1 Small Group, K-1 Bible Story: Paul s Conversion Acts 1-3; 9:1-9 Bottom Line: If you want to know who God is, find out more about Jesus. Memory Verse: When you walk, nothing will slow you down. When you run, you won t trip and fall. Hold on to my teaching and don t let it go. Guard it well, because it is your life. Proverbs 4:12-13, NIrV GET READY Prepare ahead of time for kindergarten 1st grade Small Groups this session: Groups: Creating a Safe Place to Connect (Choose as many of these activities as you like.) * If you don t have time to do all these activities, be sure to do activity #1. 1. Damascus Drama (review the Bible story) Bible marked at Acts 9 Print the Damascus Drama Activity Page; 1 for each Small Group Flashlight(s) Metal cookie pan (for sound effects) Stepladder (optional) Costumes and props: Towels or pillowcases (for headdresses) Kids bathrobes (for biblical robes) Large yellow ball or circle cut from construction paper (for the sun) Print the Damascus Road Sign Activity Page on cardstock; 1 for each Small Group Gray, brown, or neutral-colored pillowcases, towels, or fabric (for rocks) Artificial leaves or green construction paper cut into large leaf shapes (for trees/shrubs) Note: Provide what you can, but if your supplies are limited, don t worry: K-1 kids are great pretenders and will do fine with whatever you have. 2. More About Jesus (application activity) Print the More About Jesus Activity Page on cardstock and cut apart; 1 set for each Small Group Paper lunch bag or similar to put the More About Jesus cutouts in Pillowcase or opaque bag holding the following: Heart-shaped object Large BAND-AID Cross Toy crown Note: If you can t find all or enough of the objects, use the More About Jesus pictures as templates to cut silhouettes of the objects from thick fun foam. 1
3. When You Walk (memory verse activity) Bible marked at Proverbs 4 Print the Graphic Design Activity Pages; 1 set for each Small Group (Note: You will use these again on Day 5.) Prayer The objects from More About Jesus or the cutouts from the More About Jesus Cards Activity Page Flashlight Bible Story: Paul s Conversion Acts 1-3; 9:1-9 Bottom Line: If you want to know who God is, find out more about Jesus. Memory Verse: When you walk, nothing will slow you down. When you run, you won t trip and fall. Hold on to my teaching and don t let it go. Guard it well, because it is your life. Proverbs 4:12-13, NIrV Groups: Creating a Safe Place to Connect (Small Groups, 25 minutes) Create a safe place to connect and learn how the Bible story applies to real life experiences, through interactive activities and discussion questions. *1. Damascus Drama (review the Bible story) What You Need: Bible marked at Acts 9, Damascus Drama Activity Page, flashlights, metal cookie pan, stepladder (optional), costumes and props Invite a child to open the Bible where marked. Read Acts 9:1-9, unpacking the word opposing/persecute from verse 4 (being against, being an enemy). Choose volunteers to play the different roles: a narrator, Paul, his companions, the voice of God, the light from heaven, and sound effects. You can even invite some kids to be the sun, the city of Damascus, rocks, or trees. (HINT: Choose kids with good self-control to be the light and sound effects!) Help each child either put on a costume or get into position. The child playing the light from heaven can stand on the stepladder (with an adult spotting), and the sound effects kids can stand beside him or her. Lead the kids to dramatize the story as the narrator reads Damascus Drama. The light from heaven and sound effects kids can flash the flashlight(s) and wiggle the cookie pan on cue. Provide guidance as necessary. If time allows, invite kids to switch roles and dramatize the story again. 2
