Single lesson

Saul Meets Jesus and Begins a Changed Life

Acts 9:1–19; Acts 9:20–30

Saul began as an enemy of Jesus’ disciples, but Jesus confronted him and changed his direction. In this lesson, children trace the order of events and notice how people responded to Jesus’ words.

6–10 years30 minutes

Before you teach

This passage follows Saul from threatening disciples and seeking authority to arrest them, to Jesus speaking to him on the road, to Ananias visiting him in Damascus. It then shows Saul proclaiming Jesus, escaping danger, and being helped by other believers in Jerusalem.

Learning aim

Students will be able to sequence the events in Acts 9:1, Acts 9:3, Acts 9:17, Acts 9:18, Acts 9:20, Acts 9:25 and Acts 9:27, and name two visible changes in Saul’s life after Jesus spoke to him.

Welcome: Start with Saul before the change

4 min

Ask the children to listen for what Saul was doing at the beginning and what he was doing by the end. Briefly explain that “the Way” was a name used here for Jesus’ followers. Read Acts 9:1 and Acts 9:2 aloud and note that Saul wanted to find believers and take them bound to Jerusalem.

Acts 9:1, Acts 9:2

Read and explain: Jesus stops Saul on the road

8 min

Read Acts 9:3 to Acts 9:9. Help the class follow the order: a light shone, Saul fell, Jesus spoke, Saul learned it was Jesus, and he was told to go into the city. Point out that the men heard a sound, and Saul had to be led by the hand because he could not see.

Acts 9:3, Acts 9:4, Acts 9:5, Acts 9:6, Acts 9:7, Acts 9:8, Acts 9:9

Discuss: Ananias obeys and Saul is received

6 min

Read Acts 9:10 to Acts 9:19. Explain that Ananias was a disciple in Damascus. He knew Saul had harmed the saints in Jerusalem and had authority to bind those who called on Jesus’ name, yet he went when the Lord told him to go. Saul received sight, was baptised, ate, and stayed with the disciples.

Acts 9:10, Acts 9:13, Acts 9:14, Acts 9:15, Acts 9:17, Acts 9:18, Acts 9:19

Make and respond: Order Saul’s changed life

8 min

Children make simple sequence cards showing key moments from the passage, then place them in order and retell the account to a partner. Include these scenes: letters for Damascus, light and voice, led by the hand, Ananias visits, baptised, proclaiming Jesus in synagogues, basket escape, and Barnabas bringing Saul to the apostles.

Acts 9:2, Acts 9:3, Acts 9:8, Acts 9:17, Acts 9:18, Acts 9:20, Acts 9:25, Acts 9:27

Closing: Notice the outcomes of changed choices

4 min

Read selected verses from Acts 9:20 to Acts 9:30. Show that Saul now proclaimed that Jesus is the Son of God and preached boldly in the name of Jesus. Also notice that other believers helped him when people wanted to kill him, first in Damascus and then in Jerusalem. Finish by summarising the sequence together.

Acts 9:20, Acts 9:23, Acts 9:25, Acts 9:26, Acts 9:27, Acts 9:29, Acts 9:30

Questions to explore

What was Saul planning to do before Jesus spoke to him?

Look at the opening verses and name both his threats and his plan to bring followers of the Way bound to Jerusalem.

Acts 9:1, Acts 9:2

What changed after Ananias visited Saul?

Use the verses to list the changes you can see in the passage, such as receiving sight, being baptised, taking food, and staying with the disciples.

Acts 9:17, Acts 9:18, Acts 9:19

How do we know Saul’s life was going in a new direction?

Compare what Saul wanted at the start with what he did later in Damascus and Jerusalem, where he proclaimed and preached in the name of Jesus.

Acts 9:2, Acts 9:20, Acts 9:29

Make, think or respond

Saul’s Story Sequence Cards

What you’ll need

plain paper or card
pencils or markers
scissors
Bible

Try it together

Write or draw eight key moments from the passage on separate cards.
Mix the cards and let children work in pairs to place them in order.
Ask each pair to retell the account using the cards and the Bible verses.
Finish by choosing one card and saying what changed for Saul at that point.

This activity helps children sequence the account and see how Saul moved from seeking to bind disciples to proclaiming Jesus and being helped by other believers.

Adapt for your group

For younger children, provide six pre-chosen scenes and let them draw one simple picture on each card before ordering them.
For older or confident readers, ask them to add the verse reference to each card and explain how Barnabas helped Saul meet the apostles in Acts 9:27.

An optional closing prayer

Suggested prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that in this passage you spoke to Saul, he received sight, was baptised, and began proclaiming you. Please help us listen to you, obey you, and encourage others as Ananias and Barnabas did.

Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic

Acts 9

¹ But Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest

² and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

³ As he traveled, he got close to Damascus, and suddenly a light from the sky shone around him.

⁴ He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

⁵ He said, “Who are you, Lord?” The Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

⁶ But rise up and enter into the city, then you will be told what you must do.”

⁷ The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the sound, but seeing no one.

⁸ Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. They led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.

⁹ He was without sight for three days, and neither ate nor drank.

¹⁰ Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!” He said, “Behold, it’s me, Lord.”

¹¹ The Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judah for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying,

¹² and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight.”

¹³ But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to your saints at Jerusalem.

¹⁴ Here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.”

¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, “Go your way, for he is my chosen vessel to bear my name before the nations and kings, and the children of Israel.

¹⁶ For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

¹⁷ Ananias departed and entered into the house. Laying his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

¹⁸ Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he received his sight. He arose and was baptized.

¹⁹ He took food and was strengthened. Saul stayed several days with the disciples who were at Damascus.

²⁰ Immediately in the synagogues he proclaimed the Christ, that he is the Son of God.

²¹ All who heard him were amazed, and said, “Isn’t this he who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called on this name? And he had come here intending to bring them bound before the chief priests!”

²² But Saul increased more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.

²³ When many days were fulfilled, the Jews conspired together to kill him,

²⁴ but their plot became known to Saul. They watched the gates both day and night that they might kill him,

²⁵ but his disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket.

²⁶ When Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join himself to the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

²⁷ But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.

²⁸ He was with them entering into Jerusalem,

²⁹ preaching boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus. He spoke and disputed against the Hellenists, but they were seeking to kill him.

³⁰ When the brothers knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

World English Bible Classic. Public domain.