Gather kids in a circle. That feeling and similar feelings that we might feel because we think we arent as good as someone else might turn out to be based on a lie. Dishonesty can destroy marriages, families, churches, relationships and our witnesses. Click here for Ananias and Sapphira printables to print (A4 paper) click here to download the pictures to print, Click here for Ananias and Sapphira printables to print (A4 paper), Click here for Ananias and Sapphira to print (Letter size-USA), Colouring page and puzzle worksheets (Calvary Curriculum), Craft, Application Activity: Really good application to teach about what happens when we lie. Lesson: Ananias and Sapphira Lie - Ministry-To-Children Bible Lesson 7 MORE Good Lessons from 7 MORE Bad Bible Characters (Pt. 7: Sapphira We will not be blindfolded though into ignoring the accountability of Ananias and Herod. I love you , I love you too Aunty! Praise the Lord youve been blessed by Learning To Live! This story serves as a powerful illustration of several important truths about God's expectations for His followers. Unlike Joseph, however, they lied about the amount they received from selling their property indicating that they were more interested in impressing others rather than helping those in need. One thing that stands out with Ananias and Sapphira is that both of them agreed to lie about the amount of money they received from selling their property. Handful of coins; Read aloud Acts 5:1-10. 2 With his wifes full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles feet. And he knows our hearts. Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, sold some of their property and then decided to give part of the money to the church. If youre like me, youve told a lie at some time in your life. John Says No., Strange Fire in Leviticus 10, and Why It Earned a Death Sentence. God wants us to tell the truth! I said there were just two rules, but . As well as I Sir its amazing how we seek God through His Word and the confirmation of what was given to you would be brought right in your facethese very thoughts were and lessons were given spiritually as I prayed and fasted this week for Ill be sharing this Sunday 30th of October 2022 God bless you Pastor Moses. God is a holy God who vanquishes evil and zealously defends his holiness. In Jesus name, amen. Act out your . So he doesnt like lyingany kind of lying. Have the children draw a cartoon strip depicting the story. They were a married couple that sold their property and gave a portion of the purchase price to help those in need as if it was all the money they received. PDF Ananias and Sapphira - Mission Bible Class Ananias and Sapphira owned some property just like Joseph did. How is that different than what people do at church each week? None should be careless now; let all urge their petitions at the throne of grace, pleading the promise, Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do (John 14:13). The senior pastor at my church said something that really struck me: Its true that silence is golden. As we see with Ananias and Sapphira, for better or for worst the people closest to us will influence us. While we may not die immediately when we try to impress others, it undoubtedly takes us down a path that makes us worst off. He hates lies, though he loves and is willing to forgive liars. Hold your ten pennies, and give each child ten pennies. Explain that youll then go around the circle with each child sharing a true statement about himself (and tossing in a penny), with everyone else about whom that statement is true also tossing a penny into the bowl. This incident serves as a lesson instructing us to walk carefully and humbly with the Supreme Being. In Luke 21:1-4, we find Jesus and the disciples outside the temple treasury. But you havent just lied to all these people. One heart and soul, everything in common, not a needy person among them.. 5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. Place your initials anywhere on the line that shows how you feel about this past weekexcept exactly on the 5. Today, we have our final negative example. Our takeaways from the text should probably be no more and no less than that of the people who witnessed the event: fear and awe. I believe Christians need to seek wisdom from the scriptures and you have provided much food for thought. Do you think people should ever give some of their money to help other people? Depending on our deeds, God is praised or saddened. If we keep lying, we will surely end up in the lake of fire to be destroyed forever. Their sin was unconfessed and unforsaken. 1. Lets dive in and find out in todays blog post! Morning and Evening Meditation August 15, You have to keep your eyes on the Word of God and keep a guard against strife, otherwise when the storms come, youre going to turn your eyes to the wrong thing.. Sapphira was taken out and buried by her husband. In the future, this practice would prove necessary for the churchs survival when persecution would begin and Christians would lose employment and income. Lets look at three lessons from Ananias and Sapphira. You are under no obligation to join in a crime or cover up any corruption, just because your beloved has wooed you into doing so. The Almighty One knows our hearts and minds. This whole lesson reminds me of two statements Ellen White once wrote: Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone! Have courage to do the right. They simply exchanged money for the praise and admiration of others. People