Newsletters for Children's ministers.

Introduction and Contents.

In 2002 I began sending out Newsletters to Children's ministers worldwide, and this Blog contains the teaching material from all my published Newsletters since then.

NOTE. You can now find me on FACEBOOK. Check out my site at :-
http://facebook.com/maurice.sweetsur


NOTE. New Blog from Maurice Sweetsur - "Bible answers for kids" - http://bibleanswersforkids.blogspot.com/

Who made God? Is there life elsewhere in the Universe? Why is my brother/sister nasty to me? When did God create the dinosaurs? Did Jesus really rise from the dead? Where is heaven? When will the world end? Why do we have earthquakes? Can Christians perform miracles?

These are just a few of the children’s questions that are answered in this Blog.


NOTE. To view the earlier Newsletters, scroll down to the bottom of the page, look under 'Archives' and click on 'September 2004'.

To find out more about my ministry to children in New Zealand, go to my main 'Blog' -
http://www.unclemaurice.blogspot.com/

If you wish to access only Object Lessons (passive, active and illusions), go to http://objectlessons.blogspot.com/

If you wish to access only Bible lessons and Teaching Tips go to http://teachinglessons.blogspot.com/

If you wish to access only stories, skits and puppet plays, go to http://christianstoriesandplays.blogspot.com/

To access "Bible answers for kids" go to
http://bibleanswersforkids.blogspot.com/

To access all my material on major teaching themes, check out the 'Special Blog' sites below :-

1. Creation. http://www.ms-creation.blogspot.com/
2. Christmas. http://www.ms-christmas.blogspot.com/
3. Easter. http://www.ms-easter.blogspot.com/
4. The Bible. http://www.ms-bible.blogspot.com/
5. Prayer. http://www.ms-prayer.blogspot.com/
6. Hearing from God. http://www.ms-hearing.blogspot.com/
7. The Ten Commandments. http://www.ms-tencommandments.blogspot.com/
8. John 3.16. http://www.ms-john316.blogspot.com/
9. Teaching Memory verses. http://www.ms-memoryverses.blogspot.com/
10. Gospel Illusions. http://www.ms-gospelillusions.blogspot.com/
11. Object Lessons (using natural laws). http://www.ms-objectlessons.blogspot.com/
12. Lessons involving balloons. http://www.ms-balloons.blogspot.com/
13. Lessons involving fire. http://www.ms-firelessons.blogspot.com/

To check out my 'Kidzone' site for children, go to http://www.funatkidzone.blogspot.com/

To access previous 'Kidzone' publications, go to :- http://www.kidzonearchives.blogspot.com/

Maurice Sweetsur
mnmsweetsur@xtra.co.nz

"Your articles and ideas ministered to thousands of leaders around the globe. - - - - Your ideas really have made a global impact on children’s ministry!"
- Gary & Ailsa Linn, Children's Ministry Today.

CONTENTS.

Newsletter 82.

T.T. 54 - Playing for God's team.
O.L. 72 - Feeding the 5,000.
Question - Did the Apostle John travel through time?
Laugh Break - "Praise the Lord."

Newsletter 81.

Why does God answer some prayers but not others?
Devotional - When I say, "I am a Christian."
Funzone - "Job requirements" for children's ministry.
- Funmail.

Newsletter 80.

Story - "Whistle down the wind"
Bible Answers for Kids -
What is my purpose in life?
Can Christians perform miracles?
Did people evolve from monkeys?
Was the Universe created with a "Big Bang"?
When will the world come to an end?
Why do we have earthquakes?


Newsletter 79.

Teaching tip 53 - Discipleship.
Embarrassing moments and misunderstandings.
Stories that touch the heart.

Newsletter 78.

Teaching tip 52 - Getting to know your children.
Story - The old oak tree.
A retirement funny.
Serenity.

Newsletter 77.
(Theology for kids - Part 2).

Questions and answers.

1. What proof is there that God exists?
2. Why did Adam and Eve sin against God?
3. If Adam and Eve were white skinned, how did dark skinned people come about?
4. When did God create angels?
5. Where did Cain get his wife from?
6. Did God make cavemen?
7. Why is my brother / sister nasty to me?
8. If I ask God for something, will He give it to me?
9. Do people have more than one life on earth?
10. If God knows the future, does that mean that what is going to happen is going to happen?
11. Do all religions lead to God?

Newsletter 76.
(Theology for kids - Part 1).

Qesations and answers.

1 - Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
2 - Is Jesus really God?
3 - How can I know that the Christian faith is true?
4 - Did God write the Bible?
5 - When is Jesus coming back to earth?
6 - Why does God allow suffering?
7 - Can I be a Christian even if my parents aren't?


Newsletter 75.

T.T. 50 - The Church.
O.L. 36 - The fair distribution of food.
Story - Jesus for tea.
T.T. 51 - The road of life.
Ice breaker - Colour trick.
Kids and love.
"Little Johnny" funnies.

Newsletter 74.
(A 'John 3.16' special).

God's daily blessings.
Teaching John 3.16.
Illustration - Receiving Jesus.
Stories to illustrate John 3.16 :-
1. A soldier gives up his life for his friends.
2. Message in a bottle.


Newsletter 73.
(A 'Bible' special).

Teaching tip - Teaching Bible stories in context.
Story - Jo Jo and the umbrella.
Object Lesson - Obedience brings success.
Object Lesson - Straight and crooked roads.
Object Lesson - Drawing a picture whilst blindfold.
Object Lesson - God's Guidance.
Object Lesson - The flaming Bible.
Teaching tip - The progressive revelation of God.
Fundamental Beliefs - Did God write the Bible?



Newsletter 72.

Teaching top 49 - What children need to understand about God.
Story - "I give you me!"
Ponderisms.
Laugh break - Walking by faith.

Newsletter 71.

What proof would satisfy?
Puppet play - I don't believe in God.
T.T. 48 - The twelve days of Christmas.
A Scientist funny.
An Evolution funny.
A message by George Carlin.

Newsletter 70.

Cuthbert the clock.
O.L. 71 - Drawing a picture whilst blindfold.
"Conversations with God".
A brief Halloween explanation.
Can you read this?
Marriage humour.

Newsletter 69.

Story - Jo Jo and the Umbrella.
O.L. 38 - Obedience brings success.
O.L. 13 - God's Guidance.
A Lie funny.
Maurice's Blog sites.

Newsletter 68.
(A Creation special - Part 2).

Letter to an atheist - A Birdbox and a tree.
T.T. 20 - Creation and Evolution.
Creation or Evolution? - A comparison.
T.T. 47 - Big bang or big mess?
Your questions answered.
(Taken from "Kidzone - Archives" - http://www.kidzonearchives.blogspot.com/ ).
Who made God?
Is there life elsewhere in the universe?
Why did God make us, and the world?
Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
When did God create the dinosaurs?
Why is water essential for life?
Why did God use Adam's rib to create Eve?
After Eden

Newsletter 67.
(A Creation special - Part 1).

T.T. 43 - Our amazing earth.
O.L. 20 - Teaching Creation using balloon modelling.
T.T. 4 - Ideas on teaching about Creation.
O.L. 29 - A memory feat.
The vastness of the universe.
O.L. 37 - God can do things instantly.
O.L. 28 - God's provision.


Newsletter 66.

O.L. 70 - Long distance miracles (cutting a banana in half).
Monologue - Esther.
Church funnies.
The Bible and the cell phone.

Newsletter 65.

Consequences of Evolutionary teaching.
Creation or Evolution. Does it really matter what we believe?
T.T. 47 - Big bang or big mess?
O.L. 60 - Separation from God.
A heaven funny.

Newsletter 64.

T.T. 44 - Using Christian songs to teach Biblical truths (Part2).
T.T. 45 - Dead to the world.
T.T. 46 - The day of rest.
A refiner funny.
From a Mathematical viewpoint.

Newsletter 63.

Story - The portrait of the son.
T.T. 44. Using Christian songs to teach Biblical truths.
Laugh Break. George's favourite jokes.
Children's ministry in today's church.
Lessons from Noah's Ark.

Newsletter 62.
(A 'Prayer' special)

T.T. 31 - Teaching children to P.R.A.Y.
T.T. 1 - Getting children to pray in public.
T.T. 2 - How we should pray. A lesson from blind Bartimaeus.
T.T. 12 - The Lord's prayer.
Story - God knows best.
O.L. 53 - Using your fingers as a prayer reminder.
O.L. 52 - Ask and you shall receive.
O.L. 16 - Break in communication with God.

Newsletter 61.

Teaching tip 41 - Symbols of Christmas.
Teaching tip 42 - Commitment to Christ - Two analogies.
Teaching tip 43 - Our amazing earth.
Creation or Evolution?
Devotional - The Calling.
A Puzzle funny.

Newsletter 60.

Jimmy and the six weird witches (Parts 4 - 6).

Newsletter 59.

Jimmy and the six weird witches (Parts 1 - 3).

Newsletter 58.

T.T. 40 - Made in the image of God.
Story - Honouring your parents.
O.L. 67 - The writing on the wall.
O.L. 68 - Using the Mobius loop to teach Memory verses.
Quiz - Who am I?
Church Funnies.

Newsletter 57.

Story - The Little Monkey.
O.L. 38 - Obedience brings success.
Laugh break 2 - Why God made moms.


Newsletter 56.
(A Fire special)

O.L. 65 - The Flaming Bible.
O.L. 17 - Burning bush and fiery furnace.
O.L. 3 - Why does God allow suffering?
O.L. 32 - Facing trials and troubles.
O.L. 25 - Jesus is the light of the world.
O.L. 66 - Candle in a jar.
O.L. 19 - The meaning of the cross.
O/L/ 57 - Our sins are gone forever (Flashpaper).



Newsletter 55.


Story - "Hank" / Object lesson 64 - Jesus cleanses us from sin.
T.T. 39 - Why Christians praise God.
Ice breaker - "Hold your tongue."
Selection from parish bulletins (Part 2).


Newsletter 54.

Play - The water pump.
Object Lesson 63 - Three miraculous signs for Moses.
Teaching tip 38 - The progressive revelation of God.
Selection from Parish bulletins (Part 1).


Newsletter 53.
(An Easter special)

Teaching tip 18 - Jesus Understands.
O.L.18 - What happened at the cross? - Jesus takes away our sins.
O.L.19 - The meaning of the cross.
O.L. 48 - The resurrection of Christ.
O.L. 57 - Our sins are gone forever (Flashpaper).
O.L.25 - Jesus is the light of the world.
Puppet play - "What is Easter all about?"
Elimination Quiz 3 - Easter.
Game 1 - The forgiveness game.
Craft - Making a 'fun' Easter card.

Megan - A testimony.

Newsletter 52.
(A Balloon special)

Balloon game.
O.L. 62 - Jumping on balloons.
O.L. 13 - God's guidance.
O.L. 15 - Little sins grow bigger.
O.L. 27 - Needle through a balloon.
O.L. 32 - Facing trials and troubles.
Game - Forgiving others.
Teaching memory verses.
Teaching tip 6 - Use of balloon modelling in Children's ministry.
O.L.20 - Creation.


Newsletter 51.

Teaching tip 37 - Children are special.
O.L. 60 - We are valuable to God.
Story - The healing of the paralytic (Mark 2. 1-12).
O.L. 61 - Overcoming gravity.
Did God create evil?
Things to learn from a dog.


Newsletter 50.
(A Christmas special)

Puppet play - What is Christmas all about?
O.L. 8 - Receiving Jesus
T.T. 15 - Telling the C.H.R.I.S.T.M.A.S. story.
O.L. 54 - The Christmas tree.
Craft - Making a 'fun' Christmas card.
Elimination quiz - Christmas.
O.L. 25 - Jesus is the light of the world.
A Birthday Celebration.
Newsletter 49.

A story for Remembrance Sunday - Doing your duty.
Teaching Tip 35. Presenting puppet skits and plays.
Play. The Unmerciful Servant.
Teaching Tip 36. Steps to forgiving others.
Important Recall Notice !!


Newsletter 48.
Object Lessons (Physical).
O.L. 2 - Faith (A water experiment).
O.L. 3. Why does God allow suffering?
O.L. 5. Staying in the centre of God's will.
O.L. 7. God's protection.
O.L. 10. Walking on water.
O.L. 12. Straight and crooked roads.
O.L. 13. God's guidance.
15. Little sins grow bigger.
17.Burning bush and Fiery furnace.
19. The meaning of the cross.
23. Standing up under pressure.
24. Defeating evil with good.
27. Needle through a balloon.
31. Discovering your gifts.
32. Facing trials and troubles.
34. The seriousness of sin.
Object Lesson 40. - Samson pad.
Object Lesson 42 - Gravity.
Object lesson 56 - God's protection (Blow paper into bottle).


