Cover

ADVENTURE
THROUGH ACTS
Volume 2: Acts 13-28

SAMPLE
LESSON PLAN

Copyright © 2023 BibleBaton. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the
New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Author’s Note.................................................................4
Lesson 1: Paul’s Transformation at Damascus......6
Key Verse................................................................................................................................................. 6
Lesson Summary..................................................................................................................................... 6
Key Thought............................................................................................................................................ 6
Lesson Outline........................................................................................................................................ 6
Supplies Needed.................................................................................................................................... 7
Lesson Prep............................................................................................................................................. 7
Full Lesson Plan...................................................................................................................................... 8

If You Liked This Lesson….......................................15

There’s More!...............................................................16

Acts 2: Sample Lesson Plan © 2023 BibleBaton Page 3

 AUTHOR’S NOTE
Hi, my friend!
Acts is a truly exciting book—full of action and intensity, as well as significant
truths from the early days of Christianity that still have tremendous meaning for
us today. I’m thrilled that you’re teaching it to your kiddoes!
After I wrote A Savior is Given and Risen (my curriculums on the birth and death
& resurrection of Jesus), I started to get messages from folks who wanted to
transition directly into the book of Acts after teaching about Jesus’ life,
death, & resurrection. Adventure through Acts, Volume 2 is the second half of
my 2-part curriculum on the book of Acts. (To teach your kids about the
explosive growth of the church in Acts 1-12, see Volume 1!)
In Volume 2, you’ll follow along as Paul takes the Gospel “to the end of the
earth,” sharing the news of Jesus over 3 missionary journeys and ultimately as a
prisoner to Rome. You’ll also teach your kids that God offers salvation to
everyone—and discover that, invariably, some reject and and oppose Him,
while others believe with joy.
This sample lesson comes from the Adventure through Acts, Volume 2: Leader’s
Guide, which provides you with 6 creative, detailed lesson plans (including
engaging opening activities for every lesson). It’s intended to make the book of
Acts exciting, interesting, and meaningful to your kids—and to challenge
them to accept the salvation He offers them, and then participate in His
purpose by sharing the good news of Jesus, just as Paul did.
Find out more about the full Adventure through Acts curriculum HERE!
And enjoy teaching your kids from Acts 13-28 about Paul’s transformation,
travels, and testimonies!

Acts 2: Sample Lesson Plan © 2023 BibleBaton Page 4

 “But you shall
receive power
when the Holy Spirit
has come upon you;
and you shall be witnesses
to Me in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea
and Samaria,
and to the end
of the earth.”
(Acts 1:8 NKJV)

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 LESSON 1:
PAUL’S TRANSFORMATION
AT DAMASCUS
Acts 9
Key Verse
“He is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the
children of Israel.” (Acts 9:15b NKJV)

Lesson Summary
After meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul (who had been a zealous
persecutor of the church) was filled with the Holy Spirit and immediately began
preaching Christ.

Key Thought
Even if you’ve been rejecting and opposing the Lord, He can still save you and
then do great things with your life!

Lesson Outline
Intro: Dragging Anchor
1. Paul the Persecutor
2. Paul Meets Jesus
3. Paul the Preacher
Conclusion: Will You Weigh Anchor?

Acts 2: Sample Lesson Plan ©2023 BibleBaton Page 6

Supplies Needed
• Anchor (any kind is fine—a necklace pendant, wall decor, etc.—as long as it
shows the traditional shape of an anchor)
• Weight plate or dumbbell (the heavier, the better)
• Rope
• Whiteboard
• Dry erase marker
• Map of Paul’s missionary journeys
• Large flashlight
• Acts 9:15 speech bubble poster (see Visual Aids Booklet)
• Small speech bubbles (see Visual Aids Booklet)
• Tape

Lesson Prep
• Print poster and speech bubbles from Visual Aids Booklet
• Cut out the speech bubbles
• Tie one end of rope around weight plate or dumbbell

Acts 2: Sample Lesson Plan © 2023 BibleBaton Page 7

Full Lesson Plan
Introduction: Dragging Anchor
Hold up the anchor and ask:
Does anyone know what this is?
Allow answers. Then explain:
This is an anchor. It usually has a long rope or chain attached to it. When
sailors want to keep their ship from moving, they “drop anchor” into
the water.
See the arms on this anchor? Those are supposed to dig into the lake or
ocean bottom. Then the anchor is hooked. The rope attaches the
anchor to the boat, so then the anchor keeps the boat from drifting
away.
Ask for a child to come up to the front with you. Set aside the anchor. Grab your
weight plate and rope. Say:
We’re going to pretend that [child’s name] is a ship, and this weight is
the anchor.
Tie the rope around the weight plate. Then give the other end of the rope to
the child, and instruct him to “set sail” (walk to the far side of the room),
dragging the anchor behind him.
The weight plate will make it very difficult or impossible for the child to move.
Say:
It doesn’t work very well for a ship to set sail with the anchor down,
does it? If you try to sail away while you’re dragging an anchor, you
aren’t going to get very far!
Thank the child and send him back to his seat. Then say:
Did you know that many people are just like ships trying to sail with
their anchors down?
That’s because many people are living against God’s will—sometimes
even “good” people or people who mean to do well! That’s because

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 God wants everyone to believe in Jesus, trusting in Him alone for
salvation, and to do everything through Him.
Today, we’re going to talk about a man named Saul. He really meant
well! But he was just like a ship trying to sail with its anchor down—he
was doing exactly the opposite of what God wanted.

