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TEXT: Acts 8:1-4; 9:1-22
ONE time there was a man named Saul. Saul did not love Jesus. He even tried to have people who did love Jesus put in jail.
One day Saul heard that Jesus’ friends were teaching in other cities. Oh, but that did make Saul madder than ever.
Saul went to a man called the High Priest and asked if he could go to all these other cities and find Jesus’ friends. He would bring them all back to Jerusalem. He was going to be real mean and bad to them for loving Jesus.
The High Priest was glad to have Saul go and hunt for Jesus’ friends. He even gave Saul some letters to other people. He told them to help Saul find Jesus’ friends. Saul really thought he was doing something good. He just did not know that Jesus was his best Friend, nor did he know that Jesus was the Son of God.
He took the letters and started out. He had to go a long, long way.
This was after Jesus had gone to Heaven but He knew what Saul was doing. Jesus felt very sad because Saul was acting like this. He probably thought that Saul was too good a man to act like that. He used his lips to say mean things about Jesus. He used his eyes to find bad things to do. What a good, good helper Saul would be for Jesus if he would only use his lips to tell people that Jesus loves them!
On and on Saul and his friends went. They were getting close to a city now. It was called Damascus. All of a sudden they stopped.
A bright, bright light came down from the sky. That bright light shone right on Saul. He fell down on the ground. Something else came, too. A Voice talked right out of Heaven and said, “Saul, Saul, why are you being so bad to me?” You know who talked? Yes, it was Jesus.
Saul was so surprised! He might have been afraid, too. He really did think he was doing the right thing by being mean to Jesus’ friends. Somebody at school had taught him all wrong about Jesus.
Saul cried out loud, “Who are you, Lord?” and Jesus said to Saul, “I am Jesus.” From the things Jesus said to him, Saul now believed that Jesus was the Son of God.
Real quick Saul began to think how bad he had been to anyone who loved Jesus. Saul felt so sorry! He was sorry for every bad thing he had done. Saul asked Jesus what He wanted him to do.
Jesus told Saul to go on into the city and then he would know what to do. Saul’s friends were surprised, too. They had seen that bright light and heard Jesus talking from Heaven right out loud to Saul.
Saul got up off the ground. He opened his eyes. Oh, my, he could not see! He was blind. He could not see at all.
Saul’s friends had to lead him by the hand. They went into the city leading blind Saul. They took him to a man’s house and left him there.
One day went by. Saul could not see. Two days went by. Still Saul could not see. He did not eat anything. He did not drink anything. Saul just sat there blind.
Saul thought about how very, very mean and bad he had been. Three days and Saul was still blind. Saul began to pray. Jesus helps us when we pray. He hears us. Jesus heard Saul and He knew Saul was sorry.
A man came to talk to Saul. He said, “Jesus told me to come here and pray for you so you may see again.”
The man put his hands on Saul’s eyes and prayed. When he took his hands away, Saul opened his eyes. He could see! He could see! He was not blind any more. How good it was to see again.
Jesus gave me my eyes, thought Saul. He gave me my lips to speak. Now I am going to be Jesus’ helper. I am going to use my lips to tell everyone to love Jesus.
That is just what Saul did. He told many, many people about Jesus, God’s Son. Jesus had given him a clean heart. He even gave him a new name. He called him Paul after that. Not Saul anymore.
Jesus gave you your lips to sing for Jesus. He gave you a tongue to tell other boys and girls about Jesus. Do you use them for Jesus?
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