 This study is focused on the Armor of God. We can find the description of the Armor of God in the book of Ephesians. Ephesians in found in the New Testament, and was originally a letter written by Paul to encourage his the church in Ephesus. Paul was a man who was zealous (or had a powerful energy) for God. Once Jesus confronted him on the road to Damascus and called him to follow him, Paul put that same passion towards the cause of Christ. He was a missionary who traveled around teaching people about Jesus, baptizing them and helping them start churches. This is the story of some of the things that happened during Paul's time in Ephesus. You can read more about this in Acts 19: 1-41. Key Themes: 1. God's power is stronger than the devil's power. 2. When I put on the armor of God, I am equipped to face any trial that may come. 3. There are two kingdoms-God's and Satan's. We should choose to stand for God's kingdom. Memory Verse11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Songs1,2,3 The Devil's After Me Books of the New Testament Be Careful Little Eyes This Little Light of Mine There is a Flag that Flies in the Castle of My Heart I'm in the Lord's Army My God is So Big I Am A C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N Saint's Medley StoryBegin Class with Songs, Games, Table Activity, or Sharing Time Open Class in Prayer Introducing the Story Ideas 1. Good News vs. Bad News Ask the kids if they have ever read a newspaper or watched the news. Say: I am going to read some headlines. I want you to give a thumbs up if that's good news and a thumbs down if it is bad news. Be sure the news stories are age appropriate. You can also make up silly made-up headlines such as: "Hershey's announces a new flavor of Hershey's kiss that will include chocolate mixed with spinach." OR "Local school district will now provide each student with a chrome book and a puppy for in class use." Be sure the kids know these headlines are Untrue, and to be silly! : SAY: Sometimes the SAME new story will be good news to some, and bad news for others. For example, if you were allergic to dogs, giving everyone a dog at your school would be bad news! When Paul told the people of Ephesus about Jesus, it was good news for some! But for those who practiced evil and didn't want to repent it was bad news! 2. Orange Your Glad You Have God's Armor Supplies: Clementine Oranges (some peeled; some with peels on), Bowls or containers of water Demonstrate how a peeled orange will sink but an orange with the peel still on will float. In life, if we have God's protection, he will not let us sink! In today's story, Paul was protected by God's power and he was able to face lots of angry people who were against him and against teaching about the true God. Paul knew he had God's protection and he was not afraid. (See this demonstration of the experiment.) Story: When Paul visited Ephesus, Paul met people who were eager to learn more about following God. However, he also faced others who made lots of money selling false God's or people who believed in sorcery and worshipped evil spirits. To some, the gospel was good news. To others, it meant that they wouldn't be able to sell as many of their idols and they were angry! This is the story of how God protected Paul in Ephesus. SHOW the story Paul in Ephesus or read Acts 19:1-41 in the Bible. You may want to focus one or two parts of the story for time's sake. EMPHASIZE that:
Visual Aids Video: The Apologetics of Paul in Ephesus by Apologetics Press (better for older) Video: Paul's Missionary Journeys by Bible Project (better for older) Video: Where is Ancient Ephesus by Drive Thru History with David Stotts (better for older)  God is...Connect the story back to God and his character. Explain how this story fits into God's overall story. ActivitiesKnocking Down Idols Review Game Supplies: Small toy bowling set, foil, review questions Wrap each bowling pin in silver to create "idols." Divide the kids into teams. When they answer a review question correctly, let them "bowl" down idols for points. The team with the highest amount of points wins. Armor of God Ring Cards from Oriental Trading Tell the kids: Paul would later teach the Ephesians about how to face evil forces. He called it the armor of God. We will be learning about each piece of armor. Salt Dough Map Make a salt dough map of Paul's Third Missionary Journey. You can find directions on this blog. This would be an activity that could stretch across several classes and could be used over the span of the unit. Rooted in Christ Craft Ideas from SundaySchoolWorks.com
Paul had seen first hand the dark forces the Ephesians faced. In his letter to the Ephesians, he said that he prayed that they would be "rooted in loved" and have the strength to face all the powers of evil. Read Ephesians 3:14-21. Discuss the importance of roots to a plant. Then, you can make a painted roots picture OR a planted in Jesus pail.
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