Object Lesson – Growth of the Early Church

Introduction

This object lesson involves making a tasty snack with your child while teaching them about the growth of the early church. For this lesson, you will be making popcorn… the old-fashioned way – on the stove! Your little one will definitely be excited to make popcorn this way, especially if this is not something you have done before. You can build on that excitement by talking about the excitement that the early church had as they were multiplying, sharing all things with one another, and spreading God’s Word!

For safety, make sure that an adult does the cooking and the child stands away at a safe distance. The popping can really get going once the kernels are cooked.

Materials

• 2 Tbsp Oil (Canola works well)
• 1/3 Cup Popcorn Kernels
• Salt
• Large Pot with Lid

Story

To learn about the early church, what book of the Bible do we go to?

We go to Acts! It is named Acts because it talks about the actions of the apostles and disciples as they built up the early church. In Acts 1, Jesus was raised into the clouds then it was time for the apostle to get to work on the Great Commission. Do you know what the Great Commission is?

In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus told His disciples to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20, ESV). The Great Commission was to go out into all the world and make disciples of all nations. It was now time for the apostles to spread the good news of Jesus! We read that in Acts 2, the apostles received the Holy Spirit, then Peter gave the first gospel sermon where he told everyone about Jesus. Pretend that the oil in the pot is like the good news of Jesus (place oil in pot then on the stove on medium-high heat). It is the news that Jesus is God’s Son. The news that He came to earth to die and rise again. That if a person obeys Jesus’ commands, repents of their sins and is baptized, they can wash away all their sins. What good news!!!

Place a few kernels in the pot with the oil that is heating. Place the lid on the pot. These kernels are like the apostles. They were some of the first people proclaiming the good news of Jesus. They wanted to tell everyone about Him! In Acts 4:20, we read that John and Peter said that “… we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (ESV). They could not help but speak about how Jesus was the Messiah that came to save everyone! They were so joyful, they were bursting with excitement. Have you ever had good news that you were super excited to share?

You and your little ones can share stories of when you were excited to share good news until the kernels start popping. Once a couple start popping, remove the pot from the heat, and add in all the rest of the popcorn. Put the lid on and start swirling the lid around (about 30 seconds). Read the below part while you are swirling.

The apostles spread the gospel with many people. In Acts 2:37, the Bible says that the people were cut to the heart and they wanted to know what they should do. On the day that Peter led the first sermon, about 3000 people repented of their sins, were baptized, and then followed Jesus’ commands. Then those people spread the gospel too. The church started multiplying because everyone was so excited to talk about Jesus. (Put the pot back on the stove on medium heat. Keep the lid on, but slightly open to let steam out).

The good news about Jesus is the same today as it was back when the early church started. We have the same reason to be joyful! We should be like the apostles and first disciples who talked about the Savior. We should be popping the tell everyone about the gospel. Then the church will grow, grow grow! Let’s watch as the church grows! (Watch as the popcorn starts to pop a lot. When it starts to slow down, remove it from the heat and remove the lid.)

Now when we share the gospel, we should remember what Jesus said in Matthew 5:13. Christians are the salt of the earth. (Add salt to popcorn). Salt is very useful in flavoring and food preparation. Christians are very useful in God’s kingdom when we are out in the world sharing God’s message. That Jesus came to earth to be a sacrifice for all who follow His commandments.