dont care about what we have or do as much as we think they do. Right after Peter said this everyone was shocked to see Ananias fall down and die. The apostles were wise men and, with Gods help, figured out the lie. If Ananias and Sapphiras deceptiveness had fooled Peter, it would have damaged the stature of the Apostles in the church. But they were to find that it can never be so. She, too, will face the same fate as her dishonest husband, whose demise Sapphira is just being made aware of. There is nothing in this story, Acts, or the New Testament as a whole that indicates this is a pattern for how God acts. They proceeded to lie and say that they had given it all. Mary. So, what does the story teach us? However, because of their falsehood, they were led to sin unto death. Scripture Reference: Acts 4:32 through 5:11, Memory Verse:Do not lie to each other. When youve hit two minutes, jump in yourself and say,And they all lived happily ever after!. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. About three hours later Sapphira came to the same place. However, there were also moments of weakness, even gross sin, among believers. What Are The Key Lessons From The Story Of Ananias And Sapphira? The words of John 3:16 were fulfilled. Hes a God of truth. Peter stresses in verse 4 that they did not lie to them but to God. It was for their dishonesty that Ananias and Sapphira were punished. And after it was sold, wasnt the money at your disposal? I believe you have mentioned some very interesting points, thank you for the post. The book of Acts records a very serious lesson that the earliest Christians learned about telling lies. He is also editor-in-chief of Ministry Team magazine, has edited several books, and has written for several blogs and publications, including Relevant online, the Logos blog, and the Faithlife blog. Ananias and Sapphira came into a little money. Women Of The Bible: Lesson #27 - Sapphira, Dorcas, and Mary (Mother of 3 Then Peter said, Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? (Read Acts 4:32-35 .) But we should pay close attention to it nonetheless and learn from its lessons. They keep some of it for themselves, which they're free to do, but they say their donation is the full amount of the sale. It is very serious. As you may know, Ananias fell and died after Peter told him he lied to the Holy Spirit. . The growth of the early church was phenomenal, and many people started accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Use last week's lesson outline to review with the children what they learned. When I say three I want you to hold up any number of fingers on your handsperhaps three fingers on one hand and two on the other. In the very least, this parallel reminds us it is not out of character for God to bring swift judgment and guard his holiness. Yes! He recognized that the widows gift was everything while the richs gifts were proportionally small to their resources. "Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live" (Isaiah 55:3 KJV). However, they retained part of the revenue for themselves. They would tell everyone that they were giving ALL the money to the apostles but, really, they would secretly keep some back for themselves. 3 Lessons from Ananias and Sapphira - SecureGive Suggest a couple of example statements for the kids, like I have a dog or My favorite color is green. Continue play until someone wins. He said that this is all the money. Or.did she just decide to not really do anything and go along with Ananias lie? Click here for visual aids and story-telling methods. The Ascension of Jesus: What It Is, Why Its Often Overlooked & More, Polygamy in the Bible (and What Jesus Said about It). But it does teach us that God cares about our hearts. Ananias and Sapphira is not a fun, uplifting story. You have lied to God. Likewise, God does not kill those who keep a portion of their paycheck for themselves to pay bills and save for the future. Our intimate secrets are known to God alone, and we are expected to live transparent and holy lives before our Heavenly Father. . Our team of Giving Consultants can help you select the perfect plan to maximize giving growth. And so this is not simply a story of greed in the early Church. Encyclopedia of The Bible - Sapphira Resources Encyclopedia of The Bible S Sapphira Sapphira SAPPHIRA s f' r (Gr. Their hypocrisy and lies were sins against the Holy One, and they had intentionally planned to falsify the amount of the proceeds of the sale. Your job is to total up how many fingers youre holding up and how many fingers your partner is holding up. Without knowing that it was a gift from their wealthy parents or that they got it through a loan they can barely afford, we may feel bad about ourselves and make the mistake of getting a fancy car thats out of our means. This shows our ignorance as we need to understand that this was a solemn warning to the members of the early church, which was at its infancy. Too many chew bible leaf and wear religion on their sleeves, while dishonouring Christ in word and deed. The phrase and the word continued to spread functions this way in Acts, too (6:7; 12:24; 19:20; 13:49). God bless you. However, we should remember that God is merciful and slow to anger toward us. Ananias and Sapphira did not, and God made his authority known by laying them down. 12. God bless you more, You are most welcome. I wanted you to see how easy it is to lie . 