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salfordelim · 5 years ago

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Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus

Acts 15:37-39

“You think you’ve let people down? Let me tell you my story:

I was only young.

The preachers had come to our house, and they were brilliant. At the end of one of the services, the main leader called me over and told me that he thought God wanted me to join them. I felt so good. It wasn’t often that I’d felt special, worth something, needed. But that day my heart could have burst with hope. I was going to join the gang. It sounded so exciting.

They explained that I’d would travel with them, learn from them. I wouldn’t have many responsibilities, I’d carry the bags, go and get food, make small talk with the Christians after worship. But I would go to new towns, meet new people, know that I was serving God.

What could be better? What could go wrong?

I packed my bags and left Jerusalem, went to Antioch with them and boarded the ship to go to Cyprus (Acts 12:25-13:13). Outwardly, everything looked fine. I watched open-mouthed as Paul put an end to Elymas’ influence, causing him to be blinded for a while. I couldn’t understand everything that was happening, it was thrilling and scary all at the same time. But after we left Cyprus to sail to Perga, I knew I couldn’t carry on.

I wanted to go home, back to where I was known, away from the uncertainty, away from the suspicious looks, away from the conflict, away from the intensity of it all. I just needed to go home. I’d lasted a few months. I knew that I would have to explain to the family why I was back so soon, why I had given up on the adventure. I knew it would be embarrassing, but whatever folks thought of me, I just knew I couldn’t carry on.

Paul was so mad with me. He said I had deserted them. He said that I would never be able to come back. He said I was making the biggest mistake of my life. He didn’t make me feel any better.

I’m older now. And wiser. And more resilient! And I worked with Paul – again.* I understand a bit more about why he might have reacted as he did, I think he was facing all sorts of stress himself.

But the hero for me was Barnabas. He rescued me. He gave me a second chance when I felt absolutely rubbish about myself. He took a chance on me – again. He knew that I would have learnt from the first time. He stood up for me. He protected me. He reassured me.

None of us were with Jesus in the same way as some of the other apostles. But from all they told us, I have no doubt that in the way that he dealt with me, Jesus would have been proud of Barnabas because at that point Barnabas looked a bit like Jesus.

I needed a second chance at life. Jesus gave me that. And when it mattered so did Barnabas. It changed my life.

You might have let people down – I did. But there’s a second chance for you. Come and join me. There’s more ahead than you might have imagined.”

* See Philemon 24, Colossians 4:10, 2 Timothy 4:11

Some reflections from Sunday

It was great to have so many contributions on Sunday as people shared their responses to the sermon and thoughts they had about what God might be wanting us to hear. I thought it might help for you to have chance to see what was said.

I’ve taken out the reference to who said it, you may spot your own contribution though!

We are saved by grace, accepted by grace

Thank you that we are welcome in your family. No second class citizens, we are all valued and loved.

Thank you Lord that you found me when I was broken, but showed Your great love by starting a work in me that You will bring to completion. Lord of the broken and poor. You make us whole and rich in the kingdom.

The Lord is righteous in all His ways, full of grace in all He does. The Lord is close to all who call on Him, to all who sincerely call on Him. He fulfils the desire of those who fear Him, he hears their cry and saves them. Psalm 145:17-19

Some people need to hear that they are an integral part of God’s picture for our community.

These past few weeks it seems, now confirmed (from this service) that God’s message to me is “Grace”, “it is only by My Grace”. I say this because though it’s great to want to grow spiritually, if done on my own back, which I think I was doing, it’s all about me and not God. And as I failed in “keeping those things I set myself to do to grow spiritually”, then I saw His Grace.

Knowing that you are loved and forgiven is the foundation to build upon. God loves you as you are.

What people felt God was reminding them about:

I know I am a Martha – I need to just stop and be in the moment with God more.

I’ve always identified with Martha and felt like I needed to be busy and useful to be worth anything. Thank you that your grace is enough and that we are accepted as we are. Help us to show that same grace to others.

God is saying to me, “despite what is happening in the world, hold on tight to my promises”.

The power of God’s mercy as in 1 Chronicles: 21:13 – ‘…for His mercy is very great;…’ and Psalm 23:6 – God’s goodness and mercy follows us all the days of our life.

I’ve been thinking this week about dealing with elephants, those things we know about but don’t address because it won’t be easy, it will be challenging and it will mean change. Lord I pray for anyone looking at something difficult in their lives today, speak into those issues and provide wisdom.

Thank you Jesus for being a constant presence, unexpected issues can drop themselves at our door, as they have this week but your promise to us does not expire

God is saying to me “This is the way, walk in it. For I have set my angels to guard your path”.

I feel like God is saying at the moment that it’s easy to be led astray by what divides us – feeling divided on opinions and actions and words, especially in these tough times – but we are united in grace. Jesus died to save us all.

Thoughts about reaching to others

I think the Lord is reminding us that we need to connect with each other in a more real way so that we can be there for others who don’t know you. People remote fearful now than ever losing jobs and their things

God’s been speaking to me over the last few days about how we are called to be ‘hope grenades’: our enemy is trying to build despair and fear, but our God-given hope is a weapon to demolish every hopeless thought that sets itself up against God’s purposes. Hope is contagious!I also think that God is wanting to give people the gift of faith this morning – a rich soil for him to plant expectations in.

I had a picture of a church building. The brick walls are falling down, but the church is still standing. And I’m reminded of Matt 16 v 18 ” I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

“The moment we are in, so that we can be good news to those around us” – how important is that aspect of our values as a church.

This is a ‘build up’ to change. God is at work

We are intercessors for and workers in our community to reach the needy in every sense mind body and spirit We need to be agents of God and not of ourselves, to be prepared to listen to those around us even if you don’t like what you hear and to focus on the good news rather your own prejudices

Interview

This week’s interview is with Colin and Judith. They close this short series on family life by reflecting on what it means to be parents of adult children and grandparents.

Connecting

1. Our Gatherings

Sunday gathering

The link to this Sunday’s Gathering is here:

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/836810848 Meeting ID: 836 810 848

In order to make sure that we keep everyone safe, we will use the waiting room option in Zoom. It means that when you connect you will just have to wait a moment till you are admitted to the service. Could you help us by making sure that your Zoom name on the screen has your name – rather than iphone, for example. Thanks

Or you can join us live on YouTube.

2. Prayer Ministry on Sundays

After each Sunday service, the prayer team will be available to pray for those needing support in breakout rooms on Zoom. You can either let Ian know in advance or just wait around after the service.

If you have prayer requests but don’t want to be prayed with, you can also let Ian know and the prayer team will use that time to pray on your behalf.

