Saul preaches about Jesus
key words
bible reference
Acts 9:19-29
lesson objective
To learn that Paul was a great evangelical preacher.
memory verse
“And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us” (Ephesians 5:2, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
After his conversion, Saul spent a few days with the disciples of Damascus. Ananias, the disciple that God used to heal Saul, was possibly part of that group that helped him grow spiritually.
The Scripture tells us that Saul, who was a persecutor of Christians and zealous of his religion, began his ministry for Christ with the same zeal. He immediately began to preach with courage the message of Jesus. Saul went to the synagogue to preach, and there he was welcomed as a rabbi, having been trained by the honorable teacher Gamaliel. Everyone in the synagogue was stunned to hear about the change in Saul. The one who at one time opposed the truth, now knew the truth through a personal encounter with Jesus.
Saul’s ministry grew mightily and, while proclaiming the truth, he faced the opposition that he once gave. The leaders of the opposition made plans to kill him. They wanted to prevent him from continuing to proclaim the gospel of Jesus. However, the Christians who once feared him, now made plans to rescue him.
Saul escaped from Damascus to return to Jerusalem. There, the followers of Jesus still feared him and rejected him, thinking that it was a trap. But, Barnabas saw the testimony of Saul and believed that the Savior had truly transformed him. With the help of Barnabas, Saul was accepted by the Jerusalem church. Saul could have been discouraged and could also have returned to his old life, but he remained firm in what he now believed. He had met Jesus and was now a new man, willing to risk his life to preach the gospel. How much are you willing to risk so that others can know Jesus?
adaptation
Although at this age many of the children may not have faced adversity for believing in Jesus, perhaps at some point they will be ridiculed, oppressed or even persecuted for the sake of Jesus. The example of Saul, who proclaimed Jesus and did not care if this meant adversity, serves as a solid foundation for the spiritual growth of your children.
introduce the lesson
A reminder of love
For this activity, you will need paper plates, pens, colored markers, ribbons, scissors and a paper hole puncher.
Place materials on a table. Write on each plate: “Jesus loves you!” Then make two holes 10 cm. from the edge of the plate and 10 cm apart. Insert the ribbon through them and tie the ribbon so they can hang the work when it is finished.
Allow the children to decorate the plate. Tell them they can give it to someone who needs to hear about Jesus.
teach the lesson
Use these activities to help introduce children to the Bible lesson. Invite a man from your congregation to dress up as Saul, Barnabas, or a Christian from Damascus. Ask him to study Acts 9:19-29 and be prepared to tell the story about Saul preaching about Jesus. Perhaps he can wear a long tunic or a blanket.
Watch your step
Use the meeting room chairs to form an obstacle course. Ask the children to walk from one end of the room to the other on the floor.
Then gather them to hear the Bible story. Before the story, ask them if it was easy or difficult to walk through the obstacles. Listen to their answers and tell them that the Bible story is about a difficult situation that Saul faced.
Welcome your guest and ask the children to pay close attention to the story.
Saul preaches about Jesus
Saul had been an enemy of Christians and did not want to know anything about Jesus. But, one day, when he was traveling to Damascus, Jesus spoke to him and changed Saul’s mind.
Now Saul was a different man. He loved Jesus and wanted to know him more and more every day. He decided to tell people about Jesus, so he went to the synagogue. “Listen, I have good news for you,” said Saul. “Jesus, the Son of God, lives and loves us.” Everyone was very amazed by what they heard.
“Is not it Saul?” someone asked? “Is not he the same one who took Christians to jail?” “Yes, but now he’s different. Listen to him!” another person said.
Saul preached the gospel wherever he went, and people believed in Jesus. The Jewish leaders were concerned because many people were believing in Jesus. So, they decided to kill Saul. They carefully watched the city gates to make sure he did not leave.
Saul’s friends found out about this plan and decided to help him escape. One night, when it was very dark, he was taken to a house that had a window in the city wall. They put him in a basket and lowered it very slowly. When the basket reached the ground, Saul got out of it and walked quickly until he reached Jerusalem. He was sure he would find other Christians there who would help him. But, the Christians of that city were afraid of him. No one believed that he had changed. Barnabas spoke with Saul and realized that God had changed Saul. Then he took him to the other disciples and followers of Jesus. From that day on, Saul was part of the church and preached the message of Jesus everywhere.
connect the lesson
Paul’s basket
Give each child Student Activity Sheet #84-A and #84-B plus a pencil. Allow time for the children to trace the word of faith and write their name on Student Activity Sheet #84-A.
Follow the instructions and help them trim, fold and paste their baskets. Instruct the children to use their finished work to review the Bible story. Encourage the children to use their activity sheets to tell the lesson to their families and friends.
practice the memory verse
Write the verse on the board and help your children identify the letters that form it. Remember that many of them are only beginning to read and some perhaps only know the vowels. Repeat the verse several times.
wrap-up
Pray
Have a special time of prayer for the sick or those who could not come. Also, pray for people they know who a sharing the Gospel (pastors, evangelists, teachers, missionaries, friends, etc.).
Encourage
Encourage children to tell their family members what they learned in today's session.
Invite
Make sure the children pick up the materials and order the room before going home. Say something interesting about the next session so they will want to attend.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™