5 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. Ananias fell down dead. And, we have a big heart for those who serve the kingdomthats you. Why didnt Peter show the same grace toward Ananias and Sapphira that he was shown for his deceit and denial of the Lord (Matt 26:69-75)? Everyone find a partner and share about a time you told a lie and got caught in that lie. Input/Output: Change Your Environment, Change Your Life. With his wifes full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles feet (Acts 5:1-2 NIV). Then ask for volunteers to play the roles of Ananias, Sapphira, and Peter. You can give to people who need it.. What was their sin? You conscience is your guide, is his admonition. Be sure to include your own initials and explain your placement on the line. The whole church was afraid. Or maybe for children's Bible school classes on the Levite and his concubine from Judges 19. They are Ananias and his wife Sapphira. vii.) No Christian husband and wife can be an island to themselves. Take care to be age appropriate. We should not neglect the great salvation that Jesus garnered for us by sacrificing Himself on the cross. Youre welcome, Pastor Gaither! It is a perilous time now. Copyright 2023 The Gleaner Company (Media) Limited. Place a 1 on the left end of the line, a 10 on the right, and a 5 in the middle. God bless you and your blog. Say:God wants us to tell the truthand hell help us do it. First, Peter told Ananias, You have not lied just to human beings but to God (Acts 5:4). Ananias and Sapphira were judged for their sinful acts of pretense, lying, duplicity, and fraud. Your email address will not be published. Ananias and Sapphira - Mission Bible Class As kids arrive, ask them to pencil in their initials on the line. They were partners in crime and succumbed to the temptation of fabrication of the truth. If it was a great week you wish you could repeat, put your initials by the 10. While their penalties seem extreme to us today, God judged them guilty of sins so serious that they threatened the very existence of the early church. Everyone was happy to share what they had. In todays lesson, were gonna look into how a tiny decision Sapphira made caused her to not only lose her life, but even disabled her from truly living up to what her name means. Glad you learned something. Maybe they werent as well off as the others, but thinking that they should be just as capable pushed them to sell their property tempting them to lie about it. Just like bad people will influence us to do bad, good people will influence us to do good! Commentators are quick to point out parallels, whether intended by Luke or not, to the story of Achan in Joshua 7. This online devotional and bible study tool for women and men discusses life lessons from Sapphira.Sapphira was i. Endeavoring Women of the Bible: Sapphira Pure Endeavors . Following the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the apostles were preaching the gospel with power, and thousands were joining the church. The most important promise though, that was breached, was the covenant made with Christ when they were baptised. We cannot fool Him; we cannot make Him think we are somebody we are not. But a rule of responsible Bible reading is to pay the most attention to what the author draws the most attention to. So they werent the first to decide to sell their property and give the money away and were likely motivated to sell theirs because of the others that did before them. Tell children to hold their fists in front of them. This story can be told using a variety of methods. Lessons from Sapphira - The Diligent Woman But everyone shared what they had so that no one would be hungry or not have a place to live. Too many illustrations can be confusing so eliminate any that cover other stories or details you do not wish to emphasise in this lesson. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); on 3 Life Lessons From Ananias and Sapphira, 5 Lessons We Can Learn From Jacob and Laban, 4 Lessons From The Samaritan Woman At The Well. Pray:Thank you, God, for your truth. Peter confronted Ananias in front of the church and told him that by doing this he had lied to God. This is the story of Ananias and Sapphira, a married couple who sold their property and pretended to give the entire proceeds to the church. Ananias and Sapphira (Elementary Lesson) - Ministry Spark The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also., The Bible says that at that moment she fell down at his feet and died.. Give Ananias the coins. (3 Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some . Both events concern greed and possession. There are also some life lessons we can learn from Ananias and Sapphira. Fourth Practice-A-Thon set to increase support to prevent cancer among youth , Public warned to expect delays at hospitals, Davian Bryan gets 25 years for rape, abduction of Portland college student, Increased benefits coming for govt pensioners health scheme, Vaz outlines implementation of rural school bus system, St Catherine man accused of burglary remanded, Security guard gets 18 years for slashing common-law wife's throat, NWA to undertake $27 million drain cleaning programme in Clarendon, Portland woman in love triangle found guilty for fatally stabbing German woman 40 times, Digital Archives: Online editions 2006-Now. (Look upColossians 3:9andTitus 1:2.). Then start around the circle. Why no opportunity of for repentance and restoration?. Many people find Gods actions extreme in the case of Ananias and Sapphira. Im going to tell you three things about myself. The apostle named Peter said, Ananias, you could have kept that money and no one would have thought you were bad. The Sapphiras of today, are both men and women who by their silence, are complicit in the conspiracy of corruption. You will see this is the practice in the story of Ananias and Sapphira. After noting that we can lie to others, but we cant lie to God, I shared 3 life lessons we can learn from their story. Don't Try To Impress Others These dictionary topics are from God sees everything. What made you think of doing such a thing? 