Ready to Go on an Airplane Ride! Everyone Buckle up (Pretend to Buckle a Seat Belt)

VBS Openings

Going on a Trip!

Day 1- Acts 9:1-19

Ready to go on an airplane ride! Everyone buckle up (pretend to buckle a seat belt).

Show Airplane on PowerPoint.

Whew! We landed safely! Where are we? Show the picture

If you do not have access to PowerPoint you can just start with

Who likes to travel? Where have you gone? (Get out a map) This week we will go on a trip and visit places that a man named Paul went to. (show on map, use stickers or pins to show the places).

Today we are starting at a town called Damascus. Let’s put on our coats, hats and shoes (act this out) and see what happened to Paul.

(3 children or adults act out the story Paul, God, and a Christian)…

Saul is walking… He is a bad man. He doesn’t like Christians and Saul likes to look for Christians to throw them in jail. (Saul throws a Christian into jail). One day Saul was going to a city called Damascus. On the road there was a bright light (flashlight) and Saul heard a voice saying “Saul, Saul, why do you hate me?” Saul was shocked and asked “Who are you Lord?: Jesus answered. “I am Jesus. The person you hate. Go into the city and do the things I tell you.” (Saul walks off and actors sit down)

Saul then changed his name to Paul. He became a Christian, a person that believes in Jesus. Day 2- Idols Acts 17:16-34

Whoo hoo! Saul is now Paul and he believes in Jesus! We learned that yesterday. Now he is off telling the world about Jesus and how amazing he is. One thing we know is that Jesus is God and we should only worship Him and not other gods.

We started in Damascus and now are traveling to Athens. In this city Paul walks around the city and saw it was full of idols! You can show the PowerPoint or your map for where Paul is going.

What are idols? Things we think are more important than God. Have the students name off different things. (play, sleep, money, friends…)

Paul says “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth. He does not need anything because He gives all men life and breathe and everything! God is not something we make nor can you buy Him. God made the world so that we will look for Him and find Him. God is not far from us.”

Wow!! Our God is awesome! He has done some amazing things. We don’t need to look for other things to be more important than HIM!

Today in class you will learn about things that we think are more important. Then we will see that God is amazing and knows what is best for us.

Close with prayer Day 3- Trouble and Rejoicing Acts 16

We are really traveling now. Where have we been? Let the students answer your home town, Damascus, and Athens. Show on PowerPoint if you want. Now we are off to Philippi.

Problem! When Paul arrives he goes to jail! Have students or adults act the story. You need guard, Paul, other prisoners.

The guard grabs Paul and throws him into prison. He was told to guard them carefully. The guard put them in chains so they couldn’t get away. At midnight Paul was praying and singing to God. The other prisoners were listening.

Suddenly there was an earthquake! All of the prison doors opened and the chains were loose. The guard work up. When he saw all of the doors open he pulled his sword to kill himself. He thought all of the prisoners escaped.

Paul shouted “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

The guard ran in and was afraid. He asked Paul “What must I do to be saved?”

Paul replied “Believe in the Lord Jesus.”

Have the students/adults sit down.

Close with prayer. Day 4- Detour Acts 27:13-41

Is everyone ready to continue traveling? We are going to travel to Rome (show on map) BUT a storm comes up while traveling on the water.

Give out the props of boat, wind, and men. Have the students use the props throughout the story to act different parts. Pictures are in the Bible studies. Glue the pictures in the Bible study onto Popsicle sticks.

Paul and some other prisoners were put on a ship to go to Rome. Soon, the ship was in a storm like a hurricane. The men on the boat tied ropes under the ship to hold it together. They were afraid the boat would get stuck so they let the wind push the boat. The storm was terrible. After 14 days they thought they were close to land. They were afraid the ship would crash. They prayed for the sun to come. Paul then asked them to eat some food. They had not eaten for 14 days. Paul said “You need food. Everyone on the ship will live.” All of the men were filled with hope so they ate. When the sun come up they went on a beach and swam to the land. Everyone was safe.

Have the children sit down.

Well, Paul was trying to get to Rome but he landed on an island called Malta. Show on map or PowerPoint. The storm was pretty scary but God saved them all.

Close in prayer. Day 5- Finished 1 Corinthians 9:24

We made it! We are now in Rome. Paul wrote “In a race all the runners run. But only one gets the prize. You know that, don’t you? So run in a way that will get you the prize.”

Do you like to run races?

What is the best part? Winning is always makes you feel good and you get a prize. For the people that believe in Jesus our prize is heaven. That is the same as Paul. His race is finished. He made it to Rome and then to heaven.

Show on map.

Have the students memorize “Live in a way that you will get the prize of heaven.”

Close with prayer