3. Coming Up: Alt Worship in the Church Building

On Wednesday 7 October at 7.30pm there will be a worship service in the church building. Alt worship is a monthly service led by Andrew and Alex that the young adults have been involved with. We will hold this next one in the building so there will be limited numbers allowed to keep social distancing. In total we can host 30 people. We have 10 seats available at the moment. If you want to come along you MUST contact Alex beforehand to tell her. Her number is 07746 130249. If necessary we will have a waiting list.

If you come you need to make sure you don’t have a temperature or feel unwell; you must wear a face mask during the service; and you must stay a couple of meters from one another.

4. Stay Connected: ‘Virtual Coffee Morning’ – Wednesday 10.30-11.30am

A Wednesday morning is the ideal time to catch up with people, have a brew, even involve yourself with a quiz. So, whilst it’s not as good as being together in person, there’s an opportunity to do it all online.

Meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/94930624852?pwd=dlI0SnhwY3RaNnUrUGpSMTkrWm5hZz09

5. Home Groups: Thursday 7.45-9.00pm

This week we will be looking at how you know what God is asking you to do. Come along – even if you haven’t joined a home group yet.

The link is here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/998857193 Meeting ID: 998 857 193

6. Non-Zoom prayer meeting

On Friday 10.30-12.00 there’s a prayer meeting in a non-Zoom meeting! Using Whatsapp, contact Corinne Baines or Gill Oldham or Neil and they’ll make sure you are able to connect.

If in doubt

All the links to the meetings are in Church Suite and on the ‘Calendar’ section of our church website: http://www.salfordelimchurch.org/events/

You’re not alone

If you need help and don’t know where to turn, you are always welcome to contact Neil on 07771 558058 but you might also be interested to know about this ministry in the church:

Salford Elim Church and Community Counselling Service

One of the ways we have been able to help people as a church over the past few years is through the counselling ministry of Judith. Some of you might have benefitted from the space that this gives you to explore what is happening in life and how you can respond to the issues you are facing. This is something that has been used by people who don’t worship with us but recognise us as a place that is safe to explore all that is happening to them.

We want to continue this ministry and expand it in two ways:

It may be that you are a trained counsellor and could offer sometime to help others. If you have been trained to Level 4 (Diploma) or Degree level in therapeutic counselling and would like to be involved, please contact Judith to talk about what might be possible. At the moment the counselling is offered via zoom or phone and we would like to continue with this form of support as well as in person counselling.

In time we are going to offer a Listening service to those who might just need someone to talk to, but who don’t want or need specialist counselling. Earlier in the year, some of you came on the Listening Course we ran and if you would be willing to be part of this new project, then please contact Judith.

Her mobile number to text or call is 07854 946995

And finally, if you would like to access counselling for yourself, then please contact Judith directly or visit the page for the service.

NEW

We are aware of lots of people who are isolated who need someone to listen to them and offer gentle support as they work out what they can do in the face of their own challenges. This is different from counselling but can make a huge difference to people.

We want to begin to offer this ministry in the next few months.

So would you be able to give some time to talk to people on the phone? You will be supported by Judith along the way.

If you want more details about how it will work we will have a training session on Wed 21 October at 7.30pm on Zoom. We would love to invite people who came to the Listening Training earlier in the year to be part of this new venture.

The link for the meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83715752600 Meeting ID: 837 1575 2600

If you want more information, please contact Judith directly.

Every week you get prayed for!

This is just to remind you that every week the whole church is prayed for – by name. At the beginning of the lockdown, everyone who was on Church Suite was contacted by one of the pastoral team to make sure you had enough support. And in different ways that is continuing. Of course, you may have decided at the time that you would be ok and so didn’t really connect much. BUT… be assured you have been prayed for by name every week by the pastoral team.

I don’t take that for granted. It’s great to know that we belong to a church that supports one another in lots of ways, not least prayer.

From time to time, you might want to thank them!

Debbie King

Ian Peacock

Julian Gittings

Gill Oldham

Lorna Plura

Charlie Blundell

Paul King

Alex McGregor

Maggie Hudson

Janet Downs

Judith Thompson

Nev Plura

Alpha Course

As most of you will know, The Alpha Course is designed for those who want to explore the Christian faith in a relaxed environment where no questions are off limits. We are going to offer two opportunities before Christmas via Zoom to do Alpha; one on a Tuesday evening (started 29th September) and the other on a Thursday afternoon (started 24th September). But don’t worry that they’ve missed the first session – they’ll still be very welcome to join us!

Full details are available via the buttons below.

Tuesdays, 7pm-8.30pm

Thursdays, 1pm-2.30pm

This isn’t aimed at those of us who already know the basics of faith but we do want to strongly encourage you to invite family members, friends, work colleagues, neighbours, (anyone!) who isn’t yet a Christian.

Sharing faith can be hard for most of us but this is an easy way to do it. You never know, they might say yes!

Here’s a promo video for Alpha which you might want to share with those you invite:

Please pray:

For those who have already agreed to come

For those you will invite

For Judith and Ian as they lead the course

Links and Resources

Kids Resources

Here’s this week’s Kids Resources from Morag, with a variety of videos, crafts and other useful to help your child/ren read and learn from this week’s Bible passage.

#Salford #Elim #Church

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salfordelim · 5 years ago

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Hello everyone on this foggy Tuesday morning (at the time of writing…). Hope you’re all doing ok and your children are fending off the usual coughs and colds that a new school year brings. And you’ve managed to hold off from putting the heating on. It’s too early for that nonsense.

This week we will be focusing on the last few verses of Chapter 15 and the topic of disagreement, a subject I’m sure we have little to no experience in…

For the craft:

4 Plastic Spoons (or 1 will make one character!)

Paper

Scissors

Glue

Permanent marker

Game

Build a bridge! Who can build the best bridge? The best at holding something? The best looking? The best at allowing one side to be joined to another?

We’re looking at arguments today and we must never forget that whilst arguing isn’t necessarily a bad thing, they can get out of control and become unhelpful, hurtful and wrong. Always be ready to build a bridge, keep 2 sides together and forgive.

Bible Bit

Paul and Barnabas Separate

36 After some time, Paul said to Barnabas, “We preached the message of the Lord in many towns. We should go back to all those towns to visit the believers and see how they are doing.”

37 Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them too. 38 But John Mark had left them at Pamphylia; he did not continue with them in the work. So Paul did not think it was a good idea to take him. 39 Paul and Barnabas had a serious argument about this. They separated and went different ways. Barnabas sailed to Cyprus and took Mark with him. 40 But Paul chose Silas and left. The believers in Antioch put Paul into the Lord’s care. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, giving strength to the churches.

