Saul to Paul Sunday School Lesson for Kids

This free Saul to Paul Sunday school lesson teaches kids that Jesus changes lives. Saul was on his way to Damascus to bind Jesus' followers when "suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven" (Acts 9:3), and Jesus made him new. It comes in four age levels, each a separate printable teacher lesson, plus one take-home sheet for families. Pick the one that fits your class. Everything is in the order you teach it.

Choose your age level

• Preschool (ages 3–5), 20–30 minutes, 2 pages: a short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, a flashlight for the light from heaven, three simple questions, a shortened memory verse ("if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature") with a motion, and a drawing activity.
• Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 3 pages: the story in simple words, five recall questions with answers, the Old and New verse game with six cards, and a Now I See question game.
• 3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 4 pages: kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story (the letters from the high priest, "kick against the pricks," the street called Straight, the chosen vessel, and Saul preaching in Damascus), five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a Bible look-up race.
• Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 4 pages: students read Acts 9:1–22 out loud themselves and hear Saul's own telling in Acts 22, then discuss whether people can change, obeying right away, and loving people who are hard to love. Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (2 Corinthians 5:17 and Acts 22:16).

Lesson at a glance

• Bible passage: Acts 9:1–19, with Acts 9:20–22 and Acts 22:16 for older kids
• Main point: Jesus changes lives. When Saul met Jesus, Jesus made him new.
• Memory verse: 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV), with Acts 22:16 added for preteens
• Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

1. Opening game: a short game about seeing, being led by the hand, or how people change.
2. Bible story: Saul on the road to Damascus, the light from heaven, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?", three days without sight, Ananias, the scales falling from his eyes, and Saul arising to be baptized. Every fact has its verse reference so you can check it.
3. Questions to ask: with answers, at the right level for each age.
4. Memory verse: a game or motion to help kids learn 2 Corinthians 5:17.
5. What this means for us: Jesus makes people new, the gospel (Acts 2:38 and Acts 22:16), and a challenge for the week.
6. Activity: the Saul to Paul word search, a drawing, a question game, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
7. Prayer.

Tips for teaching Saul's conversion

• Let kids hear Acts 9:5 read straight from the Bible: "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest." Hurting Jesus' people was hurting Jesus.
• Tell Saul's persecution gently. Each lesson has a short note on how much to say at each age.
• The Bible doesn't mention a horse. Saul "fell to the earth" (Acts 9:4), and Acts 9 tells nothing about how he traveled.
• Acts 9 still calls him Saul. The Bible first calls him Paul in Acts 13:9, "Saul, (who also is called Paul,)."
• Short on time? Do the story, three questions and the memory verse. That is a solid 25-minute lesson.