Paul Escapes Damascus in a Basket

Today's' lesson has a printable with a basket, of course! It can be used any lesson that you want to discuss being a worker for Jesus

Last week we talked about Saul. He was putting people in prison for telling others about Jesus. Then as he was on his way to find more Christians, he was blinded by a light from heaven.

The other people with him could hear a voice, but they didn't see anyone, and the voice said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” Jesus told Saul to go into the city and he would be told what to do. The other men helped take him the rest of the way to Damascus. He couldn’t see for three days. He didn’t eat or drink for three days. Then God told Ananias to go find Saul.

Ananias was nervous about going to find Saul of Tarsus because he asked God, “Isn’t he the one that is putting Christians in prison?” In Acts 9:15-16: But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

Ananias did as God told him to, and he went and laid hands on Saul. Something like scales fell off Saul's eyes and he could see. Saul immediately went to be baptized.
Saul ate and spent time with other disciples.  

Our Bible scripture for today is Acts 9:19-31. Saul immediately started to preach about Jesus in the synagogues. Everyone who heard about Saul preaching were amazed! (Acts 9:22) But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confused the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

They said, “Isn’t he the one that put people in prison for doing the very same thing?” But Saul kept preaching and the Jews that lived in Damascus couldn't believe that Saul kept talking about Jesus.

Now the Jews planned to kill Saul! They watched the gates day and night to try and kill him.

The disciples heard about their plans, so, one night, the disciples let Saul down the city wall from a window of Damascus inside a large basket.
(window is in 2 Corinthians 11:33) 

Saul left Damascus and spent some time in Arabia. (Galatians 1:17-18) Then he returned to Damascus. He was a very different person. Before he came to put the followers of Jesus in prison, and now he is returning to tell everyone he can about Jesus.

Saul went to Jerusalem next and he wanted to spend time with the Christians, but they were afraid of him. They didn’t believe Saul had really changed so fast and so much! He spent fifteen days with Peter and saw James.

Barnabas took Saul to the apostles and told them about Saul being blinded by the light on the road to Damascus, that Jesus had spoken to Saul and how he had been preaching at Damascus. Saul preached boldly, but more people wanted to kill him. Saul left and went to Tarsus, where he lived as a boy. The churches in Judea, Galilee and Samaria grew and were peaceful.

 

I wanted something that had a basket for today's lesson, but different since I have a project for this lesson already here. This printable can be used for a lot of lessons. As we reviewed, I decided to have the students think about Paul and all the work he did, and that we will study, and once he decided to follow Jesus, he was faithful and spread the word. Paul never stopped doing work for Jesus, even though he was often tormented and then put in prison. With those thoughts, the clipboards have different times of their week listed at the top. They can write in things they can do to be a worker for Jesus. There are directions in the download to make the back of the basket a pocket for the kids to store their clipboard. You can print this in color and in black & white. Click here to print it.

For the students IFA bags, I handed out compasses that I purchased at Dollar Tree (party section). Oriental Trading also has some choices. I also gave them Walking With Jesus bracelets found at Oriental Trading. We have a lot to do with our Paul in Acts lessons! The students fill out their passports when they come in, and we also mark maps for Paul's travels. I printed maps here.

I left the Visual Aid Project Board from last week on the table, and added the one I use for this lesson beside it. It made for a nice big review visual! You can see it here.

Click here to print the worksheet.

Worksheets for Acts

Passport: Damascus

Bible Verse: Acts 9:22 

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

Used by permission.

Click here to download the lesson.

Click here to download the updated visuals.

Not all are shown.

Click here to download the pictures to color.

(These are the same as the visuals but are black & white.)

You can see this lesson with different ideas here.