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The Letters of Paul

TM

Leader’s Guide

06New TestamentTHEME

New TesTameNT 6 — 1

The Letters of Paul“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: every-thing old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” – II CorINThIaNs 5:17

FOCUS THIS WEEKPaul’s encounter with Jesus turned him from a hate-filled persecutor of the church into a powerful witness to the grace of God. He wanted everyone to know that same transforming power. Through Paul’s 13 letters, God has encouraged and guided the church through the centuries to live in the faith, hope, love, joy, and power of the Living Lord.

USING THIS THEMEThe sections provided in this theme are designed to optimize both your planning and the brain-based learning structure of Head to the Heart (H2H). They follow the same basic format as our companion PowerPoint presentations. Whether your planning involves this document or the PowerPoint presentation files (or both), this and every H2H theme includes:

n Opening: Set the stage for a welcoming and fun event with songs, movement, and energetic learning games to preview the theme.

n Presentation: Begin the teaching time with your choice of resourc-es in the four sections provided: Life Line, Images & Analogies, Bible Time and Creative Interruptions. Remember: we give you much more than you could possibly use, so pick and choose what you think will work most effectively in your setting.

n Small Group Time: Model FAITH5 (share, read, talk, pray, bless), care for one another and process the presentation themes.

n Closing: Review the theme once again, enter your imagination with the prayer journey, pray for group and individual highs and lows, and close with a quiet blessing.

n Creative Interruptions: Enrich the theme and experience with these supplemental teaching extras: skits, music, a QuizBowl and various other options. Include a group of high school youth, a Crazy Parents Committee (CPC), or a Cross+Gen team up front to put these fun theme enhancements together.

ObjectiveTo lead groups to understand and experience becoming a new creation in Christ.

Copyright © Faith Inkubators. For use by “Head to the Heart” members only, and only during the 2019-2020 school year. Any other use of this material is prohibited. www.faithink.com


2 — The LeTTers of PauL

I. OPENING The opening sets the mood for the entire session, saying, “Something great is going to happen.” Use this time to welcome your small groups and introduce the Theme in a fun and memorable way. Be excited! Have fun! Remind your volunteers to do the same!

A. Gathering MusicThe Master Musician or Music Team kicks the event off with energy. Five to fifteen minutes before gathering time, set the mood of joy and vitality with two or three upbeat, singable, familiar camp/church songs relating to the theme. Project lyrics overhead so all hands are free to clap.

B. Welcome & IntroductionsAt the stroke of the hour, the Master Musician or MC stages a countdown “10, 9, 8, 7…” and begins the event (think “event” not “class”). Thank everyone in advance for their attention, make key announcements, and welcome spe-cial visitors. If you are celebrating a Servant Event of the Week, highlight the accomplishments of the small group and award a gag prize or traveling tro-phy. Invite this group to share what they gave and what they received.

C. QuizBowlInvite individuals or representatives from small groups up for a quick pre-view of the theme using the H2H PowerPoint slides or the questions pro-vided. Idea: Let your senior high youth or Crazy Parent Committee (CPC) take ownership in this.

D. Theme IntroductionIntroduce the theme “Letters of Paul” with the PowerPoint slides. A version of the song is embedded in the slides to help you build the mood.

E. Opening PrayerInvite groups to relax, roll their necks, and close their eyes to listen to God. Now play the song “Amazing Grace” from a favorite tape or invite a brave musician from your group to perform it live. After a few moments, invite groups to ponder this Brennan Manning quotation as they continue listen-ing to the music: “The real difference in the church is between those who are aware and those who are unaware.” Read the quotation three times slowly, pausing for thought between each reading. Ask: “What’s he talking about? Aware of what?” Repeat the first verse of “Amazing Grace” and “was blind but now I see,” over and over. Now pray this litany:

L: Dear God, your servant Paul understood what it meant to find new life in you.P: So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new.L: Dear Jesus, there is so much that is old and stale in our lives. Sin. Broken-ness. Loneliness. Estrangement. Despair. We need the newness you promise to bring.P: So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new.L: Holy Spirit, be with us now. Be with us new. Help us to focus on Jesus—only Jesus. Make us clean and right in the truth. Transform the old in us to new. We pray in the resurrection power of Jesus’ name. P: So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new. Amen.