7 Good Lessons From 7 Bad Bible Characters, 7 MORE Good Lessons from 7 MORE Bad Bible Characters (Pt. It would appear, that Ananias was the chief originator of the plan to keep part of the proceeds of the sale. . Someone else will add to the story by saying, was bitten on the ankle, and the dog . Study 5 THE SIN OF ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA Before Ananias and Sapphira sold their property and gave a portion of the money towards those in need, The Bible states that from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need (Acts 4:34-35 NIV). Lessons from bad girls of the Bible - Sapphira WhatsApp Share Published: Sunday | February 2, 2020 | 12:27 AM Yasmine Peru - Gleaner Writer The New Testament book of Acts recounts the awe-inspiring story of a duo whose punishment for their sin couldn't have been more swift and sure. Were now on the final part of this series! They sold a piece of property and pretended to bring the money to the apostles. Our lesson today begins in Acts 4:32. In today's lesson, we're gonna look into how a tiny decision Sapphira made caused her to not only lose her life, but even disabled her from truly living up to what her name means. Passages such as Acts 2:44-47 and Acts 4:32-37 describe the unity of the early church and of selling their possessions and sharing with those in need. We should approach Him with unrestrained honesty. Sunday January 10, 2021 (Vol 10, Unit 29, Session 1) Like all of you I am stunned, saddened and concerned by the events that have transpired over the last week in our country. It is truly amazing. What Does Sapphira Mean? Ananias and Sapphira fell into the sin of deception and insincerity. Why do you think God makes such a big deal about it? Our Creator sees everything, even those we keep in secret. Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?, She answered, perhaps with a straight face, and quite earnestly, too, Yes, that is the price., Then Peter laments her actions, but, alas, there is no reprieve. It was enough to fill everybody with a sense of awe, as it would today if such a thing were to happen. My goal isnt to send you away with every question answered (though these insights helped me with mine), but to leave you with a new question drawn from the text itself. Lets see how well that last one works. Ask kids to circle up and think of three things theyll share from their own lives: two truths and one lie. But first . These dramatic deaths of Ananias and Sapphira resulted in purifying the church and demonstrated that feigning will not be tolerated going forward. One of the other believers that gave was a man named Joseph whom the apostles called Barnabas, which means son of encouragement (Acts 4:36). Programs Blossom and Kids Thrive When They Are Taught How to Worship, What My Grandma Can Teach Us All About Environments of Gratitude, How to Be Ready When Parents Dont Share Their Childs Special Needs, The Fruit of the Spirit for Kids (Elementary Lesson), Pennies (10 per child and 10 for yourself). Their mistake wasnt in giving money to the church. Explain that youll share a true statement about yourself as you toss a penny into the bowl. They may have been desirous of the recognition received by Barnabus for a similar gift. Even disciples can be led into this bold and flagrant sin. She was a partner in his guilt and also in his punishment ( Acts 5:1-11 ). Schedule a quick demo to see how the SecureGive system works to increase giving in your church. Ananias and Sapphira- Sunday January 10, 2021 Its about them lying to God (5:3, 9). Ananias and Sapphira were not obligated to give all or even a portion of the proceeds. Share things that kids arent likely to know about youthings from your past, hobbies, details about your pets . Give Ananias the coins. Ask:People lie all the time. Lying has become an ingrained human trait, and we often lie to protect ourselves and hide mistakes. , beautiful ), wife of Ananias. Lets always ask for his help! No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. This reality should humble each of us. Lesson Ask students, What are some things that people spend their money on? Those lessons were Dont Try To Impress Others, Things Arent Always What They Seem, and The People Closest To You Will Influence You. (Thai) Who is the Creator? Bible commentators draw a parallel with these two and the first couple. See if you can tell which is the lie. Peter asked Sapphira, Your husband gave us the money from the property you both sold. All rights reserved. Sign up for The Gleaners morning and evening newsletters. This development also established the apostles authority among the congregation. Fr SeanMajor-Campbell notes, however, that Sapphira was not only equally guilty of the crime, but she was also likewise punished by death. Click here for Ananias and Sapphira to print (Letter size-USA), Thanks for this lesson will share this to my Sunday class this Sunday at the The Downtown Dumaguete Church of Christ.
