Mistaken for Gods in Lystra 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 made the sky, the earth, the sea!”
Paul and Barnabas were traveling from town to town. They told people the good news about Jesus. First they came to a town called Iconium. Many people there believed in Jesus. And God helped Paul and Barnabas do wonderful things.
But some people in Iconium wanted to hurt them. So Paul and Barnabas went on to a town called Lystra. There they told the good news about the living God. God made the sky, the earth, the sea!
In Lystra there was a man who could not walk. His feet had never worked, not since the day he was born. He had never taken one single step. He sat and listened to Paul.
Paul looked right at him. Paul saw that the man had faith. That means he trusted God to make him well. Paul said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet!”
What do you think happened? The man leaped up and walked! Jump! Can you jump up like the man? Hop, hop, walk, walk.
The crowd saw what Paul had done. They shouted in their own language. “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” That means: gods that look like people. They thought Paul and Barnabas were gods!
They called Barnabas Jupiter. They called Paul Mercury, because he did most of the talking. Jupiter and Mercury were gods the people believed in. But they were not real. God made the sky, the earth, the sea!
Jupiter had a temple – a big building – just outside the town. The priest of Jupiter came to the town gates. He brought oxen. Oxen are big, strong cattle. He brought garlands too. Garlands are chains of flowers. The people wanted to give the oxen to Paul and Barnabas. They thought they were gods.
Paul and Barnabas heard about it. Oh no! They tore their clothes. In those days, people did that when they were very upset. They ran into the crowd. They cried out, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of the same nature as you.” That means: we are just people, like you!
Then they gave them the good news. They said, “Turn from these vain things to the living God.” Vain things are things that cannot help you. The living God is the real God, who is alive. God made the sky, the earth, the sea!
Paul said that God is good to all people. God sends rain from the sky. Can you make rain with your fingers? Pitter, patter. God makes the fields grow. He fills our hearts with food and gladness.
Even so, it was hard to stop the crowd. But at last the people did not give the oxen.
Paul and Barnabas went on to other towns. They told more people about Jesus. Many became friends of Jesus.
Then they went back the way they had come. They visited the new friends of Jesus again. They helped them stay strong in their faith. They prayed with them.
At last Paul and Barnabas sailed home to Antioch. All the friends of Jesus came together. Paul and Barnabas told them everything God had done. God had opened a door of faith for people of every land.
The living God sends the rain and the sunshine. He fills our hearts with gladness. God made the sky, the earth, the sea!
3. Talk together (3 min)
- What do you think the man said when he could jump and walk?
- Why do you think Paul and Barnabas did not want to be called gods?
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)
“The living God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea” — Acts 14:15 (the living God → point up high; the sky → reach up; the earth → touch the ground; the sea → make waves with your hands)
Dear God, you made the sky, the earth, and the sea. Thank you for rain and food and gladness. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: God is the One who helps us
Memory verse: “We also are men of the same nature as you, and bring you good news.” — Acts 14:15 · WEB
The Bible story
In a busy town called Lystra, Paul heals a man who has never walked, and the whole crowd suddenly thinks two ordinary men are gods!
Talk about it
- What town did Paul and Barnabas come to? — Lystra
- Why did Paul and Barnabas travel to towns? — To tell the good news
- What was special about the man in the crowd? — He had never walked
- What did Paul see in the man? — That he had faith
- What did Paul say to the man? — "Stand up on your feet!"
- What did the man do next? — He jumped up and walked
Where is Jesus in this story?
The people of Lystra wanted to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods, but the two men tore their clothes and shouted, “We too are only human” (Acts 14:15). There is only One who was truly God and also became human: Jesus. The Bible says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). He alone deserves our worship.
What God wants to tell us
When wonderful things happen, it can be easy to give the credit to the wrong person. Paul and Barnabas knew that they were not special heroes to be worshipped, they were just helpers pointing everyone to God. God is the one true King who made the whole world and loves each of us. He wants us to say thank you to Him, and He is always happy when we share His love with others, just like Paul did.
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank You for being the one true God who made everything and loves me. Thank You that You are stronger than anything, and that You help people just like You helped the man who could not walk. Help me to say thank You to You and to share Your love with others. Amen.
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