Gra

de

s K-2 Leader Guide

STORY AT A GLANCEFlip the hilt piece up, and slide it to cover the pointy part of the sword. Now it

looks like a bugle!

7

Supplies:

Holy MolyDVD

Holy MolyLeaflets

Holy MolyBible Storybooks

Crayons/Markers

Scissors

SauL BecomeS PauL

Gra

de

s K-2 Leader Guide

KeY VeRSe The Lord said to [Ananias], “Go, for [Saul] is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel.”

acts 9:15

God transforms persecution by Saul to proclamation by Paul.

cLoSING PRaYeR

Fewer kids?Have kids act out transformations from the Get Ready activity. Guide them to come up with more ideas of items that change from 1 thing to another—real or imaginary. Have fun!

more time?Have kids take turns proclaiming good news to each other. They can share something good that happened to them during the week, a funny story, or even tell about their favorite toy.

more kids?Divide kids into smaller groups to create swords and bugles. Have 1 group work on swords (Steps 1-5) while the other group does more of the Get Ready activity. Then switch groups. Finally, help everyone transform swords to bugles!

Dear God,What a surprise that Saul could become Paul, and swords can become bugles! Toot-a-toot-toot! You can transform anything! Give us tools to be like Paul and tell people about Jesus.

amen!

Less time?Make the swords in class and send instructions with kids to complete the transformation to bugles at home.

ACTIVITY TIPS

Grades K-2. Saul Becomes Paul Leader Guide. Holy Moly. wearesparkhouse.org. © 2013 sparkhouse. All rights reserved. May be reproduced for local use only provided each copy carries this notice.

Hold up the Jesus speech bubble and proclaim the

good news of Jesus with your bugle!

8Holy moly!Surprise! Saul’s sword transformed! Bugles can be used to get people’s attention and announce news.

• Why did Saul want to tell people about Jesus after he got his sight back?

• Who has told you about Jesus?

• What news about Jesus would you want to share with others? How would you do it? What would you use?

christians• Members of a fragile new

movement.

• Persecuted for following Jesus, who Rome executed as a criminal.

• Afraid of being killed by men like Saul, so many flee Jerusalem, where the persecution began (Acts 8:1).

Jesus• Ascends to heaven 40

days after his resurrection (Acts 1:3-12), but appears to Saul in a vision.

• Picks Saul to spread his message. Gives Saul a chance for a new, better life.

conversion• When someone adopts new

beliefs.

• Saul/Paul continues to see himself as a Jew and follows Jewish laws after being converted. Christianity isn’t a separate religion yet.

ananias• Jewish disciple of Christ

living in Damascus (Acts 9:10).

• Has a vision from God telling him to help Saul, but is reluctant after hearing all the awful things Saul has done to Christians.

• Helps Saul see again by touching him and filling him with the Holy Spirit.

• Learns how to evangelize, or spread the gospel, through his words and actions.

Saul/Paul• Devoted Pharisee who persecutes

early Christians.

• Sees a vision of Jesus on the road to Damascus. Blinded for 3 days.

• Proclaims the word of Jesus after being healed.

• Writes much of the New Testament in the form of epistles (letters) that help define many Christian beliefs.

• Uses Jewish name Saul when persecuting Jewish Christians; uses Greek name Paul when preaching to Gentiles.

White Paper

coNTINueS...

(10-15 min.)

(5-10 min.) (5-10 min.)

DIScoVeR

ReLaTe coNNecT

(20-30 min.)

cReaTe

cut the leaflet in half, and then cut out the oval sword hilt/bugle end piece and the Jesus thought bubble, too.

add color to the pieces, if you’d like.

Slide the hilt up the sword blade, then add a rolled up piece of paper to extend the handle.

1

4

To make the sword blade, fold into thirds. Next, cut ends at the top to create the tip of the

sword and tape it in place.

3

Get ReadyTurn a light off and on; mess up your hair or change your facial expressions several times. Then ask kids whether they have always looked the way they look right now. Things change! What are some of the ways they have changed since they were born? Since last year? What have they seen change today at church or in your classroom?

Show kids items or pictures of items that change into something else, and talk about what the items will change into. Possibilities include a baby, a seed, caterpillar, a blank piece of paper and a pencil. Encourage kids to use their imaginations.

Introduce the characters• Saul is an important person who doesn’t like people who

follow Jesus. Saul and his friends persecute them, which means that they treat them very badly. Jesus’ followers are afraid of Saul.

• Christians are people who love and believe in Jesus. In some places they are made fun of, put in jail, or even killed!

• Ananias, a follower of Jesus, is sent by God to help Saul change.

Watch for how Jesus gets Saul’s attention to stop him from

frightening and hurting Jesus’ followers.

If time permits, watch it again!

Play the Saul Becomes Paul Video

Talk about the Saul Becomes Paul Video• What kind of person was Saul at the beginning of

the story? What did he do to people who loved Jesus?

• What happened to Saul when the light shone in his eyes? I wonder why Jesus chose to meet Saul that way.

• How did Ananias feel when Saul came to him for help? What surprised you about that?

• How did Saul get his sight back?

• What was the biggest way Saul was transformed?

open the Holy moly Bible StorybookRead The Last Word on pages 61-66. Saul put Christians in jail for their beliefs.

• What would you do if you were put in jail for being a Christian?

• Why do you think Jesus showed himself to Saul?

• When have you learned to do the right thing?

Saul became blind after he met Jesus on the road. Who did God send to restore Saul’s sight?

• I wonder what it would be like to suddenly not be able to see.

• Have you ever prayed for someone who made you feel scared?

• What happened after Saul regained his sight?

TRaNSFoRm SauL’S SWoRD: Kids create a paper sword that transforms into an instrument for announcing good news.

carefully fold the sword hilt/bugle end piece in half along the dotted line, and then cut

the slit making sure to not cut through to the edges.

2

Your sword is finished and ready for Saul to use as he looks for Jesus’ followers!

5

Now transform your sword into something kinder! Push the white tube up into the sword and flip the whole thing over to show the bugle side.

6

Holy moly!Give kids time to imagine and help them reflect.

• What are swords used for? Why do you think Saul had to use his sword to stop people from following Jesus?

• What other ways can people be stopped from doing things?

• When, if ever, is it okay to hurt people with swords or other objects?