people) persecuted Christians and ordered the arrest of the apostle Peter. The whole church was very afraid, so they gathered together in a house to pray. While they were praying, an angel visited Peter’s prison cell and miraculously released him. Peter found his way to the house where the church was praying. Peter then went into hiding.  Herod continued to seek public approval desperately and even al...

Barnabas was already known as a great encourager, so when the church in Jerusalem heard about all of the new Gentile believers in Antioch, they sent Barnabas to help.  He encouraged the Antioch believers, and even more people followed King Jesus.  Then he travelled to Tarsus and found Paul so that Paul could come and help, too. This was a great mission-minded church.  Followers of Jesus were first called Christians at this church.

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Until the conversion of Cornelius, the gospel message had been preached almost exclusively to Jewish people.  Any Gentile (anyone not born into a Jewish family) who wanted to follow Jesus would have first converted to Judaism.  But the good news of Jesus was for everyone and not just the Jews.  God used a vision of animals on a sheet and a miraculous pouring out of the Holy Spirit to reveal this important truth to the Apostle Peter...

Dorcas (or Tabitha) was a woman who “was always doing good and helping the poor” in her city of Joppa. When she died, everyone was very sad, and they called Peter to come to her house. When Peter arrived, all the widows were crying and showing the clothing that Dorcas had made for them. Peter sent all of them out of the room and then, by the power of God, made Dorcas come back to life.

Bible verses used in this episode:

• Acts...

Saul (later known by his Roman name, Paul) threatened and hurt followers of Jesus.  On the way to persecute disciples in Damascus, Saul experienced an encounter with Jesus that changed his life. Following his baptism, Saul immediately began preaching the truth about Jesus, making the astonished Jews in Damascus plot to kill him. One night, the disciples snuck Saul over the city walls in a basket. He went on to Jerusalem but was not...

Merry Christmas from David and Mary.

We will be back to producing episodes in January.

If you would like to review past episodes relating to the Christmas stories follow the links below:

• Prophecies Fulfilled in Jesus 
• The Birth of Jesus 
• Wise Men and a Star 

"Joy to the World" music by Bohdan Kuzmin from Pixabay

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, ...

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Philip followed instructions from an angel of the Lord and went to a very important man riding in a chariot. The man was a chief official of the Queen of Ethiopia. He was reading from a scroll of Isaiah but could not understand it. Philip joined him in the chariot and explained that the Scripture was talking about Jesus.  The man began to believe in Jesus, and when the chariot passed by some water, the official asked Philip t...

Philip was one of the original seven helpers in the church.  When he preached in Samaria, a well-known sorcerer (or magician) named Simon believed and became a Christian. Simon had only ever done clever magic tricks, so he was amazed when he saw real miracles performed. When the apostles came to Samaria, Simon noticed that they laid hands on people to give them the power to do miracles. Simon wanted to have that power. He offered t...