Newsletter 47.

T.T. 33 - Our lives are on loan from God.
T.T. 34 - Religion or Christianity.
O.L. 59 - The Mobius strip.
Object Lessons (Chemical).


Newsletter 46.

Teaching tip 32 - Peer pressure.
Play - Tenants on the farm.
Object lesson 58 - Saying 'No' to drugs.


Newsletter 45.
(An Illusion special)

Object Lesson (O.L.) 6. Defeating Giants.
O.L. 9. Which way?
O.L. 11. We are special.
O.L. 14. Making the right choice.
O.L. 16. Break in communication with God.
O.L. 22. Miracles.
O.L. 25. Jesus is the light of the world.
O.L. 29. A memory feat.
O.L. 30. The Trinity.
O.L. 33. Can we trust our senses?
O.L. 38. Obedience brings success.
O.L. 40. Samson pad.
O.L. 48. The resurrection of Christ.
O.L. 57. Our sins are gone forever (Flashpaper).


Newsletter 44.

T.T. 31- Teaching children to P.R.A.Y.
Definition quiz.
Story - Doing the right thing.
A Golf funny.

Newsletter 43.

Story - Daniel in the lion's den.
Story - Processionary caterpillars.
Play - Bartimaeus.
A Job funny.
Discipline in class.

Newsletter 42.

Story - DOG / GOD.
Story - Message in a bottle.
T.T. 29 - Memory verses on cardboard discs.
Play - Zacchaeus.
T.T. 30 - Teaching Bible stories as real history.
A success 'funny'


Newsletter 41.

Story - A free pardon.
Story - The true picture of your life.
O.L. 57. Our sins are gone forever (Flashpaper).
World Client.

Newsletter 40.

Teaching tip 27 - New Life in Christ.
Teaching tip 28 - Assurance of salvation.
Monologue - King Neb.
Laugh Break.

Newsletter 39.

Teaching tip 26 - Head belief or heart belief?
- Story of Blondin.
Story - God uses children (Wesley Steelberg).
O.L. 56 - God's protection (Blow paper into bottle).
Things kids say (4).

Newsletter 38.

Teaching tip 25 - The Ten Commandments.
Story - God knows best.
Teaching Children to pray.
Harry Potter mania.
Things Kids say (3).

Newsletter 37.

Story - Feeding the 5000.
Teaching tip 24 - Knowing Jesus or knowing about Jesus?
Testimony - "May I call you - - - "
From the kids.
Riddle.
Things Kids say when praying.

Newsletter 36.

Story - A free pardon.
Excellence in Sunday School.
If children live - - -

Newsletter 35.

Teaching tip 23 - The Good Samaritan.
Play - The Good Samaritan.
Story - Jesus for tea.Love: A paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13.
Why God loves little children.
Humour - Billy Graham.

Newsletter 34.

Teaching tip 22 - The lost son.
Play - The lost son.
Four gifts from the Father.
Story - A modern Prodigal.
Game 1 - The Forgiveness game.
Game 2 - Forgiving others.
Web sites for children.
Things kids say (2).
Sobering Blessings.

Newsletter 33.

Teaching tip 21 - The lost sheep.
Fun story - The lost sheep.
Lost sheep skit.
Seven core values every child needs.
A right funny.

Newsletter 32.

Creation or Evolution. Does it really matter what we believe?
Teaching tip 20 - Creation and Evolution.
Object Lesson 55 - The new birth.
Study finds 'Believers do not train their children' with faith in mind.
Craft 2 - Joined in love.

Newsletter 31.

Teaching tip 19. Teaching Bible stories in context.
1. God's Time Line
2. God's Plan for Man.
3. God's Diary.
4. The Wordless Book.
5. The Seven C's of History.
6. Four words to describe the history of the world.
A Children funny.

Newsletter 30.

Teaching tip 18. Jesus Understands (Easter).
Elimination quiz 3 - Easter.
A love funny.

Newsletter 29.

What do children believe?
Blessings from children.
Teaching tip 17 - Ideas for teaching about Zacchaeus.
The Five Foundations of Children's Ministry.

Newsletter 28.

Teaching tip 16. How God speaks to us.

Newsletter 27.

Teaching tip 15. Telling the C.H.R.I.S.T.M.A.S. story.
O.L. 54. - The Christmas tree.
Craft 1.- Making a 'fun' Christmas card.
Elimination quiz 2 - Christmas.
Fundamental Beliefs 7. The work of Jesus Christ. 2. Jesus took us to the cross with Himself.
A Birthday Celebration.

Newsletter 26.

Helping children cope with acts of terrorism.
Teaching tip 14. What's in a name?
Object Lesson 53. Using your Fingers as a prayer reminder.
Elimination Bible quiz. 1. - General.
Fundamental Beliefs 7. The Work of Jesus Christ. 1. Jesus died for our sins.
Christian one liners.
A job funny.

Newsletter 25.

Teaching tip 13. Teaching Memory verses.
Fundamental Beliefs 6. The Person and work of the Holy Spirit.
Redefining Children's Ministry in the 21st. Century. By Becky Fischer.
10 Myths about children.

Newsletter 24.

Fundamental Beliefs 5. What do Christians believe?
Object Lesson 51. Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Object Lesson 52. Ask and you shall receive.
Teaching tip 12. The Lord's Prayer.
Explanation of God by an 8 year old.
A success 'funny'.

Newsletter 23.

Fundamental Beliefs 4. Why does God allow suffering?
Teaching Tip 10. Use of Storytelling.
Teaching Tip 11. What is love?
The letter reference.

Newsletter 22.

Fundamental Beliefs 3. Did God write the Bible?
Teaching tip 9. Noah's Ark and the flood.
Noah Jokes.
O. L. 49. R U E ?
O. L. 50. Trust. a. A mousetrap.
b. Falling backwards.
More Gems from the classroom.

Newsletter 21.

Fundamental Beliefs 2. Is Jesus really God?
Teaching tip 7. Use of Ventriloquism to teach class rules.
Teaching tip 8. Leading children to Christ.
Young children and salvation. By Terri.

Newsletter 20.

Fundamental Beliefs. 1. Did Christ really rise from the dead?
O.L. 48 - The resurrection of Christ.
Teaching Tip 6. Use of Balloon modelling in Children's ministry.
The Paradoxical Commandments - ANYWAY.

Newsletter 19.

Teaching Tip 5 - Developing good habits.
A. Teaching children how to make right choices.
O.L. 46 - Making right choices.
O.L. 47 - Choosing the right friends.
B. Teaching children to be generous givers.
Things Kids say.

Newsletter 18.

Teaching Tip 4 - Ideas on teaching about Creation.
O.L. 41. The earth, sun and moon (Acting out their motions).
O.L. 42. Gravity (Demonstration with a ball and string).
O.L. 43. Can nothing turn into something? (An experiment with an empty jar).
O.L. 44. Dependence on oxygen (Holding your breath)
O.L. 45. "Made after its own kind."(An Acorn example).
Seven reasons why not to mess with a child.

Newsletter 17.

Overcoming discipline problems - by making your lessons fun and exciting.
Teaching Tip 3. (For use with the David and Goliath story).
O.L. 39. Wrestling match (Defeating Giants).
O.L. 40. Samson pad (Defeating Giants).
5 things I have learned about Kids. by Karl Bastian.

Newsletter 16.

Teaching Tip 1 - Getting children to pray in public.
Teaching Tip 2 - How we should pray (A lesson from blind Bartimaeus).
O.L. 38. Obedience brings success (Pencil passes through a handkerchief).
What's wrong with grownups? by Rev. Ong Chooi Seng.

Newsletter 15.

Evangelising children - Your response.
O.L. 36. The fair distribution of food (Involving the children).
O.L. 37. God can do things instantly (Two instant calculations).
Testimony - Miracles do happen!

Newsletter 14.

O.L. 34. The seriousness of sin (Two methods).
O.L. 35. Sin grows rapidly (Two methods).
More classic comments - All from children.
More anecdotes from the doors.
Unusual answers.
Parting comments.
Do children need to be saved? - Evangelist Miller.

Newsletter 13.

O.L. 31. Discovering your gifts (Hidden colors).
O.L. 32. Facing trials and troubles (Balloon, water and fire).
O.L. 33. Can we trust our senses? (Audio and visual illusions).
Anecdotes from the doors.

Newsletter 12.
O.L. 29. Memory feat (Adam's amazing memory).
O.L. 30. The Trinity (An illusion with three ropes).
Classic comments - All from children.
I am a Christian because . . . . . . . ... ...

Newsletter 11.
O.L. 27. Needle through a balloon (Miracles / Testimony).
O.L. 28. God's provision (Dandelions).
Puppet play - How do you get to heaven?
A points funny.
Ice Breaker - A tongue twister.
Newsletter 10.

O.L. 25. Jesus is the light of the world (Trick candles).
O.L. 26. God is all knowing (Five different methods).
What children believe - Results of survey.

Newsletter 9.

O.L. 22. Miracles (Large disc goes through small hole).
O.L. 23. Standing up under pressure (Plastic tops in water).
O.L. 24. Defeating evil with good (paper is stronger than wood).
Gems from the classroom.
The questions Kids ask.

Newsletter 8.

O.L. 20. Creation (Balloon modelling).
O.L. 21. The Trinity (Food colorings).
Ice Breakers.
1. Body challenges.
2. Dumb laws.
3. Advice for kids.

Newsletter 7.

Puppet play - "What is Easter all about?"
O.L. 18. What happened at the cross (A chemical experiment).
O.L. 19. The meaning of the cross (Experiment with a candle, glass and water).

Newsletter 6.

O.L. 14. Making the right choice ('Force' the right card to be chosen).
O.L. 15. Little sins grow bigger (Bursting balloon).
O.L. 16. Break in communication with God (Restore a cut rope).
O.L. 17. Burning bush or Fiery furnace (Flaming cloth is not consumed).
Puppet play - "What is Christmas all about?"
Teaching Memory verses - Diminishing words.

Newsletter 5.

O.L. 12. Straight and crooked roads (Tearing strips of paper).
O.L. 13. God's guidance (A balloon guidance system).
John 3.16.
Story - A soldier gives up his life for his friends.
Teaching on John 3.16.

Newsletter 4

O.L. 9. Which way? (Octagon illusion).
O.L. 10. Walking on water. (Floating pin).
O.L. 11. We are special. (Rope illusion).

Newsletter 3.

O.L. 6. Defeating Giants (Optical illusion with two cards).
O.L. 7. God's protection (Coin is blown into dish).
O.L. 8. Receiving Jesus (Gifts have to be received).

Newsletter 2

O.L. 3. Why does God allow suffering? (Invisible ink).
O.L. 4. Filled with the Holy Spirit (Baking soda).
O.L. 5. Staying in the centre of God's will (Cork floating on water).

Newsletter 1.

Who is Maurice Sweetsur?
Object Lesson (O.L.) 1 - Growing to be like Christ (Fruit in bottle).
O.L. 2 - Faith (A water experiment).


Object Lessons - All Newsletters.



Newsletter Title.

