Philip and the Ethiopian Preschool Lesson
Preschool lesson (ages 3–6, 20 minutes)
1. Welcome (3 min)
Sit in a circle, greet every child by name and show one thing from the story to touch.
2. The little story (5 min)
Teach the refrain first: “God knew just where Philip should go.”
Philip was one of the seven helpers in God’s family. He had gone to the city of Samaria. There he told the people about Jesus. Sick people were healed, and there was great joy in that city.
One day an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip. “Arise, and go toward the south.” It was a road through the desert, from Jerusalem down to Gaza. God knew just where Philip should go.
Philip got up and went. On the road was a man from Ethiopia, a land far away in Africa. He was an important man. He took care of all the treasure of Candace, the queen of Ethiopia.
He had come a long way to Jerusalem, to worship God. Now he was going home in his chariot – a cart pulled by horses. Clip-clop, clip-clop! Can you make horse sounds with your tongue?
As he rode along, he was reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. He was reading out loud. In those days, people often read out loud.
The Spirit said to Philip, “Go near, and join yourself to this chariot.” So Philip ran to it. Can you run in place? Fast, fast! God knew just where Philip should go.
Philip heard the man reading. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The man said, “How can I, unless someone explains it to me?” He asked Philip to come up and sit with him. Up into the chariot climbed Philip!
The man was reading this part. “As a lamb before his shearer is silent, so he doesn’t open his mouth.” A shearer cuts the wool off a sheep. The little lamb stays quiet.
Isaiah wrote about someone who was quiet like a lamb. He stayed quiet, even when people were very unkind to him. “Who is the prophet talking about?” the man asked. “About himself, or about someone else?”
What do you think Philip said? Philip began with that very part of God’s book. And he told the man the good news about Jesus. God knew just where Philip should go.
They rode on. Then they came to some water. The man said, “Behold, here is water. What is keeping me from being baptized?”
The man told the driver to stop the chariot. They both went down into the water. And Philip baptized him. Splash!
When they came up out of the water, Philip was gone! The Spirit of the Lord had taken him away. But the man went on his way rejoicing. He was full of joy! Can you clap for joy?
And Philip? He was found in a town called Azotus. He went from town to town, telling the good news. He went all the way to the city of Caesarea by the sea.
God loves people from every land, near and far. He sent his good news all the way to Ethiopia. God knew just where Philip should go.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- What do you think the man from Ethiopia told people when he got home?
- How do you think Philip felt when he ran to the chariot?
4. Move (3 min)
Refrain Freeze: move around the room; when you say the refrain, everyone freezes and says it together.
5. Make (4 min)
Draw a line to who said it.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“He went on his way rejoicing” — Acts 8:39 (he went on his way → walk in place; rejoicing → clap your hands)
Dear God, thank you that you love people in every land. Thank you for the good news of Jesus. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: God sends helpers at just the right time
Memory verse: “Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached to him about Jesus.” — Acts 8:35 · WEB
The Bible story
An angel sends Philip down a lonely desert road, where a puzzled traveler in a golden chariot is about to discover the best news in the whole world.
Talk about it
- Who told Philip to go to the desert road? — An angel of the Lord
- Which road did the angel send Philip to? — The road to Gaza
- Where did the important traveler come from? — Ethiopia
- What was the traveler riding in? — A chariot
- Which prophet's book was the man reading out loud? — Isaiah
- What did God's Spirit tell Philip to do? — Go near the chariot
Where is Jesus in this story?
The Ethiopian official was reading Isaiah 53, about someone led “like a sheep to the slaughter” who stayed silent. Philip explained that this was Jesus, who quietly gave His life for us on the cross (Acts 8:32–35). Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, God had already written down His story, so you can trust that God's promises always come true.
What God wants to tell us
God saw one man on a lonely road who really wanted to understand His words, and He sent Philip to help. God cares about every single person, even one traveler far from home. When we have questions, God loves to send someone to explain His good news, and He can use us to help others too. No one is ever too far away or too small for God's loving care.
Prayer
Father God, thank You for sending helpers to teach me about You. Thank You that Your good news about Jesus is for everyone, everywhere, even me. Please help me understand Your words and share Your love with others, so we can be happy in Your family together. Amen.
Read the story · Coloring page 1 · Coloring page 2 · Quiz · All lessons
Home · All stories · Topics · Coloring pages · Quizzes · Sunday school lessons
