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March 29th, 2024  
Life Connection Club Logo
Episode 27: Paul: Receiving the Light
About the Life Connection Club
the life connection club kids Why did God make people? Why are we here? We were made to be loved by God and to spread His love to others.

Do most people experience God's love in this way every day? No! What prevents us from experiencing His love and allowing it to impact others? We do. We try to force ourselves to love God and be nice to our friends. It's impossible! Love only comes from God. Jesus died for us, so He could live through us. This is good news!

Now, use your imagination, as we journey back through time to look at the Life Connection Story "Paul Part 2."

Story Paul
(Story adapted from the New Testament books written by the Apostle Paul, the Gospels, and specifically Acts 9:26-30; 11:19-30; 12:25 to 15:35.)

My name is Paul. I helped take the good news about Jesus to Europe. Many people believed in Jesus and formed small community groups called churches. I wrote letters to the churches and to my friends. I am excited to share with you how God worked in my life.

After I left Damascus, I went back to Jerusalem. I tried to join Jesus' friends, but they were afraid of me. After all, I had tried to arrest them before I believed in Jesus. One man, named Barnabas, accepted me and took me to the church leaders. Barnabas told them that I had heard the Lord on the road to Damascus and had seen His light. It had even blinded me for a while! Barnabas could tell that Jesus now lived in me because I talked about Jesus so boldly in Damascus. So Barnabas convinced Jesus' friends that Jesus lived through me, and I stayed with them. I told people the good news about Jesus all over Jerusalem.

Before I knew Jesus, I was not a good person. I tried to do good things. Remember, I was a leader in my religion. But no matter how hard I tried, I could not be good. Only God is good. Only Jesus living in me makes me good. The Spirit of God changed me and gave me a new life. He gave me love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When Jesus came to live inside me, I no longer wanted to do evil things.

In Jerusalem, some people wanted to kill me because they didn't like what I was preaching. So my friends helped me get to the city of Tarsus-my hometown. Then Barnabas, my good friend, came, and we went to the city of Antioch.

The church in Antioch sent Barnabas and me out to travel the world and share the good news of Jesus-that's what a missionary does. We were some of the first missionaries to tell the Jews about Jesus. Some people believed. Some argued against us. Then the Lord told us to go to non-Jews. Many people believed, and the message of the good news spread rapidly.

I met a crippled man who had never walked. The man had faith that God could heal him. I told him to stand up on his feet. The man jumped up and walked. The crowd was so impressed they shouted and claimed that we were like some of their gods. (They worshipped all kinds of non-human idols.) We told them we were only human beings like them, but we had put our faith in the living God, and they were seeing His power, not ours. God did many wonderful things through us. He did it, not us.

Some people didn't like what I was saying and they threw big stones at me--so many, they thought I was dead. Then they dragged me out of the town. But God wanted me to keep telling people about His Son, Jesus, so He didn't let me die that day. In fact, God gave me the strength the next day to leave with Barnabas and go to another city.

When I was younger and did not know Jesus, I only trusted in myself and I was very proud. I did all of the right things. I lived by the Law of Moses and kept all of the rules. I was a religious leader, but I tried to hurt the church because I didn't know about Jesus. I just knew about the man-made rules of my religion, but now I know that keeping the rules of my religion didn't give me peace with God. My right standing with God doesn't come from following religious laws; it comes from trusting in Jesus. He can meet all of my needs-no matter what happens.

I just want to know God as much as possible. I want His life and His power to live through me. When we trust in Jesus, we have a treasure in us-the Holy Spirit-but we are like clay jars and they can break easily. When I am broken, it means I realize that I cannot save myself or anyone else from anything. Being broken is the opposite of being proud. Only then can I have confidence in God. When God does incredible things through our lives, it proves that the power is from God, not from us!

noah

Let's thank God for all He has done and for His great love for us. Pray these words of praise to Him:

God, thank You that You can change me and give me a new life. I want to let Christ live through me. This will prove that the power is from God, not from me.




noah Use Acts 9:26-30; 11:19-30; 12:25 to 15:35 and the Life Connection Story. They will help you complete your Life Connection Response. Then do the Life Connection Activity.

noah

Response



1. Barnabas accepted Paul and took him to the church leaders.
True
False


2. When Jesus came to live inside Paul, he ____________.
continued to persecute Christians
no longer wanted to do evil things


3. The Lord told Paul and Barnabas to go to ____________ and tell them about the new life in Jesus.
non-Jews
the moon
the animal kingdom


4. The crowd was so impressed they shouted and claimed that Paul and Barnabas were like some of their gods. (They worshipped all kinds of non-human idols.) Paul and Barnabas told them they were only ________ like them, but we had put our faith in the living God, and they were seeing His power, not theirs.
insecure people
religiously superstitious
human beings


5. Our right standing with God doesn't come from following religious laws; it comes from trusting in _______.
our possessions
our reputation
Jesus


6. When we trust in Jesus, we have a treasure in us, the Holy Spirit-but we are like clay jars, and they can break easily. When God does incredible things through our lives, it proves that the power is from God, not from us!
True
False


7. Read this verse: "[Paul was] strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God'" (Acts 14:22).

Now write a letter to God about a time you had to go through tribulations. (Tribulations means troubles.)



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