1 Growing to be like Christ (Fruit in bottle). (Object lesson 1)
1 Faith (A water experiment). (2)
2 Why does God allow suffering (Invisible writing). (3)
2 Filled with the Holy Spirit (Baking soda) (4)
2 Staying in the centre of God's will (Cork floating on water). (5)
3 Defeating Giants (Optical illusion with two cards).(6)
3 God's protection (Coin is blown into dish). (7)
3 Receiving Jesus (Gifts must be received). (8)
4 Which way? (Octagon illusion). (9)
4 Walking on water (Floating pin). (10)
4 We are special (Rope illusion). (11)
5 Straight and crooked roads (Tearing strips of paper). (12)
5 God's guidance (A balloon guidance system). (13)
6 Make the right choice (Force the right card to be chosen). (14)
6 Little sins grow bigger (Bursting balloon). (15)
6 Break in communication with God (Restore a cut rope). (16)
6 Burning bush or Fiery furnace (Flaming cloth is not consumed). (17)
7 What happened at the cross (A chemical experiment). (18)
7 The meaning of the cross (Experiment with a candle, glass
and water). (19)
8 Creation (Balloon modelling). (20)
8 The Trinity (Food colorings). (21)
9 Miracles (Large disc goes through small hole). (22)
9 Standing up under pressure (Plastic tops in water). (23)
9 Defeating evil with good (Paper is stronger than wood). (24)
10 The Light of the world (Trick candles). (25)
10 God is all knowing (Five different methods). (26)
11 Needle through a balloon (Miracles/Testimony). (27)
11 God's provision (Dandelions). (28)
12 Memory feat (Adam's amazing memory). (29)
12 The Trinity (Illusion with three ropes). (30)
13 Discovering your gifts (Hidden colours). (31)
13 Trials and troubles (Balloon, water and fire). (32)
13 Audio and visual illusions (Test your senses). (33)
14 Sin is serious (Two methods). (34)
14 Sin spreads (Two methods). (35)
15 The fair distribution of food (Involving the children). (36)
15 God does things instantly (Two instant calculations). (37)
16 Obedience brings success (Pencil through a hankie). (38)
17 Wrestling match (Defeating Giants). (39)
17 Samson pad (Defeating Giants). (40)
18 The earth, sun and moon (Acting out their motions). (41)
18 Gravity (Ball on string). (42)
18 Can nothing turn into something? (Empty jar). (43)
18 Dependence on oxygen (Holding your breath). (44)
18 Made after its own kind (An Acorn example). (45)
19 Making right choices. (46)
19 Choosing the right friends. (47)
20 The resurrection of Christ (Coin through rubber sheet). (48)
22 R U E ? (49)
22 Trust. a. A mousetrap. b. Falling backwards. (50)
24 Taste and see that the Lord is good. (Trying out God's
promises for yourself). (51)
24 Ask and you shall receive (Asking God for our needs). (52)
26 Using your Fingers as a prayer reminder. (53)
27 The Christmas tree. (54)
32 The new birth. (55)
39 God's protection (Blow paper into bottle). (56)
41 Our sins are gone forever (Flashpaper). (57)
46 Saying 'No' to drugs. (58)
47 The Moibus strip. (59)
51 We are valuable to God. (60)
51 Overcoming gravity. (61)
52 Jumping on balloons. (62)
54 Three miraculous signs for Moses. (63)
55 Jesus cleanses us from sin. (64)
56 The Flaming Bible. (65)
56 Candle in a jar. (66)
58 The writing on the wall (67)
58 Using the Mobius loop to teach Memory verses (68)
65 Separation from God (69)
66 Long distance miracles (Cutting a banana in half) (70)
70 Drawing a picture whilst blindfold (71)
82 Feeding the 5,000. (72)


Object Lessons - By Category.

Category. Object Lesson Nos.

Bible. 13, 65, 68, 71.
Character 1, 3.
Christian Living 6, 13, 23, 24, 25, 31, 36, 39, 40, 58.
Christmas 54.
Creation 20, 28, 29, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45.
Easter 18, 19, 25, 48.
Faith / Miracles 2, 10, 17, 22, 27, 48, 61, 62, 63, 67, 70, 72.
God's love 8, 11, 69.
God's omniscience 26.
God's omnipotence 37.
God's promises 51.
God's protection 7, 32, 56
God's provision 6, 28, 39, 40, 42, 44.
Heaven 49.
Holy Spirit 4, 13.
New birth 55.
Obedience 5, 13, 38.
Our senses 33.
Prayer 16, 52, 53
Right choices 9, 12, 14, 46, 47, 69.
Self Esteem 60.
Sin / Forgiveness 15, 16, 18, 19, 34, 35, 57, 59, 64, 69.
Suffering 3, 23, 32.
The Trinity 21, 30.
Trust 50.
Witnessing 9, 25, 27, 66.



Teaching Tips.

Newsletter. Title.

16 Getting children to pray in public. (1)
16 How we should pray (A lesson from blind Bartimaeus). (2)
17 Overcoming discipline problems - by making your lessons fun and exciting.
17 Ideas for teaching the David and Goliath story. (3)
18 Ideas on teaching about Creation. (4)
19 Developing good habits. (5)
A. Teaching children how to make right choices.
B. Teaching children to be generous givers.
20 Use of Balloon modelling in Children's ministry. (6)
21 Use of Ventriloquism to teach class rules. (7)
21 Leading children to Christ. (8)
22 Noah's ark and the flood. (9)
23 Use of storytelling. (10)
23 What is love? (11)
24 The Lord's prayer. (12)
25 Teaching Memory verses. (13)
26 What's in a name? (14)
27 Telling the C.H.R.I.S.T.M.A.S. story. (15)
28 How God speaks to us. (16)
29 Ideas for teaching about Zacchaeus. (17)
30 Jesus Understands (Easter). (18)
31 Teaching Bible stories in context. (19)
32 Creation and Evolution. (20)
33 The lost sheep. (21)
34 The lost son. (22)
35 The Good Samaritan. (23)
37 Knowing Jesus or knowing about Jesus? (24)
38 The Ten Commandments. (25)
39 Head belief or heart belief? (26)
40 New Life in Christ (27)
40 Assurance of salvation (28)
42 Memory verses on cardboard discs (29)
42 Teaching Bible stories as real history (30)
44 Teaching children to P.R.A.Y. (31)
46 Peer pressure (32)
47 Our lives are on loan from God. (33)
47 Religion or Christianity. (34)
49 Presenting puppet skits and plays. (35)
49 Steps to forgiving others. (36)
51 We are valuable to God. (37)
54 The progressive revelation of God. (38)
55 Why Christians praise God. (39)
58 Made in the image of God (40)
61 Symbols of Christmas (41)
61 Commitment to Christ - Two analogies (42)
61 Our amazing earth (43)
63 Using Christian songs to teach Biblical truths. (44)
64 Using Christian songs to teach Biblical truths (Part 2). (44)
64 Dead to the world. (45)
64 The day of rest. (46)
65 Big bang or big mess? (47)
71 The twelve days of Christmas (48)
72 What children need to understand about God. (49)
75 The Church (50)
75 The road of life (51)
78 Getting to know your children (52)
79 Discipleship (53)
82 Playing for God's team (54).



Fundamental Beliefs.

Newsletter. Title.

20 Did Christ really rise from the dead? (1)
21 Is Jesus really God? (2)
22 Did God write the Bible? (3)
23 Why does God allow suffering? (4)
24 What do Christians believe? (5)
25 The Person and work of the Holy Spirit. (6)
26 The Work of Jesus Christ. 1. Jesus died for our sins. (7)
27 The Work of Jesus Christ. 2. Jesus took us to the cross with
Himself. (7)


Testimonies.

Newsletter. Title.

1 Who is Maurice Sweetsur?
15 Miracles do happen.
37 "May I call you - - - "
53 Megan - A testimony.
74 God's daily blessings.
79 Embarrassing moments and misunderstandings.


Puppet plays.

Newsletter. Title.

6 What is Christmas all about?
7 What is Easter all about?
11 How do you get to heaven?
33 The lost sheep.
34 The lost son.
71 I don't believe in God.


Plays / Skits.

Newsletter. Title.

17 David and Goliath.
34 The lost son.
35 The Good Samaritan.
42 Zacchaeus.
43 Bartimaeus.
46 Tenants on the farm.
49 The unmerciful servant.
54 The water pump.


Stories.

Newsletter. Title.

5 A soldier gives up his life for his friends.
17 David and Goliath.
33 The lost sheep.
34 A modern Prodigal.
35 Jesus for tea.
36 A free pardon.
37 Feeding the 5000.
38 God knows best.
39 Blondin (Head belief or heart belief?)
39 God uses children (Wesley Steelberg).
41 A free pardon.
41 The true picture of your life.
42 DOG/GOD
42 Message in a bottle.
43 Daniel in the lion's den.
43 Processionary caterpillars.
44 Doing the right thing.
49 Doing your duty. (A story for Remembrance Sunday).
51 The healing of the paralytic (Mark 2. 1-12).
55 "Hank"
57 The Little Monkey.
58 Honouring your parents.
59 Jimmy and the six weird witches (Parts 1 - 3).
60 Jimmy and the six weird witches (Parts 4 - 6).
63 The portrait of the son.
69 Jo Jo and the Umbrella.
70 Cuthbert the clock.
72 "I give you me!"
78 The old oak tree.
80. Whistle down the wind.


Theology for kids.

Newsletter. Title.

76. Theology for kids Part 1.
77. Theology for kids. Part 2.
80. Bible Answers for kids.


Monologues.

Newsletter. Title.

40 King Neb.
66 Esther.



Crafts.

Newsletter. Title.

27 1. Making a 'fun' Christmas card.
32 2. Joined in love.


Ice Breakers.

Newsletter. Title.

8 Body challenges.
8 Dumb laws.
8 Advice for kids.
11 Tongue twisters.
55 Hold your tongue.
75 Colour trick.


Humour.

Newsletter. Title.

9 Gems from the classroom.
11 A points funny.
12 Classic comments.
14 More Classic comments.
18 Seven reasons why not to mess with a child.
19 Things kids say.
22 Noah Jokes.
22 More Gems from the classroom.
23 The letter reference.
24 Explanation of God by an 8 year old.
24 A success 'funny'.
26 Christian one liners.
26 A job funny.
27 A Birthday Celebration.
30 A love funny.
31 A Children funny.
33 A right funny.
34 Things kids say (2).
35 Humour - Biil Graham.
37 Things kids say when praying.
38 Things kids say (3).
39 Things kids say (4).
40 Laugh Break 1.
42 A success funny.
43 A job funny.
44 A Golf funny.
49 Important Recall Notice!!
51 Things to learn from a dog.
54 Selection from Parish bulletins (Part 1).
55 Selection from Parish bulletins (Part 2).
57 Laugh Break 2 - Why God made moms.
58 Church Funnies.
61 A puzzle funny.
63 George's favourite jokes.
63 Lessons from Noah's Ark.
64 A refiner funny.
64 From a Mathematical viewpoint.
65 A heaven funny.
66 Church funnies.
66 The Bible and the cell phone.
69 A Lie funny.
70 Can you read this?
70 Marriage humour.
71 A Scientist funny.
71 An Evolution funny.
72 Ponderisms.
72 Laugh Break - Walking by faith.
75 Kids and love.
75 "Little Johnny" funnies.
78 A Retirement funny.
78 Serenity.
81 Funzone
82 Laugh Break - "Praise the Lord."



Children.


Newsletter. Title.

9 The questions kids ask.
10 What children believe - Results of survey.
14 Do children need to be saved?
15 Evangelising children - Your response.
16 What's wrong with grownups?
17 Overcoming discipline problems - By making your lessons
fun and exciting.
17 5 things I have learned about kids.
21 Young children and salvation.
25 Redefining Children's ministry in the 21st. Century.
25 10 Myths about children.
26 Helping children cope with acts of terrorism.
29 What do children believe?
29 Blessings from children.
29 The five foundations of Children's ministry.
32 Study finds 'Believers do not train their children' with faith in mind. 33 Seven core values every child needs.
35 Why God loves little children.
36 Excellence in Sunday School.
38 Teaching children to pray.
43 Discipline in class.
63 Children's ministry in today's church.

Witnessing.


Newsletter. Title.

12 I am a Christian because _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .
13 Anecdotes from the doors.
14 More anecdotes from the doors.
14 Unusual answers.
14 Parting comments.


Games.

Newsletter. Title.

34 The forgiveness game.
34 Forgiving others.
52 Balloon game.


Quizzes.

Newsletter. Title,

26 Elimination Bible quiz 1 - General.
27 Elimination Bible quiz 2 - Christmas.
30 Elimination Bible quiz 3 - Easter.
37 Riddle.
44 Definition quiz.
58 Who am I?

Devotional.


Newsletter. Title.

20 The paradoxical commandments - Anyway.
34 Sobering Blessings.
35 Love: A paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13.
36 If children live - - -
37 From the kids.
61 The Calling.
71 A message by George Carlin.
79 Stories that touch the heart.
81 When I say "I am a Christian".


Miscellaneous.

Newsletter. Title.

5 John 3.16.
6 Memory verses - Diminishing words.
41 World Client.
51 Did God create evil?
61 Creation or Evolution?
71 What proof would satisfy?
81 Why does God answer some prayers but not others?
82 Did the Apostle John travel through time?

Newsletter 82.

Newsletter 82

Ministry update.

2011 was another busy year for "Uncle Maurice", giving over 300 presentations at primary schools, family services, Sunday schools, kids clubs, holiday programmes, camps, Girls Brigade companies, and other organizations.

Children in my classes occasionally give me a card or write me a letter expressing their thoughts on my lessons. Sometimes the most common words in these are "Fun", "Magic tricks", "George" (my ventriloquism dummy), "Puppets", "Stories", "Plays" and "Balloon animals".

I am always pleased to know that the children have enjoyed my lessons. However, all these "props" are intended to be simply tools to aid a child's understanding of a Biblical truth. I am, therefore, much more encouraged when I receive a card or letter that indicates that the writer has really understood and responded to my teaching. Here are three recent comments that blessed me :-


"Thank you for teaching me about the Man above and about good and bad. It has changed me and I feel great." ------- Sue-Elyse (aged 10).

"I have learned a lot of values and to respect everyone, even people younger than me." ----- Ying (aged 11).

