2018 VBS: Identity in Jesus!

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VBS Agenda

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Bible Story

Verse: Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Story: the Conversion of Paul. Acts 9:1-25
Focus: Identity in Christ changed everything in Paul’s life
Acting out the story–tying in the object lesson

Before Christ:
Build context: Jesus had lived, and died on the cross, and rose again. His disciples were telling people the truth about who Jesus is and some Jews didn’t like it. They wanted to get rid of anyone talking about Jesus. But that didn’t keep the message of the truth of Jesus away at all–the church was growing!
Paul was a Jew who followed the law “perfectly.” That means that he did a lot of really good things for people. He also did some not so great things as well. He didn’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah that would save his people, so he wanted to get rid of all of the people who did believe that. He thought he was doing the right thing. Paul was identified by what he did–following the law perfectly and by his bad actions against Jesus and his followers. This is like the ping pong balls in our lesson earlier. We are identified (or seen and known by) all of the good and bad things that we do.

At Salvation:
While Paul was on his way to Damascus to arrest Christians, God showed up in a bright light. He fell to the ground. He heard a voice say, “Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Persecuting means treated cruelly because of their faith. Saul asked, “Who are you, Lord?” (He knew about God. He knew that God was powerful but remember, he didn’t believe that Jesus was the Son of God.) The voice said, “I am Jesus. Get up and go into the city. Then you will be told what you must do.” When Paul got up, he couldn’t see, so he had to be led to the city.
Meanwhile a disciple of Jesus named Ananias was praying in his home in Damascus. God spoke to him in a vision. He told him to go to the house where Saul was staying. Ananias knew that Saul had hurt many believers in Jerusalem and that he had arrested people who believed in Jesus. But the Lord said, “Go! I have chosen this man to take My Name to the Gentiles, kings, and the Israelites.” God was giving Paul a new identity as a follower of Jesus!
Ananias obeyed and found Saul and told Saul that Jesus had sent him to help. Ananias put his hands on Saul, and suddenly Saul could see again! Saul got up and was baptized. This was Saul received his NEW LIFE as God’s workmanship and became a new creation in Christ to do what God had planned for him! Just like in our verse and when the water was poured into the ping pong balls earlier! He had a new identity because of Jesus. The good and the bad that he had done before was washed away. (You may also clarify that salvation happens when a person recognizes his sin, repents or turns away, believes in Jesus, and confesses Jesus as their Savior. Jesus changes a person’s heart, and as a result his life is changed too.

After Conversion:
For the next few days, Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus. He began teaching and preaching about Jesus in the synagogues. He was now telling people, “Jesus is the son of God!!” God had changed Paul’s life!!
Jesus appeared to Saul and changed his life, and he got a new name too! Jesus called Saul to good works that he had prepared. He was once an enemy of Christians and was now going to spend the rest of his life telling people the gospel and leading them to trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The people had once known Paul as a person who was good at following the law and who hated Christians. When God changed his heart and made him a new creation (his workmanship), they now knew him as a follower of Jesus and that changed everything. It would not be easy to walk in all of the good works that God prepared beforehand–but because he trusted in Jesus, he had everything he needed (this will be a connection point for parents to be able to continue the conversation with the Armor of God).

Concept Notes:
This story will be a review because gospel project curriculum covered it recently. VBS will have leaders acting it out or the kids acting it out AND it would connect the conversion of Paul to the vision of our identity in Christ. Here’s what I mean: Paul was seen and defined by all the good and bad that he did on his own before Jesus, then when God saved him and poured his spirit into him (object lesson connection), he had a new life and new identity and wrote about it for everyone to know (now they see who I am and what I stand for-object lesson).

Discipleship Connection:
Men/Women’s Discipleship just finished a study in Ephesians with Sit, Walk, Stand. VBS will flow out of that study and into an opportunity for further family study in Ephesians.
sit – new identity at salvation
walk – tell people about Jesus and live like he did
stand – how to stand when it’s hard to choose Jesus instead of sin or to choose self