I am a little pencil in the hand of a

writing God who is sending a love

letter to the world.

– Mother Teresa

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P a u l m a k e s 3 m i s s i o n a r y

j o u r n e y s t o s p r e a d G o s p e l

t o G e n t i l e s


F. Theme SongIntroduce the theme song “New Creation” embedded in the PowerPoint slides. (This song is also available via iTunes® or Amazon.com search: New Testament: New Creation.) Practice this in Huddle with all Guides, senior high youth and leadership team members so you can sing with energy. Create dance, actions or a modified American Sign Lan-guage to use with the chorus. Note: If people are moving their bod-ies as they hear the music, they will learn the Scripture faster and retain the information longer. Try it!

II. THEME PRESENTATION You’ve welcomed your groups and previewed the topic. Now it’s time to present the most engaging presentation you can muster. Use the provid-ed Life Line, Images & Analogies, Bible Time, and Creative Interruptions to add punch and dimension. Lecture alone hits only 5% of the capacity of the brain—be visual! “QuickPick” Suggestions: In a time crunch this week? Our favorite teaching suggestions for this lesson are highlighted with a †. If preparation time is tight, look at these pieces first. They should do the trick for a 20-30 minute presentation.

A. Life Line StoryInvite a recent convert or a member of AA or CA to speak about being a new cre-ation in Christ. What was their life like before they met Jesus? How did they come to know him? Who was instrumental in their transformation? What new challenges do they face with this new life? Choose a small group to pick the visitor up, prepare a list of questions, take the visitor out for pizza and write a thank-you note follow-ing the event. Would this visitor like to become an honorary member of the small group? Invite them! This may be a wonderful learning experience for both the con-vert and the confirmands to share.

B. Creative Interruption: Skit † Invite your Theme Team, senior high, Crazy Parents Committee (CPC) or a small group to introduce the theme with your choice of the skits provided.

C. Images & Analogies Choose from two or three of the following to get your point across. (You won’t have time for many more than this!) Remember to stop for a Creative Interrup-tion at least once (skit, song, activity, etc.) Idea: Take a look at the questions on the FAITH5 Small Group Time handout to make sure you cover them during your presentation.

1. art attack: † Refer everyone to the cover art by artist He Qi (pronounced heh-chee) located on their FAITH5 Small Group Time handout and included on the PowerPoint slides. Invite groups to study the art for a moment, then ask volunteers to describe what they see. Where do they find themselves in the art? How do the image and the verse of the week apply to their lives today?

2. new testament time Line: Review the PowerPoint Time Line slide to help groups visualize key New Testament events and put them in relationship to one another.

3. time Line string: (See Theme #1 Leader’s Guide for full timeline explanation. Find digital files of the timeline cartoons in your “Intro and Extras” folder.) If you are using this prop each week, enlarge the “Letters of Paul (49-67 A.D.)” cartoon, glue it to a paper plate, and hang it on the line with a clothes pin to the right of the “Jour-ney’s of Paul (38-55 A.D.)” cartoon. For added fun, prep both the Blind Paul and the Ninja assassins from the last two weeks to return eating sandwiches singing “Amaz-

The Letters of PaulN.T. Time Line Cartoon VI

(Enlarge and place at 49-67 A.D.)

Where there is love there is life.

– Mahatma Gandhi


ing Grace!” Ask the Ninja’s why they are eating and why they haven’t killed Paul yet. Ask: “Didn’t you have a death pact that you wouldn’t eat until you had killed him?” They respond: “He introduced us to Jesus. Now we’re Christians!”

4. Living Book sheLf: (See New Testament Overview, Image 6) If you are using the cereal box bookshelf visual each week, place the 13 green “books” of Paul on the middle shelf. Review the names of these books out loud together, then ask the shelf holders to explain the following: Paul was a persecutor of the church. Then he met Christ in a vision and became a great missionary. He went on three mis-sionary journeys, establishing churches across the Roman world. Then he wrote 13 letters to encourage new churches to stay true to Jesus and to train them in right and Godly living.