"I liked how you explained things through tricks." ------ Tim (aged 8).

Contents.

Teaching tip 54 - Playing for God's team
Object Lesson 72 - Feeding the 5,000.
Question - Did the Apostle John travel through time?
Laugh Break - "Praise the Lord."


T.T. 54 - Playing for God's team.

New Zealand recently hosted the Rugby world cup when the twenty best teams in the world came to compete for the Webb Ellis trophy.

Rugby is, of course, a team game. And the object of team games is that all the individual members work together for the benefit of the team. This is because people working together can achieve much more than a group of individuals. If each team member plays their part, the team usually does well. If, however, one player doesn't play the part he was chosen for, or is missing (perhaps having been sent off for foul play), or simply plays badly, then the whole team will suffer.

The idea of teams comes from God. Actually, God Himself is a team. There is one God, comprising three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And, of course, all Three are essential.

Without the Father, there would be nothing. He is the Designer and Creator, so without Him, none of us would exist.

Without the Son (Jesus), we would all still be God's enemies, awaiting His righteous judgement for the sins we have committed. However, the good news is that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins on the cross. So now we can be forgiven, receive God's gift of eternal life, and spend eternity in heaven.

Without the Holy Spirit, nobody would have believed that Jesus is the Son of God, The Holy Spirit, although He is a real Person, is also the power of God. God does whatever He wants to do through the power of the Holy Spirit. Without this, Jesus couldn't have healed the sick, raised the dead, or performed any miracles. Jesus could still have died for us but, without the Holy Spirit, He would never have been raised back to life again.

When Jesus came to earth, He didn't try and do all that He had come to do by Himself. No, He chose a team to help him. Firstly, He chose twelve men (Disciples) whom He trained up on how to share God's love with this world. And then He sent them out to do it. Later, Jesus trained up seventy more disciples, before sending them out. In turn these disciples trained more people to share God's love, and so on and so on. This "training and sending out" still continues about 2000 years later. The members of "Team Jesus" now number in the billions and are found throughout the earth. They are usually simply called "The Church".

A good example of "Team Jesus" in action is in the "Feeding of the 5,000". A young boy gave up his lunch of two fish and fives loaves of bread, Jesus multiplied it, and the Disciples distributed it to the crowd. Without the boy, there would have been no food to multiply. Without Jesus, it would have remained just two fish and five loaves. Without the Disciples, it would have been impossible to distribute the food to all those thousands of people.

With every team, sporting or otherwise, you will notice that all the members have different jobs, skills and abilities. Rugby is an excellent example. If you have seen a Rugby team lining up before a game, you will note that the players are all different. Some are tall, some are short, some are muscular, and some are slim - and yet all still members of the same team! This is because they have different tasks to perform within the team. Some players (the locks) need to be able to jump high to catch the ball, some (e.g. the hooker) need to be able to get down low to scrummage for the ball, some (wingers) need to be able to run fast, some (the props) need to be very strong, some (half backs) need to be able to catch and handle the ball well.

It is, of course, important that each player plays in the right position. Imagine a team where the short half backs played as locks, the big burly props played on the wings and a tall lock played as hooker. Such a team would easily be beaten.

Conclusion.

As with Rugby teams, it is exactly the same with God's team, the Church. God has given us all different gifts and abilities. Some may find they are good at teaching, some at giving, some at helping those in need, some at comforting those who are sad, some at making friends, some at leading groups in singing, some at praying, etc, etc. So it is important to find out what you are good at, and then concentrate on doing that for the benefit and the building up of the Church as a whole.


Object Lesson 72- Feeding the 5,000.

One of the most famous miracles performed by Jesus is "the feeding of the 5,000." Here is an excellent object lesson to help children remember this dramatic story.

Equipment.

You will need a pair of Chinese rice bowls. These have been around for many years, and are available from most "Magic" stores.

Lesson.

The basic idea of the bowls is that you fill the first one with rice, place the empty second bowl over the first, remove the second bowl - and the first is overflowing with rice! In other words, the rice has been multiplied. This illusion can be achieved using many different substances as well as rice. This includes bread, which of course, would fit in very well with your story. However, the bowls are quite large and you would need quite a few slices of bread - which also goes stale after a while. Therefore, I have reverted to using rice, saying "If Jesus did this miracle today, he may well have multiplied rice (Probably the most used food worldwide) instead of bread."

Empty all the rice from the bowls. One of the now "empty" bowls then produces a stream of water. You could say "Maybe after eating the food the people were thirsty, and Jesus made some water for them to drink." Produce the water.

You could go even further with the illusion. "Maybe Jesus decided to give the people wine to drink instead of water. In fact, there was another occasion on which Jesus turned water into wine." Direct your stream of water into an "empty" wine glass (actually containing a little food coloring powder - See Object Lesson 21, Newsletter 8). "Actually, it turned out to be the very best wine." Finish by drinking the "wine".


QUESTION - Did the Apostle John travel through time?

God gave a number of people that we read about in the Bible visions of heaven. The most well known are the visions given to the Apostle John that are recorded in the book of "Revelation". Most Christians believe that these visions were God giving John a glimpse into the future of events that will take place in heaven. In other words, the events that John saw haven't actually happened. yet. Personally, I have never been really comfortable with this belief. To me it seems out of character for God to show people something that hasn't happened.

An alternative view is that God enabled John's spirit to travel through time to witness actual events taking place (In the future, from our perspective).

Is time travel possible? Until recently, If you asked that of any physicist, they would have adamantly denied it, quoting Einstein's special theory of relativity. According to this theory, which has been accepted by all physicists for about 100 years, the speed of light (C) is constant, and nothing can travel faster than light. This means that time travel is impossible. Today, however, many physicists are not so sure and are ready to admit that time travel, in theory, might be possible.

This change of beliefs is because some scientists recently conducted experiments that seem to show that subatomic particles, called neutrinos, can travel faster than light. This has yet to be verified, but if it proves to be true, it means that the cornerstone of our understanding of the Universe is wrong and, in theory at least, time travel is possible. Einstein himself stated that if anything could travel faster than light, then time travel would be possible in theory.

So maybe John, and a few others, did actually travel through time to witness actual events taking place in heaven. After all, if anyone could facilitate this, it would be God, Himself.


Laugh Break - "Praise the Lord."

An elderly lady was well-known for her faith and for her boldness in talking about it. For instance, she would stand on her front porch and shout, "PRAISE THE LORD!"

Next door to her lived an atheist who would get so angry at her proclamations he would shout, "There is no Lord!!"

Hard times set in on the elderly lady, and she prayed for God to send her some assistance. She stood on her porch and shouted, "PRAISE THE LORD. GOD, I NEED FOOD!! I AM HAVING A HARD TIME. PLEASE LORD, SEND ME SOME GROCERIES!!"

The next morning the lady went out on her porch and noted a large bag of groceries and shouted, "PRAISE THE LORD!"

The neighbor jumped from behind a bush and said, "Aha! I told you there is no Lord. I bought those groceries, God didn't."

The lady started jumping up and down and clapping her hands and said, "PRAISE THE LORD!! He not only sent me groceries, but He made the devil pay for them. Praise the Lord!"

[forwarded by Anne Subia]

Newsletter 81

Thanks to all those of you who responded to my last Newsletter (No. 80). I was very encouraged to hear that my teaching material was still being extensively used. Also, although I haven't added much new material recently, my 'Blog' sites, which contain all my published material, continue to be widely accessed, with them now receiving on average over 6,000 hits per month, originating from over 70 different countries.

All except one of your comments were very positive. However, I did receive one negative comment from a recipient. She wrote :-

"About the Big Bang .. I have found the best way with my grandchildren, with Bible in School, with Sunday school, and teens , to reminds them that the bible is not a science text book.. Every other kind of book, but not science..so answers why, who, when, what, .. but not necessarily how!
So, tell ....... don't get caught up in any argument, discussion, yes, interest, yes, but not argument, (i'm right, you're wrong) about how, rather the big How is how much God loves, How amazing God is."

It is true that the Bible does not claim to be a scientific text book, but it does claim to be the truth. If we cannot trust the first part of the Bible to mean what it says, what justification do we have for believing the rest of it, including the resurrection of Jesus? No. For me, it is a question of "All or nothing." And I choose to believe "all".

I spent over 30 years studying science, and working in the subject (I hold a PhD degree in Food Science). Nothing I have ever read or discovered in the scientific area makes me doubt the truth of the entire Bible. On the contrary, my scientific knowledge simply helps confirm my belief in the authenticity of the Bible.

Contents.

Why does God answer some prayers but not others?
Devotional - When I say, "I am a Christian."
Funzone - "Job requirements" for children's ministry.
- Funmail.

Why does God answer some prayers but not others?

That is a very good question, and one that many people, including Christians, are puzzled over. It is certainly true that some prayers are answered and others are not. For example, one person may be miraculously healed and another not. One person may have his needs totally met, and another not.

Why is this? Some Christians will talk about the importance of having faith, not having any unconfessed sin, forgiving those that have hurt us, honouring your parents, etc. All this is very important as we need to remove any obstacles which might prevent God from answering our prayers. But it is not the complete answer. Some people may truly be "right" before God, but still don't get their prayers answered. Others may not be totally "right" with God, but still see Him answer their prayers.

Other Christians will say that it is not God's will that a particular person be healed - that overall, it would be "bad" for them, or God can use their sickness to keep them humble, enable them grow spiritually, or to encourage others to persevere. Others will say that God may not have healed the body, but He has done an "inner healing" However, these ideas contradict the plain teachings of Jesus. God wants us to be well and prosper in all areas of our lives.

To understand this problem, we need to understand the times we are living in. The Bible teaches that there are three time periods that this earth has or will experience.

1. The Beginning.

God created a perfect earth. Everything (including the first people) was "Very Good." There was no pain, disease, sorrow, suffering, or even death. God used to visit the first people in person. They were the best of friends, and people didn't upset or annoy each other. Everyone got on well together. There were no hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions. Animals didn't hunt, fight, kill and eat each other. Weeds, thorns and thistles didn't grow amongst the flowers and crops. In summary, all of Creation was in perfect harmony.

2. "This present evil age."

The first people, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God. Consequently, God put a curse on His creation, and absolutely everything went bad. Thus began what the Bible calls "This present evil age". Every once perfect relationship that people had - with God, with each other, with the rest of creation - was now spoiled.

But God had a plan. He chose a special people called the Israelites, to whom He kept giving some amazing promises. He promised that "This present evil age" would come to an end when He sent His Messiah (Anointed one of God) to earth. The Messiah would usher in "The Kingdom of God", when every "bad" and evil thing would cease, and the earth would be restored to it's original perfect state. God's special people believed His promises and looked forward with expectation to the coming of the Messiah. However, this did not prevent them from suffering great hardships, slavery and persecution in the meantime.

3. The Kingdom of God.

This began about 2,000 years ago when the Messiah, Jesus Christ, died for our sins and then rose again from the dead. You are now probably thinking "Wait a minute. If the Messiah brought in the Kingdom of God 2,000 years ago, why is there still so much badness and evil in the world?" The answer is because we are now living in overlapping time periods. Jesus did bring in the Kingdom of God, but "This present evil age" is still here for the time being. However, the Bible tells us that Jesus will return to earth in the future and bring in the Kingdom of God in it's fullness, doing away with "This present evil age" for ever.

In that day, everything will once again be perfect, just as it was in the beginning. No more getting old, sick, or dying, No more arguments, fights and persecution. No more animals killing each other, weeds in our gardens, or working hard to grow our crops. No more hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, etc. And everyone will know and love God for themselves.

Meantime, because of the present overlapping time periods, we experience a mixture of them both. Some people pray and get healed or have other needs met. Others do not. Some experience many of God's blessings - restored relationships with Him and with each other, joy, peace, health, prosperity etc. Others do not. Some people experience no problems following Christ. Others are still persecuted for their faith in him. Most people alive today will experience a mixture of the blessings of God's Kingdom and the hardships of "This present evil age."

Conclusion.

Until Jesus returns to earth and brings in God's Kingdom in it's fullness, we will always experience a mixture of "good" and "bad". However, the good news is that we don't have to wait until then to have our relationship with God completely restored. We can know and enjoy that today. And there is nothing in life more important than that.

A personal comment.

Shortly after I became a Christian in 1980, I believe that God spoke into my spirit and told me that He had called me to be an apologist. I really believe this was God because at the time I didn't know what an apologist was. I had to look the word up in the dictionary! An apologist is someone who explains why they believe in the Christian faith.

Consequently, I have always concentrated on teaching the Bible, rather than applying (or ministering) it. Over the last 30 years, I can't actually say that I have prayed for that many people in a "one to one" situation. However, I did spend about 12 years in Ayrshire, Scotland involved in "Door to door" evangelism. Of the many people that I encountered, some did ask me to pray for them - for a healing, or some other need. I always agreed, and some stated afterwards that God had met their needs. However, the majority appeared to be unaffected.