Videos

This one is pretty good for today. It retells the passage with a bit of extra context for kids.

Ages 3-7: The passage is fairly short to retell or read for the older end of this group. Or use the video link to the passage above and watch it together.

In the video, I reference this video that shows what happens when you put Orbeez in a hot pan (!)

Feel free to watch it too and talk about what it can be like when people argue. Use the video to show when people disagree, they can get loud with their opinion and perhaps it is hard to listen to the other points of view. I pointed out that the different colours split up could represent the different sides of an argument, or people on different ‘sides’. When all the colours are together in the pan, it’s impossible to hear the individual ‘bouncing noises’ and so how can you sort out the argument? Mention the cooling action of the cold water being poured over them. Talk about taking a step back when in an argument and how it helps you to cool down and hear the other person/people. Turn taking is important to give everyone a chance to say how they feel or what they think.

You might want to talk about the principle of disagreeing not being a bad thing in itself, but as ever, it’s about how we go about it. You could use this as an opportunity to talk about your expectations for your child/ren when it comes to disagreements.

In the argument between Paul and Barnabas, it was so bad that they couldn’t agree and so decided to split up and go separate ways. This must have been sad for them.

The good news was that they both still wanted to tell other people about Jesus and so they carried on doing that and more people got to hear about Jesus and followed Him too.

Ask:

Can you remember any of the names of the men in the story today? (Paul, Barnabas, Silas, John Mark)

Paul and Barnabas argued about who should go with them on their next journey. Did they sort it out well? (No, not really. They couldn’t agree and so split up.)

Have you ever had an argument? How did you sort it out?

Pray. Pray that if you have an argument or don’t think the same as someone else, you can keep cool and try to understand what the other person/people think. Pray that you have good ideas to sort it out.

This is a video with a puppet character called Douglas who talks about arguing and it’s pretty good for ages 5/6+

Ages 7-11: Read, retell, or watch the video of the passage together.

Ask:

Can you say what happens in the passage in a few sentences?

Does anything jump put to you? Is there anything you don’t understand?

Have you ever had a real argument with a friend?

Whose side are you on? Paul’s or Barnabas’? Why?

How do you think Paul and Barnabas should have resolved this argument?

How do you resolve any arguments with your friends?

Do you think anything good came out of this argument?

The good news was that they both still wanted to tell other people about Jesus and so they carried on doing that and more people got to hear about Jesus and followed Him too.

Here is the video of the Orbeez in a pan!

Use the video to talk about what can happen in an argument. Here’s some thoughts from me:

When people disagree, they can get loud with their opinion and perhaps it is hard to listen to the other points of view. The different colours split up could represent the different sides of an argument, or people on different ‘sides’. When all the colours are together in the pan, it’s impossible to hear the individual ‘bouncing noises’ and so how can you sort out the argument? Mention the cooling action of the cold water being poured over them. Talk about taking a step back when in an argument and how it helps you to cool down and hear the other person/people. Turn taking is important to give everyone a chance to say how they feel or what they think.

This video explores the topic of arguing with a puppet called Douglas. Some older children might find him a bit babyish to look at, but the content is far from babyish!

Craft/Activities

Have a go at making Paul, Barnabas, Silas and John Mark! Follow the photo instructions

If you made a boat a few weeks ago, you could Paul and Silas in one and they could sail off without Barnabas and John Mark.

On the back of a plastic spoon, draw the face:

Using some coloured, patterned or plain paper, cut a strip about 2 inches wide 6 inches long. Fold it in half length ways and cut a v shape out across the fold line in the centre to create a coat like this:

Cut two arms out of the paper and secure them on the inside of the coat with a bit of glue or tape:

Slide the spoon through the hole at the top and using a bit of glue, glue it in place so the coat doesn’t slip down. Like this:

Repeat a further 3 times to make the other men!

Create a poster with ‘Top Tips for Dealing with Disagreements’! Here are some ideas you might like to include:

Listen to both sides

Choose your words carefully

Try to avoid arguments

Deal with disputes, don’t ignore them or carry them on

Don’t be nasty

Don’t be quick to judge

Don’t look down on people

Put other people first

Think the best of others

Always act with love

Print off the colouring or any other activity!

Wordsearch

Colouring Sheet 1

Barnabas’ Actions List in Code

Colouring Sheet 2

#Salford #Elim #Church

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salfordelim · 5 years ago

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It’s easy to think that healthy churches will never have disagreements. But that’s wrong. Every time God puts us in a new situation, opens up new doors of mission, or challenges us with new ideas, it’s easy for us to become defensive and controlling.

Acts 15 is the story of the early church’s challenge. Their challenge is not ours, but it does shed light on how we might be able to learn from them so that we can face our challenges well.

#Salford #Elim #Church

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salfordelim · 5 years ago

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Here are my song choices for this week’s Sunday Playlist podcast episode…

#Salford #Elim #Church

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salfordelim · 5 years ago

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Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: ‘Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.’ 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them.

Acts 15:1-2

It’s true: ‘The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there’. So it’s easy to point the finger smugly and believe that we would have acted different.

Except we probably wouldn’t.

These Jewish followers of Jesus were sincere, enthusiastic and wrong. They weren’t saying that non-Jewish men couldn’t be saved, they just said they had to become like them. It’s an easy temptation to fall into.

Some people in our church remember the old days. The days when keen churches, sincere churches, enthusiastic churches sure of the story of salvation and the offer that was open to all, had a row of hats resting on pegs in the church foyer.

They were there just in case.

Just in case a woman should turn up to church looking for salvation, looking for a place to belong but unaware that they needed to wear a hat in this church.

I can only imagine the conversation.

‘It’s so nice to see you this morning, sister. And I don’t think we’ve met before. We do hope you enjoy being with us. I wonder, though, if, before you come in and join us, you would be willing to take one of these rather battered, hand-me-down hats and wear it today. We do want you to feel like you belong, you see.’

And most did take a hat, place it on their heads, wondering just why they weren’t acceptable to the church without it. Perhaps they would wonder whether God felt the same way about them. If God felt this way about hats, what about the other stuff? The things the welcome team couldn’t see?

What they should have said was: No, I don’t think I do want to wear one of your slightly grubby hats.

The women in the church should have said: No, they do not need to look like us to be acceptable to God.

The men in the church should have said: I don’t think this is what Paul meant in Corinthians.

They all should have said: No, it’s nonsense. You don’t need to be like us to belong. God is obviously at work in your life, and that’s good enough for us. Come in.

But sometimes it’s not enough for us, is it? We fear the ones who don’t look like us or talk like us or live like us. We feel confident that we know what God expects and we are keen to share that with whoever will listen.

