Hi Kids!
Today’s story begins with the Apostle Paul, one of Jesus’ twelve chief disciples, who was on a mission to spread the good news of Jesus Christ throughout the world. One night while Paul slept, the Holy Spirit sent him a dream of a man begging for Paul’s help in Macedonia. Macedonia is a region located in the northern part, or “top”, of Greece. Paul and a few other disciples, including Simon, decided to obey the Spirit and travel there. In Macedonia, Paul and the disciples arrived at the city of Phillipi where they met a group of women by a river. Watch the story below by Saddleback Kids to learn more.
Lydia was a believer in God but did not yet know about Jesus. There were many other people like Lydia who had not yet heard about Jesus or his teachings. God wanted everyone to know about His Son, so He sent people like Paul to spread the good news. After Lydia listened to Paul, she desired to be a part of God’s family even more by becoming a follower of Jesus, so she asked Paul to baptize her. Baptism is the act of sprinkling or immersing oneself in water to become “pure” or “clean” and is symbolic of becoming a Christian or a follower of Christ. Since Lydia sold expensive purple cloth, she was probably a wealthy businesswoman and had plenty of influence on others in her community. Once Lydia was baptized by Paul, the other woman at the river followed suit.
Paul’s trip to Macedonia to spread the good news of Jesus was a success. Eventually, more and more people became baptized. Baptism is an important Christian tradition. When we become baptized, we join a new, Christian family. Some people become baptized when they are babies, and others become baptized when they are much older; even adults get baptized. Do you remember your baptism or know someone else’s? This week, talk with your family and friends about Jesus and the importance of baptism.
Today’s activity includes a word scramble/lineup. Unscramble the keywords from the story to solve the puzzle at the bottom. Download/print the pdf below to get started.