1) Paul the Persecutor

Quickly review the main points from Adventure through Acts, Volume 1. Be sure
to mention Stephen’s martyrdom, from Lesson 3.
Then say:
The first time the Bible mentions this guy, Saul—or Paul, as he was
sometimes called—is in the account of Stephen’s death. There’s just
two little sentences about him. They tell us two things about Saul, or
Paul.
On the whiteboard, write:
1) Watched Stephen die
2) Approved of Stephen’s death
Then say:
But it gets even worse.
Next, the Bible tells us that Saul or Paul “made havoc of the church”
(Acts 8:3 NKJV). He would actually go into the believers’ houses and
drag them off to prison!
On the whiteboard, write:
3) Put Christians in prison
Say:
So we know 3 things about this guy Saul, or Paul. Are those good things,
or bad things?
Why do you think Saul was doing those things?
Allow the kids to give answers. Then say:

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 Saul actually did all those things because he thought they were the
right thing to do. He thought they were what God wanted!
That’s because he thought that the new Christians were teaching
something that was totally wrong. He thought they were dishonoring
God by what they were teaching.
And so he was doing everything he could to shut that down, and make
the believers quit teaching people what he thought was the wrong
thing.
Paul meant well! He didn’t realize that he had it all backwards. He
didn’t know that he was just like a ship trying so hard to sail away with
its anchor still down in the water.
But he was about to find out that he had it all wrong.

2) Paul Meets Jesus

Write on the whiteboard:
4) Chased after Christians to make them prisoners
Say:
Paul was so fervent about trying to stamp out this crazy new
Christianity that he even got approval from the Jewish religious leaders
to go after any believers who were trying to escape to other places, so
he could bring them back in chains.
The high priest gave Paul approval to go after the Christians who had
fled to a place called Damascus, which was a little ways away from the
city of Jerusalem.
Show kids a map of the area. Point out Jerusalem and Damascus. Then say:
So Paul set out from Jerusalem for Damascus, intending to find the
believers that had gone there and bring them back as prisoners.
Ask for a child to come up and play the part of Saul. Ask for a couple of other
kids to come as Saul’s friends. Instruct them to walk slowly across the front of
the room. Say:

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 But as Paul and his friends were getting close to Damascus, suddenly a
bright light—brighter than the sun—shone on him from heaven!
Turn on the large flashlight and shine it on the child. Then say:
Paul and his friends were so startled that they fell to the ground.
Wait for the kids to get on the floor. Then say:
And Paul heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you
persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4 NKJV)
Tell the kids that it was a big, loud voice. Instruct the kids still seated to shout
the phrase, loudly, to the child playing Saul. Then say:
Saul answered, “Who are You, Lord?” (Acts 9:5 NKJV)
Pause for the child playing Saul to repeat the question. Then say:
The voice answered him, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
(Acts 9:5 NKJV)
Have the kids shout the phrase together. Then say:
Paul was shocked. He started shaking. And He said, “Lord, what do You
want me to do?” (Acts 9:6 NKJV)
Wait for the child playing Saul to repeat the question. Then say:
The Lord told Saul to go on into the city, and then he would be told
what to do.
So Saul stood up. But when he opened his eyes, he couldn’t see
anything. The brightness of the light had blinded him. So his friends had
to take his hand and lead him into the city.
Have the kids playing Saul’s friends lead him to the far end of the room. Thank
the kids for their participation and send them back to their seats. Then say:
So Paul went into the city of Damascus and waited for three days. After
three days, God send a Christian named Ananias to him. Ananias was a
little bit afraid, because he had heard the awful things that Paul was
doing to all the Christians, but God assured him it was okay.
Hold up the Acts 9:15 speech bubble poster and have the kids read it aloud
together with you. Tape it to the wall behind you. Then say:
Acts 2: Sample Lesson Plan © 2023 BibleBaton Page 11
 So Ananias went to Paul. When he arrived, he told Paul, “Brother Saul,
the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent
me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
(Acts 9:17b NKJV)
The Bible says that “something like scales” fell from Paul’s eyes as soon
as Ananias had spoken (Acts 9:18 NKJV), and Paul could see again!

