FAITH CHALLENGE

Paul’s Conversion

January 4 – February 1, 2004

Lesson 2: Faith Journeys

Scripture:          Acts 9:1-20 (CEV)

Memory Verse:         Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person.  The past is forgotten, and everything is new.  2 Corinthians 5:17

Concepts:

·       We meet God through Jesus.

·       Jesus changes people who accept him.

·       God finds people in a variety of ways.

Objectives:

·       The students will learn about “journeys” as a metaphor (symbol) of a life of faith.

·       The students will construct a “map” of Paul’s faith journey.

·       The students will brainstorm together the events of faith journeys.

·       The students will create and share maps of their own faith journeys.

Gathering Time (Coach)

The Coach leads the opening routine: snack, fellowship, Prayer Wall activity, and Prayer Chain.  Name tags are available.

Workshop Lesson Procedure (Guide):

Introductions (Coach):

1.     The Coach reviews the timeline and the previous week’s workshop activity.  Introduce the Guide who leads the Workshop Lesson.

  1. Explain the purpose of this workshop. This week we will continue with the story of Paul’s journey to Damascus and what happened to him along the way.  Then we will talk about our own lives as a “journey” with God.

Scripture/Bible Story (Guide takes over from here):

To review the bible story, have the verses from last week’s Sorry! cards printed in large font on pieces of paper scattered about the floor or on a table (see the file LargeVerses.doc).  Invite students to come up one at a time and select a verse from Paul’s conversion and tape them up on the wall in order.  As they tape the verses from the story on the wall, have the students read each section aloud.

Application:

Paul’s Faith Journey

Ask the students to review some of the events that they recall from Paul’s early life.  Record the events that they remember on a piece of flipchart paper.  Have the students help you put the events in order.  For example:

1.     Paul was born in Tarsus into a devout Jewish family of the tribe of Benjamin.

2.     His parents gave him the Jewish name “Saul,” after King Saul.  He also was given the Greek name “Paul.”

3.     As a child, Paul grew up learning both Hebrew and Greek.

4.     Paul also learned a trade when he was young.  He became a leatherworker and tentmaker.

5.     When he was old enough, Paul went to Jerusalem and studied with a Pharisee named Gamaliel.

6.     Paul spent his early life learning how to apply the laws of Moses to his daily life. 

7.     Paul was careful to always live separately from Gentiles.

8.     Paul was also very concerned that other Jews remain pure in their faith.  If everyone followed the law perfectly, then the kingdom of God would come.

9.     As the followers of Jesus become more numerous, Paul became alarmed.  He sought permission to have them arrested, imprisoned, or stoned to death.

10.  Paul became very infamous as a persecutor of the early church.

11.  One day, as he was traveling to Damascus . . .

12.  and so on.

 

Ask the students, if we were to draw a map of Paul’s life, what would it look like?  How might we depict Paul’s early life growing up in Tarsus?  How might we depict Paul’s middle years studying in Jerusalem?  His adult years as a persecutor of the church?  What wrong turns did Paul take?  When and where did Paul meet God?

 

On a second piece of flipchart paper, construct a map of Paul’s faith journey using the information about Paul’s life that the students brainstormed together.  (See Susan’s example and your own map for ideas.)

Our Faith Journeys

Have the students draw maps of their own faith journeys, including some of the significant events in their own life of faith.  There are several ways to do a journey map. It may be very personal or more general. The kids can decide how they want to chart their faith journeys. To get ideas flowing, use the follow introductory exercise.

 

1.     Brainstorm things you do, places you go and people who help you make good choices and stay on the right path: Jesus, church, Sunday School, parents, being helpful, do something kind, make friends, school, sports, activities, mission work, etc. Create a list of ideas on chart paper.

2.     Now make another list of dangers, people or activities that are wrong: bullies, drugs, cheating, fighting, television, bad language, gossip, etc.

3.     Hand out sheets of legal sized paper, pencils, makers, and crayons.

Describe your personal journal to date.

1.     Draw a picture to represent yourself at the top of the page. This is you in the past, at any age you wish to start.

2.     Draw a picture of yourself at the bottom. This is you today.

3.     Draw a winding path from the top to the bottom. This is the path you have taken in your faith journey.  Show obstacles along the path, sidetracks and dead ends that took you off track. Label these obstacles.

4.     Show road signs indicating paths of temptations and things you avoided.  Show dead ends you avoided or went down a way until you turned around and went back.

5.     Show good things that contributed to your faith:  people, events, things that influenced you. (see chart for ideas)

6.     Color and add details.

Describe a more theoretical map that shows a faith journey that can happen.

1.     Draw a picture to represent yourself at the top of the page.

2.     At the bottom of the page, draw a picture of Jesus, or some symbol of faith e.g. Cross..

3.     Draw a winding path from the top to the bottom. This is the path of good choices. Along this path, draw road signs or places you go and people who help you: Jesus, church, parents, friends, school, sports, activities, etc. See list of ideas on chart paper.

4.     Draw other paths with dead ends or obstacles on the path. Label these or draw pictures of enemies or dangers along the paths.

5.     Draw one path of obstacles and bad choices that leads directly to Jesus without a dead end. This path represents what happened to Paul. It can happen we can make mistakes but then decide to turn away from bad choices and decide to change. Jesus changes people as he changed Paul.

6.     Color and add details.

 

Wrap-up:

1.     Ask for volunteers to share their maps with the group. Ask the group one or two of the following questions for reflection:

·       Enemies are all the things that keep you from Jesus.  How their life might be changed if they had to encounter “enemies” along the way?

·       How might we help people along the way?  Helping someone, doing mission work, not using bad language or gossiping, befriending a lonely student, picking someone who is not so popular to be on your team, etc.

·       Have we all encountered Jesus in the same places or in the same way?

 

  1. Ask students to tidy up.

Closing (Coach):

1.     The Coach conducts the closing prayer time.

2.     Close/lock the door and turn off the lights.

Guide preparation in advance:

1.     For questions on this lesson plan, call Catherine Devins (851-3368) or Susan Mazzara (387-0920).

2.     Check out the room before your first Sunday workshop so that you know where everything is located.  Set up the room with tables and stools for the students to work at when they draw their faith journey maps.

3.     Gather the supplies you need for this lesson.

4.     Draw your own map of Paul’s faith journey.  This will help you help the students come up with ideas for mapping out Paul’s life.

5.     Draw a map of your own faith journey.

Supply List

·        A printout of LargeVerses.doc.

·        Tape.

·        Flipchart paper and markers.

·        Legal-size paper, pencils, markers, and crayons.

References

·        Faith Quest Workshop Leaders’ Bible Study notes by Lori Houck.

·        Faith Challenge Curriculum Writers Bible Study notes by Susan Mazzara.

·        “Background Information on Saul” is from Jaymie Derden, State Street UMC, Bristol, VA, G.R.E.A.T. Adventure Dream Team, 2002.