5. media mix

song: Head to YouTube® and view “Only Hope” by Switchfoot from their album New Way to be Human. Google lyrics and ask guests if they have ever felt the way the singer of this song feels. What is the song saying about hope?

You could also use “All Things New” by Steven Curtis Chapman, from his album of the same name.

D. Creative Interruption: Weakest FINK (Weekly Terms)Use the game show format on the PowerPoint to explore and understand the five key terms of the week.

E. Bible TimeRead and highlight the theme verse, II Corinthians 5:17 in Bibles and connect it with other verses relating to the theme. If time permits, add one of the following.

1. the Letters of PauL: † A prayer for wisdom and a walk through the epistles will help groups see the foundation blocks of our present faith. Refer to a map of Paul’s missionary journeys, noting Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Colossae and Thessalonica. (Do these places sound familiar to your groups? Recite together the “New Testament” rap found on your CD-ROM.) Point out key cities as you go. Depending on time and pace, you may choose to read and highlight some of the selected verses from each book.

n romans: The clearest, most comprehensive understanding of Paul’s message can be found in this book. Point out Rome on the map and explain that this city was the center of power, commerce and culture for much of the world. Ask groups what they would expect to find in a capital city. (Rome had it all: power, wealth, art, music, enter-tainment, corruption, crime, addiction, greed) Paul found Christian believers already worshipping in this cosmopolitan center and con-tinued to teach while he was under arrest. Optional verses to read and highlight: 1:16-17; 3:20-26; 4:3,13, 22; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; 8:12, 26-28, 31; 10:9-13; 12:1-2, 5, 9-19; 14:7-8; 16:25-27.

n i, ii corinthians: The church in Corinth was full of factions, sexual immorality and lawsuits. (Great business for the church to be about!) Optional verses to read and highlight: I Corinthians 1:18, 21-25; 3:11,16; 6:19-20; 9:24-27; 11:23-26; 12:27; 13:4-7; 15:51, 58; II Corin-thians 1:3-5; 4:5; 5:1,17-21; 9:8-9; 12:9.

n gaLatians: After Paul left the churches in Asia Minor (Turkey), teach-ers from Jerusalem followed him, demanding that the new Christians follow all of the old laws of Judaism. Paul wrote this letter to remind the church that faith in Jesus—not following the law—makes us

The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of

art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of

faith is not heresy, it’s indifference.

And the opposite of life is not death,

it’s indifference.

– Elie Wiesel


heirs of Abraham’s promise. Optional verses to highlight: 1:8; 3:6, 11, 26-29; 5:1,19-22; 6:14 (Write “Genesis 12:2b” near 3:29.)

n ePhesians: Ephesus was a dying trade city of the goddess Artemis when Paul arrived and found disciples of John the Baptist there (Acts 19). People came from all around to buy silver good luck charms of the turret-headed, multi-breasted goddess whose image suppos-edly fell from the heavens to the temple there. Paul stayed with the disciples in Ephesus and taught until the artisans of the goddess got angry at Christians for ruining their business and nearly caused a riot. The letter to the Ephesians speaks eloquently of the oneness we share in Christ and challenges Christians to lead a life worthy of God’s calling. Optional verses to read and highlight: 1:3-9; 2:8-9, 13, 19; 3:14-21; 4:1-6; 5:1-2, 21; 6:1, 10-17.

n PhiLiPPians: Philippi, a city that dominated the road system of northern Greece, was the home of a major medical school and the first “European” town to hear Paul’s message. After founding a church there, Paul wrote to the faithful from prison, making a powerful case for standing firm in Christ. Optional verses to read and highlight: 1:6, 21; 2:5-11; 3:8-14; 4:4-9. Point out 2:6-11 as possibly the first Christian hymn.

n coLossians: Colossae was an important crossroad city in southwest Asia Minor. Paul indicates that Epaphras (1:7) has been ministering to them. This letter is meant to encourage the faithful, show Christ as the “firstborn of creation” (1:15) and challenge Christians to live holy lives. Optional verses to read and highlight: 1:13-17, 19-20; 2:6-9; 3:1-3, 12-17.

