Read John 3:1-21 from Your Bible Or from Below. Nicodemus Was A

body_bold Read Acts 17:1-12 from your Bible or from below.

As Paul and Silas were traveling, telling people about Jesus, they came to a city called Thessalonica. There was a Jewish synagogue in this city. Paul often went to the synagogues when he visited a city. A body synagogue is a special building where Jews met to pray, worship, and learn about the Scriptures. Paul spent three Sabbath days in Thessalonica teaching the people from the Scriptures. Paul explained to the people that Jesus is the Messiah. He helped them understand that Jesus had to die on the cross and rise from the dead to save the people from their sins, just as the Old Testament said the Messiah would do.

Some of the men and women in Thessalonica believed that Jesus is the Messiah. They accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

Many of the Jewish leaders became jealous that groups of people were believing Paul’s teaching about Jesus. They gathered a group of people and started riots in the city and began attacking people. The crowd dragged a man by the name of Jason and some other men to stand before the city leaders. They blamed Jason for welcoming Paul and Silas to their city. The crowd and the city leaders were very upset.

After Jason and the others were released, Paul and Silas left Thessalonica at night and traveled to a city called Berea. They went to the synagogue in Berea and were welcomed. The people there studied the Scriptures every day. Because they had studied the Word of God, many of the women and men believed what Paul and Silas said—Jesus is the Messiah.

Copyright 2021 by Lifeway Christian Resources body_italic_nested Say: Have you ever heard someone say, “Don’t believe everything you hear?” Sometimes when we hear something we may know right away if it is true or not, but other times we may not be so certain. So where do you go to find out if what someone said is true or not? Do you ask your teacher or your parents? Do you try to look up the information in a book or ask a friend? There are a lot of places to look for answers, but not all of them are trustworthy. body This week you learned about Paul and Silas as they traveled to Thessalonica and to Berea. As they visited each city, Paul and Silas went to the synagogue and taught the people about Jesus. Paul and Silas didn’t just tell people what they thought was true or what they had heard from others. They used the Scriptures from the Old Testament to teach the people the truth.

Some of the people in Thessalonica weren’t happy with Paul and Silas’ teaching. These people did not accept the truth, but the people in Berea had a much different reaction to Paul and Silas’ teaching. The people in Berea didn’t just listen to Paul and Silas. They went back and studied the Scriptures for themselves to find out if Paul and Silas were speaking the truth. In fact, the Bible says they studied the Scriptures every day. Because the people searched for truth by reading and studying the Scriptures, they believed what Paul and Silas taught them and accepted Jesus as their Savior. They knew the truth that Jesus is the Messiah, the One God promised to send!

It is good to listen to your parents, your teachers at church, and your pastor, but it is even better to read and study your Bible so that you may know the truth for yourself. body_bold Preschool Life Point: People show love to God by learning from the Bible. Kids Life Point: People can read and study the Bible to know the truth.

Preschool Review Questions: body_italic_nested 1. What did Paul and Silas teach the people? 2. Who teaches you about the Bible? 3. How do you know that what the Bible says is true? body_bold then next style Elementary Review Questions: 1. What did Paul and Silas use to teach the people in the synagogue? 2. How did the people verify that Paul and Silas were speaking the truth? 3. How can you be sure what others teach you is the truth? body_bold then next style Pray: God, we are so glad that You gave us the Bible to know what is true. Help us to understand Your Word when we listen to what is preached and when we read and study the words in our Bibles. Help us to want to learn the truth about You and Your Son, Jesus. Amen. body_italic_nested

Sing a Bible Studies for Life song or one of your family’s favorite worship songs.