If your class is meeting online, invite students to bring supplies to class. Enlist the help of a few church members who would be willing to share about how Jesus changed their lives (see Step 3). Invite them to join your class (whether in person or online). At this point in the lesson, give each of your guests time to share how Jesus changed their lives. You may want to give a time limit of 3–5 minutes. If you are unable to have guests from your church visit, share your own testimony with the class.

We saw in our lesson earlier how the jailer’s life as well as the lives of his family members were changed when they chose to believe in the Lord Jesus. The jailer went from guarding Paul and Silas to taking them to his house, washing their wounds, and allowing them to baptize him and his whole family. What a change of heart! But that’s what Jesus does when we allow Him access—He changes our hearts, souls, and minds, which alters the course of our lives. Today we’ve heard testimonies from multiple witnesses about how Jesus has changed their lives.

• What are words and/or phrases you heard that describe how Jesus changed the lives of those we’ve discussed or heard from today? (Answers may include: The jailer rejoiced; hearts were changed; joy; peace; feeling forgiven; feeling loved; having a desire to share Jesus with others, etc.) 

Distribute supplies (or invite students to have them ready at home). Give your students an opportunity to create a “graffiti card” of the words and phrases they’ve heard this morning on how Jesus has changed lives—they can refer to the Bible lesson, testimonies, or the video clip from Step 1. Encourage them to include words or phrases that express changes they have seen Jesus make in their own lives as well.

With students’ permission, you may want to take photos of their cards (or invite them to send photos to you). You may want to compile the cards to share on a private social media group along with the question to your church family, “How has Jesus changed your life?” Tell students they can check their congregation’s answers throughout the week.

Challenge students to interview parents, other family members, teachers, neighbors, etc. and jot down any unique responses on their index cards. Tell your preteens to be looking for similarities and differences. What do all the stories have in common? How are the stories different? What do people’s lives look like when Jesus enters?

Tell your students if anyone would be interested in talking further about how Jesus can start changing their life right now, you would love to talk to them after class. Help in sharing the Gospel with this age group is found in your teacher’s guide.

You might want to reach out to your students during the week to see what they are discovering about Jesus changing lives.

Pray to close.