Youth Track
A Leader’s Guide for Walking through the Bible Using Stories about Youth
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LESSON 41: Rhoda Scripture: Acts 12:11-17 Suggested Key Verse: Acts 12:15a 15a ”You are crazy!” everyone told her. But she kept saying it was Peter. Suggested Key People: Rhoda, Peter, followers of Jesus. What does this story tell the youth of today? Rhoda is mentioned only once in the bible. Was this servant girl, Rhoda, one of Jesus’ followers? Was she praying with the disciples? The followers were praying but they did not accept the answers to their prayers. Rhoda did and carried them the joyful message. God answers prayer: prayers work miracles. Is this particularly true when given the faith of a child? We should always affirm our beliefs even when others tell us we are crazy. Listen for the spirit’s voice when in times of stress. Don’t leave the spirit standing outside your life at any time. Learn from Rhoda and share the news of what God can do, remaining confident in what you know is true. Lesson Summary: Acts 12:11-12 Peter has just been released (escaped?) from prison miraculously, certain that the Lord had sent an angel to his rescue. He then and goes to a house where many of Jesus’ followers had come together and were praying. Acts 12:13-14 Peter knocks on the gate and Rhoda comes to answer. She recognizes Peter’s voice and is too excited to open the gate. She runs inside to say it is Peter. Acts 12:15-16 Everyone tells Rhoda she is crazy. But she keeps saying it is Peter. They finally open the gate and are amazed. Acts 12:17 Peter motions to them to keep quiet. Peter then tells the followers how Jesus led him out of jail and asks them to tell the others. Peter then leaves.
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About the Book
Teaching youth can be challenging and is often difficult. You need to know your subject but more importantly know your students. Do you like young people? Would you want to teach Bible lessons from the viewpoint of a teenager and encourage their faith? This forty-eight-lesson guide helps you focus as a religious teacher to youth. Youth Track identifies stories about young people in the Bible, including related scripture references for those stories. It presents suggested thoughts and current-day questions to involve your students. This is not a cookie-cutter guide but a solid place to start, since teaching kids can be hard work. Although this guide was written as a series of weekly lessons, it is also appropriate in other situations. Select just the New Testament stories for a shorter period. At special times of the year such as Christmas or Easter, use the stories about those celebrations. If you know your students, pick stories that you can relate to their day-to-day lives. Youth are very special. With the help of this guide, use your abilities, your knowledge, and your experiences in whatever way you can to encourage their Christian growth and faith.
About the Author
As a children’s teacher for thirty years in a church environment, Harold Williams developed a series of lessons about youth in the Bible from Genesis through Revelation. Success teaching in that first year encouraged him to expand, learn more stories, and formalize a leader’s workbook for junior high and senior high students. He presents a different approach to teaching the Bible with the goal of learning about our Christian heritage as followers of Christ.