This state of affairs used to trouble me greatly. I began to think that there must be something wrong with me - that I was doing something (or not doing something) that prevented God from answering my prayers and meeting the needs of my contacts. Consequently, I became even more reluctant to pray for others.

It was not until I really began to understand the consequences of the fact that we are living in overlapping time periods, that I began to realise that we will not always receive the full benefits of God's Kingdom. But I know that one day, when "This present evil age" is done away with, that we will. Although my understanding of this area is still far from complete, at least I now no longer blame myself when "nothing" appears to happen following prayer.

So be encouraged, if you don't see answers to some of your prayers, it is probably not you that is at fault - it is a consequence of the overlapping time periods that we are living in. Don't give up. Keep on pressing through to God. Forget the times when "nothing" appeared to happen, and remember the times when you were successful.


WHEN I SAY, "I AM A CHRISTIAN"
By Carol Wimmer

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I'm not shouting "I am saved."
I'm whispering "I was lost";
That is why I chose this way.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble,
And need someone to be my guide.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak,
And pray for strength to carry on.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed,
And cannot ever pay the debt.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I'm not claiming to be perfect.
My flaws are too visible,
But God believes I'm worth it.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches,
Which is why I speak His name.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority;
I only know I'm loved.

Funzone.

"Job requirements" for children's ministry. (Forwarded by Helen Setser)

a.. Sense of humour is not mandatory, but you won't survive without it
b.. Should be quick to recover when you forget a kids name: a staple of generic names such as 'Buckaroo' or 'Fella' is a must
c.. Even though you would watch them anyways, Cartoons are now considered research.
d.. Having the ability to always tell a joke or fill in time is a major plus
e.. No sense of embarrassment is a plus - especially when doing action songs
f.. Must have the immune system of a robot
g.. Must be able to use random junk as props
h.. Must be able to rig contests so the girls don't always win
i.. Willingness to pray for all sick pets by name
j.. Must be able to "Hold it" until dismissal
k.. Ability to distinguish where "That smell is coming from"
l.. Must be able to come up with 10 games from 1 piece of toilet paper.
m.. Must remember that 'knucks' are 75% more healthy than high fives.
n.. Able to turn all your mistakes into a funny story

Funmail (Forwarded by Derek Sweetsur - we are probably related, but haven't found out in what way yet!)

**A father was approached by his small son who told him proudly, "I know what the Bible means!"
His father smiled and replied, "What do you mean, you 'know' what the Bible means?
The son replied, "I do know!"
"Okay," said his father. "What does the Bible mean?"
"That's easy, Daddy..." the young boy replied excitedly," It stands for 'Best Information Before Leaving Earth.' (This one is my favourite)

=======

There was a very gracious lady who was mailing an old family Bible to her brother in another part of the country.
"Is there anything breakable in here?" asked the postal clerk.
"Only the Ten Commandments." answered the lady.

========

"Somebody has said there are only two kinds of people in the world. There are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good morning, Lord," and there are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good Lord, it's morning."

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A minister parked his car in a no-parking zone in a large city because he was short of time and couldn't find a space with a meter.
Then he put a note under the windscreen wiper that read: "I have circled the block 10 times. If I don't park here, I'll miss my appointment. Forgive us our trespasses."
When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with this note "I've circled this block for 10 years. If I don't give you a ticket I'll lose my job. Lead us not into temptation."

========

There is the story of a pastor who got up one Sunday and announced to his congregation: "I have good news and bad news. The good news is, we have enough money to pay for our new building programme. The bad news is, it's still out there in your pockets."

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While driving in Pennsylvania , a family caught up to an Amish carriage. The owner of the carriage obviously had a sense of humour, because attached to the back of the carriage was a hand printed sign... "Energy efficient vehicle: Runs on oats and grass. Caution: Do not step in exhaust."

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A Sunday School teacher began her lesson with a question, "Boys and girls, what do we know about God?"
A hand shot up in the air. "He is an artist!" said the kindergarten boy.
"Really? How do you know?" the teacher asked.
"You know - Our Father, who does art in Heaven... "

========

A minister waited in line to have his car filled with petrol just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump.
"Reverend," said the young man, "I'm so sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip."
The minister chuckled, "I know what you mean. It's the same in my business."

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People want the front of the bus, the back of the church, and the centre of attention.

========

Sunday after church, a Mum asked her very young daughter what the lesson was about.
The daughter answered, "Don't be scared, you'll get your quilt."
Needless to say, the Mum was perplexed. Later in the day, the pastor stopped by for tea and the Mum asked him what that morning's Sunday school lesson was about.
He said "Be not afraid, thy comforter is coming."

========

The minister was preoccupied with thoughts of how he was going to ask the congregation to come up with more money than they were expecting for repairs to the church building. Therefore, he was annoyed to find that the regular organist was sick and a substitute had been brought in at the last minute. The substitute wanted to know what to play.
"Here's a copy of the service," he said impatiently. "But, you'll have to think of something to play after I make the announcement about the finances."
During the service, the minister paused and said, "Brothers and Sisters, we are in great difficulty; the roof repairs cost twice as much as we expected and we need £4,000 more. Any of you who can pledge £100 or more, please stand up."
At that moment, the substitute organist played the National Anthem.
And that is how the substitute became the regular organist!

=====

When you carry the Bible, Satan gets a headache.....

When you open it, he collapses.....

When he sees you reading it, he faints.....

When he sees that you are living what you read, he flees.....

And when you are about to forward this message....

He will try and discourage you.............

I just defeated him..............!!!

................any other takers?

Newsletter 80.

Contents.

Story - "Whistle down the wind"
Bible Answers for Kids -
What is my purpose in life?
Can Christians perform miracles?
Did people evolve from monkeys?
Was the Universe created with a "Big Bang"?
When will the world come to an end?
Why do we have earthquakes?


Whistle down the wind.

Many years ago, I saw a film called "Whistle down the wind". In it a criminal was on the run from the police. To avoid being captured, he hid in a farm barn. The criminal was later discovered by some children, who asked hin "Who are you?" The man replied, "Jesus". And the children belived him!

Because they thought that Jesus was sheltering in their barn, the children brought the man some food, followed by warm clothes. They even gave him some money. Thus, the children were good to the man because they thought that they were being good to Jesus.

Actually those children were being good to Jesus, because He told us that if we are being good to others, we are being good to Him. There is no difference.

So, if you are good to someone, by giving to them or helping them in some way, you are really being good to Jesus. Conversely, if you are bad to someone, refusing to help them when you can, or by lying, stealing, hitting, gossiping, etc., you are really being bad to Jesus. (See Matthew 25. 31-46).

So treat other people as if they were Jesus. That is what God wants you to do.


What is my purpose in life?

(Much of the material shared here is taken from Norman Warren's book "The purpose driven life").


Why do I exist? Why am I here? What is my purpose? People of all cultures have always searched for purpose and meaning to life, and have asked questions like these. However, the Bible makes the answer quite clear.


It has been said that "The two greatest days in a person's life are the day they are born, and the day they find out why they were born." Everyone reading this has obviously had their first "greatest day", but maybe, for some of you, today could turn out to be your "second greatest day".


God created everything for a purpose. The fact that you are here means that God has a purpose for you. Actually, God has created all of us for FIVE special purposes.

1. God created us for Himself. So that we might enjoy God, and He might enjoy us, both now and forever. Thus, we were made to know and love God.


When we express our love to God, that is called WORSHIP. We can worship God in many different ways, for example, singing a song to Him, talking to Him, admiring a beautiful sunset while giving thanks to God in our hearts, helping someone in need, obeying your parents, etc. etc. WORSHIP, in fact, is anything we do that gives God pleasure.


2. We were created to be adopted into God's family. And God's family is called the church. Everyone who puts their trust in Jesus Christ becomes a member of God's family.


The Bible likens God's family to a human body. In other words, every part of the body is important, and is dependent on all the other parts. Thus, our purpose is to work together to see the body (church) strengthen and grow. We do this by loving, praying for, encouraging, and helping each other. These activities are called FELLOWSHIP.


3. We were created to become like Christ. And to know what Jesus is like, you only have to read about Him in the Bible - Totally good, holy, loving, perfect, etc. This growth of us into the likeness of Christ is called DISCIPLESHIP. Discipleship is a lifelong job, and requires our co-operation and effort.


Galatians 5.22 lists nine "fruits of the Spirit" that God wants to see grow in our lives. These are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control. God may well place us in environments where these attributes are more able to grow.


For example, if He wants to see more love in your life, He is unlikely to surround you with nice, loving, friendly people. No, you are more likely to meet a lot of annoying, unloving, unfriendly people. In these circumstances your "love" will have more opportunities to grow.


Likewise, if God wants to see more patience in your life, you are quite likely to find yourself in numerous traffic jams or Supermarket queues!


4. We were created for SERVICE, i.e. to serve God by serving others. The Bible tells us that God has actually prepared works for us to do. And if God wants you to do a particular job, He will always prepare you for it beforehand.


God has equipped us for service by giving us a SHAPE This is what makes us who we are, and everyone has their own SHAPE, which makes us unique. Each letter of the word "SHAPE" stands for something that makes us uniquely qualified for the service God has prepared for us to do.


S stands for Spiritual gifts that God has given to us as He wills for the strengthening of His family (the Church). The full list of these nine gifts can be found in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 12. These are not permanent gifts, but are given by the Holy Spirit for a particular situation at a particular time.


For example, someone might be given the gift of Prophecy. They hear God's voice, and are thus able to pass on His message to someone that it is intended for. Someone might be given the gift of Wisdom. Thus, they are suddenly able to see God's way out of a difficult situation. Another person may receive the gift of Faith. Thus, he may be praying for someone, and suddenly "know for certain" that his prayer will be answered.

H stands for your Heart. What are you passionate about? What do you really love?


Some of the passions people might have are for teaching children, helping the poor, sick, or elderly, seeing better government etc. Many people have a strong passion for helping people in a different country. Usually a poor one. These passions are given to us by God. We should concentrate on them, and find out how He would have us make a difference in this world.


A stands for Abilities, i.e. the natural abilities that you are born with. These run into the hundreds, e.g. music, sport, languages, mathematics, nursing, teaching, making friends, etc. etc. God wants you to use your natural abilities to serve others.


P stands for PERSONALITY. We are all unique. God has created each of us different, with different personalities. Probably the two best known personality types are the Extrovert and the Introvert.


It is important to remember that whatever a person's personality is, it is not a case of it being "good" or "bad". Rather, it is just the way God intended them to be. Don't try to change your personality. Just be yourself, remembering that God can use a person of one personality in one situation, and a person of a different personality in another situation.


E stands for EXPERIENCES. God allows us to go through many different types of experiences in our lives, some "good" and some "bad". But, having gone through them, we are then in an ideal position to help others who are themselves experiencing similar situations.


Types of experiences may be involving your family, your school time, your job etc. But the most helpful ones will probably be your Painful experiences. Thus, you may be able to help someone who is sick, injured, going through a family break up, having learning difficulties, struggling with a bad habit, etc.


5. We were created to reach others for God. This is called EVANGELISM or MISSION. God wants everyone to know of His love, and He has chosen His family (the church) to make this love known through both word and deed.


God wants us to help the needy, but no matter how much you do so, it is important to remember that you will only be affecting their present lives. On the other hand, Evangelism, telling people how they can receive eternal life, is FOREVER. You could effect a person's eternal destiny. And there is nothing more important than that.


Many Christians are reluctant to tell others about Jesus Christ for fear of rejection. They think "If I tell my friend about Jesus, they may not like what I say - - - - they may not like me for telling them - - - - they might stop being my friend". If you feel like that, what you should do is pray and ask God to fill you with love for your friend. That is because God promises us "Perfect love drives away fear". In other words, love and fear can't both exist at the same time. And if you are truly filled with love for a person, your greatest desire will be for them to know Jesus for themselves. Then, God is well able to direct you as to the best way to share His wonderful love with them.

In summary, our five purposes of life are :- WORSHIP, FELLOWSHIP, DISCIPLESHIP, SERVICE, and EVANGELISM.


Can Christians perform miracles?

Jesus raised the dead, healed the sick, and performed many other miracles. Many people believe that Jesus was able to do this because He was actually God. Well, He certainly is God, but He is God who became a man. When Jesus came to earth, He left his divine (Godly) qualities behind in heaven. During His 33 years on earth, Jesus was fully human, restricting Himself to do only what other humans can do.

According to the Bible, Jesus didn't perform any miracles during the first 30 years of His earthly life. However, after He was baptised in the river Jordan by John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove. Thereafter, Jesus began His miraculous ministry - not because He was God, but because of the continuing indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.


