Conversion of Saul
CONVERSION OF SAUL
Objectives:
- Who was Saul?
- What was Saul doing at Stephen’s stoning?
- How did Saul meet Jesus?
Possible Lesson Plan:
- Open with prayer.
- Read the story in Acts 9:1-25. We know only a little of Saul’s early life. He was born a tentmaker of Tarsus. He was a Roman citizen. He went to Jerusalem to study with the famous rabbi Gamaliel. His dedication to the Jewish faith led him to violently oppose the new Christian Church. His conversion to Christianity, then, is a very important event because the entire life of Paul was changed. And, in the years to come, St. Paul would become the leading missionary to the Gentiles. Remind the students that the Saul in this chapter had the Greek name, Paul, and these are the same person.
- See what it’s like to be blind: In a pillowcase, put various objects of different textures and shapes. Blindfold the children and see how many they can identify. Fill various small bottles with smelly objects (banana, cinnamon, garlic, pickle, peanut butter, onion, etc.) See if the blindfolded children can identify the things by smell alone.
- Play a learning game: The Big Step – Ask questions from today’s lesson with the students lined up at the far end of the room. If the student can answer the question, he can take one step toward you. If not, the question passes to the next player. First to reach the teacher’s wall is the winner. Sample questions:
Who held the coats at the stoning of Stephen? Saul
Where was Saul born? Tarsus
Where was Saul traveling from? Jerusalem
To what city was Saul traveling? Damascus
What did Saul see on the road? Bright light
What did the voice say to Saul? Saul, why are you persecuting Me?
What happened to Saul’s eyes? Blind
Who came to pray for Saul? Ananias
How did God speak to Ananias? Vision
How did Saul escape the city? Basket over the wall
- Make a Picture Projector. Take a paper towel tube. Cut off about 1 inch at one end. Tape two Popsicle sticks side by side to hold the two pieces of tube together, leaving a ¼ inch slit between the tubes. Take a long, thin strip of paper divided comic-strip style into 4-5 sections. In each section, draw a scene from the story. Insert the paper “film” into the “projector”, hold it up to the light, and tell the story with your pictures. A sample is included but it's even more fun and educational to make your own!
- Close with prayer: Lord, may I keep my eyes open to all that You do in my life.
