Shipwreck! — Safe on Malta 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: “Paul trusted God in the storm.”
Paul was a prisoner. He was sailing on a big ship to Italy, far away. A soldier captain named Julius watched over him. Julius was kind to Paul.
There were many people on the ship – two hundred seventy-six! There were sailors and soldiers, prisoners and Paul’s friends.
The trip was slow. The winds blew against them. Then came the time of year when sailing on the sea was dangerous.
Paul warned them. “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss.” That means: This trip will go badly. But they did not listen to Paul. They sailed on.
At first a soft south wind blew. Then a big stormy wind came. Whoosh! The wind pushed the ship along. Splash! The waves crashed. Can you rock from side to side like the ship?
The sailors threw things out of the ship to make it lighter. For many days there was no sun. For many nights there were no stars. They did not eat for a long time. Everyone lost hope. But Paul trusted God in the storm.
Then Paul stood up in the middle of them. He said, “Cheer up! There will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.”
An angel of God had stood by Paul in the night. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Paul. God has granted you all those who sail with you.” That means: God would keep all the people on the ship safe! Paul trusted God in the storm.
Paul said, “Cheer up! For I believe God. It will be just as it has been spoken to me.”
On the fourteenth night, the sailors could tell that land was near. They let down four anchors and waited for day to come. An anchor is a heavy hook that holds a ship still. Let’s count the anchors: one, two, three, four!
While the day was coming, Paul begged everyone to eat. “Not a hair will perish from any of your heads,” he said. Not even one hair would be lost! Can you touch your hair?
Then Paul took bread. He gave thanks to God in front of everyone. He broke it and began to eat. Then they all cheered up, and they ate too. Paul trusted God in the storm.
When it was day, they saw a bay with a beach. They tried to sail the ship onto it. Crunch! The front of the ship got stuck. The back began to break apart in the waves.
Everyone went into the water. Some swam. Some held on to boards from the ship. Splash, splash! And they all came safely to the land.
The island was called Malta. It was raining and cold. The people there were very kind. They made a fire for everyone. Can you hold your hands out to the warm fire?
The chief man of the island, Publius, took them in for three days. Paul prayed for his sick father, and he was made well. Then other sick people came, and they were made well too.
God kept his word. All two hundred seventy-six people were safe. Paul trusted God in the storm.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- How do you think the people on the ship felt in the big storm?
- What do you think the kind people on Malta said when everyone came out of the sea?
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)
Color the 4 anchors and the 1 big ship.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“Cheer up! For I believe God” — Acts 27:25 (Cheer up → big smile, arms up high; For I believe God → hands on your heart, then point up)
Dear God, thank you that you are with me in every storm. Thank you that you keep your word. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: God Keeps Us Safe
Memory verse: “Cheer up! For I believe God, that it will be just as it has been spoken to me.” — Acts 27:25 · WEB
The Bible story
When a wild storm smashes Paul's ship far out at sea, God makes a promise to keep everyone safe, and washes all 276 travelers onto a gentle island shore.
Talk about it
- Where was Paul traveling to on the ship? — Rome
- What was Paul while he was on the ship? — A prisoner
- What kind of weather came upon the ship? — A furious storm
- For many days, what could the sailors NOT see in the sky? — The sun and stars
- Who came to Paul at night with a message from God? — An angel
- What did the angel tell Paul? — "Do not be afraid"
Where is Jesus in this story?
After fourteen days in the storm, Paul took bread, gave thanks to God in front of everyone, broke it, and began to eat (Acts 27:35). That is just what Jesus did when He fed the crowds and at the Last Supper (Luke 22:19). Jesus once calmed a storm with a word (Mark 4:39), and Paul trusted that same Lord to keep every promise.
What God wants to tell us
In the middle of the wildest storm, God did not forget Paul or the people with him. God made a promise and kept it, bringing every person safely to the shore. This story shows us that God is bigger than any storm we could ever face. When we feel frightened, worried, or lost, we can trust that God is holding us close and will never leave us alone.
Prayer
Loving God, thank You for keeping Paul safe in the big storm. When I feel scared, help me remember that You are always with me and You never let me go. Thank You for loving me and holding me close. Amen.
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