The exciting thing for all followers of Jesus is that this same Holy Spirit which filled Jesus is available to us! And that is why there are numerous examples today of miracles and healings being done through ordinary Christians. They are achieved through the power of the Holy Spirit.


In fact, Jesus once said "If you have faith in me, you will do even greater things than I." (John 14.12). Your first thought may be "Greater things!" Surely no human could do "Greater things" than Jesus? But a closer examination will show that even some "Greater things" have in fact been done by some Christians. I will give two examples.


1. In his 3 years of ministry, how many people did Jesus personally preach to, see them respond, and enter the Kingdom of heaven? We can only make a very rough estimate but, as the population was much less 2,000 years ago than it is today, it is unlikely to have been more than a few thousand. However there are many Evangelists, such as Billy Graham and Reinhard Bonnke, who have seen tens of thousands of people respond to Jesus and enter into the Kingdom of heaven IN ONE EVENING!


2. How many people did Jesus raise from the dead? There are 3 or 4 cases mentioned in the Bible (although there may have been a few more which were not recorded). However there are reports of Christians, such as Smith Wigglesworth, raising as many as 20 people from the dead.

These are some of the "even greater things" that Jesus talked about.


Did people evolve from monkeys?

There are only two explanations for how you, and all other human beings, came into existence.

The Bible tells us that an eternal, all wise, all powerful Creator made the first of every different kind of living creature, pretty much as we find them today.

The second explanation says that mankind started out thousands of millions of years ago when some kind of accident caused non-living material to change into a very tiny living animal. This tiny animal (which despite its size, we now know to have been extremely complex), then changed slowly over the years to become every living thing that has ever lived, including you. This theory is called evolution (See Diagram).


(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Suppose for a moment that a 'big bang' did result in the production of a lot of non-living chemicals. (See "Was the universe created with a big bang?) How did these then turn into living creatures? No human has ever created something living from something not living, but evolutionists must believe that this actually happened at least once by random, chance processes.

Can we test these two contrasting ideas as to how we all came to be here? There are two ways we can test which one is more likely to be true.

1. Ask "Is evolution happening today?" The answer is obviously "No." We never observe one kind of creature changing into a different kind. Thus, cats always give birth to cats, dogs give dogs, potatoes give potatoes and carrots give carrots etc. etc.

2. Is there any evidence to show that evolution ever happened in the past? Again the answer is "No." Fossils are a collection of 'dead things' - creatures and plants that lived and died in the past. But the fossil record shows clearly defined species, with no evidence of one type of creature changing into a different type. If evolution were true, we would expect to find billions of transitional (intermediate) forms. But they are just not there.

There have been a number of claims that 'intermediate' forms have been found (e.g. ape-men), but on further inspection they have proved to be false. So-called ape-men, for example, have subsequently been shown to be really either apes, men, or fraudulent hoaxes (e.g. Pilkdown man).

Science is concerned solely with what is happening in the present. It cannot tell us anything about what happened in the past. So when it comes to the origins of things, we move into the realm of speculation and personal faith. Ultimately, the question is "Who are we going to believe? Fallible men who weren't there in the beginning, or God who is the only one who was there?"

For more teaching on Creation and Evolution, see my 'Creation' Blog at www.ms-creation.blogspot.com


Was the Universe created with a "Big bang"?


The Universe, and everything in it, is real. That is a fact, But how did it all come into existence? There are only two possible explanations. Either Someone created it (i.e. God). Or, it must have all made itself.


Our common sense tells us that everything we see (e.g. our clothes, shoes, watch, pet dog etc.) must have been made (created) by someone. That is why most people believe in God - the Creator of the Universe, earth, and the first of all the different types of living creatures).


Some people, however, deny the existence of God. This is usually because THEY DO NOT WANT TO BELIEVE IN HIM. For to do so means that if they admit that God made them, it follows that He owns them, and has a right to tell them how they should behave. These people don't like that idea, so deny that God exists, mistakenly thinking that therefore they can set their own rules for life and basically live however they choose.


People who deny the existence of God (Atheists) need therefore to try and explain how everything came into existence without a Creator. Simply put, they have to believe that the Universe created itself out of nothing. (To believe that actually requires a lot more faith than to believe in a Creator!). So how then do atheists explain how the Universe, and everything in it formed? The only idea they have come up with is called Evolution, which was first made popular by Charles Darwin about 150 years ago.


Evolutionists use the idea of a 'big bang' to try and explain the beginnings of the Universe, even though none of them were there to see what actually happened! They say that first of all there was absolutely nothing. Then, around 15 billion years ago, the universe was born in a searing hot fireball which we call the 'big bang'. Everything - all matter, energy, space, time - came into being at that precise instant. As the fireball expanded it formed lots of hydrogen gas, which spread out and filled the universe. Then the clouds of hydrogen gas started to pull themselves together by gravity. These clouds got hotter and hotter until they formed stars. Then some of these stars exploded and formed all the other elements like carbon and oxygen, These elements cooled and began to "freeze out." growing into galaxies, containing stars such as our sun. Then about 4 billion years ago the earth was formed. About 500 million years ago life began spontaneously on earth.


However nobody can explain how all the energy and matter contained in the billions of stars in the universe was somehow there, condensed into a single point, which suddenly 'exploded'. Where did the first energy come from? How could it all have been contained in a single point? What made this point explode? And who ever heard of an explosion making order and design? What happens when fireworks explode? You certainly get a bang, but all you have left is a big mess!

There are lots of sound scientific reasons why the big bang idea is wrong, could not work, and simply did not happen.

It is far easier, in fact, to believe that Almighty God made the sun, the moon, the stars and everything in the universe the way He says He did in the Bible.


When will the world come to an end?

Over many centuries, many religious people have made predictions of when this world will end. Some have given a specific year, and others have even predicted the exact day and time. Needless to say, they have all been wrong so far - because we are all still here!


The Bible does tell us that the earth (as we know it) will be completely destroyed one day. But before that happens, there is another important event that will take place. Jesus will return to earth for those of us who are trusting in Him. The return of Jesus will then set in motion a train of events, which will then result in the world's destruction.


When Jesus was on earth the first time, about two thousand years ago, he was asked when he would return? Jesus told his questioners that he didn't know, and that only God, the Father knew the exact time.


It seems to me that if even Jesus doesn't know when he will return, it is very unlikely that any human being will know the time! The Bible, in fact, tells us that the return of Jesus will be a surprise. His return will be unexpected - nobody will be looking at the clock, waiting for him.


The Bible tells us that before Jesus returns, the conditions will have to be just right. Certain things (or signs) will have to happen first.


1. The "major" sign is that the Jews will return to their biblical homeland of Israel. The Romans destroyed the Jewish temple in Jerusalem in 66 AD and began persecuting the Jews. As a result, these people were scattered throughout the earth for almost 2,000 years. However, in 1948, the present nation of Israel was re-established, and many Jews subsequently returned to their ancestors' ancient homeland. Thus, "Sign 1" has already been fulfilled.


2. There will be an increase in wars, wickedness and violence throughout the world. Most people will agree that this is true "today". Things are getting worse and worse.


3. There will be an increase in natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, tsunamis, etc. Most will agree that this is true today.


4. The Gospel (Good news about Jesus Christ) will be shared with all the world's different people groups. This "sign" has not yet been fulfilled. Technological advances over the last century, with the invention of such things as radio, television and the internet, has seen a great increase in the spread of the Gospel. However, there are still many people groups in remote areas of the earth that have still not had an opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel. Jesus will not return until the church has completed this task.


5. Many Christians believe that another "sign" will have to take place before Jesus returns. And that is the rebuilding of God's Temple on its original site in Jerusalem. This remains unfulfilled.


Therefore, don't be misled by future "prophets" who predict the timing of Jesus' return, or the end of the world. When Jesus does return, He will do so unexpectedly.


Why do we have earthquakes?

This is a question that many New Zealanders have been asking. The city of Christchurch suffered a major earthquake in September 2010, followed by another one in February 2011 - with consequent fatalities totalling almost 200, and much property damage. Many aftershocks have also rocked the region.


I have heard many 'experts' express their opinions as to why earthquakes occur - but none of them have been really satisfactory. However, we will have a look at some of the reasons that have been proposed. I will group their opinions into three main sections.


A. Some 'experts' talk mainly about the physical causes, and leave God out of their reasoning. They point out that the crust of the earth (on which we live) sits on tectonic plates of rocks, which in turn float on very hot molten metal in the core of the earth. As these plates are slowly moving they collide with each other, producing a massive release of energy in the form of earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.


A good way of understanding this is to imagine a kettle full of water, which is being heated up. When the water gets very hot, it will release energy in the form of steam, which will usually be released through the kettle's spout. However, if the kettle had no spout, it would eventually explode. In the same way that a spout is a kettle's release valve, volcanoes and fault lines where tectonic plates collide, act as release valves and thus prevent more severe and widespread devastation. However the question "Why is the earth like this?" still needs to be answered.


1. Atheists deny the existence of God, and thus believe that the earth must have been made by random, chance processes. They, quite rightly, point out that if the earth was made in this way, it was very unlikely to have been made perfect, and thus earthquakes, etc. should not really be a surprise to us. However atheists deny the fact that EVERYTHING has to have a creator. Absolutely NOTHING can make itself.


2. Some 'experts' believe in a Creator, but say that He must have not got it quite right when He made the earth, hence its imperfections. However the Bible tells us that God is perfect, and that thus He can (and did) only make perfect things.


3. Some 'experts' say that God did make the earth in the beginning, but that He doesn't really care what happens to it. However the Bible tells us that God does care. In fact, He cares passionately about everything He has created.


B. Some 'experts' believe that God actually causes earthquakes (and other natural disasters) as punishment for people's bad behaviour or rejection of Him. They point to God's judgements in the Bible, such as Noah's flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. God is a God who judges sin. However, before God ever judged anyone with a disaster, He always gave the people many warnings, and provided a place of safety for those who trusted him - as He did at the time of Noah's flood. In the case of the Christchurch earthquakes, for example, no warnings seem to have been given, and no place of safety provided. Thus "Believers" suffered alongside "Unbelievers". It is inconceivable that God allowed His own people to suffer just so that He could punish the "Unbelievers".


The Bible does talk about a future Judgement that will come upon the earth. But He has already provided a place of safety for those who trust in Him - and that is through the cross of Jesus. Anyone truly trusting in Jesus, and what He did for us on the cross, will be safe. Many Christians believe in fact that "Believers" will be taken off the earth before this final judgement.

C. Some 'experts' say that although God does not cause earthquakes, He could stop them if He chose to. However, He chooses not to prevent them so that "Good" can come from them.

There is certainly some truth in this, as very often "Good" follows natural disasters. In the case of the Christchurch earthquakes, for example, much "Good" followed in two main areas.

1. Neighbours in the city became more caring, helpful and loving to each other. Also many from outside the city gave up their time, talents and money to help in the recovery process.

2. Following the earthquakes many became scared. They began to realise the uncertainty of life, and turned to God to find answers and security. Following any natural disaster there is always an immediate increase in church attendance.

This is all "Good", but the actual cause of the earthquakes remains unexplained.



WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

I am sure that all these 'experts' gave their explanations with the best of intentions. However, they have one thing in common - None of the explanations (or at least none that I have heard) have taken into account what the BIBLE actually says! Personally, I am not too interested in what people say. But I am very much interested in what the Bible says. Because what the Bible says is what God says - AND HE SHOULD KNOW!


The Bible tells us that in the beginning God made a PERFECT world. Everything was "Very good". However, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, floods, droughts, diseases, etc. are NOT "very good".


Something has obviously gone horribly wrong with God's "perfect world". And the Bible tells us what it was. The very first people, Adam and Eve, rebelled against their Creator. This rebellion was so serious that God put a curse on the earth. And EVERYTHING was affected by this - people, animals, plants. Even the earth itself. The Bible, in fact, talks about the earth "groaning" (a good description of an earthquake) until Jesus returns to make a new earth, and everything is restored to its former perfect state.


All "Bad" things on the earth, whether they be natural disasters, diseases, wars, murders, theft, etc., etc. can be attributed to mankind's original and ongoing rebellion (sin) against our Creator. The Good News, however, is that God still loved mankind so much, He sent his Son, Jesus, to deal with our sin problem once and for all. This Jesus did when He took our sins upon Himself on the cross. This means that we can all be reconciled to God now. And sometime in the future, the remainder of creation will also be reconciled (made new).

CONCLUSION.

The Bible tells us that this present condition of the earth will get worse and worse until Jesus returns to abolish all "Bad" things. So, until that day comes, the only safe and sensible thing people can do is to make sure that they are trusting in Jesus.