n i, ii thessaLonians: An important Macedonian port city, Thessalonica was a seat of Roman administration. I Thessalonians is perhaps Paul’s first letter, written during his second missionary journey in 51 A.D. The letter we call II Thessalonians was written shortly after Paul received a response to the first letter. Optional verses to read and highlight: I Thessalonians 4:7, 13-14; 5:9, 15-22; II Thessalonians 2:16; 3:3, 13.

n i, ii timothy: Paul wrote two letters to his young friend Timothy to give instruction on how to live his faith and help the church in Ephesus stay true to Christ. Optional verses to read and highlight: I Timothy 1:15; 2:1-6; 3:16; 4:4-5, 12; 5:1-2; II Timothy 1:7, 13-14; 2:11-15; 3:16-17; 4:18.

n titus: Paul wrote to Titus to stress the importance of moral behavior and good order in the church. Optional verses to highlight: 2:6-8; 3:4-7.

n PhiLemon: Onesimus was a runaway slave whom Paul led to Christ. The punishment for escape was death. Paul wrote to Philemon, a Christian friend who owned Onesimus, to implore him to treat Onesimus with love and forgiveness.

F. Cartoon of the WeekReinforce the theme by introducing this week’s cartoon using the PowerPoint slides or an enlarged version of the cartoon provided. Idea: For added fun, invite actors or the entire group to read it with cartoonish voices.

III. SMALL GROUP TIMEDismiss to FAITH5 Small Group Time. Use this theme’s chapter of your H2H Journal, or print both the Youth and Guide Handout to distribute. If using the handouts, you will also need to distribute the Home Huddle Handout, containing the nightly Bible verses

Where there is love there is room.

– Rich Melheim


for FAITH5 Home Huddles. Tip: Plan at least 30 minutes for Small Group Time.

IV. CLOSINGDon’t let your small groups disappear after meeting. Bring everyone together for a contemplative closing. Dim the lights, light a candle, and play the instrumental ver-sion of the theme music softly to set the mood for this moment of quiet reverence.

A. Theme Song ReviewPlay the theme song once again to give groups another shot at learning the verse

B. Wrap-up ReflectionThank groups for their attention once again, then invite a representative from each group to share one new thing they learned during this session, one thing they already knew but feel is worth repeating, and one thing their group would like to know more about. Then reflect on the Bible verse and theme one final time before prayers and blessings. Let groups read the PowerPoint slides silently as the theme song plays or is sung. Move from there into the Prayer Journey and PTA Prayers.

Saul was persecuting Christians when he was knocked off his high horse and blind-ed in a miraculous encounter with Jesus. His name was changed to Paul and he went on to spread the message of the Jewish Messiah to the whole world.

C. Prayer Journey Dim the lights and light candles to build a worshipful mood for prayer. Play the theme music embedded on the PowerPoint slide softly. Lead your group through a series of stretching and breathing exercises. Then sit down, relax, close eyes and…

Listen to the greatest words on love ever written. They are found in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians: If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, a but do not have love, I gain noth-ing. Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

D. PTA (Praise, Thank, and Ask) PrayersInvite each small group to bring at least one PTA Prayer to this closing time. Invite other guests with special concerns to pray aloud at this time or write their concerns on slips of paper and hand them to you for public reading. Continue with the soft version of the theme song to maintain the mood.

E. Benediction & BlessingGive a group bene dic tion. Then invite small groups to step to the baptismal font and bless one another with the sign of the cross on the forehead and the following words or their own favorite blessing:

“May the light of Christ surround you, may the fire of the Spirit fill you and may you sense and know the amazing grace of God.”

In real love you want the other

person’s good. In romantic love you

want the other person.

– Margaret Anderson

To know the will of God, you need

an open Bible and an open map.

– William Carey


Creative Interruptions are various brain-based teaching pieces designed to enhance your presentation and keep your audience connected. At least once dur-ing the Theme Presentation, take time for a Creative Interruption that refocuses your guests, and brings a brain-based, multi-faceted aspect to the teaching. You may wish to ask or assign small groups to create an interruption.