3) Paul the Preacher

Point to the Acts 9:15 speech bubble poster and say:
God told Ananias that He’d chosen Paul to share about Christ with
Gentiles (people who weren’t Jews), kings, and Jews.
And Paul started doing that right away! He stayed with the Christians in
Damascus and started sharing the good news about Jesus
immediately, telling people that Jesus was actually the Son of God, and
that He alone could forgive sin and make a person right with God.
Everyone who heard him was amazed. They couldn’t believe that he was
the same person they’d heard was dragging Christians to prison in
Jerusalem—and had even come to Damascus specifically to find
Christians and take them as prisoners to Jerusalem!
Show kids the map again. Use tape to affix a small speech bubble, making sure
the tip points to Damascus. Then say:
After Paul had preached in Damascus for a while, some of the Jews who
didn’t believe in Jesus came up with a plan to kill him. But somehow
Paul found out about it. So he escaped from Damascus in the middle of
the night, and went back to Jerusalem.
Point out Damascus and Jerusalem again on the map, and trace Paul’s route
back to Jerusalem. Then say:
In Jerusalem, Paul tried to join the Christians, but they were scared of
him. They thought he was faking it—that he hadn’t actually believed in
Jesus and become a follower of Him.

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 So Paul told them all about how he had met the Lord on his way to
Damascus, and how He had talked to him, and then how he had shared
about Christ in Damascus.
Finally the Christians in Jerusalem believed that Paul had truly put his
trust in Jesus and been saved.
In Jerusalem, too, Paul preached about Jesus. The Bible says he
“spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 9:28 NKJV).
Use tape to stick another small speech bubble to the map, with the tip
pointing to Jerusalem. Then say:
After Paul had been in Jerusalem for a while, again some of the Jews
who didn’t believe in Jesus tried to kill him. So the Christians in
Jerusalem sent him away from there, to his hometown of Tarsus.
Eventually, a Christian named Barnabas—who was actually the first
person who accepted Paul in Jerusalem—went out to Tarsus to find
Paul. He brought Paul back to a town called Antioch. As a matter of
fact, Antioch is the first place that people called the believers in Jesus
“Christians.” Paul and Barnabas stayed for a year in Antioch, meeting
with the church there and sharing about Jesus with lots of people.
Stick a third small speech bubble to the map, with the tip pointing to
Antioch. (Make sure it’s Antioch in Syria, which is southeast than the Antioch in
Psidia that Paul visits later on his missionary journeys. Antioch in Syria is along the
coast of the Mediterranean Sea; Antioch in Psidia is inland. Make sure you get the
right one!)

Conclusion: Will You Weigh Anchor?

Hold up the weight plate and say:
Remember how hard it was for [child’s name] to move when he had this
“anchor” holding him back?
When Paul was persecuting the church, arresting Christians and
throwing them in prison, he was just like a ship that’s trying to sail with
its anchor down.

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 He was trying so hard to do what he thought would please God. But he
was actually doing the exact opposite! He meant well, but he was
totally missing the mark.
Explain the nautical phrase “weigh anchor,” which means to pull up the anchor.
Then say:
When Paul met the Lord on the road, and believed in him, it was as if he
had “weighed anchor” and hoisted his sails. Instead of working against
the Lord, he immediately started working together with Him—
sharing about Him everywhere he went.
Ask:
What about you?
Maybe you’re like Paul—you think you’re doing what pleases God. But
if you haven’t put your trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, and if
you’re trying to do things in your own ability and strength, then you’re
just like a ship trying to sail with its anchor down.
Maybe, on the other hand, you think you’re too awful for God to save,
or you’ve made too many mistakes for God to use you. But you can’t
be any worse than Paul was! After all, he watched people kill Stephen,
and he approved of it. And he was throwing Christians in prison. But
God still saved him and used him to start preaching the Gospel.
Either way, if you haven’t put your trust in Christ alone for salvation,
you are like a ship that’s trying to sail while its anchor is still down.
So “weigh anchor!”
Trust in Jesus for salvation today. Instead of continuing to reject Him
or oppose Him, accept Him and believe in Him.
Be like a ship that’s “weighed anchor” and can sail without any weights
dragging it down!

Acts 2: Sample Lesson Plan © 2023 BibleBaton Page 14

 IF YOU LIKED THIS LESSON…
Get the full Acts curriculum now!

Adventure through Acts, Volume 2

Lesson 1: Paul’s Transformation at Damascus

Lesson 2: Paul’s Trip to Derbe and Back
Lesson 3: Paul’s Travels to Macedonia
Lesson 4: Paul’s Time in Athens, Corinth, & Ephesus
Lesson 5: Paul’s Testimonies in Jerusalem & Caesarea
Lesson 6: Paul’s Final Trek to Rome

Click HERE to find out more!

Acts 2: Sample Lesson Plan ©2023 BibleBaton Page 15
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