Peter’s Great Escape…

Hello Friends,

Today is Sunday, July 12th: it’s the second Sunday of July, the 193rd day of the year, and the 22nd day of Summer. I hope you are doing well and are enjoying your summer vacation! Do you know what begins this week? On Saturday, the Crawford County Fair rolls into town. From Saturday, July 18th thru Friday, July 24th, our small town will be buzzing with hustle and bustle as people come and go, as cows, pigs, sheep, and goats are examined, as 4-H projects are judged, as food trucks of all kinds feed our hungry bellies, and as the Grandstand features pageants, scrambles, go-kart racing, tractor pulls, and demolition derbies. It is going to be an exciting and fun week! Are you planning on going?

If you plan on going, can you do me a favor? Make sure to say thank you to anyone who helped put the Fair together! Because of them, you will be able to have a great time and make wonderful memories!

Alright, let’s get to our main lesson for today! Have you ever heard something that seemed just too fantastic to believe? There’s a saying that goes, “If something seems too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true.” A lot of times, that’s the case. There are things we might see or hear that sound beyond belief, because they’re not real. For instance, what if I told you I would give you a thousand dollars? That might sound pretty awesome…until you find out it’s actually just play money. Or what if I told you that you could just eat candy for all of your meals and snacks, and it would be really good for you? Well, we know that isn’t true either. A little candy is okay here and there, but you need a balanced diet to stay healthy, and too much sugar could cause problems.

But you know, there are some things that seem really amazing, and actually are! Like laundry stain fighter, with the power to take even the toughest stains out of clothing…or a “Magic Eraser” that takes marks off of walls. Okay, I know those things might not seem too exciting just now, but trust me, they’re pretty amazing, and someday you’ll appreciate them! 

Do you know what else is not too good to be true? The Bible! God’s word is full of amazing stories, and all of them are absolutely true! These are not fairy tales, but real events that happened to real people. There are accounts that seem almost impossible, but they’re real! For example, people walking after being paralyzed, people being healed after being sick for a long time, the blind being able to see, a body of water splitting in two, a town being swamped by frogs and locusts, a small child defeating a giant, a boat big enough to hold two of every kind of animal, and the list goes on. The Bible is filled with unbelievable stories that seem impossible to us but are possible with God.

Another story that comes to mind involves a man named Peter. Peter was one of the disciples of Jesus, and he was also a strong pillar of the early Christian church. In the book of Acts, when the church was first growing and spreading, we read about how Peter was arrested and put into prison. Now, James had just been killed, and Peter thought that was going to happen to him, as well. He was waiting there in prison, fully expecting to be dead soon.

There were guards around him and gates blocking any possible exit. In the middle of the night, an angel appeared! The angel told Peter to get up and follow him. “Put on your sandals, grab your cloak, and hurry up,” the angel told Peter. Peter thought he must be dreaming. It was too good to be true! But he followed the angel, who led him right past the guards and out of the prison.

Soon, Peter was standing in the street, and realized that it wasn’t a dream after all. He was free! Peter went right to the house where the other Christians were praying for him. A girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. When Peter said who it was, she ran back to tell the others. Peter was at the door! They didn’t believe her at first. After all, it was too good to be true! Even though they’d been praying for him, they didn’t quite believe the good news of his release. (Just like some didn’t believe the resurrection of Jesus Christ.) Then Rhoda realized that Peter was still outside the door knocking. She let him in, and everyone rejoiced at his miraculous and remarkable rescue!

This is an amazing story, and it reminds us of the power of prayer. Those in the house prayed for Peter (Acts 12:5). Sometimes when we pray, we still forget how strong and mighty God is, and the things He can do for us when we ask. Nothing is impossible or too good to be true in God’s eyes: no prayer is impossible to answer or to make possible. But it’s also important to remember that God is still good and in control, even if we don’t get the outcome we want.

We don’t always have the miraculous escape ending to the story. Sometimes we don’t understand what God does or why. But we always have the hope of Heaven. No matter what happens now, we know that Jesus lived, died, and rose again for us. That’s not too good to be true! And because of that, someday we will be with Him in Heaven. And meanwhile, He loves us and listens to our prayers now. What are you praying for today? Whatever it is, remember with God hearing your prayers nothing is too good to be true!

Let’s pray now and thank God for doing the impossible and for being with us.

Let us Pray: Dear God, Thank you for hearing and answering our prayers. Help us to trust that you are near. Help us to hope in you even when it’s hard. And help us to believe that things are good to be true. Thank you for your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen! 

Your Friend, Holy Spirit!

Lesson Borrowed from: https://ministry-to-children.com/sunday-school-lesson-peters-prison-escape-acts-121-17/