Memory Verse

Then the Lord’s Spirit will come on you with great power. You will be changed.

1 Samuel 10:6a

A Glorious Encounter

Hey Kids!

Some of you might think that meeting God is scary.  Maybe you think, “Why would God want to meet me?”, “I’m not important enough”, “I did a lot of bad things”, “I just disobeyed my mom the other day”, or “I told my dad I did my homework but the truth is I was playing my Switch all night.”  You may even be thinking, “God doesn’t want to see me!  I heard He might strike me down with a lightning bolt!  And He’s ALL powerful, the King of ALL kings, God who created everything!  No, way!!….. My knees will be too weak to stand up!”

Let me tell you, if you thought that way, you got most of it wrong.  Yes, God is ALL powerful, our Creator, our King!  But, the truth is God loves you and the reason He made you was to be with Him.  He wants you to come near to Him and He will come near to you!  When you do, His love will change you.  Just come as you are…even if you disobeyed your parents, or cheated on a test, or was mean to a kid at school or lied to your dad.  He loves you with all your mistakes, your failures, and sin.  

Meeting God is the most AMAZING thing that will happen in your life.  Paul was the meanest person to those who loved the Lord but when he met Jesus, Paul was changed by the power of God.  God gave Him a new heart, a new vision, and a new direction…God’s direction, which is the ONLY way.  

How do you meet God?  You can meet God anytime and anywhere. Tonight, you can go under your blanket or in a private place and tell God that you want to meet Him.  Here’s what you can tell God:

Heavenly Father, I come to you in Jesus’ Name.  I want to know You and meet You face to face.  Show me who You are.  I will read Your Word to come near to You.  I ask You to show Yourself to me and change my heart.  

Pledge of Honor

I met Jesus and His love transformed me into a hero of faith.

Today’s Bible Reading

Acts 9:1-19 (NLT)

Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. He 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.

As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”

“Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.

And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! Saul 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. He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.

Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord!” he replied.

The 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. I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.”

“But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.”

 But 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. And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

 So 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.” Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength.