Eutychus Falls from the Window

Paul preached late into the night. A young man named Eutychus fell asleep in a window and fell down from the third floor. Paul embraced him, and he was brought alive.

Teach this lesson: film, sheets and guide Print the coloring page

Bible passage: Acts 20:7–12
Big idea: God cares for every person in His church.
Memory verse: And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted. Acts 20:12 (KJV)
Ages: Preschool to preteen (3 to 12), with tips for each age
Time: About 45 minutes
Included, free: Animated story film, coloring page, class sheet, teacher guide, questions and answers, a game

The story

On the first day of the week, the believers at Troas came together to break bread (Acts 20:6–7). Paul was leaving the next day, so he preached to them until midnight. Many lights were burning in the upstairs room where they met (Acts 20:7–8). A young man named Eutychus was sitting in a window. As Paul kept preaching, Eutychus fell into a deep sleep. He fell down from the third floor and “was taken up dead” (Acts 20:9).

Paul went down, put his arms around him, and said, “Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him” (Acts 20:10). Then Paul went back up, broke bread and ate. He talked with them a long while, until the sun came up (Acts 20:11). They brought the young man alive, and the people “were not a little comforted” (Acts 20:12).

Read it in the Bible: Acts 20:7–12 (KJV)

⁷And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. ⁸And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. ⁹And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. ¹⁰And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. ¹¹When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. ¹²And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

Questions to ask

What was the young man’s name?
Eutychus.
Why did he fall?
He fell into a deep sleep while Paul was long preaching.
How did the church feel when he was alive?
Not a little comforted.

What this story teaches

God’s people gather together to worship and hear His Word (Acts 20:7).
God’s Word is worth hearing, even for a long time (Acts 20:7, 11).
God cares about every person in His church, young or old (Acts 20:9–10).
God has power over life and death (Acts 20:9–12).
God comforts His people when they are troubled (Acts 20:10, 12).

Jesus Gives Life

Eutychus was brought alive to his friends. Jesus is the resurrection and the life, and whoever believes in Him will live forever.

John 11:25–26

A 45-minute lesson plan

5 min	Welcome and pray. Greet each child by name and pray: Thank God for taking care of His people.
10 min	The story. Play the story film: each verse appears on screen in the King James Version while the scene plays. Pause to ask what happens next.
10 min	Talk about it. Ask the three questions below. Then ask: “God cares for every person in His church.” What does that mean for us?
5 min	Memory verse. Say Acts 20:12 together, covering one word at a time until the children can say it alone.
10 min	Activity. Younger children color the coloring page while you retell the story; older children do the class sheet (memory-verse fill-in, word search and questions).
5 min	Pray and send home. Pray together and send the sheet home so families can talk about the first question this week.

Preschool: keep it short and physical. Act out the story, use a simple prop, and repeat the big idea in one sentence.
Elementary: let children find the passage in their own Bibles. Ask “who, what, where” questions first, then “why.”
Preteens: read the verses before and after the passage, and ask how this story fits the whole story of the Bible.

Game time

For kids · game · indoors · about 10 minutes

Through the Window

You need: A hula hoop or cardboard window held at three heights, bean bags

Hold the “window” at the first floor, then the second, then the third loft.
Kids take turns tossing bean bags through it.
Each height scores more points. Everyone who gets one through gets a cheer.

Eutychus fell asleep and fell from the third loft. Paul embraced him, and he was brought alive.

For youth group · game · indoors · about 15 minutes

Just a Minute

You need: Topic cards, a timer

A player draws a topic (pizza, Noah’s ark, socks) and must talk for sixty seconds without “um”, repeating a word, or pausing.
Anyone can buzz in and challenge; if the challenge is right, they take over.
Whoever is talking when the time runs out wins the point.

Paul talked until midnight because he loved these people and had so much to tell them about Jesus.

Pray

Thank God for taking care of His people.