And sometimes it takes someone to say, ‘Enough’, it takes someone to enter into a sharp dispute.

God was ahead of the Jewish follower of Jesus, ready to blow apart their barriers and dividing walls to let all those who were different into the kingdom.

He still is.

Forget about the hats.

Interview

This week’s interview is with Dan. It’s part of this month’s loose theme of family life. Dan is Steve and Claire’s son, and as well as reflecting on his own story of faith, gives advice for other parents whose children might be getting towards the teenage years.

1. Our Gatherings

Sunday gathering

The link to this Sunday’s Gathering is here:

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/836810848 Meeting ID: 836 810 848

Or you can join us live on YouTube.

2. Prayer Ministry on Sundays

After each Sunday service, the prayer team will be available to pray for those needing support in breakout rooms on Zoom. You can either let Ian know in advance or just wait around after the service.

If you have prayer requests but don’t want to be prayed with, you can also let Ian know and the prayer team will use that time to pray on your behalf.

3. Coming Up: Alt Worship in the Church Building

If you come you need to make sure you don’t have a temperature or feel unwell; you must wear a face mask during the service; and you must stay a couple of meters from one another.

4. Stay Connected: ‘Virtual Coffee Morning’ – Wednesday 10.30-11.30am

Meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/94930624852?pwd=dlI0SnhwY3RaNnUrUGpSMTkrWm5hZz09

5. On Thursday at 7.45-9.00 All Church Prayer Meeting

The link is here:

https://zoom.us/j/99171331331?pwd=WWUrajBFd29SUGNETnVJVlpSMVA1UT09

6. Non-Zoom prayer meeting

On Friday 10.30-12.00 there’s a prayer meeting in a non-Zoom meeting! Using Whatsapp, contact Corinne Baines or Gill Oldham or Neil and they’ll make sure you are able to connect.

If in doubt

All the links to the meetings are in Church Suite and on the ‘Calendar’ section of our church website: http://www.salfordelimchurch.org/events/

You’re not alone

If you need help and don’t know where to turn, you are always welcome to contact Neil on 07771 558058 but you might also be interested to know about this ministry in the church:

Salford Elim Church and Community Counselling Service

We want to continue this ministry and expand it in two ways:

Her mobile number to text or call is 07854 946995

And finally, if you would like to access counselling for yourself, then please contact Judith directly or visit the page for the service.

Giving

Thanks to all of you who give regularly. If you want to make a gift to the church you can transfer money direct to the bank account. Here are the details: EFGA Salford Elim: 60-05-16; 18523781.

And if you would like to give to The Vine, the account is The Vine; 60-05-16; 18523811.

Every Week You get Prayed For!

I don’t take that for granted. It’s great to know that we belong to a church that supports one another in lots of ways, not least prayer.

From time to time, you might want to thank them!

Debbie King

Ian Peacock

Julian Gittings

Gill Oldham

Lorna Plura

Charlie Blundell

Paul King

Alex McGregor

Maggie Hudson

Janet Downs

Judith Thompson

Nev Plura

Alpha Course

As most of you will know, The Alpha Course is designed for those who want to explore the Christian faith in a relaxed environment where no questions are off limits. We are going to offer two opportunities before Christmas via Zoom to do Alpha; one on a Tuesday evening (starts 29th September) and the other on a Thursday afternoon (starts 24th September). Full details are available via the buttons below.

Tuesdays, 7pm-8.30pm

Thursdays, 1pm-2.30pm

Sharing faith can be hard for most of us but this is an easy way to do it. You never know, they might say yes!

Here’s a promo video for Alpha which you might want to share with those you invite:

Please pray:

For those who have already agreed to come

For those you will invite

For Judith and Ian as they lead the course

Links and Resources

1. Kids Resources

Here’s this week’s Kids Resources from Morag, with a variety of videos, crafts and other useful to help your child/ren read and learn from this week’s Bible passage.

#Salford #Elim #Church

0 notes

salfordelim · 5 years ago

Link

Hey guys, how’s it going? Hope things are ticking along and you’ve been able to make the most of the dry, bright days. We had a Covid test this week, which thankfully came back negative and very quickly so we only had to isolate for a day.

This week we are looking at Acts Chapter 15. It’s a long one and so I’m going to re-tell it on the video, rather than read it all out. There isn’t an obvious or straight-forward application for children and so I’m going to focus on God seeing our hearts and inviting us even with all our faults and the only requirement of salvation being accepting Jesus as Lord.

Bible Bit

Acts Chapter 15

The Meeting at Jerusalem

1Then some men came to Antioch from Judea. They began teaching the non-Jewish brothers: “You cannot be saved if you are not circumcised. Moses taught us to do this.” 2Paul and Barnabas were against this teaching and argued with the men about it. So the group decided to send Paul, Barnabas, and some other men to Jerusalem. There they could talk more about this with the apostles and elders.

3The church helped the men leave on the trip. They went through the countries of Phoenicia and Samaria, telling all about how the non-Jewish people had turned to God. This made all the believers very happy. 4When they arrived in Jerusalem, the apostles, the elders, and the church welcomed them. Paul, Barnabas, and the others told about all the things that God had done with them. 5But some of the believers who had belonged to the Pharisee group came forward. They said, “The non-Jewish believers must be circumcised. We must tell them to obey the law of Moses!”

6The apostles and the elders gathered to study this problem. 7There was a long debate. Then Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know what happened in the early days. God chose me from among you to preach the Good News to the non-Jewish people. They heard the Good News from me, and they believed. 8God, who knows the thoughts of all men, accepted them. He showed this to us by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. 9To God, those people are not different from us. When they believed, he made their hearts pure. 10So now why are you testing God? You are putting a heavy load around the necks of the non-Jewish brothers. It is a load that neither we nor our fathers were able to carry. 11But we believe that we and they too will be saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus!”

12Then the whole group became quiet. They listened to Paul and Barnabas speak. Paul and Barnabas told about all the miracles and signs that God did through them among the non-Jewish people. 13After they finished speaking, James spoke. He said, “Brothers, listen to me. 14Simon has told us how God showed his love for the non-Jewish people. For the first time he has accepted them and made them his people. 15The words of the prophets agree with this too:

16‘After these things I will return. The kingdom of David is like a fallen tent. But I will rebuild it. And I will again build its ruins. And I will set it up. 17Then those people who are left alive may ask the Lord for help. And all people from other nations may worship me, says the Lord. And he will make it happen. 18And these things have been known for a long time.’ Amos 9:11-12

19“So I think we should not bother the non-Jewish brothers who have turned to God. 20Instead, we should write a letter to them. We should tell them these things: Do not eat food that has been offered to idols. (This makes the food unclean.) Do not take part in any kind of sexual sin. Do not taste blood. Do not eat animals that have been strangled. 21They should not do these things, because there are still men in every city who teach the law of Moses. For a long time the words of Moses have been read in the synagogue every Sabbath day.”