Paul thought he knew a lot about God. He d been learning about God and following God s rules all his life. But when Paul saw the light and heard the voice on his way to Damascus, all he could think to say was, Who are you? Even after all of his learning and rule following, Paul still didn t REALLY know God. He didn t really know God because he didn t really know Jesus. Some of you may have the question, [Bottom Line] Who is God? And that s a GREAT question to ask. Just like Paul learned who God is, you can learn who God is, too. Because if you want to know who God is, find out more about Jesus. Jesus himself said, If you really know me, you will know my Father also. (John 14:7, NIrV) Jesus was saying that when you know Him, you know GOD. Wow! So how can you know more about Jesus? (I can read the Bible or listen to Bible stories; I can go to church and hear about Him; I can ask questions about Him to people who know more about Him than I do.) So if you re wondering, [Bottom Line] Who is God? remember: If you want to know who God is, find out more about Jesus. 2. More About Jesus (application activity) What You Need: Paper bag with the More About Jesus Activity Page cutouts inside, bag or pillowcase with objects Invite a volunteer to reach into the paper bag, pull out a card, and show it to the group. Next, guide her to reach into the pillowcase (no peeking!), find an item that feels like the item on the card, and pull it out. NOTE: If you have more than four kids in your group, invite one child to choose a card and another to find its matching object. Today we learned that you can know who God is by finding out more about Jesus. Did you know that each object you found tells something about Jesus? What does a heart tell us about Jesus? (Jesus loves us; Jesus is love; Jesus loves everyone.) What does a BAND-AID tell us about Jesus? (Jesus helps people; Jesus makes sick people well.) What does a cross tell us about Jesus? (Jesus died on the cross and came back to life so that God can forgive our sin and we can live forever with Him.) What do you think a crown tells us about Jesus? (Jesus is a king; one day, Jesus is coming back to be King over the whole earth.) Yes! All these things are true about Jesus! So if you re wondering, [Bottom Line] Who is God? remember: If you want to know who God is, find out more about Jesus. 3
3. When You Walk (memory verse activity) What You Need: Bible marked at Proverbs 4, Graphic Design Activity Page Lead kids in a silent game of Do What I Do. To play, guide kids to follow you as you pantomime the motions shown on the Graphic Design Activity Page. Begin slowly, and then pick up your pace to keep interest high. End by guiding kids to be seated. Invite a volunteer to open the Bible to Proverbs 4. Read the verse aloud, and then unpack the phrase: When you walk, nothing will slow you down. (See conversation below.) Repeat the motions, this time saying the appropriate part of the verse with each motion. Repeat as time allows. The Bible is one large book that is made up of 66 smaller books. One of those 66 books is called Proverbs. In Proverbs, God tells us that He will show us how He wants us to live. He says that when we follow His way to live, we ll be like a person who walks with nothing to slow him down. What are some things that can slow you down when you walk? (rocks, things in your way, bare feet, carrying heavy things, etc.) (If kids get stuck for ideas, ask prompting questions to help them brainstorm.) In this verse, God tells us that if we follow His way to live, it will be like we are walking with NOTHING to slow us down. So is it better to follow God s way to live? Yes! When you follow God s way to live, you re walking GOD s way, and nothing will slow you down. Your life won t be perfect, but it will be better! Pray & Dismiss What You Need: Objects from More About Jesus OR the More About Jesus cutouts from the Activity Page, flashlight [Bottom Line] Who is God? If you want to know who God is, find out more about Jesus. (Hold up the heart.) Jesus loves you. (Hold up the BAND-AID.) Jesus can heal you when you re sick. (Hold up the cross.) Jesus died on the cross so that God can forgive your sin. (Hold up the crown.) And one day, Jesus is coming back to be King over the WHOLE earth! (Show the flashlight and shine it over the kids, being careful not to shine it in their eyes.) Jesus is also the light of the world. He s not a light like a light bulb or the sun, but He IS a light that shows us what is good and right. He shows us the way God wants us to live, and He shows us what God is like. 4
So [Bottom Line] who is God? If you want to know who God is, find out more about Jesus. Let s pray. Dear God, thank You for loving us SO MUCH that you sent Your Son, Jesus, to show us the way to live. Thank You for sending Jesus to show us who You are and what You are like. You are so many things. You are love. You are healer. You are Savior. You are King. We love You, God. In Jesus name we pray, amen. 5