In this lesson, children learn that God can change anyone’s heart, and that Jesus wants us to tell others about Him. It suits children aged about 5 to 11 and takes 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
Jesus can change even the hardest heart, and when He does, we get to tell other people about Him.
Memory Verse
Acts 22:15
For you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard.
(WEB)
Stand tall, then point with one finger out toward the room, as if you are telling someone about something you saw. Say “witness” together and point again. Repeat the motion three times so children can connect the word with the action.
The Story: Acts 22 for Kids
A man named Saul was a very strict Jewish leader. He believed the followers of Jesus were wrong, and he worked hard to arrest them. He even traveled to the city of Damascus to find more of them and bring them back to Jerusalem in chains.
On the road to Damascus, a bright light flashed from the sky, and Saul fell to the ground. He heard a voice asking, “Saul, why are you hurting me?” Saul asked who was speaking, and the voice said, “I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting.” Saul was blind for a while after the light, so his friends led him into the city.
In Damascus, a believer named Ananias came to Saul. He placed his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, receive your sight!” Right away Saul could see again. Ananias told him that God had chosen him to know His will and to tell others what he had seen and heard about Jesus.
Later, Saul went back to Jerusalem and prayed in the temple. While he prayed, he saw Jesus again, who told him that he would be sent far away to share the good news with people who did not know God. The people of Jerusalem did not want to listen, and they became very angry.
The crowd shouted and demanded that Saul be punished. The Roman commander ordered him taken inside the barracks to be questioned. Saul then said something important to the soldier standing nearby: he was a Roman citizen. The soldiers stopped at once, and the commander was afraid because he had tied up a Roman citizen without a trial.
The next day, the commander wanted to find out why the Jewish leaders were so angry, so he freed Saul and brought him before the council to speak. God was still at work, even in a difficult and frightening moment.
Read It Together
Acts 22:6-8
6 As I made my journey, and came close to Damascus, about noon, suddenly a great light shone around me from the sky. 7 I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.’
(WEB)
Point out how suddenly the light appeared and how Jesus spoke to Saul in the middle of his plans. Ask children what surprised them most about how Jesus got Saul’s attention, and remind them that Jesus can reach anyone, even someone who is working against Him.
Acts 22:13-14
13 Came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ In that very hour I looked up at him. 14 He said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.
(WEB)
Show children how Ananias greeted Saul as “Brother,” even though Saul had been an enemy of the believers. Explain that God can make people family in Christ, and that He often uses ordinary people, like Ananias, to help others see and follow Him.
Acts 22:21
“He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.’”
(WEB)
Point out that God sent Saul to people who were not Jewish, showing that His love is for everyone everywhere. Explain that this verse reminds us that God has a plan for every person, including people far away from where we live.
Talk About It
- What do you think Saul felt when the bright light flashed and he fell to the ground?
- Why do you think Jesus asked Saul, “Why are you hurting me?” instead of just telling him to stop?
- How did Ananias show kindness to Saul when Saul was scared and could not see?
- Who is someone you know who might need to hear about Jesus, and how could you share with them?
- What is one thing you can do this week to tell someone that Jesus loves them?
Activity Ideas
Light Shining Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a flashlight. Have each child draw a dark sky with a sudden bright light in the middle. Turn off the room lights and shine the flashlight on their drawings to show how light breaks through darkness. Talk about how Jesus’s light can change anyone’s heart.
Witness Relay Game
Divide the children into two teams and place a small object, like a sock or a paper cup, at one end of the room. Each child must race to the object, pick it up, and carry it back to the team, then tell a short true fact about Jesus before passing it to the next player. Keep it simple and fun, and remind children that sharing about Jesus can be done one step at a time.
Share the Good News Card
You will need index cards, markers, and an envelope for each child. Have children write or draw one thing Jesus has done for them and place it in the envelope. Encourage them to take the card home and give it to a family member or friend this week. Talk about how each card is a small way of telling someone about Jesus.
Teacher Notes
Acts 22 shows that God is able to change even the most determined opponent of the gospel. Paul’s testimony, given as he speaks to the crowd in Jerusalem, reminds adults that God’s call often comes in surprising ways, and that our own past does not limit what He can do through us. The chapter also shows that God’s plan reaches beyond any one group of people.
Avoid suggesting that children should expect dramatic visions or bright lights in their own lives to know God is working. Keep the focus on Jesus’s faithfulness and on the simple, everyday ways children can share their faith, rather than on the spectacular details of Saul’s conversion.
A Prayer to Close
Lord Jesus, thank You for loving us and for changing our hearts. Help us to tell others about You with kind words and loving actions. Give us courage to share what we know about You, and help us to trust that You can reach anyone. Amen.
