Acts 8:1-3; 9:1-31
Thank you for continuing this journey of The Gospel Project®
for Kids. Over the next six weeks, preschoolers will learn how Paul’s
encounter with Jesus changed his life. Saul was a devout Jew who was
born in Tarsus (Philippians 3:5) and inherited his Roman citizenship
from his father. (His Roman name was Paul; his Hebrew name was Saul.) So
when people began talking about this man named Jesus and claiming that
He was the promised Messiah, Saul took notice.
Saul
believed strongly in the Jewish faith of his ancestors. He violently
persecuted God’s church and tried to destroy it. (Galatians 1:13-14) He
dragged believers from their houses and put them in prison. He approved
of the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Saul thought he
was doing the right thing by defending Judaism, but God’s purposes could
not be stopped.
As
Saul was on his way to arrest believers in Damascus, the Lord stopped
him in his tracks. Jesus revealed Himself to Saul, and Saul was never
the same. Saul was convinced that Jesus is Lord. Saul later described
the experience as being like dying and receiving a new life (Galatians
2:20; 2 Corinthians 5:17). God had a purpose and a plan for Saul. He had
set Saul apart before Saul was even born (Galatians 1:15). God said,
“This man is My chosen instrument to take My name to the Gentiles” (Acts
9:15).
Salvation,
sometimes called conversion, happens when a person recognizes his sin,
repents, believes in Jesus, and confesses Jesus as Savior and Lord.
Jesus changes a person’s heart, and as a result, his or her life is
changed too. Jesus appeared to Saul and changed him inside and out.
Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). Jesus
called Saul, who was once an enemy of Christians, to spend the rest of
his life telling people the gospel and leading them to trust Jesus as
Lord and Savior.
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