JOIN THE JOURNEY JR.
Families Abiding in Jesus together
With shorter reading assignments and kid-specific focus areas, Join The Journey Jr. is designed to help parents disciple their kids and engage with Scripture in the best ways for their age.
This month's memory verse
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
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And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
Acts of the Apostles 9
Saul’s Conversion
1Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers.* So he went to the high priest. 2He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.
3As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
5“Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.
And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! 6Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! 8Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. 9He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.
10Now there was a believer* in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord!” he replied.
11The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. 12I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.”
13“But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers* in Jerusalem! 14And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.”
15But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. 16And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”
17So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 19Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength.
Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem
Saul stayed with the believers* in Damascus for a few days.
Before Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he had an incorrect understanding of who Jesus was. He was trying to stop people from telling others who Jesus was, the Savior. But in a flash of light, Jesus spoke to him, and Saul realized something truly amazing: Jesus is Lord. Jesus is God. Jesus is the Savior.
Sometimes we can know facts about Jesus, but God wants us to know him on a personal level. In other words, he wants to know us like we know a best friend. When Saul asked, “Who are you, Lord?” he was about to discover that meeting Jesus changes everything.
Take a piece of paper and draw two large circles on it.
Label one circle “What has Jesus done?” and label the other “What is Jesus like?”
Inside the first circle, list (or draw) things that Jesus has done. Some examples include:
Inside the second circle, list (or draw) things about who Jesus is. Some examples include:
Try to make the list in the second one personal to ways you’ve seen Jesus show up in your life, because the latter list helps us know Jesus’s character and who he is.
Once you’re done, talk this over together! Knowing facts about Jesus is important, as shown in the first circle. But the second list helps us connect with Jesus as a friend. We get to see what he has done in our own lives and how we know him.
Thank you, Jesus, for how you connect with each of us personally. That you know us and we can know you, too. Please continue to reveal who you are to us, each and every day. Amen.