Paul's Conversion using Forgetful Freddy
by Peter Gardner

There is an effect called forgetful Freddy.  I think that is was put out by Supreme magic many years ago.  Some of you may have one.

In this effect the head of a cutout figure is vanished.  It is replaced with a balloon. When the balloon is burst the head re-appears.

You could use this prop to tell how Saul was changed.

There was once a man called Saul.  He was a very religious man, so religious in fact that he would not accept any new ideas.  It was like taking his head off and burying it in the sand.

Can you imagine what someone would look like with no head.  Let's take the head off this doll and stick it in this little bag as though it's been buried in the sand.

(place the head in a flat change bag)

Paul was so intent on following his old religious ideas that he did not believe in Jesus Christ and he even put in prison and even killed anybody who did believe in Jesus and follow him.  He really lost his head over Jesus.

(Show the bag empty)

He looks pretty silly without a head doesn't he, so lets make him a head with a balloon.  In fact this is a bit like what Saul had become, big headed and full of hot air.

(Draw a face on the balloon with a felt tip pen.)

On the way to Damascus, Jesus appeared to Saul and asked him why he was persecuting him by arresting and killing his followers.  This appearance so affected Saul that he was blinded.

(Fill in the eyes on the balloon with the felt pen.)

When Saul came to Damascus, led by the people he was with.  He was visited
by one of the Christians in Antioch called Ananias.  God had told Ananias to
visit Saul to speak to him and restore his sight.

Ananias was afraid of Saul but because God had told him to do it, he visited
Saul, prayed with him and gave him back his sight.

(Press the lever on the back of the wooden figure and the duplicate head will
pop up and burst the balloon.)