Newsletter 79.

Newsletter 79 from Maurice Sweetsur


Contents.

Teaching tip 53 - Discipleship.
Embarrassing moments and misunderstandings.
Stories that touch the heart.


T.T. 53 - Discipleship.

Jesus' final command to us was to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28.19), and this obviously includes children. Although there is much teaching available on how to lead children to Christ, I haven't come across much on how to disciple them. The following are some ideas that you could use in discipling young Christians. I am not suggesting that you share all the teaching ideas given here. You will have to be selective, but remember that the three important points that children need to understand are Certainty, Confession and Continuance.

What is a Christian?

Many children have false ideas of what a Christian really is. They will often talk about someone "Being good", or "Going to church", etc. They need to understand that a Christian is someone who has repented of their sins and put their faith in Jesus Christ.

I use the following illustration :- I write on the board

Christ - in - person = Christian,

explaining as I do so that that is what a Christian is - a person in whom Jesus Christ is living, because He has been invited to do so.

I then teach on the three main aspects of discipleship - Certainty, Confession and Continuance.


Certainty.

I show and explain John 1.12 "To all who received him, He gave the right to become children of God.", stressing the need to receive God's gift of Jesus if we are to become part of His family. I emphasize that, if they have received Him, they are now part of God's family, not because of how they may feel, but because God says so " To all who receive Him - - - - - ."

I encourage the children to make a note of the date (their second birthday) that they became part of God's family, Then (or the next time I see the child) I will do something dramatic that the child will remember so as to help assure them of their salvation. I say "Watch carefully what I do next." I then stand up, walk around, return to my chair and kick it over. I say "I kicked over that chair. That is a fact. On the (date) at (place) I (Mr Sweetsur) kicked over a chair, and nothing can ever change that fact. In years to come, I might forget that I did it. But if I did forget, does that mean that it never happened? No, of course not. It happened. Or someone may come to me and say "Oh Mr Sweetsur, you're not the sort of person that goes around kicking over chairs." And I might agree with them and deny that it happened. But if I did, does that mean it didn't happen? No, of course not. Even if I denied it, it still happened. That is a fact that can never change.

In the same way if you have received Jesus into your life, that is a fact. It happened and, even if you forgot it or denied it (which of course I hope you don't), nothing can ever change that. You are a child of God - because God says so! - God promised that if you received Jesus , you would become His child. As God cannot break His promise, and you received Jesus, you are now His child."

Some children who have received Christ may wonder if they are still Christians if they have subsequently done something wrong. A good verse to teach them is 1 John 1.9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." No matter what we may do, God is always willing to forgive us, and clean us up - if we are genuinely sorry.

Illustration 1.

I have a son and, because he is my son, he will always be part of my family. He is just as much my son when he has been bad as when he has been good. I don't like it when he is bad, but he is still my son and I still love him. It is just the same with God's sons and daughters. If you have received Jesus into your life, you are part of His family, no matter whether you have been good or bad. Of course God doesn't like it when we do wrong things, and we may have to ask Him to forgive us and help us do better in the future. But we are still family!


Illustration 2 - "The true picture of your life".

A Christian once had a dream in which he died and went to heaven. There to greet him was St. Peter, who gave him a quick tour of his beautiful new home. Then St. Peter said "Do you like videos?" Rather puzzled, the man replied that he did. "Good" said St. Peter "I am now going to show you a video of your whole life." St. Peter led the man into a sumptuous room, made sure he was comfortable, and left him to watch the video.

The video really was of the man's life, beginning from soon after he had been born. At first the man enjoyed watching it because it showed him interacting with all his old friends, most of whom he hadn't seen for many years. The video showed all the acts of kindness the man had shown, beginning from when he was only a young boy - sharing his toys, including others in his games, helping out at home and at school, comforting people when they were sad, giving money towards good causes, spending quality time with his children etc. etc. As the video progressed, however, the man began to feel rather uneasy.

The video concluded, and St. Peter returned. "Did you enjoy the video of your life?" he asked. The man replied "But that wasn't a true picture of my life. It showed all the good things I did, but it omitted all the bad ones. It's an edited video. It isn't a complete picture of my life." "Oh yes it is", replied St. Peter "When you did do bad things, the moment you said 'sorry' to God, they ceased to exist. And you can't make a video of something that doesn't exist!" What you just saw really is the true picture of your life.


Confession.

Jesus said "If you tell others that you belong to me, I will tell my Father in heaven that you are my followers. But if you reject me, I will tell my Father in heaven that you don't belong to me." Matthew 10. 32,33. (See also Romans 10.9). Confessing our faith in Christ to others is so important. By doing so it seals in our hearts the commitment we have made to Christ.

I instruct children to tell at least one other person that they have received Jesus into their lives. I encourage them to choose as the first person they tell another Christian, or at least someone who is likely to by sympathetic to the decision they have made. This is because I have known children who have confessed their new found faith, and got a cold or even hostile response - which seriously undermined their new fledgling relationship with Christ.


Continuance.

Children need to be taught that their new relationship with Christ is for eternity. The following object lesson is ideal for teaching that newly-born 'baby' Christians need to grow.

Object Lesson - Growing to be like Christ (Fruit in bottle).

This takes a long time to prepare, but is well worth the effort.
While a fruit ( a lemon or orange is ideal ) is still very small and attached to its tree, place a narrow-necked bottle over it and tie to branch. Leave in place until the fruit has fully grown inside the bottle. Remove bottle containing the fruit and show to your class.
Ask "How did I get this fruit inside the bottle?" A few children may work it out, but most won't. Explain how you did it, stating that the tiny fruit had all the potential to grow into a large fruit, but that it needed food to grow. This food (sap) was all provided by the tree. Use this as an analogy for the newly born-again (or baby) Christian who has all that is needed to become the person God wants them to be, but needs to grow. Our food is God's Word (plus prayer and fellowship etc.).
Ask "What would have happened to the baby fruit if I had cut the twig attaching it to the branch while it was still small?" Answer. It would not have grown. In fact it would have withered away and died. Again use the analogy of the baby Christian who does not feed on God's Word.
The way to grow.
1. Prayer.
Teaching tip - Teaching children to P.R.A.Y.

Here is a simple prayer pattern that you can teach children so as to help encourage them to get into regular prayer habits.

Preparation. Get a piece of cardboard, and write out the four words as shown below, ensuring that the first letter of each word is larger than the others.

Praise
Regrets
Ask
Yourself

Cut and fold the cardboard in such a way that you can show the word 'PRAY' on its own, and then in turn unfold the remainder of each word as you talk about it.

Teaching. Prayer is talking to God, and I can't think of anything that God likes better than when we do this. We can talk to God anywhere, anytime, and about anything. The most important thing about prayer, however, is that it should be regular. Set aside a few minutes every day to talk to God. Most people find that the best time of the day to do this is either first thing in the morning, or last thing at night, before they go to bed. These are times which you can easily remember, and you are less likely to be interrupted.

There are basically four different types of prayer, and if you remember the word 'P.R.A.Y.' it will remind you of them. You can use this as your prayer pattern as you talk to God.

P stands for 'Praise'. (Unfold the card to reveal the first word). Praise is talking (or singing) to God about God. You could pray something like "God you're good, loving, wonderful, awesome etc." Praise also includes thanksgiving. I am sure you can all think of a lot to thank God for - Your lives, His gift of Jesus, your families, friends, school, etc.

R stands for 'Regrets'. Think back to the last time you prayed, and ask yourself if there is anything you regret - anything that you have done, said, or even thought that you are sorry about. If there is, ask God to forgive you, and He well. Then ask Him to help you do better next time.

A stands for 'Ask'. We can ask God to help others. We can pray for our family, friends, anybody at all and ask God to be with them and meet their needs. The Bible particularly says that we should pray for those in authority over us, e.g. parents, teachers, those in government. If you don't know their particular needs, you could ask God to help them make good choices.

Y stands for 'Yourself'. God encourages us to come to Him and ask for our needs. In fact, Jesus promised that He would give us all our needs. What are some of the things we need? That's right, food, water, clothes, homes, families to look after us, peace (if we are troubled), joy (if we are sad), love (if someone is annoying us), patience (if we are waiting for something). However, God did not promise to give us everything we want - our wants are different from our needs. God likes to bless us, and there is nothing wrong in asking Him for whatever you want. But He knows what is best for you, and will never give you something that would be bad for you. Therefore, His answer to your request might be Yes, wait, or no. (You could do the well known traffic light illustration here).

Conclusion. Let's all say aloud together the four different types of prayer.

P stands for - - - - - Praise.
R stands for - - - - - Regrets.
A stands for - - - - - Ask.
Y stands for - - - - - Yourself.

Application. Following on from this teaching, I often get the children to write out a prayer along the lines I have described. I emphasise that if they do not wish to write a particular type of prayer (e.g. Regrets) that is alright. Finally, I encourage them to conclude by actually praying their prayer.


2. Bible reading.

Encourage the children to become regular Bible readers, explaining that it is God's love letter to us. For new converts, I encourage them to start their reading with the Gospels.

The Bible is important to us for four main reasons:-

1. It is a book about God.

The Bible is a book that God has written about Himself. So if you want to know what God is really like - Go to the Bible, because nobody knows God better than God knows God!

2. It is a book about ourselves.

The Bible is a book that God has written about us. It is often likened to a mirror. If you want to know what you are like on the outside, you look in a mirror. But if you want to know what you are really like on the inside (what the Bible calls your heart or spirit) - Go to the Bible, because God created you and knows you better than anyone else.

3. It is an instruction book for life.

God knows what's good for you, and He knows what is bad. If you keep going to the Bible, and doing what it says, you won't go far wrong in life. But if you never look at the Bible, or ignore what is says, you are bound to make mistakes and go off in wrong directions through life.

4. It tells you how to become God's friend.

God created us to be His friends - so that He can enjoy us, and we can enjoy Him, both now and forever. And the Bible tells us how through faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, we can all become God's friends.


3. Church attendance.

Encourage the children to go regularly to a Bible-believing, Christ-centred church, if at all possible.


Why go to church?

1. God tells us to (See Hebrews10.25).

It is a question of obedience. If Jesus is Lord of your life, that means that you are obedient to him. You can hardly say "Jesus, you are my Lord, but I am not going to do what you tell me!" Of course not. You would be contradicting yourself. If that was your attitude, then Jesus wouldn't really be Lord of your life.

"I enjoy going to church regularly, but even if I didn't, I would still go - because Jesus is my Lord, and I have to be obedient to him. Most of you children probably come to church or Sunday school because your parents bring you, or send you along. But when you are older, you will have to decide for yourselves. But if you are serious about living for Jesus, then regular church attendance should be a priority."

2. To meet together as a family / team.

Everyone who has put their trust in Jesus is now part of God's special family. And families meet together, and do things together. It would be a very strange family indeed if the members hardly ever saw each other, or never did things together, like sharing a meal!

Another way of looking at this is to realise that now we are all part of God's team to help bring about His Kingdom on earth.

"Suppose I were to tell you that I was a soccer player. You might reply, "You are, which team do you play for? Manchester United? Real Madrid?" If I replied "I don't actually play for a team", you would say "Oh, come on teacher, you can't be a soccer player and not play for a team." And you would be quite right. In the same way, you can't really be a true Christian and not be part of a local team, or church."

Imagine many coals burning brightly together. Suddenly one of the individual coals falls away from the fire. What will happen to it? Answer. It will burn less and less brightly until eventually it goes out and becomes cold. That is a typical 'picture' of the individual Christian who comes away from the Church and tries to live for Jesus on his own. He will grow cold, and probably give up his faith altogether. We all need the help, support and encouragement of other church members. In the Bible, there is no such thing as an "Individual Christian".

3. To help find God's plan for your life.

God has a special plan for each one of you which is far more wonderful than any plans you may have for yourselves. By going to church, you will meet people who will help you discover what God wants you to do with your life.

4. To help you on your way to heaven.

God wants us all to live with him in heaven. However, our journey to heaven can be a long and dangerous one. We have enemies who don't want us to get to heaven, but by going regularly to church, we can find out how to beat them.


What does the church do?

1. Worship God.

The word 'Worship' is derived from the word 'Worth'. God is indeed worthy of all we can give him. Without God, we would have nothing. In fact we wouldn't even be alive. Everything we have comes from Him. Christians realise this and meet together to give back to God a little of what He has already given us. This might include thanks, praise, love, money, etc.

2. To continue the work of Jesus.

A. Telling others about Jesus.

Jesus wants EVERYONE to know about Him, and what He did for us all on the cross. And He has chosen His church (every believer) to spread this GOOD NEWS throughout the whole earth. It is exciting to be part of this because Jesus promised that when every group of people have heard this GOOD NEWS, then He will return to earth and set up His Kingdom.