Letter to Non-Jewish Believers

22The apostles, the elders, and the whole church decided to send some of their men with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch. They chose Judas Barsabbas and Silas, who were respected by the believers. 23They sent the following letter with them:

From the apostles and elders, your brothers.

To all the non-Jewish brothers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:

Dear Brothers,

24We have heard that some of our men have come to you and said things that trouble and upset you. But we did not tell them to do this! 25We have all agreed to choose some men and send them to you. They will be with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— 26men who have given their lives to serve our Lord Jesus Christ. 27So we have sent Judas and Silas with them. They will tell you the same things. 28It has pleased the Holy Spirit that you should not have a heavy load to carry, and we agree. You need to do only these things: 29Do not eat any food that has been offered to idols. Do not taste blood. Do not eat any animals that have been strangled. Do not take part in any kind of sexual sin. If you stay away from these things, you will do well.

Good-bye.

30So the men left Jerusalem and went to Antioch. There they gathered the church and gave them the letter. 31When they read it, they were very happy because of the encouraging letter. 32Judas and Silas were also prophets, who said many things to encourage the believers and make them stronger. 33After some time Judas and Silas were sent off in peace by the believers. They went back to those who had sent them. 34[But Silas decided to remain there.]

35But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch. They and many others preached the Good News and taught the people the message of the Lord.

Paul and Barnabas Separate

36After some time, Paul said to Barnabas, “We preached the message of the Lord in many towns. We should go back to all those towns to visit the believers and see how they are doing.”

37Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them too. 38But John Mark had left them at Pamphylia; he did not continue with them in the work. So Paul did not think it was a good idea to take him. 39Paul and Barnabas had a serious argument about this. They separated and went different ways. Barnabas sailed to Cyprus and took Mark with him. 40But Paul chose Silas and left. The believers in Antioch put Paul into the Lord’s care. 41And he went through Syria and Cilicia, giving strength to the churches.

Videos

There are no video links this week as I couldn’t find any suitable ones!

Here is one to The Prodigal son though:

My re-telling:

Paul and Barnabas are in Antioch when some other Jews from Judea arrive and start to tell people that they can only really become Christians and be saved by Jesus if they follow all the Jewish Laws that Moses set out. This was very different to what Paul and Barnabas believed and so there was a bit of discussion and argument about who was right- could non-Jewish people, (Gentiles), be saved just by believing Jesus is the Son of God who rose again and is Lord of all and turning away from sin or do they need to follow all the Jewish laws as well?

The argument wasn’t settled and so they decided to send Paul, Barnabas and some other men to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles and the council there.

When they got there, more argument and debate went on and different people got to say their thoughts and opinions while everyone listened. Peter got up and reminded everyone of the Gentile people that had accepted the Good News of Jesus and been filled with the Holy Spirit, just as they had, even though they weren’t Jewish or following Jewish laws. He said God sees the heart and knows our thoughts and it is because of His grace that Jews and Gentiles are saved, not because we stick to rules.

Paul and Barnabas got to share their stories too, of how they have seen Gentiles becoming Christians and God has been doing miracles among them. Then James got up and spoke how in old prophecies, it does actually say that God will make a way for all people from all nations to come and worship Him and so this is what they have been seeing happen. James said that they shouldn’t teach that Gentiles need to follow all the Jewish laws, but that they should write a letter to the church in Antioch outlining the things that they do think Jews and non-Jews alike should follow.

So they wrote a letter saying that they should not eat certain foods, eat or drink blood (ugh) and they should stay faithful to their wives husbands. Then Paul, Barnabas and some other men (Judas and Silas) went to take it to Antioch. They stayed there for a while until Judas returned to Jerusalem and the others stayed.

They spent some time preaching and teaching before Paul said he and Barnabas should go back to all the places they had been to, spreading the news of Jesus to go and see how the churches there were getting on. Barnabas wanted to take a man called John Mark with them, but Paul didn’t because John Mark had travelled with them before but gave up part-way through. Barnabas thought he should be allowed though, and they had a massive argument about it. In the end Barnabas went one way, to Cyprus with John Mark and Paul went another way, to Syria, with Silas.

3-7s: You might want to further simplify the passage above, or tell the story of The Prodigal Son. I’ve picked this one because it tells a story of someone who didn’t follow all the rules his father set out for him, verses a brother who did, but the father loved them both and offered them both all he had, showing grace. Be sure to explain to your child/ren that God sees our hearts and knows what we are thinking. He knows we can make mistakes and do wrong things, but when we are sorry, He sees that and still loves us and forgives us. After retelling either story, ask:

When God looks at us, what does He see? (Our hearts)

Does God want us to do the right things? (Yes)

If we make mistakes or choose to do bad things, does God still love us? (Yes, He sees our hearts and knows when we are sorry)

7-11s: Read or retell the story from today’s passage. In the passage today we hear about a big and important issue between some Jews and others on what needs to happen if a non-Jew, Gentile, is to truly become a follower of Jesus. Some felt strongly that they would need to follow all the Jewish laws, and basically live like a Jew. We hear that in the end, through argument and debate, it was decided that actually that is not the case. The thing that makes a person a follower of God isn’t the rules that they keep, or the food that they don’t eat, but the grace that God shows each one of us when we go to Him, accepting that Jesus dies for our sins and ask for His forgiveness, which He then offers us. God looks at our hearts and knows what we believe, rather than watching how good we are and how well we keep to any rules.

We also read that there was still some rules they told all people to keep. We know that just because God loves us, that doesn’t mean He wants us to carry on doing things wrong; just because He forgives, doesn’t mean we should just sin anyway! No. Keeping the rules won’t make us Christians, but it helps us to become more like Jesus. Remember the story of The Prodigal Son? One son asks his dad for the money he would get if his dad died (!) and then leaves home and spends it all living extravagantly and wildly. Then there is a famine and he has to work and eat with pigs, which was terrible for anyone, let alone a Jew. In the end he decides to go back to his dad, say sorry and ask to be his servant because he knows he will have a better life being his dad’s servant, than eating pig food. So he makes his way home and his dad looks out and sees him in the distance. His dad is so chuffed that he starts making the plans to have a massive party to welcome him home. The other brother, who has stayed at home the whole time, done nothing wrong and not wasted a load of his dad’s money, can’t believe what is happening and says to his dad how unfair he thinks it is. But his dad just says it was like his brother was lost and now is found, so of course he has to celebrate.