Art GalleryUse the PowerPoint slides provided plus scans of your own original art to celebrate the theme in images. Weave in quotation slides plus music. For added impact, invite a group to create a large banner, poster or wall-hanging with the verse of the week and the art from the cover of this theme. Raise this new piece of art into the air on fishing line at the moment you unveil the theme. For a large visual, cut the word “grace” out of plywood or foam board, paint it with fluorescent spray paint, and hang it from the ceiling above the room.

FINKtoonCreate an original cartoon based on the verse of the week, the theme or one aspect of the New Testament. Or add your own punch line to the cartoon template pro-vided in the supplemental PowerPoint slide. Display the cartoon in front for all to see. As an alternative, enlarge and color or paint one of the cartoons in this theme and use it during the presentation time.

Prayer JourneyUse the guided meditation provided or write your own prayer journey on the theme “The Letters of Paul.” Play the theme song embedded on the PowerPoint slide or a favorite hymn as background music. Consider lowering lights, warm-ing the group up with a stretching and breathing exercise and adding the senses (smell, taste, touch, hearing, sight) to your prayer experience to build the mood. Speak quietly, clearly and slowly. Include the theme verse at the core of the journey. Leave room for the Scripture to sink in and the Holy Spirit to speak.

SkitsAsk or assign a small group to perform one of the skits provided or to create an original three-minute skit on the theme. Be as elaborate and imaginative or as sim-ple as you wish in creating the dialogue, costumes and props.

Theme Song With MovementAsk a musician, small group or a member of your Music Team to perform and teach the theme song, “New Creation,” or to create their own song based on the verse of the week.

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

– Mahatma Gandhi

Extras:Creative Interruptions



Video GodmercialCreate a three-minute video on the song “Amazing Grace.” Interview people on the street and ask them to share their insights on the song. Where have they heard it? What does it mean to them? What images does the song create in their memories? For an artsy piece, ask an interpretive dance troupe to create a routine to the music. Add grace-filled scenes from nature and shots of people doing acts of love and mercy to the dance footage. Make sure everyone is involved in some way, either in front of or behind the camera.

Weakest FINKMake up your own key terms to supplement the theme using the template slide provided.

Faith is not a refuge from reality. It is a demand that we face reality.

– Evelyn Underhill

New TesTameNT 6 — 9 Copyright © Faith Inkubators. For use by “Head to the Heart” members only, and only during the 2019-2020 school year. Any other use of this material is prohibited. www.faithink.com

setting: AnywhereProPs: Sun glasses, white canecharacters: Teacher, Saul (Note: The following may be used as the third run-ning gag covering the main teaching points in New Testament lessons 3-5.)

narrator: Okay class, let’s open up the table of contents in the New Testament and find the 13 letters written by Paul to the early church.sauL: (Stumbling in wearing sun glass-es, singing terribly out of tune) When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s a-rom-a!narrator: Paul! Paul of Tarsus! Wel-come back. How did your missionary trips go?sauL: My journeys? Oh... good. And not so good. Everybody either wanted to make me a god or kill me.narrator: Wow. What happened?sauL: Well, remember when I was blind-ed by the light of Christ on the road to Damascus?narrator: Are we speaking theoreti-cally, theologically, metaphorically or metaphysically here?sauL: All of the above. Anyway, I regained my sight. So I went to all the synagogues and told everyone I met about Jesus. But no one trusted me. narrator: You can understand that. After all, you sort of killed them and beat them up and stuff.sauL: Yeah. At first they didn’t accept me. So I kept preaching and after a while Peter and the disciples finally real-ized I was the real deal. They finally took me in and I became a real opossum.narrator: Apostle.sauL: Yeah. That, too. Any way, after a while I felt like God wanted me to go around to tell people in non-Jewish countries about Jesus. I mean, why keep something so good to yourselves?narrator: What was the trouble?sauL: Well, first... (looking around) You

