Saul’s Friends Help Him Escape • Lesson 9 Bible Point God ...

Saul's Friends Help Him Escape ? Lesson 9

Bible Point God calls us to help others.

Bible Verse

"I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25a).

Growing Closer to Jesus

Children will n discover how Saul's friends helped him, n understand that they can help others, n encourage Pockets to help her friends, and n thank those who are helpful at church.

Teacher Enrichment

Bible Basis

n Saul's friends help him escape.

Acts 9:23-25

It was probably no surprise that the Jews were out to get Saul. The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem had given him orders to go to Damascus and bring the Christians back to Jerusalem as prisoners (Acts 9:1-2), and now he was preaching in the synagogues--their own religious meeting places--that

Jesus was indeed the Son of God. Saul's turning to follow Jesus didn't do much for their cause

of stomping out all followers of Jesus. In fact, he was surprising a lot of people (Acts 9:21),

and probably convincing many of the truth of his message. And his preaching didn't make any difference to the Jewish leaders who heard it: their minds were made up--they didn't want to be confused with the facts!

The wall over which Saul escaped was likely several stories high. Those helping Saul had to be sneaking around at

night to avoid detection and could easily have aroused suspicion. And darkness complicates everything: being lowered from such a height always holds the danger of falling to one's death. But God was with Saul and those helping him. And their "helping hand" kept Saul alive for the years of ministry that God had planned for him!

Prayer

? Read 1 Thessalonians 5:11. ? What "walls" have other Christians helped you over? ? Pray: Lord, thank you for all the help you've been to me. Help me be a helping hand to my students by...

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Lesson 9

Before the Lesson

n Collect the necessary items for the activities you plan to use. Refer to the Classroom Supplies and Learning Lab Supplies columns to determine what you'll need.

n Make photocopies of the "Today I Learned..." handout at the end of this lesson to send home with your children. n Pray for the children in your class and for God's direction in teaching the lesson.

This Lesson at a Glance

What Children Will Do Classroom Supplies Learning Lab Supplies

Welcome Welcome!--Receive name tags, Time and be greeted by the teacher.

"Butterfly Name Tags" (p. 26), markers, tape or safety pins

Let's Get Started

Direct children to one or more of the optional

activities until everyone arrives.

Option 1: Helping Hands Banner--Decorate a banner for helpers at church.

Option 2: Blocks and Baskets--Build city walls, and lower baskets over them.

Option 3: Buddy Bracelets-- String cereal on yarn to make friendship bracelets.

Newsprint, tape, tempera paint, pie tin

Blocks, plastic strawberry baskets, string or yarn

Yarn or ribbon, cereal

Pick Up Our Toys--Sing a song CD player as they pick up toys, and gather

for Bible Story Time.

Bible Story Setting the Stage--Push each 2 laundry baskets or sturdy Time other across the room in a basket. boxes

Bible Song and Prayer Time--Sing a song, bring out the

Bible, and pray together.

Bible, construction paper, scissors, CD player, basket or box

Hear and Tell the Bible Story--Sneak to the story area in a darkened room, and then hear

of Saul's escape in Acts 9:23-25.

CD player, block wall from Option 2, buddy bracelets from Option 3

Do the Bible Story--Sing about helping and encouraging others.

CD player

Closing Help or Hide--Explain to Pockets how important it is to help others.

Hat or scarf

Help Me to Help Others-- Learn a creative sign language prayer.

*See the end of this lesson for extra-time ideas and supplies.

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Saul's Friends Help Him Escape

Welcome Time

n Welcome!

SUPPLIES: "Butterfly Name Tags" handout (p. 26), markers, tape or safety pins ? Bend down and make eye contact with children as they arrive. ? Greet each child individually with an enthusiastic smile. ? Thank each child for coming to class today. ? As children arrive, ask them about last week's "Today I Learned..." activities. Ask

questions such as "How did you obey God this week?" and "What happened when you obeyed God?" ? Say: Today we're going to learn that God calls us to help others. ? Hand out the butterfly name tags children made in the first lesson, and help them attach the name tags to their clothing. If some of the name tags were damaged or if some of the children weren't in class that week, have them make new name tags using the photocopiable patterns. ? Direct children to the Let's Get Started activities you've set up.

It's important to say the Bible Point just as it's written in each activity. Repeating the Bible Point over and over throughout the lesson will help kids remember it and apply it to their lives.

Let's Get Started

Set up one or more of the following activities for children to do as they arrive. After you greet each child, invite him or her to choose an activity.

Circulate among the children to offer help as needed and direct children's conversation toward today's lesson. Ask questions such as "When do you need a helper?" or "Tell me about a time when you helped a friend."

If your room doesn't have a sink for easy paint cleanup, have children trace around their hands and color in the outlines with markers.

n Option 1: Helping Hands Banner

SUPPLIES: newsprint, tape, tempera paint, pie tin Tape together several sheets of newsprint to make a long banner. Write "Thank you

for your helping hands" across the middle. Let children dip their hands in a pie tin of tempera paint and make handprints on the banner.

