This is a simplified version of the Bible story found in Acts 15:36-41, written for children to understand. For the original version, please refer to the Bible passage.
Once there were two good friends named Paul and Barnabas. They traveled together to many different cities, telling people about the wonderful things God had done. One day, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the people we met before, to see how they are doing.” Barnabas agreed, but he wanted to bring along another friend named John Mark.
But Paul didn’t want John Mark to come with them because he had left them before and didn’t finish the work they had started. Paul thought it would be better to leave John Mark behind. This made Barnabas very upset, and they argued about it a lot. Unfortunately, they could not agree, and they decided to go their separate ways.
Barnabas took John Mark and sailed to Cyprus, and Paul chose a new friend named Silas to go with him. Paul and Silas went to many cities, and they helped make the churches there stronger. Even though Paul and Barnabas had to go separate ways, they still loved God and kept doing His work.
Biblical Lessons
- Sometimes good friends disagree, but we should still love and respect each other.
- It’s important to finish the work we start and be reliable.
- Even when things don’t go as planned, God can still use us for His purposes.