In the story, it’s not that the dad wouldn’t have been upset or sad that his son had done the wrong things, but he could see that he was sorry and didn’t want to live that way anymore. He didn’t ask his son to live by certain rules before he welcomed him home and that’s similar to what the passage is saying today: if we love God, accept Jesus and his salvation, we don’t have to follow rules before God accepts us. He offers grace first. But when we love God, there are ways we will want to follow and rules we will want to keep.

Ask:

Why did Paul and Barnabas leave the Antioch church and travel to Jerusalem? (Jews came to Antioch telling Gentiles they had to follow Jewish laws to be saved)

How did the problem get resolved between the Jewish and Gentile believers? (They agreed to write a letter for the Gentile believers telling them things not to do)

Why did Paul and Barnabas split up? (They argued about John Mark coming with them)

What rules do we need to keep to be a follower of Jesus? (None. We just need to believe in Jesus as our saviour)

Craft/Activities

Have a look at the printable activities and see what takes your fancy! Why not ask your parents or carers to take a photo of your creative achievements and post it on Beyond Sunday? God looks at the heart- find the 12 hidden hearts on one activity. Maybe you love a wordsearch?

Wordsearch

Prodigal Son Colouring

Hidden Hearts

Crossword

Coded Words

Prodigal Son and Pigs

God sees the heart colouring

God sees our heart colouring

Can you come up with anything yourself to craft or create?

How about a ‘Welcome Home’ Poster? Or a picture of a party?!

#Salford #Elim #Church

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salfordelim · 5 years ago

Link

Every breakthrough costs you something.Every situation that changes happens because someone has paid a price. It costs time, strength, emotions investment, money. Nothing is changed without the threat of loss.

Paul’s first missionary journey took him into new situations that he couldn’t have imagined. But God was working through him.

It’s just the same today for us…

#Salford #Elim #Church

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salfordelim · 5 years ago

Link

Paul’s first missionary journey took him into new situations that he couldn’t have imagined. But God was working through him.

It’s just the same today for us.

Here are my song choices for this week’s Sunday Playlist podcast episode…

#Salford #Elim #Church

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salfordelim · 5 years ago

Link

We’ve all got questions. Some are worth exploring in depth such as ‘Why am I here?’, ‘What is the solution to the world’s problems?’ and ‘Is there a hope that goes beyond death?’

The Alpha Course is designed for those who want to explore the big questions of life in a relaxed environment where no questions are off limits. We watch a video about an aspect of the Christian faith and then discuss it – simple!

Due to COVID-19, this will be an online course, delivered via Zoom.

Here’s the Alpha promo video to give you a flavour of the course:

We’re offering two opportunities before Christmas via Zoom to do Alpha; one on a Tuesday evening (starts 29th September) and the other on a Thursday afternoon (starts 24th September). Full details are available via the buttons below.

Tuesdays, 7pm-8.30pm

Thursdays, 1pm-2.30pm

So if you’re interested, please do come along. We’d love to have you join us to ask your questions!

#Salford #Elim #Church

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salfordelim · 5 years ago

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Neil’s Reflections

It’s not always wise to comment on other people’s politics, especially when you are separated by a couple of thousand miles. But some things seem strange.

I think it’s strange that Christians would want to support the re-election of the existing American President. But it’s more than strange. I think it’s dangerous when they suggest that he is God’s man for the moment. At that point it feels that the Church has lost the right to speak any semblance of truth to power. Once you blend in with the existing culture, don’t be surprised if people can’t see that you are standing for anything distinctive. Don’t be surprised if they reject your stories about Jesus.

It’s not always easy standing apart from the existing culture. It can feel very uneasy. But it’s vital because Christians have to stay attached to a radically different story otherwise you will end up with a confused faith cut off from the power of the Spirit.

It might be irreverent but I wonder whether someone should produce Luke’s account of the early church in Acts as a farce. In chapter 14, there’s a moment when Paul and Barnabas are mistaken for the Greek gods Zeus and Hermes. A whole city are beside themselves in excitement when they thing these gods have come to earth in flesh. The temple priest arrives ready to place wreaths on their heads and sacrifice bulls to them.

Paul and Barnabas struggle to explain that they have got the story wrong. They run onto the crowd, tearing their clothes, trying to explain that they are humans, and that far from coming to receive this worship, they’ve come to put a stop to it all. They are here to tell a completely different story. A better story. One that doesn’t include gods who terrorise humans, use violence to get their way, and keep people terrified of them.

Sometimes it’s hard to stop people getting the wrong end of the stick. They tried really hard, but had ‘difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them’, though that seems to have been achieved when some Jews who spent all their time following Paul and Barnabas around the region stirring up trouble arrive.

They were much better at getting the crowd to change their minds. They persuade the crowd that Paul was not only a man, but he was a bad man. He needed to be put to death. So the crowd put their sacrifices and massive differences to one side, pick up rocks, stone Paul, drag him outside the city and leave him for dead.

Paul has united pagans and Jewish monotheists: they both agree that it would be better if Paul was dead. All because he refused to accept the sacrifices from those who thought he was a Greek God and refused to stop talking to Jews about the Messiah Jesus.

No wonder that Paul’s message to the churches was ‘we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God’. (v 22). It’s not easy to stand apart from the crowd. It’s not easy to stand for truth. It’s not easy to tell people about a whole different story. It’s not easy to be rejected.

But it is the way of Jesus. Whoever is standing for election.

Interview

This week’s interview is with Steve Hollick. Steve is part of the Governing Body, but along with Clare, more importantly is a parent to two rather wonderful lads. In this interview he talks about his own experience of growing up as the son of a pastor as well as the joys and challenges of being a parent of teenagers.

Connecting

1. Our Gatherings

Speaking Confidently – Wednesday 16 September at 7.30pm

Before lockdown we did some sessions on public speaking – especially in a church context. There will be another session on this which will pick up where we were but will also offer a chance for people to ‘have a go’ and get some feedback. If you came to those session, it’d be great if you come along to this.

The session will be on Wednesday 16 September at 7.30pm

Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86969818407 Meeting ID: 869 6981 8407

Sunday gathering

The link to this Sunday’s Gathering is here:

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/836810848 Meeting ID: 836 810 848

Or you can join us live on YouTube.

2. Prayer Ministry on Sundays

After each Sunday service, the prayer team will be available to pray for those needing support in breakout rooms on Zoom. You can either let Ian know in advance or just wait around after the service.

If you have prayer requests but don’t want to be prayed with, you can also let Ian know and the prayer team will use that time to pray on your behalf.