Have children tell you who helps them learn about Jesus. Write their responses on the banner. Post the banner where others in the church can see it and be encouraged. Explain that today's story is about how Saul's friends helped him.

n Option 2: Blocks and Baskets

SUPPLIES: blocks, plastic strawberry baskets, string or yarn Before class, attach 5-foot lengths of yarn to one or two plastic strawberry baskets.

Have the children make a city wall out of blocks, and then let them lower the strawberry baskets over the edge of the wall. Explain that today's story is about an exciting escape when Saul's friends lowered him over a wall.

Leave the block wall standing until the "Hear and Tell the Bible Story" activity.

If you don't have strawberry baskets, use any small basket or cut one-half gallon milk containers in half, and use the bottom portion as a basket.

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Lesson 9

See page 5.

n Option 3: Buddy Bracelets

SUPPLIES: yarn or ribbon, cereal Set out bowls of dry fruit-ring cereal (such as Froot Loops) and 6-inch lengths of

yarn or ribbon. Have children work in pairs, stringing cereal on yarn to make edible friendship bracelets. Explain that today's story is about Saul's friends and how they helped him escape danger. Tell kids that today they'll learn that God calls us to help others, just as Saul's friends helped him.

Make enough bracelets for each child to have one. Tie the ends of the yarn together, and set the bracelets aside until the "Hear and Tell the Bible Story" activity.

When everyone has arrived and you're ready to move on to the Bible Story Time, encourage the children to finish what they're doing and get ready to clean up.

n Pick Up Our Toys

SUPPLIES: CD player Lead children in singing "Pick Up Our Toys" (track 2) with the

track 2 CD to the tune of "Skip to My Lou." Encourage the children to sing along as they help clean up the room. If you want to include the names of all the children in your class,

sing the song without the CD and repeat the naming section. If you choose to use the CD, vary the names you use each week.

We will pick up our toys. We will pick up our toys. We will pick up our toys And put them all away.

There's [name] picking up toys. There's [name] picking up toys. There's [name] picking up toys, Putting them all away.

(Repeat.)

Bible Story Time

n Setting the Stage

SUPPLIES: 2 laundry baskets or sturdy boxes Tell the children you'll clap your hands to get their attention. Explain that when

you clap, the children are to stop what they're doing, raise their hands, and focus on you. Encourage children to respond quickly so you'll have time for all the fun activities you've planned.

Form two groups and have both groups line up at the same end of the room. Give each group a sturdy packing box or laundry basket.

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Saul's Friends Help Him Escape

Say: Choose someone from your group to sit in the basket. Pause while children follow your instructions. When I say "Go," your group will gently push the basket across the room, help your group member out of the basket, and then work together to carry the empty basket back to your line. Then someone else will have a turn in the basket. We'll continue until every person in your group has had a turn. Remember, this isn't a race! We just want to help each other. Ready? Go!

When the game ends, form a circle and affirm children for their cooperative and helpful efforts.

Ask: ? What was it like to be in the basket? (Fun; kind of scary; neat.)

? What was it like to help push the basket? (Hard work; fun.)

Say: When we help others, everyone wins! Today we'll hear a story about Saul's friends and how they helped him. Saul's friends are a good example of why God calls us to help others. Let's push these baskets out of sight and get ready to hear our story!

If your room is large, have children push the basket to a chair you've placed in the middle of the room.

n Bible Song and Prayer Time

SUPPLIES: Bible, construction paper, scissors, basket or box, CD player

track 3

Before class, make surprise cards for this activity by cutting construction paper into 2x6-inch slips. Prepare a surprise card for each child plus a few extras for visitors. Fold the cards in half, and then stamp the footprint stamp inside one of the surprise cards. Bookmark Acts 9:23-25 in the Bible you'll be using.

Have children sit in a circle. Say: Now it's time to choose a Bible person to bring me the Bible marked with today's Bible story. As we sing our Bible song, I'll pass out the surprise cards. Don't look inside your surprise card until the song is over.

Lead the children in singing "Read God's Book" (track 3) with the CD to the tune of "The Muffin Man." As you sing, pass out the folded surprise cards.

Now it's time to read God's book, Read God's book, read God's book. Now it's time to read God's book. Let's hear a Bible story.

Now it's time to read God's book, Read God's book, read God's book. Now it's time to read God's book. Let's hear a Bible story.

(Repeat.)

After the song, say: You may look inside your surprise cards. The person who has the footprints stamped inside his or her card will be our Bible person for today.

Identify the Bible person, and then have the rest of the children clap for him or her. Ask the Bible person to bring you the Bible. Help the Bible person open the Bible to the marked place and show children where your story comes from. Then have the Bible person sit down.

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