BIBLE STORY: Trouble in Mind (Paul Shipwrecked) • Acts 27:1—28:10

BOTTOM LINE: Knowing Jesus changes the way you see your problems.

MEMORY VERSE: God’s grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn’t come from anything you do. It is God’s gift. Ephesians 2:8 (NIrV)

LIFE APP: Faith—Trusting in what you can’t see because of what you can see

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CFKIDS AT HOME FAMILY EXPERIENCE GUIDE

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FAMILY ACTIVITY #1: Sink or Swim Challenge

WHAT YOU NEED: A clear bowl of water and various items that will or won’t sink, such as items made of wood, plastic, or glass; grass; marbles; blocks; uncooked macaroni noodles; foam toys; grapes; etc.

WHAT YOU DO: Fill up the bowl with water. Gather the various items and your kid(s). Place each item beside the bowl and take a vote on which items everyone thinks will sink and which items will swim (float). If your family is particularly competitive, ramp up the competition by writing down everyone’s votes.

Next, take turns letting everyone drop an item into the bowl of water. Make a note of which items sink and which items swim. And if you’re making this a competition, make sure to crown the champion of the Sink or Swim Challenge!

TALK ABOUT THE STORY:

*If you were Paul, how would you have felt after being shipwrecked? (Scared, angry, sad, worried, hopeless)

*What did Paul do after the ship was wrecked? (He encouraged the others by telling them that God was going to save them.)

*Do you think God keeps His promises? (Yes) And if God promises to be with us and help us through our problems, will he keep that promise? (Yes! We can view our problems in a different way when we have faith that God is always with us.)

*Having faith in God doesn’t mean we won’t get upset, angry, hurt, or left out. Following Jesus doesn’t mean we won’t have problems. But when we have hard times, we can know that God keeps His promises. And if God promises to take care of us, He will – even when it doesn’t feel like He is in the moment. When we know Jesus, it changes the way we see our problems.

FAMILY ACTIVITY #2: Amazing Race

WHAT YOU NEED: A few chairs or stools (kitchen table-sized), something to use for a blindfold (bandana, scarf, thin t-shirt), and a timer (optional)

WHAT YOU DO: As much as possible, clear out some space in a room and scatter around the chairs or stools from one side to the other.

Blindfold your kid and put them on the opposite side of the room from you. Using only the sound of your voice, guide them through the chairs. Say things like, “Do you trust me? Okay, take two steps to the left. Stop! Now, one small step to the right. One more small step. STOP! STOP!”

(You can make it sound a lot more complicated than it really is, giving them extra directions between chairs.)

When they’re finished, it’s your turn! Put on the blindfold and follow the sound of your kid’s voice from one end of the room to the other. If you’re feeling competitive, use a timer and see who can complete the maze the quickest!

Talk about the Bible story:

*What stood out to you the most about today’s story? (Discuss)

*Why do you think Paul was so passionate about telling others about Jesus? (Because of his experience on the road to Damascus; Because he’d once hated Jesus-followers and now he was one; Because of all that Jesus had done for him. There is no “right” answer.)

*Has Jesus done something for you? (Yes! He died on a cross for me. He loves me. He hears my prayers. He gives me what I need when I need it.)

*How can you help others know Jesus? (Simply tell them the story of Jesus, ask them if you can pray for them, tell them the story of how you met Jesus.)

FAMILY PRAYER TIME

Use this prayer as a guide, either after talking about the Bible story or some time before bed tonight:

“God, Paul had so many problems and yet he still had faith in You. Help us to be like Paul. Help us to see our problems differently. When we’re sad, or hurt, or our problems seem really big, remind us to talk to You about them. We ask You to help us through them, and we have faith that You always hear us when we pray. Right now, we pray that we would lead others to You. We pray that the way we treat people inside AND outside of our home would show people that we love You. We pray You would give us the courage to share the story of Jesus whenever we can. Thank You for Paul’s example in the Bible, and most of all, thank You for Jesus. We need You, God, and we love You! Amen.”

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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