got a map?narrator: Right here. (Pulling out map or using the PowerPoint slides) Here.sauL: I stayed in Damascus a while tell-ing everyone “Jesus is the Son of God!” They plotted to kill me, so some friends snuck me out by lowering me in a bas-ket over the city wall. I made my first trip, a little loop up to Antioch and around Galatia.narrator: You mean Gala-tia! How did it go there?sauL: Good. And not so good. I healed a kid and they thought I was a god. Then they stoned me and left me for dead. But I got up and walked away.narrator: Chilling. And your second trip?sauL: Secondly, I went back and visited Christians in the first cities, then went over to Europe. That’s where the Philip-pians and Thessalonians live. Met a nice lady named Lydia in Philippi who fund-ed much of the trip. Got arrested and thrown in jail, but an angel busted me out. Then I baptized the whole family of the jailer and headed out to Athens and Corinth and over to Ephesus...narrator: Where the Ephe-sus-ians live?sauL: They call themselves Ephesians.narrator: Sorry.sauL: We caused a riot in Ephesus because the silver idol makers weren’t making any money any more. No one wanted their trinkets after hearing about Jesus. He is the real deal, you know? The real deal.narrator: And your third trip?sauL: I went back to many of the earli-er cities. Thousands converted to Chris-tianity. People were healed. Demons were cast out. And everyone wanted to kill me. A group of 40 assassins made a death pact saying they wouldn’t eat until I was dead. They arrested me, but the Roman authorities nabbed me and

whisked me away. When I told them I was a Roman citizen they were afraid. I demanded my right to a trial in Aroma, and that’s where I’ll be heading next.narrator: You mean Rome.sauL: Yeah. I’m under house arrest. I’ll have plenty of time to write those churches I visited. I think I’ll write about... say... 13 letters. (Counting on fingers) One to the Aromans. Two to the Corinthians. One to the Galatians. One each to the Ephesians, Philippi-ans and Colossians. Two to the Thes-salonians. A couple to my young friend Timothy. And then there’s Titus and Philemon. Great guys.narrator: Sounds like you’ve got a lot of writing to do. Are you worried about going to Rome?sauL: Naw. It’s quite an honor, you know. Preaching about Jesus in the cen-ter of world power! Maybe the whole city will one day be Christian. Ha!narrator: Imagine that. Ha! Rome! The capital city of the world one day Christian. (Looking at Paul, they both break down laughing!)sauL: Ha ha ha! Now, that’s a riot. A real riot! And... ha ha... I suppose there will be a Caesar one day who converts!narrator: Ha ha ha! Not only con-verts... ha ha... but makes the whole Roman empire Christian overnight!sauL: Ha ha ha! Yeah, and they’ll move the center of Christianity from Jerusa-lem to Aroma! Ha ha ha ha! (Laugh-ing 20 seconds) Stop. I’m gonna pee! (Laughing hilariously 20 seconds, then catching breath) I believe in miracles, but that is a bit much, don’t you think? narrator: Oh well, one can always... sauL: Dream. This Paul of Tar-shish saying “Viva Aroma! Good night and good luck. (Exits singing) When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s a a-rom-a!”

tar-shish three

New TestamentSKIT A

06by Rich

Melheim

10 — The LeTTers of PauLCopyright © Faith Inkubators. For use by “Head to the Heart” members only, and only during the 2019-2020 school year. Any other use of this material is prohibited. www.faithink.com

setting: A game show ProPs: Door, table for panel, podium, applause signcharacters: Narrator, Paul, Panelists 1-4

narrator: And now, live from (your church), America’s favorite game show of Salvation Mystery History, the show that each week interviews heroes of faith and awards contestants millions in prizes if they can guess the name of the mystery guest in ten guesses, back by popular demand it’s “What’s My Name?” (Hold applause sign) I’m Wink Winkendale, these are our panelists and let’s meet our Mystery Guest. Straight from Asia Minor, a Pharisee, a Roman citizen, a persecu-tor of the church and later the church’s greatest missionary, the man who held the murderers’ coats when they stoned Stephen and one heck of a nice guy, let’s welcome (applause sign and music as Paul enters) Mr. Mystery Guest!PaneList 1: Welcome Mr. Mystery Guest. First, what is your occupation?PauL: I’ve done a number of things actually. I started out as a tent maker. Then I was blinded on the road to Damascus by a vision of Jesus and ever since I’ve been a missionary. PaneList 2: Mr. Mystery Guest, how did you become a Roman citizen? PauL: My father was a freeman of Tar-sus. That’s in Asia Minor. So you might say I inherited it from Dad.PaneList 3: So you’re a Pharisee?PauL: I’m from the tribe of Benjamin. Strict pharisaic tradition, you know. I traveled to Jerusalem as a young man to study the Torah under the famous Rabbi Gamaliel. Best education in the world.narrator: That was our third ques-tion. Now, Panelist 4?PaneList 4: Mr. Mystery Guest, have you ever done an infomercial?

