PARENT GUIDE JUNE 8-11 PAUL’S SHIPWRECK

STORY POINT Paul trusted God to rescue him.

BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER What will happen for all in the future? One day all Christians will see in His glory and live with Him forever.

DISCIPLESHIP JOURNEY Discovers identity in Jesus.

FAMILY MEMORY VERSE “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6 PAGE 2 STORY **Read the Bible Story during “Time to Worship” on page 3! Paul’s Shipwreck Acts 27-28

Paul was a prisoner in Caesarea (cess uh REE uh). He had asked to see Caesar about his case. Caesar was the leader of the Roman Empire, so Paul got on a ship with other prisoners going to . The journey was difficult. Strong winds and rain tossed the ship. The crew threw things overboard and tried to keep the ship from breaking apart, but the storm did not stop for many days. All the people on the ship were afraid they would die.

One night, God sent an angel to Paul. The angel told Paul to not be afraid. God would save the lives of everyone on the ship. Paul told everyone on board what God had said. “Take courage,” he said. Paul believed everything would happen just like God said. The people on the ship would not die. They would have to run the ship onto an island.

When the ship got close to an island, some of the sailors tried to escape in the lifeboat. Paul told them they would only be saved if they stayed on the ship. The sailors listened to Paul. No one had eaten in a long time, so Paul told them to eat. He thanked God and broke the bread, and everyone ate. Then they raised the sails and headed toward the island.

When they got close, the ship struck a sandbar and stopped. The waves crashed into the ship, and it began to break into pieces. The soldiers were afraid the prisoners would escape, so some of them wanted to kill the prisoners. But an army officer ordered everyone to swim for shore. Those who could not swim clung to the planks and pieces of the ship. They all made it safely to shore. Paul was right; God saved all of their lives.

Three months later, Paul got onto another ship and sailed to Rome. Paul was still a prisoner, but instead of going to jail, Paul was allowed to live by himself in a house. A soldier stayed with him to guard him. People came to Paul’s house and listened to him speak about the kingdom of God and about Jesus. Some of the people believed and followed Jesus.

Christ Connection: Paul trusted God to keep His promise to rescue him from the storm. He encouraged the sailors to trust and obey God too. God calls us to trust in His Son, Jesus, who died to rescue us from sin and death, and to tell others this good news. PAGE 3 GAME TIME Ship Commands Teach your kids the motions that go with each ship command. Invite your kids to sit together on the floor and pretend they’re on a ship. Call out the ship commands and let them act out the motions. • “Hit the Deck!”—lay flat on your stomach • “Attention”—salute and yell, “Aye, aye captain!” • “Three Men in a Boat”—sit in groups of three • “Scrub the deck”—on knees and scrub the floor • “Take Courage!”—give each other high-fives SAY • On a boat, its important to obey the orders given by the captain. However, what if the people in charge are ordering you to do something that is opposite of what God has told you to do? Today, we will learn about a time Paul had to convince those in charge to listen to God’s commands.

FAMILY MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY Practice Motions Take some time to practice hand motions for Philippians 1:6. Practice the motions several times together as you review the verse.

.TIME TO WORSHIP Go to the Eleven22 Kids YouTube playlist by clicking HERE to worship! WORSHIP Worship Song 1: Real Love Worship Song 2: Trust in You BIBLE STORY *Found on Page 2! WORSHIP Response Song: No One Higher

FAMILY DISCUSSION Discuss the following:

Distribute : Help your kids find Acts 27-28 in their Bibles. Remind them that Luke wrote Acts to tell about the Acts that the Holy Spirit did through the early church. PAGE 4

Discipleship Journey Connection: Referencing the Discipleship Journey triangle (found by clicking HERE), discuss the following: Once we discover our identity in Jesus, it begins to deepen over time. Paul faced many hard circumstances. He continued to trust God and deepen his relationship with Him, even though he went through many hard times. He knew that his identity was in Jesus.

Deepening Relationships: Each of us has someone in our lives that has shown us God’s love and has encouraged our faith! This might be your parents, a friend, or a teacher. Discuss as a family who has shown you God’s love and thank them this week for pointing you to Jesus.

Review Questions: Ask your kids the following questions and allow time for kids to respond and discuss. • How was Paul traveling to Rome? On a ship; Acts 27:1-2. • What happened on the journey to Rome? A storm caused a shipwreck; Acts 27:14-44. • What did Paul tell the other people on board? “Take courage”; Acts 27:22. • Why do you think God allowed Paul to go through such a dangerous storm? Help your kids see that God’s plans are always for His glory and our good. Remind them that Paul used the storm as an opportunity to show that he trusted God. By saving everyone on the ship, God showed His power and love. • Why did Paul trust God to rescue him from the storm? Point back to God’s promises to Paul. God told Paul that he would preach in Rome. God sent an angel to remind Paul of God’s promise and encourage him with a promise of protection through the storm. Paul knew that God keeps all His promises, so he trusted God even in a difficult time. • What promises can you remember in hard times? Guide your kids to think about the promises God has made to all disciples of Jesus through His Word: promises to be with us-Matthew 28:20; promises of power-:8; promises of transformation- 2 Corinthians 5:17; promises of our future with Him- John 14:2-4; and so forth. Help the kids understand that our future is secure in Christ, even if our present feels unstable.

Prayer: Spend time intentionally praying with your kids. Below are a few options you can use during prayer. • Take some time to pray over the kids in your group. Pray that God would calm any fears they have and that your kids would trust God’s plans. Thank God for being trustworthy and for revealing this to us through His Word. • Give your kids a piece of paper to write down why they are thankful for God! They can also draw a picture!