B. Demonstrating God's love.

It is no good telling people that God loves them if, at the same time, we don't demonstrate His love by helping others in whatever ways we can.

Jesus loves everyone, but when He was here on earth, He was particularly concerned for the poor, the sick, the weak, the oppressed and the elderly. As part of His church, we should likewise be especially concerned for these groups.

Although the church is not perfect, and has made mistakes, generally, over the last 2,000 years, it has been effective in demonstrating God's love to the world. Much of what is good in society today has been started by the church. Examples include many early schools, universities, hospitals, and organizations such as the scouts, guides, boys and girls' brigades.

It has also been the church that were first to speak out against evils in society such as slavery, child labour and racism.

The church is not only concerned with what is happening in it's own neighbourhood or even country. It also has a good record of sending resources (including people and money) to help the needy in "poor" countries. You may have heard of agencies such as World Vision and Tear Fund which are involved in this.

As someone once said "The church is the only organization which exists for the benefit of it's non members."

Note. You may wish to conclude by giving a few examples of what your church is doing to reach others for Jesus and help meet their needs.


4. Copy Jesus.

God wants us to make right choices. Here is a simple way of remembering how we can do this:- Write out the word S.T.O.P.

S. Stands for "Stop" before you decide.
T. Stands for "Think." What would Jesus do, if he was me? Jesus is our supreme example of how to live our lives. I still find the once-popular W.W.J.D. (What would Jesus do?) bracelets useful in teaching children to follow (copy) Christ. Usually the answer to W.W.J.D. is obvious!
O. Stands for "Obey" the Bible. If what you are thinking of doing is contrary to what the Bible teaches, it is always a wrong choice.
P. Stands for "Pray" and ask Jesus for help. If you have gone through the first three steps (S.T.O.) and are still unsure as to the right choice, ask Jesus to guide you. After praying, if you feel at peace about a certain direction, go ahead and take it. On the other hand, if you feel anxious or worried, then this is probably the wrong direction.


Conclusion.

I would want young converts to Christ to really understand the following five truths:-

1. God is always there. Wherever we go, God is always right there with us.

2. God always answers prayers. His answer may be "Yes", "No", or "Wait", but He will always answer us.

3. God always understands. No matter what is happening in our lives, no matter how we feel, God always understands about us.

4. God always forgives. No matter what we may have done, God will always forgive us if we are really sorry.

5. God always loves. We can never stop God loving us, because "He is love."




Embarrassing moments and misunderstandings.

Over the last sixteen years I have had the pleasure of taking over 6,000 'Bible' lessons for children. Fortunately the vast majority of these have appeared to go well, but I recall a tiny proportion of my lessons (less than 0.2%) where things didn't go exactly according to plan. I am sharing these occasions with you as we can all learn from our mistakes, and sometimes have a laugh about them later. I have classified them into two categories - Embarrassing moments and Misunderstandings.

Embarrassing moments.

I usually include at least one illusion or object lesson in my lesson, and any teaching involving "equipment" has the potential to go wrong.

1. Once I opened up my "Flaming Bible" at the start of my lesson in front of about 100 children. Unfortunately, I was standing too near a smoke detector. The fumes from my "Bible" set off the alarm, with the consequent evacuation of the entire school of around 500 children to the playground, and the prompt arrival of a fire engine! By the time it was all over and the children were allowed back inside, there was just time for me to apologise and say "Goodbye." Fortunately, I was forgiven as I have been invited back to that school on subsequent occasions.

2. When teaching on "Faith", I often use my object lesson No. 2 (Faith, a water experiment). In this, I place a piece of cardboard over the top of a glass of water, hold the glass upsidedown, and invite children to put their faith in the invisible air which is holding up the cardboard by walking under the glass. This has always worked well - except once, when the cardboard came away, and a boy got an unexpected shower!

3. When I first started teaching "Bible" to children in schools, I was allocated, probably because I was a man, a really unruly class. I think I was only taking my second lesson, when two boys started fighting. My solution? Transfer the problem! I sent them outside. A few minutes later, two more boys started fighting. I told those two to leave the room as well. And then in my exasperation I added "And if any of you other children can't behave and want to leave the room, you can do so right now." To my horror, nearly all the remaining children got up and walked out. I was left to continue my lesson with only about four out of the original thirty children! Fortunately, we are able to learn from our mistakes.

4. At the beginning of one lesson, the children were taking a long time to settle down. There was a low 'murmuring' in the background. I couldn't detect exactly where it was coming from, so I gave two or three general warnings. The murmuring continued. Finally, I said something like "Will the person who is talking stop it right now, or there will be trouble." Suddenly, I located the source - it was the class teacher! A second teacher had come into the class, and the two of them were having a hushed conversation in the corner of the room.

5. I had been teaching one school class on how Jesus wants us to follow (copy) him. To illustrate the point, I concluded the lesson by getting the children to follow me by copying everything I did. I did such things as standing, sitting, waving my arms, hopping, jumping, walking around, etc. The children participated enthusiastically, but then the bell went to end the lesson. I said "Sit down and wait quietly for your teacher to return." Their response was "Sit down and wait quietly for your teacher to return!"

I stood up and walked to the door. The children stood up and followed me to the door. I said "Don't be so silly. The game is over. Sit down and wait for your teacher." They replied "Don't be so silly. The game is over. Sit down and wait for your teacher."

I thought "Well, at least when I leave the classroom, the children will realise that the game is over." I went through the door and started walking down the corridor. About half the class followed me. I said "Get back to your classroom before you get in trouble." Their response? That's right. "Get back to your classroom before you get in trouble!"

I thought "When I get outside the school building, the children will cease following me then." How wrong I was. They followed me out of the building and across the playground. I quickened my pace. So did the children. I made one last appeal to them to return to their classroom - with the usual response. I was getting desperate. Should I lead the children back to their classroom and explain to their teacher, who had probably returned by now and was wondering where half her class had gone, what had happened?

I rounded a corner, and practically bumped into the headmaster. That definitely was the end of the game. I have never seen children move so fast as they scurried back to their classroom!

6. I encourage children to ask questions. Most of these have been fairly easy to answer, although I can recall a few difficult ones. The most notable concerned "stranger danger."

I had been teaching a class on the Ten Commandments. One boy asked "I know the Bible says "Do not lie", but what about stranger danger?" I asked him to elaborate. He replied "Suppose I was home alone, a stranger knocked on my door and asked if I was on my own? Do I tell him the truth, or do I lie and say "Oh no, my dad's in the back room?" I can't recall my exact reply, but I know that it wasn't really satisfactory to either the boy or myself. In fact, I am still not sure how I would respond to a similar question today. I might talk about the difference between lying and giving a "false testimony", but I am not sure how I would explain that to a child.

7. Undoubtedly my most embarrassing moment occurred not in a "Bible" class, but rather during a Dinner for Bible teachers. After our main course was complete, we all had to go to a separate room to fetch our desserts. I helped myself and headed back towards what I thought was the direction of the dining room, holding my dessert bowl in front of me. As I did so, I noticed a man walking directly towards me. I moved to my right to avoid a collision. But the man moved to his left. We were still on collision course. I muttered "Sorry" and moved to my left. The man moved to his right. We were very close now and still on a collision course. Was the man playing a silly game with me? Suddenly my dessert bowl made contact. There was a loud "Clonk." This was now beyond a joke. For the first time, I looked up into the man's face. To my utter astonishment, I found that I was looking at myself. The man was me! I had been trying to walk through a full length mirror!


Misunderstandings.

Children can easily misunderstand what people say to them. To do my best to avoid this in my classes, I try to be careful what I say and use simple words. Unfortunately, a few misunderstandings seem to be inevitable.

1. I once told a school class that they should obey their parents. Their class teacher took exception to this and told the headmaster what I had said. He called me into his office and explained that many of the parents of children in his school were so bad, their children should not obey them! And I was not to encourage them to do so.

2. Sometimes it seems that you just can't win. Following the above experience, I modified my teaching and began to tell children that they should obey their parents, as long as they did not ask them to do something that broke God's laws, like stealing, hitting or lying. However one parent heard about this and came to the school to confront me. He said that his daughter should obey him. Period! No matter what he told her to do! I think that in the end, we agreed to disagree.

3. I often do Gospel illusions to illustrate particular Bible truths. However, I always try to ensure that the children realise that I am not doing "magic", but simply tricks. However, I was told that one mother went to a school board meeting, uninvited, to announce that "Mr. Sweetsur is teaching the children magic." I was called to see the headmaster to explain what I was doing. As it turned out, that mother's son should not have even been in my class. He had been withdrawn from 'Bible' at the start of the sessions. However, he noted that his classmates were enjoying their lessons so much, that he came in to see for himself, witnessed one or two illusions, and concluded that it was magic!

4. I was once teaching a class about the ways in which we humans are different from animals. Among the differences that I listed was the fact that animals don't were clothes. I added that if we were just highly evolved animals, then there is no reason for us to wear clothes. Unfortunately, evolution has such a stronghold in the minds of some people that despite teaching to the contrary, they still hold it as a fact. Consequently, one child went home and told her parents that Mr. Sweetsur said that we shouldn't wear clothes! They, in turn, complained to the school, and I was called to explain myself.

5. I was talking to a class about what people believed two thousand years ago when Jesus was on earth. I said that if a child was born disabled in some way, many people believed that it was because their parents had done something wrong and that God was punishing them for it. I went on to stress that we now know that that belief was completely wrong. Unfortunately, one girl must have stopped listening half way through my talk, and went home to tell her parents that I said that if a child was born disabled it was because God was punishing their parents for some sin.

That girl's parents believed her, and as they had another child who had been born disabled, naturally became upset. They complained to the school, and withdrew the girl from my Bible class. Despite my trying to explain what I had actually said, she was not allowed back in.

Conclusions.

Sometimes things don't go exactly as planned in our classes. On occasion this may be our fault. Other times it seems to be completely out of our control. The important thing is to learn from our mistakes and move on. Most of my above 'mistakes' actually occurred during my first few years of teaching children, so it appears that I have learned something from them. I have shared quite a long list of my own embarrassing moments and misunderstandings. These have sometimes led to rebukes or criticism, but I also remember the many, many positive comments and letters that I have received from children, parents and teachers over the years. And these encourage me to keep "sowing the seed" into young lives.

Maurice Sweetsur


Stories that touch the heart.

Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once
Talked about a contest he was asked to judge.
The purpose of the
Contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was:

A four-year-old child, whose next door
neighbor was an elderly gentleman, who had recently lost his
wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old
Gentleman's' yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.
When his mother asked him what he had
said to the neighbor, the little boy just said, 'Nothing, I just
Helped him cry.'

*********************************************

Teacher Debbie Moon's first graders were
discussing a picture of a family. One little boy in the picture
had a different hair color than the other members.. One of her
students suggested that he was adopted.
A little girl said, 'I know all about
Adoption, I was adopted..'

'What does it mean to be adopted?', asked
another child.
'It means', said the girl, 'that you grew
in your mommy's heart instead of her tummy!'

*********************************************

On my way home one day, I stopped to
watch a Little League base ball game that was being played in a park near my home. As I sat down behind the bench on the first- base line, I asked one of the boys what the score was
'We're behind 14 to nothing,' he answered
With a smile.
'Really,' I said. 'I have to say you
don't look very discouraged.'
'Discouraged?', the boy asked with a
Puzzled look on his face...
'Why should we be discouraged? We haven't
Been up to bat yet.'

*********************************************

Whenever I'm disappointed with my spot
in life, I stop and think about little Jamie Scott.

Jamie was trying out for a part in the
school play. His mother told me that he'd set his heart on being in it, though she feared he would not be chosen.

On the day the parts were awarded, I went
with her to collect him after school. Jamie rushed up to her,
eyes shining with pride and excitement. 'Guess what, Mom,' he shouted, and then said those words that will remain a lesson to me....'I've been chosen to clap and cheer.'

*********************************************

An eye witness account from New York
City , on a cold day in December, some years ago:
A little boy, about 10-years-old, was standing before a shoe store on the roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold.
A lady approached the young boy and said,
'My, but you're in such deep thought staring in that window!'
'I was asking God to give me a pair of
shoes,' was the boy's reply.
The lady took him by the hand, went into
the store, and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel. He quickly brought them to her.
She took the little fellow to the back
part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet, and dried them with the towel.
By this time, the clerk had returned with
the socks.. Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him a pair of shoes..
She tied up the remaining pairs of socks
and gave them to him.. She patted him on the head and said, 'No doubt, you will be more comfortable now.'
As she turned to go, the astonished kid caught her by the hand, and looking up into her face, with tears in his eyes, asked her.
'Are you God's wife?'