PauL: That would be a no. PaneList 1: Mr. Mystery Guest, you were described as the greatest Chris-tian missionary of all time. Were you an actual disciple of Jesus? You know, like James and Peter and John?PauL: Actually, no. I never met him in person. I didn’t arrive in Jerusalem until after he was dead and raised.PaneList 2: You’re the greatest mis-sionary of all time but you never met…PauL: Jesus? Actually, I did meet him. On the road to Damascus as I was trav-eling to beat up some Christians. We thought they were a cult, you know. Anyway, I’m knocked off my horse by a blinding light and this voice says, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” And it’s him!narrator: Who?PauL: Him! Jesus! From there I laid low for a while and a kind man named Ananias in Damascus took me in. He told me all about who Jesus was and what he did. It was such a powerful experience that I suddenly came to faith, and at that moment I regained my sight and was baptized on the spot!PaneList 3: I see. And the disciples of Jesus took a liking to you?PauL: Actually, no. They didn’t trust me at first. After all, I had tried to arrest them and have them killed.PaneList 4: Have you ever been on “Survivor?”PauL: That would be a no.narrator: We’re running out of time.PaneList 1: You’ve been on three mis-sionary journeys? Why? PauL: Yes, three. God’s promised plan for the world was much wider than anyone had ever thought. It wasn’t just for the Jews—for the physical children of Abraham. God showed me it was for the Gentiles, too. For all people. All are children of Abraham if they only have faith in Christ. We are all heirs of

the promise. I took this message across Asia Minor. That’s like modern Turkey. To Greece. To Rome. I was shipwrecked for the faith, beaten, chained in prison, stoned…PaneList 4: Stoned? Stoned! Have you ever worked with Olympic champion Michael Phelps?PauL: That would be a no. But I boldly spoke up for Christ in front of kings and princes and anyone who would listen. Ever since that day on the road. I wrote letters to encourage Christians in Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Colossae, Thessalonica…PaneList 2: Aren’t there books in the Bible with names like that?PauL: Actually, those are letters I wrote to the churches there. The Holy Spirit used me to write, interpret and shape much of the way the majority of Chris-tians understand Jesus and God’s salva-tion history plan to this very day.narrator: We’re about out of time.PaneList 1: One more. What would you say is the thrust of your message?PauL: Grace. Grace through faith. Peri-od. You see, I didn’t deserve anything, but God chose me, changed me and used me. I, who had persecuted the church of Jesus, was still loved enough by God to be called. That’s grace. That’s love. And that amazing grace changed me forever. It changed everything. I was blind, but now I see. narrator: One final question.PaneList 3: (Pause) Final Question: Were you ever married to Paris Hilton?narrator: (Music begins) Oh, there’s the music! We are out of time. But be sure to tune in next week as our panel attempts to identify one of the great-est missionaries the church has ever known and a heck of a nice guy on America’s favorite game show of Sal-vation Mystery History (applause sign) “What’s My Name?”

themissionary

New TestamentSKIT B

06by Rich

Melheim

New TesTameNT 6 — 11 Copyright © Faith Inkubators. For use by “Head to the Heart” members only, and only during the 2019-2020 school year. Any other use of this material is prohibited. www.faithink.com

setting: Biblical times, but at a com-putercharacters: Timothy and Wife (in Bib-lical garb)ProPs: Desk, Computer, chair

