Acts 9 v 19 – 25

Lesson Aim

To understand that followers of Jesus will face suffering.

Hook 1: A basket, dressing gown and swords

Dress a child up in a dressing gown as Saul. Have other children posted at the doors of the room with swords (cardboard ones will do). Get Saul to silently creep up on the other children while they have their backs turned to him. Saul needs to try each door in turn before you bring him back to the front and place him in a basket. A wicker or plastic laundry basket will do with a long piece of string attached. You do not need to actually lower the basket and it would probably not take a child’s weight before breaking.

Hook 2: Toy men and a cardboard box

Use small models of men and soldiers to illustrate the story. It does not matter whether they are in modern or first century clothing. Make a city from an upturned cardboard box with doors cut out on each side, post soldiers alongside the doors. Use a small basket and piece of string to illustrate how Saul escaped from Damascus

Hook 3: Questions

Have you ever had to escape from someone? How did you hide or manage to escape? Today’s Bible story is about Saul who had just become a Christian. However, when other people heard this they were furious with Saul and wanted to kill him.

Warning:

Do not attempt to lower a child from any height in a basket. It is fine to put them into a basket but dangerous to attempt to lower them!

Application

People wanted to kill Saul because he became a Christian. Other people try to punish Christians simply because they love Jesus. If you become a Christian, people might not like that. In some parts of the world today Christians are put into prison or even killed because they love Jesus.  But God is always with his people, just as he was with Saul.