Paul suggested to Barnabas that they re-visit the churches they had established on their 1st missionary journey. Before leaving Antioch, he and Barnabas disagreed over who they should take with them, so they took different people and went to different places. Paul re-visited churches and attempted to enter new areas to teach people about Jesus. The Holy Spirit actively guided Paul and his companions, and one night, Paul had a vision of a man from the region of Macedonia standing and begging him to come and help. By entering Macedonia on this, his 2nd missionary journey, Paul will now taking the Gospel to Europe for the first time.
Bible verses used in this episode:
Acts 15:36 through 16:1-10
Outline:
- A Rough Start to the Journey (Acts 15:36-41)
- Timothy joins Paul in Strengthening the Churches (Acts 16:1-5)
- Missionaries Led by the Spirit (Acts 16:6-10)
Tips for teaching children:
- Learn about missionaries. You might interview one, send letters, or print pictures of places where missionaries work.
- Trace Paul’s missionary journey on a map.
- Sing I Can Be a Missionary
Tips for teaching adults:
- Look at a map of Paul’s 2nd mission journey to put his travels in context. The show notes will have a link to the Viz Bible maps
- A good question that calls for some imagination is: What might Timothy’s growing up be like in a mixed race and faith home? What challenges might he have faced? What about those today growing up in a home with different ethnicities and faiths? How can the church best serve them?
- Guide the class into exploring the possible dynamics of Barnabas and Paul not budging on their view of John Mark. Who was right? Why? Who was wrong? Why? Why do you think Paul was so adamant against John Mark joining them on this journey? What is helpful to us as we read and reflect on this incident and its results?
Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:
Bible Lesson: Macedonian Vision
Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.
Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.
For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org