This is a simplified version of the Bible story found in Acts 11:19-30, written for children to understand. For the original version, please refer to the Bible passage.
Some people were being chased and hurt because they believed in Jesus. They had to run away from their homes and go to different places. Some of them went to a city called Antioch, where they only talked to other people who believed in God like them. But then some brave men came to Antioch and told everyone, even people who didn’t believe in God, about Jesus. The people who heard them felt very happy and wanted to learn more about Jesus.
Some other people heard about what was happening in Antioch and told a man named Barnabas who lived in another city. Barnabas was so happy to hear about all the people who were learning about Jesus that he went to Antioch to see for himself. When he got there, he saw that many people had started to believe in Jesus and were following him.
Barnabas was very wise and wanted to help the people in Antioch stay strong in their faith. He told them to keep believing in Jesus and to always do the right thing. Barnabas was also a good friend and wanted to bring another wise man named Saul to help teach the people. Together, Barnabas and Saul taught the people in Antioch about Jesus for a whole year. And that’s when the disciples of Jesus were first called “Christians.”
One day, some prophets came to Antioch and one of them, named Agabus, told everyone that there was going to be a big problem with not having enough food to eat. The people in Antioch wanted to help others who might be affected by the problem, so they gave money to help. Barnabas and Saul took the money and went to another city called Judea to give it to people there who needed it.
Biblical Lessons
- Even when things are hard, we should keep believing in Jesus and tell others about him.
- Helping others is important, and we should give what we can to those who need it.
- Christians should take care of each other and help those in need.
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