AMBASSADORS
WELCOME TO WEEK 1
What types of messages do you enjoy receiving? Do you enjoy love notes in your lunchbox from mom and dad? What about notes from your teacher encouraging your good work? We received messages all the time and we definitely enjoy messages with good news. There is good news we should share with everyone, and we can be messengers who pass that message along. This week we will see how we can be messengers of the Good news!
BIBLE STORY
This month we are learning that we can all be messengers. What is an important message we can be share that is important for everyone to hear? It’s the message of the good news of Jesus. Messengers deliver information to people in fast and slow ways. Let’s pretend you are a deliverer and you have these important boxes to deliver. Listen to the clues I give you and see if you can deliver these boxes to the correct location. Give your child a stack of boxes (preferably empty, or light enough to carry a few at a time.) Continue to read the clues until all the boxes they are carrying are delivered. Carrying all the boxes, start delivering one box at a time to each location I mention.
Deliver a box to:
A place where it is soft but strong to hold several people (couch)
A place where private business is performed but can sometimes be stinky (bathroom)
A place where dirty clothes can get cleaned (laundry room)
A place the family is able to gather and use their mouth in more than one way. (The kitchen table)
A place where food is stored until it is needed weeks or even months from now. (Pantry/closet)
Where you able to carry a lot of boxes at once? Was it a fast or slow delivery. Did you start out one direction and then change your mind about which way to go? This week we will read a story about Saul, who was really not doing the right thing for a long time. He did not believe in Jesus and wanted to hurt anyone who did believe in Jesus. He was known for being mean to Christians. But something happened to change him, and he completely changed his direction. Instead of killing others, he started leading them to Jesus! That’s a completely different message! Let’s read or listen to the story for this week to see what caused such a change in Saul.
Read or listen to the scripture Acts 9:1-20
What was Saul doing against the Lord’s disciples? (Breathing out murderous threats)
Where was Saul headed for the synagogue? (Damascas)
What was he going to the synagogue to do? (As for papers to arrest anyone belonging to the Way)
On his journey, what flashed from heaven all around him? (A light from heaven)
What did the voice say? (Paul, Paul, why do you persecute me?)
Who did the voice say he was? (Jesus, the one you are persecuting)
What happened to Saul’s eyes after the light? (He was blinded)
Where did his friends lead him? (To Damascus)
How long was he blind? (3 days)
What did God tell Ananias to do? (Go to the house where Saul was to restore his vision)
What was Ananias’ reaction? (He at first didn’t want to go but reminded God of the things he’d heard about Saul)
What did Ananias do to Saul when he got to the house? (Placed his hands on Saul to restore his sight and for him to be filled Holy Spirit)
BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY
Activity
What message can we send to others? We send messages all the time by the way we speak to others and how we treat them. The way we respond to unpleasant situations sends a message to others who are watching us. Listen to the following statements and decide if the message is good or bad. If it is a good message, toss a cotton ball in the jar marked good. If statement is a bad message, toss a cotton ball into a jar marked bad.
You wake up in a bad mood and grunt a hello at your mother.
You help mom make breakfast in the morning.
You yell at the kid next to you who accidents bumps you in line.
You let the kid behind you cut in line in front of you just to be nice
You tell the person next to you sorry for knocking over their books
You push a kid who is moving too slow in front of you because you are late for class
You share your candy with a friend at lunch
You knock someones lunch over, because you are in a bad mood.
You ask the teacher if you can help them clean the classroom after school.
You leave your trash at your desk because the school has a janitor
You hold the door open for your classmates
You share your favorite fun pencil with your desk neighbor
You ask a kid who was just at recess if they are okay
You help your mom bring in the groceries from the car
You ask dad if you can help him with the yard work.
You complain when your parents as you to take out the trash and leave a trail of trash along the sidewalk.
Materials: cotton balls, 2 jars; 1 labeled good, 1 labeled bad
Alternate
Saul was blinded by the light, but it caused him to see more clearly what he was supposed to do. It helped him see how wrong his actions had been and caused him to completely change his behavior. Instead of hurting Christians, he began gathering more Christ followers. I need you to deliver some messages, but you must do it blindly. Create a simple obstacle course your child can follow blindfolded (nothing that they will climb over and injure themselves). At the start of the course, place a stack of envelopes your child will need to deliver to the end of the course that has a delivery box to place the envelopes inside. Once they deliver their mail to the box, they can remove their blindfold to find their way back to the start line to grab another envelope to blindly deliver. Give each player 3-5 minutes to see how many messages they can deliver.
Materials: simple obstacle course, blindfold, envelopes
Independent activity:
Create a message box. When we read God’s Word we are often struck by a message we receive that touches or moves us in a special way. We can treasure these verses by placing them in a message box to go back and continually read. Take a small box or shoebox, decorate the outside with construction paper, stickers and drawings. Cut colorful card stock or construction paper into square pieces and place the empty cards into the box to be used as treasure Scriptures are found. Complete a few cards now with some of your favorite verses that send a message to you. Write the scripture and the verse on the card and place them in the box to be read.
Materials: small box or shoe box, markers, stickers, construction paper
ARTS & CAFTS
CRAFT 1
Make a kaleidoscope. This craft requires parent help. Saul was blinded by a light until Ananias prayed for him and then his sight was returned. Light contains all the colors of the rainbow. Let’s make a kaleidoscope that shows colors reflected in various directions.
Materials: paper towel tube, card stock, thin clear plastic, colorful translucent (like beads), cardboard, aluminum foil, hot glue gun, scissors, marker, wasabi tape
Craft 2
Coloring page
Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons
FOLLOW-UP
Read or listen to1 Corinthians 15:1-9
Saul describes the gospel of Jesus, the good news of His death and resurrection and ascension. He describes the people He revealed himself to after his resurrection, including himself. He didn’t consider himself one of the apostles because He persecuted Christians at first. Although the converted Saul, now Paul, didn’t feel worthy, Jesus had saved him and called him to also be a messenger of the good news. Paul was also called to spread the gospel of Jesus death and resurrected to all the world. We are also called to be God’s messengers. We can spread the news of Jesus to others around us.
What was Saul’s new name after his conversion?
What caused Saul to change his message?
What message do you think Saul shared with the people he met?
If Jesus can use Saul to deliver an important message, can He use us too?
What messages do you send to people with your words?
What messages are you sharing with others by your actions?
Practical Application at Home
If God can use Saul to spread the gospel to all of the world, He can use you and me as well. We can share the gospel with those God puts in our lives. Think of someone you would like to share the good news of the gospel with today. Could they use some good news that Jesus loves them, died for them, and will come back for them some day? That is a message worth sharing with everyone.
Create a greeting card that you can mail to someone today. Create your greeting card first using card stock, markers and other art supplies. Write a message of Love from God in the inside of your card. Use a direct scripture quote or a personal message sharing GOd’s love for them. Address an envelop and stamp it to be delivered by the mail carrier. Pray over your message asking God to allow your card to be an avenue for God’s love to shine through and reach their hearts. Our message doesn’t have to be complicated, God can use us to spread His message of love.
Additional Resources
Outings to Reinforce Lesson
Enjoy the warming weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?