Speaker 1: Hello again, and welcome back to Kid's Bible Stories. Today's
Speaker 1: story is called Bravery and a New Beginning. This comes
Speaker 1: from Acts chapter nine, verses ten through nineteen, and as
Speaker 1: part of our Hidden Jim's series. We are thrilled to
Speaker 1: have you join us as we continue our enthralling series
Speaker 1: Hidden Gems, where we on Earth and shine a light
Speaker 1: on some of the Bible's lesser known people and their
Speaker 1: extraordinary real life stories. I want to introduce who we
Speaker 1: are talking about today. We have Anonius.
Speaker 2: Hello.
Speaker 1: Anonius loved Jesus and followed his ways. He was a
Speaker 1: disciple of Jesus. And then we have Saul Hello. Now,
Speaker 1: Saul was a man whose name struck fear in the
Speaker 1: hearts of Christians because he made it his mission to
Speaker 1: crush the Christian faith. He didn't agree with what they
Speaker 1: believed and tried to find them so that he could
Speaker 1: even throw them in prison. Now that you know who
Speaker 1: they are, let's embark on this adventure together, discovering God's
Speaker 1: word and learning how each act of bravery and faithfulness
Speaker 1: can lead to new beginnings. We begin our story here
Speaker 1: in the heart of Damascus. Their lived disciple named Annonaeus
Speaker 1: Damascus was a bustling city. Markets lined the streets as
Speaker 1: people sold their wares good for sale.
Speaker 3: Get your fresh bread here.
Speaker 1: Vibrant blue and yellow linens hung on ropes. They flapped
Speaker 1: in the breeze, displaying that they too were for sale.
Speaker 1: This was a city alive with culture and history. Yet
Speaker 1: beneath the surface, a storm was brewing, a storm centered
Speaker 1: around a man named Saul. An Annius was here in
Speaker 1: Damascus when the Lord called to him in a vision. Annius, yes,
Speaker 1: Lord Anonius answered, this wasn't just any day for Anonius.
Speaker 1: It was the day his faith would be tested like
Speaker 1: never before. Imagine Anonius perhaps sitting quietly in his home,
Speaker 1: cooking or reading, when suddenly God himself speaks to him.
Speaker 1: The Lord had a mission for him that would sound
Speaker 1: almost unbelievable. Let's listen it. The Lord told him.
Speaker 3: Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and
Speaker 3: ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, For he
Speaker 3: is praying in a vision he has seen a man
Speaker 3: named an Anius come and place his hands on him
Speaker 3: to restore his sight.
Speaker 1: Lord Annius answered, I've heard.
Speaker 2: Many reports about Salon and all the harmonies done to
Speaker 2: our holy people in Jerusalem and now, now he's here
Speaker 2: with the authority from the chief priest to arrest all
Speaker 2: who call on your name.
Speaker 1: Let's pause, listeners. Does it sound like an Aonius knows
Speaker 1: who Saul is? Yes, yep. News traveled quickly about Saul
Speaker 1: because he treated Christians terribly. The very thought of Saul
Speaker 1: could send shivers down the spine of the bravest believer.
Speaker 1: But God wasn't finished. The Lord said to him.
Speaker 3: Go, this man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my
Speaker 3: name to the gentiles and their kings and to the
Speaker 3: people of Israel. I will show him how much he
Speaker 3: must suffer for my name.
Speaker 1: Can you imagine the whirlwind of emotions? And Anaias must
Speaker 1: have felt fear, doubt, perhaps even a bit of disbelief.
Speaker 2: That guy, Lord, you know who he is? Right?
Speaker 1: Yet, in a moment that defines true trust in God,
Speaker 1: and Anius chose obedience over fear with a deep breath.
Speaker 1: Ah okay, and Anius set out on his mission to
Speaker 1: find Saul. Maybe his heart was pounding, his mind raising
Speaker 1: as he walked the streets of Damascus. What would Saul
Speaker 1: look like? What would he say? How would a man
Speaker 1: known for his cruelty react? To a visit from a Christian.