(Wife is center stage and sitting at the computer)

wife: Not again! Timothy, can you come here for a minute?timothy: What is it dear? I’m in the middle of trying to figure out the agenda for the church council retreat. It’s our first one and I’m a little ner-vous.wife: Well, you have another forward-ed email here from your friend Paul.timothy: (Leaning over computer) Oh great! What does he say?wife: I haven’t read it all yet. Are you aware of how many forwards and CC’s we get from this guy? timothy: C’mon honey, his writing is

important stuff.wife: Important stuff? Was the home-made slideshow he put together to the tune “I’m Proud To Be a Philippian,” important? timothy: OK, most of his stuff is important. He’s travelling all the time, so sometimes he gets a little crazy. But, he’s a smart, passionate person who has been helping me form this new church. We have to do it the right way and he’s got tons of experience. wife: Well, I did like the “foundation of love” definition he wrote in that for-ward to the folks at Corinth.timothy: See? That’s important stuff. That’s how I want to grow this church.wife: There is some good stuff about leadership, too. It should all really be published in a book. timothy: There are people working on that, but for now, it will continue to be letters to communities like Corinth, Galatia, Thessalonica and Ephesus.

Also, to people like me and Titus who you met in Crete.wife: Oh yeah, good guy, but a tough crowd in Crete.timothy: So that’s why there are so many CC’s and forwards in our email. Paul is really trying to get this thing off the ground. It’s a movement to help people live in the faith, hope, love, joy and power of the Living Lord.wife: OK, but if he forwards on one more email about sending money to some imprisoned prince in Nigeria, I’m going to be angry.timothy: That Nigerian Prince email is a hoax? Huh. I’ll be darned.wife: Well, as Paul ended his last let-ter, “The Lord be with your spirit,” Tim-othy. And may the Lord give you com-mon sense. The “common sense” part is mine, not Paul’s, by the way.timothy: Thank you dear.

faith forward

New TestamentSKIT C

06by PJ

McCluskey


Question: How many of Paul’s letters appear in the Bible?: A.) 3, B.) 13, C.) 23, D.) Millions if you include all of the actual letters in the 13 booksQuestion: Another word for “letter” in the Bible is: A.) Epistle, B.) Apostle, C.) Opossum, D.) GospelQuestion: Paul began his letter to the Romans by saying: A.) My Letter to the Romans, B.) This is the Letter of Paul to the Romans, C.) This is the Epistle of Paul to the Romans, D.) To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saintsQuestion: In Paul’s day, Rome was capital of the one world superpower and was filled with: A.) Wealth, art, music and culture, B.) Sex, greed, gambling and crime, C.) Multiple gods, multiple frauds, and multiple addictions, D.) All of the above, and what a great place to start a church!Question: When Paul arrived in Rome: A.) He found no Christians already worshipping there, B.) He found one Christian worshipping there, C.) He found many Christians already worshipping there, D.) He found Peter building a worldwide religious empire in the section of town called “Vatica” Question: The Bible’s “love chapter” most often read at weddings is found in: A.) I Corinthians 13 (“love is patient, love is kind… ”), B.) Matthew 5:44 (“love your enemies and pray for those who per-secute you”), C.) Leviticus 19:34 (“you shall love the alien”), D.) Psalm 50:9 (“I will accept no bull from your house”)Question: Paul wrote to the church in Galatia (Turkey) because some teachers followed him demanding that the Galatians: A.) Worship on Saturdays, B.) Follow all of the old Jewish customs in order to be Christian, C.) Get haircuts, D.) Give 35% of all their offerings to their TV ministryQuestion: Paul wrote two letters to: A.) The Corinthian church, B.) The Thessalonian church, C.) His young friend Timothy, D.) All of the aboveQuestion: Paul wrote a letter to his friend Philemon, begging him to: A.) Become a Christian, B.) Accept his runaway slave, Onesimus, with love as a brother in Christ, C.) Accept his runaway slave, Onesimus, with love as a brother in Christ and only whip him upon his return, D.) Stop following him everywhere he went

Final QuestionIn II Corinthians 5:17, Paul writes, “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new…:” A.) “Creation,” B.) “Atti-tude,” C.) “Believer,” D.) “Fish symbol on their chariot bumper”

Quiz Answers: D, A, D, D, C, A, B, D, B, A

quizbowl

Copyright © Faith Inkubators. For use by Head to the Heart members only during the 2019-2020 school year. Any other use of this material is prohibited. www.faithink.com


he is not here by dr. he qi () · sionary journeys, establishing churches across the roman world....

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