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Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, September 9,
2000

From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders)

Date completed: August 1, 1997

Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps
to teach the lesson, THE MAN WHO BECAME BLIND TO SEE
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Lesson Aim: I will be truly happy if I put Jesus in
first place in my life and ask Him what I should do.

Memory Verse: "Lord, what do You want me to do?" 
 Acts 9:6 NKJV


GETTING THEIR ATTENTION

[Materials needed: None]
[Directions: Explain to the children that most of the
time when they go a certain direction it is possible to
change and go the opposite way.  For example say, "If I
was going North and I changed direction which way would
I be going?  South, of course.  How about if I was
going East and I changed and went in the opposite
direction.  Which way would I be headed?  West,
naturally."   Have the children stand.   Tell them that
you are going to make some body motions that will
signal a direction.  They are to signal with body
motions an opposite direction.

     1.  Point up and pretend to be climbing a ladder. 
(They should respond with pointing down and pretend to
be climbing down.)
     2.  Make a large circle with your arms and stick
your head in.  (They should respond with making a large
circle and pulling their head out.)
     3.  Begin walking forwards.  (They should respond
with walking backwards.)
     4.  Climb up on the chair and huddle down on it. 
(They should respond with getting under their chairs in
a huddle.)

After everyone is seated and quiet, follow up with
these discussion questions:
     1.  Was it hard to think up the opposite thing to
do?
     2.  When you get going in a certain direction is
it easy or hard to change and do the opposite?
     3.  Have you ever been told you need to change
direction when you're having a bad day?

In our story today, a man is going in the wrong
direction.  He's doing one thing and Jesus wants him to
be doing something exactly the opposite.  Let's see how
Jesus turns him around.  GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE
STORY.



GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE

BLIND MAN'S WALK
[Materials needed: A blindfold for each child; a 30
foot (minimum) length of rope; 7 clothes pins for each
child (each of the 7 clothes pins should have one of
the following words or phrases printed on it: #1
clothes pin - Roman citizen, #2 clothes pin - Pharisee,
#3 clothes pin - Sanhedrin, #4 clothes pin -  killing
the Christians, #5 clothes pin -  Damascus, #6 clothes
pin - blind, #7 clothes pin -  baptized him]

[Directions: Make a blind man's trail for the children
to follow by tying the rope from object to object in
the classroom or outside.  Include turns to make it
more interesting, but remove any objects that might be
bumped into.  Every 4 feet hang the clothes pins
together from the line.   For example, hang the group
of #1 clothes pins first, four feet later hang the
group of #2 clothes pins, four feet later hang the
group of #3 clothes pins etc.  Explain to the children
that in the lesson today a man becomes blind.  They
will wear blindfolds and follow a trail to discover
some facts about this man's life.  As they follow the
trail with their hand, they will come to some groups of
clothes pins.  Every time they come to a group they are
to remove one and hold it in their free hand.  They are
to keep track of how many they have.  After they have
collected all seven they may take their blind fold off
and return to their seat.  Send the children down the
rope with 10 seconds between each one.  After all have
returned to their seats with their clothes pins, go
over what the words say on their clothes pins.  Tell
the story inserting the following questions where
appropriate.  They choose the answer from one of their
clothes pins and clip it onto their clothing
somewhere.]
     Questions: 1.  Since Saul was born in Tarsus he
was considered a what?  (Roman citizen)
2.  Because he studied under famous rabbis' and was
well educated in his religion he was able to become a
what when he was still young?  (Pharisee) Finally he
was so popular with the religious leaders of his day he
was able to join the group who decided the legal and
religious matters called the what?  (Sanhedrin).  After
Stephen was stoned, great trouble started for the
Christians.  Saul was one who lead out in what? 
(Killing the Christians).  Where was he on his way to
find more Christians when he was stopped?  (Damascus). 
A bright light flashed around him and he fell to
the ground.  Jesus spoke to him and asked him why he
was hurting him.  Because of his encounter with Jesus
he became what?  (Blind).  He didn't eat or drink for
three days.  He prayed for God to forgive him and
decided to become a follower instead of a persecuter. 
He met a man named Ananias who laid his hands on Saul
and restored his sight.  Then Ananias did what to Saul? 
(Baptized him).  The man who had hurt Christians was
now a Christian himself.  Jesus changed him completely
when he accepted him as his Saviour and Lord.  



MEMORY VERSE SONG
[Materials needed: Following words to memory verse song
printed on chalkboard or poster board for all to see;
music to "I will Make You Fishers of Men"; Bibles]

[Directions: Look up the memory verse in the Bible. 
Teach the children to sing the following song to the
tune of I Will Make you Fishers of Men.  If your group
consists of younger Primaries provide instruments to
sing with.


     Lord, what do you want me to do
                      Want me to do
                      Want me to do
     Lord, what do you want me to do
     You can change me too

     You can change me too
     You can change me too

     Lord, what do you want me to do
     You can change me too


ACTING ON SCRIPTURE

PEOPLE JESUS CHANGES
[Materials needed: Chalkboard and chalk or write
on-wipe off board and markers]

[Directions: Take each of the following words, listed
under the name to be guessed column one at a time, and
print the number of spaces needed for each on the chalk
board.  Play the game like Wheel of Fortune.  Each
child has an opportunity to guess a letter.   When the
name to be guessed has been filled in give two extra
points, for guessing a person from the Bible who fits
that category and a suggestion of what that person can
become when Jesus changes him.

     For example -      

Name to be guessed    Person from Bible   Possibility
Bully                 Saul                Friend
Thief                 Thief on cross      Hard worker
Cheater               Zaccheus            Honest man
Spoiled child         Joseph              Ruler/leader
Fighter               David               Peace maker
Coward                Peter               Preacher