Speaker 1: Finally he found the house the Lord had told him about.
Speaker 1: Imagine and Anius standing before the door of Judas's house,
Speaker 1: his hand hesitating for just a moment before he knocked.
Speaker 1: The door opened, and there, in the dim light of
Speaker 1: the room sat Saul. Saul was blinded from his encounter
Speaker 1: with Jesus. He couldn't see Anonis enter. He could simply
Speaker 1: listen to what was happening. Saul sat waiting, hoping, and praying,
Speaker 1: probably with a gulp and a silent prayer for help.
Speaker 1: Annaanaias slowly walked to Saul. He gently placed his hands
Speaker 1: on him and.
Speaker 4: Spoke, brother, Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you
Speaker 4: on the road as you were coming here, has sent
Speaker 4: me so that you may see again and be filled
Speaker 4: with the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1: Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes and he
Speaker 1: could see again. But what would Saul do next? Would
Speaker 1: he try to arrest and Annius yell at him? What
Speaker 1: would he do? What do you think he did?
Speaker 2: He might be angry.
Speaker 1: Thanks for sharing. Well, the Bible says that Saul got
Speaker 1: up and was baptized. Well, that is it for a story. Today.
Speaker 1: But before we go, let's think about what we just heard.
Speaker 1: Who did God tell Ananius to go to shout out
Speaker 1: his name?
Speaker 3: Saul?
Speaker 1: Great? And Saul was known for arresting Christians and being
Speaker 1: so horrible to them. So how do you think Anonius
Speaker 1: may have felt when he was told to go see Saul?
Speaker 2: I would feel nervous and definitely not want to go.
Speaker 1: I'm sure he did have some feelings about it. But
Speaker 1: did he trust God and obey? Yes? Yes, Annius. Despite
Speaker 1: maybe his initial fear, he stepped forward in obedience and kindness,
Speaker 1: embodying a spirit of true discipleship. This act of courage
Speaker 1: and faith changed not only the lives of these two men,
Speaker 1: but impacted generations to come. Saul, a man who once
Speaker 1: breathed threats and murder against the followers of Jesus, He's
Speaker 1: now one of them, baptized, his site, restored not just
Speaker 1: physically but spiritually ray ray. Through God choosing Saul and
Speaker 1: using an Anius, Saul began a new life. Let me explain.
Speaker 1: Raise your hand if you've heard of Paul, yep, Paul
Speaker 1: with a p Well, that Paul, the apostle who loved Jesus,
Speaker 1: who even wrote books of our Bible. He was once
Speaker 1: that Saul no way, yep, Saul is Paul, and Paul
Speaker 1: is Saul. The one you'd least expect to proudly proclaim
Speaker 1: the good news of Jesus became the one who devoted
Speaker 1: the rest of his life teaching others about Jesus.
Speaker 3: Wow.
Speaker 1: Do you think God can use your words and actions
Speaker 1: to teach others about Him to change their life because
Speaker 1: of Him?
Speaker 2: Yes?
Speaker 1: Absolutely. Like Anonius, we are often called to act kindly
Speaker 1: and courageously, even when it seems difficult. Remember, because we
Speaker 1: can trust God, we can obey what he says to do,
Speaker 1: and no action is too small when it's done with
Speaker 1: great love and faith. Let us step out bravely into
Speaker 1: the world, inspired by the lessons of Anonius and Saul,
Speaker 1: and see how many new beginnings we can inspire in
Speaker 1: our own schools and neighborhoods. Thank you for listening to
Speaker 1: today's episode. This episode features fun bonus sheets for kids
Speaker 1: to enjoy while listening, which also helps reinforce what they've
Speaker 1: heard and offers a creative outlet. We have a lot
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Speaker 1: The link is also in the show notes for you.
Speaker 1: And on that note, we would like to thank our
Speaker 1: newest Patreon members who helped make today's episode possible. Thank
Speaker 1: you to Aaron, Joe, gh Amy, Scott, Caitlin and Emily.
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for joining us. Thanks again everyone,
Speaker 1: and as always, bye for now