3. Stay Connected: ‘Virtual Coffee Morning’ – Wednesday 10.30-11.30am

Meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/94930624852?pwd=dlI0SnhwY3RaNnUrUGpSMTkrWm5hZz09

4. House Groups – Thursday 7.45-9.00pm

If you haven’t been part of them yet, now’s a great time to join in.

The link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/998857193

5. Non-Zoom Prayer Meeting

On Friday 10.30-12.00 there’s a prayer meeting in a non-Zoom meeting! Using Whatsapp, contact Corinne Baines or Gill Oldham or Neil and they’ll make sure you are able to connect.

If in doubt

All the links to the meetings are in Church Suite and on the ‘Calendar’ section of our church website: http://www.salfordelimchurch.org/events/

6. You’re not alone

If you need help and don’t know where to turn, you are always welcome to contact Neil on 07771 558058

7. Giving

Thanks to all of you who give regularly. If you want to make a gift to the church you can transfer money direct to the bank account. Here are the details: EFGA Salford Elim: 60-05-16; 18523781.

And if you would like to give to The Vine, the account is The Vine; 60-05-16; 18523811.

8. Coming Up

Men Walking Together

We wanted to – but in line with the changes and the specific advice from the government against doing this, we feel the responsible thing is to postpone this until it is possible. We will do this walk – just not now!

Alpha Course

Sharing faith can be hard for most of us but this is an easy way to do it. You never know, they might say yes!

Here’s a promo video for Alpha which you might want to share with those you invite:

Here are the Zoom links for the courses:

Tuesday Alpha: https://zoom.us/j/92563386833?pwd=OUFyS2x3UW9pL2NnVENzUTJNRkt0UT09

Thursday Alpha: https://zoom.us/j/96790307723?pwd=TjVNZmp6U0xtY3dXNnpLZFFPeHNaQT09

Please pray:

For those who have already agreed to come

For those you will invite

For Judith and Ian as they lead the course

Every Week You get Prayed For!

This is just to remind you that every week the whole church is prayed for – by name. At the beginning of the lockdown, everyone who was on ChurchSuite was contacted by one of the pastoral team to make sure you had enough support. And in different ways that is continuing. Of course, you may have decided at the time that you would be ok and so didn’t really connect much. BUT… be assured you have been prayed for by name every week by the pastoral team.

I don’t take that for granted. It’s great to know that we belong to a church that supports one another in lots of ways, not least prayer.

From time to time, you might want to thank them!

Debbie King

Ian Peacock

Julian Gittings

Gill Oldham

Lorna Plura

Charlie Blundell

Paul King

Alex McGregor

Maggie Hudson

Janet Downs

Judith Thompson

Nev Plura

Links and Resources

1. Kids Resources

Here’s this week’s Kids Resources from Morag, with a variety of videos, crafts and other useful to help your child/ren read and learn from this week’s Bible passage.

2. Help For Living

Care for the Family have been providing resources and events for many years that give people hope and ideas to make life better. During the autumn they will all be online. Details are here: https://www.careforthefamily.org.uk/events/events-online

If you want help with parenting, singleness, marriage, living confidently, I would definitely recommend you having a look. All from the comfort of your own home.

#Salford #Elim #Church

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salfordelim · 5 years ago

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Hi everyone, hope you’re all having a good week settling into new and old routines! Maybe you’re keeping a cautious lid on your excitement in case it doesn’t last long, either way, we can be pleased most of our youngsters are back, and those who aren’t are being looked after in the best way right now.

This week we are carrying on looking at Acts Chapter 14. Paul and Barnabas continue their journey, preaching to Jews and Gentiles and getting more grief!

Game/Challenge

They say we should do something that scares us or get out of our comfort zones!! Are they wise?

We probably all have things that scare us a bit or challenge us and sometimes doing those things is really helpful in growing and developing.

Can you think of something you can challenge yourself to do this week that’s a bit scary or involves stepping out of your comfort zone? Maybe it’s time to lose the stabilisers on your bike! Maybe climb a bit higher on the climbing frame at the park? How about asking someone else to join in your games in the playground? Have a think!

Being a Christian and following Jesus means there will be times when we have to be braver than we’d like and step out of our comfort zones so that God can use us to tell others about Jesus. In the passage today, Paul and Barnabas show us a it about what that looked like for them…

Bible Bit

Here it is from the International Children’s Bible:

Acts Chapter 14

Paul and Barnabas in Iconium

In Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went as usual to the Jewish synagogue. They spoke so well that a great many Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But some of the Jews who did not believe excited the non-Jewish people and turned them against the believers. 3 But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Iconium a long time and spoke bravely for the Lord. The Lord showed that their message about his grace was true by giving them the power to work miracles and signs. 4 But some of the people in the city agreed with the Jews. Others believed the apostles. So the city was divided.

5 Some non-Jewish people, some Jews, and some of their rulers wanted to harm Paul and Barnabas by killing them with stones. 6 When Paul and Barnabas learned about this, they went to Lystra and Derbe, cities in Lycaonia, and to the areas around those cities. 7 They announced the Good News there, too.

Paul in Lystra and Derbe

8 In Lystra there sat a man who had been born crippled; he had never walked. 9 This man was listening to Paul speak. Paul looked straight at him and saw that the man believed God could heal him. 10 So he cried out, “Stand up on your feet!” The man jumped up and began walking around. 11 When the crowds saw what Paul did, they shouted in their own Lycaonian language. They said, “The gods have become like men! They have come down to us!” 12 And the people began to call Barnabas “Zeus.” They called Paul “Hermes,” because he was the main speaker. 13 The temple of Zeus was near the city. The priest of this temple brought some bulls and flowers to the city gates. The priest and the people wanted to offer a sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas. 14 But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, understood what they were about to do, they tore their clothes in anger. Then they ran in among the people and shouted, 15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We are only men, human beings like you! We are bringing you the Good News. We are telling you to turn away from these worthless things and turn to the true living God. He is the One who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them. 16 In the past, God let all the nations do what they wanted. 17 Yet he did things to prove he is real: He shows kindness to you. He gives you rain from heaven and crops at the right times. He gives you food and fills your hearts with joy.” 18 Even with these words, they were barely able to keep the crowd from offering sacrifices to them.

19 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium. They persuaded the people to turn against Paul. And so they threw stones at Paul and dragged him out of town. They thought that they had killed him. 20 But the followers gathered around him, and he got up and went back into the town. The next day, he and Barnabas left and went to the city of Derbe.

