“Barnabas & Paul Team Up”

​B I B L E  B I T S  &  B I T E S
Devotions for Families

Season: Book of Acts
Episode 16: “Barnabas & Paul Team Up”
Today’s Bible Bite: Acts 11:19-30; 13:1-3

Video Story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fglsbcGSr3A (The Bible Project – Acts 13-20)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK8MM42pi1A (Slapstick Theatre – Paul & Barnabas)

“One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.’” (Acts 13:2, NLT)

When word spread that people were becoming Christians in Antioch, the leaders at Jerusalem thought they should send someone to check things out and to help the new believers. They sent Barnabas. Barnabas was so happy to see what God was doing and encouraged the people in their faith. He saw that there was a great opportunity to spread the good news about Jesus, but that some more helpers were needed. He travelled to Tarsus and invited Paul to join him in the work being done in Antioch.

The church continued to grow and one day, during a prayer meeting, the Holy Spirit told those praying that God wanted Barnabas and Paul to team up so that they could travel and spread the good news about Jesus to even more people. So after praying, they sent the two men off to begin their journey of traveling to places that had never heard about Jesus, so that new churches could be planted in even more places around the world.

Think about it...
• Barnabas was a very godly man who had dedicated his life to Jesus. What special job was he given?
• Barnabas was so pleased to see that the truth about Jesus was being shared, but he knew that they needed more help. Who did he go and get?
• Paul and Barnabas worked together with the other leaders of the church. What message did the Holy Spirit give them?
• The leaders prayed for Barnabas and Paul and then sent them off. Do you think you would be brave like Barnabas and Paul and go somewhere you had never been to tell people you had never met about Jesus?
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Prayer: Thank you, God, for Barnabas and Paul’s friendship and how you chose to send them out to work together. Help us to encourage one another too and always be willing to work together to tell other people about you.