Week 45: Acts 9- Saul’s Conversion

Saul’s Conversion

As a family, read Acts 9:1-31. Afterwards, share the following discussion.

What happened?

In the early parts of the book of Acts, Saul was a very angry man who hated everything that the apostles were doing. He began trying to harm people who followed Christ and wanted to put an end to the church that was growing so quickly. Acts 8:3 says, “But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.”

Then one day, God changed Saul forever. Saul was on a trip to Damascus to continue spreading the word that Christians would be punished, when a bright light came down from Heaven. Saul fell to the ground and heard a voice from Heaven say, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Saul replied, “Who are you, Lord?” It was Jesus talking to Saul! He said, “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

The experience caused Saul to go blind. He had to be led to Damascus by his friends. It even says in Acts that he did not eat or drink anything for three entire days.

Then God sent a man named Ananias to Saul to heal him of his blindness. The Lord made it clear that Saul was going to be a man that God would use to spread the gospel to everyone! Ananias did as God told him to do, and Saul was healed immediately.

Right away, Saul started preaching that Jesus is the Son of God. No one could believe that Saul, the man who had persecuted Christians, was now preaching about Jesus. Some people did not like that at all, and they made a plan to kill Saul, but he escaped and went on to Jerusalem. There he kept preaching, and the church became bigger and stronger because of what God was doing in Saul’s life.

Why is this important to us today?

Saul had been against everything that God was for. He dedicated himself to putting an end to Christianity and the church. In spite of that, God chose to use Saul to do incredible things for Him. By changing one man’s life, God changed the world. Saul went on to write books of the Bible, witness to people in all parts of the world, and ultimately die for his faith in Jesus.

When people meet Jesus, He changes their lives. No matter how far away from God some people might seem to be, He still cares about them and wants them to know Him. No one is too far from God. Jesus came to save all people, no matter who they are or what they might have done before. Later in Saul’s life, he wrote, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: The old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor. 5:17). Paul’s life was a powerful example of how Jesus can change anyone’s life.

Spend a few minutes talking about what you just read by answering these questions:

1. Imagine that your family lived in Paul’s day. What kind of conversation would you have about Paul coming to your town before his conversion? What about afterward?

2. How has your life changed as a result of knowing Christ?

How can we better follow God this week?

If God could use Saul, the worst of the worst, then He definitely wants to use you, too. Saul’s only job was to obey what God told him to do. God has plans for your life just as he did for Saul. Will you tell God, “Yes,” when He calls on you? What job has God given you to do? How can you do that job this week? If you are obedient to Him, then there is no limit to what He can do through you!