The Return to Antioch in Syria

21 Paul and Barnabas told the Good News in Derbe and many became followers. Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. 22 In those cities they made the followers of Jesus stronger. They helped them to stay in the faith. They said, “We must suffer many things to enter God’s kingdom.” 23 They chose elders for each church, by praying and giving up eating. These elders were men who had trusted the Lord. So Paul and Barnabas put them in the Lord’s care.

24 Then they went through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 They preached the message in Perga, and then they went down to Attalia. 26 And from there they sailed away to Antioch. This is where the believers had put them into God’s care and had sent them out to do this work. And now they had finished the work.

27 When they arrived in Antioch, they gathered the church together. Paul and Barnabas told them all about what God had done with them. They told how God had made it possible for the non-Jews to believe! 28 And they stayed there a long time with the followers.

Videos

This is another of the daft ones that older children might like!

This is an audio version with sound effects

This animation is from The Holy Tales and is good for the younger ones. It doesn’t cover all of the chapter, but it gets the point across

Ages 3-7: You will probably want to retell the main parts of the story rather than read it straight from the bible as it’s a long passage. The main bits to include would be that the journey continues for Paul and Barnabas (you could print off the map and plot the journey taken from chapter 13 to now), they tell Jewish people and none Jewish people about Jesus, some of them choose to believe and others don’t. Again, some get very angry with Paul and Barnabas and plan to hurt and even try to kill them, but they fail, and Paul and Barnabas carry on telling people wherever they go. More amazing miracles happen (not all are detailed, but one healing of a lame man is), more people start to follow Jesus and the church gets bigger. Paul and Barnabas go back to Antioch in Syria and tell the church there what went on.

In the video, I did a little illustration of what it means for us to have the power of Jesus and the Holy Spirit in us (we are able to withstand way more than we could alone), using paper and a toilet roll tube (!). You might like to draw out that in this chapter we hear more of Paul and Barnabas facing horrible times and serious grief, but because of Jesus in them, they carried on doing what they knew was right and God’s work. We too have the same Jesus and His power in us so that we too can withstand anything that comes our way. You might want to pray with your child/ren if there’s anything in particular you know they are struggling with or just that they know God’s power and presence and they can be as bold and persistent as Paul and Barnabas.

Recap questions:

What were the men in the story called? (Paul and Barnabas)

Did they stay in one place and live there? (No, they travelled to lots of places)

What did they do in all the different places they went to? (Told everyone they could about Jesus)

Who was with them wherever they went, giving them power and strength to be brave and keep going? (Jesus and the Holy Spirit)

Ages 7-11: You could read the passage straight for above or from a Bible together, sharing parts with each other or you might want to retell the main parts of the story rather than read it straight from the bible as it’s a long passage. If you do, the main bits to include would be that the journey continues for Paul and Barnabas (you could print off the map and plot the journey taken from chapter 13 to now), they tell Jewish people and none Jewish people about Jesus, some of them choose to believe and others don’t. Again, some get very angry with Paul and Barnabas and plan to hurt and even try to kill them, but they fail, and Paul and Barnabas carry on telling people wherever they go. More amazing miracles happen (not all are detailed, but one healing of a lame man is), more people start to follow Jesus and the church gets bigger. Paul and Barnabas go back to Antioch in Syria and tell the church there what went on.

Recap Questions:

When Paul and Barnabas got to Iconium where did they go? (The synagogue)

When it was clear that some people were not happy with what Paul and Barnabas, did they leave Iconium? (No, initially they stayed for a long time, speaking bravely to tell people about Jesus. They didn’t change the message of Jesus and it divided the city)

When did Paul and Barnabas go to Lystra? (When they heard about a plan to stone them to death)

When they got to Lystra, did they lie low and have a break from telling people the Gospel? (No, they preached the good news there too)

What miracle do we hear happened in Lystra? (a lame man was healed)

Describe in a few sentences the reaction from the people who witnessed it. (They called Paul and Barnabas gods, they tried to bring sacrifices to them, as soon as Paul and Barnabas understood what was going on they were horrified and tried to tell them to stop and that they were just men, they told them there is one creator God, but the people didn’t stop trying to make sacrifices to them.)

Then some more Jews came from Iconium and Antioch and persuaded others to try and stone Paul. Did they succeed? (No, they thought he was dead so dragged him out of the city and left him there)

Paul and Barnabas then went to Derbe. What did they do there? (Yep, told people the good news of Jesus)

They then went back to Lystra, the place where Paul had just been almost stoned to death! Why did they go back here? (They wanted to encourage and strengthen the new Christians there, and in Iconium and Antioch. It says they chose Elders, or leaders, for the churches there so maybe they hadn’t had the chance to do this before they had to leave when Paul was nearly killed.)

Then they went down to Pamphilia, Perga and Attalia, preaching the Gospel as they went, before returning to Antioch in Syria (where they set off from at the start of Acts 13). What did they do when they got back to Antioch, Syria? (They got the church together and told them all that God had done through them and that God had made it possible for non-Jews to believe and be saved.)

It’s clear from this passage that Paul and Barnabas must have had some serious courage to keep telling the Gospel message when they were getting so much opposition from people who didn’t like it. To go back to the city where you’d just been stoned almost to death, must have needed some bravery. But they knew they weren’t alone, they knew God was with them and would give them the strength to be able to handle whatever came their way. It didn’t mean the bad things didn’t happen, just that God was with them through it and He had the final say and His plans were being worked out in spreading the Gospel.

This brings challenges to us and how we live.

Do you feel you trust God as much as Paul and Barnabas did?

Are there times when you feel a bit afraid of new things or situations?

Paul and Barnabas never really fitted into the places where they went- many Jewish people didn’t want to have them in their synagogues and many non-Jews didn’t want to hear the message of God either but they didn’t change to fit in. As followers of Jesus we should be ready to be the ones who stand out and sometimes that means saying things that other people don’t believe to be true, or doing the right thing when it isn’t the easiest.

What can we do to make these things easier and possible for us to do? (We can ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit and receive strength, courage and wisdom. We can ask for more faith when we are struggling to believe or trust in God)

Craft/Activities

Paul and Barnabas met people who believed in all kinds of different gods. They told them that there is only one God and He made the whole world and everything in it.

What do you love that God made? Is it grass to play on? The sky? Dogs? Colours? Water? The sea? Birds? Flowers? Why not create a poster, picture, piece of artwork, a 3D picture, a collage, a display, a model, an information booklet all about something you love!? Let your own imagination decide what you come up with!

Print off the colouring sheet or the maze to complete

There is also some Thought Bubble pages, where you can think of all the things God made or ways to spread the good news of Jesus!

There’s also a puzzle sheet with ways to tell other about Jesus.

Don’t forget to update your map with Paul and Barnabas’ first set of journeys!

#Salford #Elim #Church

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