Newsletter 38
Newsletter 38 from Maurice Sweetsur
Contents.
Teaching tip 25 - The Ten Commandments.
Story - God knows best.
Teaching children to pray.
Harry Potter mania.
Things kids say (3).
The answer to last month's riddle is - - - - - - - The Whale.
The Ten Commandments.
1. "You shall have no other gods before Me" (God should be Number One)
2. "You shall not make yourself any graven image"(Don't bow down to anything but God)
3. "You shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain"(Don't use your lips to dishonor God)
4. "Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy" (Don't neglect the things of God)
5. "Honor your Father and your Mother"
6. "You shall not kill"
7. "You shall not commit adultery" (Adultery leaves a heart broken)
8. "You shall not steal"
9. "You shall not lie" (a "lying" nine)
10. "You shall not covet" (want what others have)
When teaching the Ten Commandments, I vary my approach depending on the age and maturity of my class. The following is how I would teach an older group of children.
We all have many rules in our lives - rules at home (things we can or cannot do), rules at school, rules given by the Government, such as the Road rules, and rules given by God, the best known ones being called the Ten Commandments.
Would it be good if we didn't have any rules? For example, suppose you could go to bed at whatever time you liked. Or if the school bell rang, you didn't have to come in from the playground if you didn't want to. Or if you liked the look of someone else's lunch, you could eat it because there was no rule to say that you couldn't. Or if you didn't like the look of someone, you could give them a punch in the stomach!
That may sound good to some of you, but if you didn't have to keep any rules, neither would anybody else. Suppose somebody ate your lunch because they liked the look of it, or gave you a punch in the stomach because they didn't like the way you looked? No, that wouldn't be so good would it? All rules, whether given by parents, teachers, the Government or God are for our benefit. They are not given to us to spoil our fun, but rather to prevent us hurting ourselves or others. (You could give an example here about the possible consequences of disobeying (say) the road rules).
I have a list here of God's rules - The Ten Commandments. The first four concern our relationship with God, and the last six concern how we should treat other people. I will talk about each one in turn, and you can decide whether or not you have kept that particular Commandment. Remember, even if you have broken a Commandment only once, you are still a lawbreaker. You only have to tell one lie to become a liar, or steal one thing to become a thief. (You could give each child a piece of paper, and get them to put a tick or x against each Commandment depending on whether they have kept it or not. Remember to assure them that this is just between them and God, and that you won't be collecting the papers in afterwards).
1. You shall have no other gods before me. God must have first place in our lives. If you love someone or something more than God, you have broken this Commandment.
2. Do not make any image of God. Not many people today make a picture or sculpting of God and worship that. But many people do break this Commandment by making God in their own image. If your idea of God is, or has been, different from the God of the Bible, you have broken this Commandment. For example, some people think that God won't mind a little bit of wrongdoing -as long as it is not too bad, or that if you lead a good life you will go to heaven, or that Jesus is just one of many ways of coming to God.
3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. God and His name cannot be separated. We must always use the name of God and Jesus in the right way - with respect. If you have ever used His name as a swear word, you have broken this Commandment.
4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. God created the Universe and all that is in it in six days and rested on the seventh, as an example of how we should organise our lives. We should take a rest or break from our normal routine one day in every seven. This is also a good day to get to know God better by talking to him, reading the Bible and meeting with other believers.
5. Honour your father and your mother. This means that we should obey them (unless they tell us to do something that breaks God's laws), respect them, treat them well and never talk nastily to them or about them.
6. You shall not murder. Before you all rush to put a tick against this one, wait a moment. Jesus explained what this Commandment really meant. He said that if we hate someone, we have already murdered them in our hearts. So if you hate (or have hated someone) you have broken this Commandment, even if you have not gone on and actually killed them!
7. You shall not commit adultery. This is really a Commandment for grown ups. Husbands and wives should be faithful to each other, stick together and not go off with someone else. Jesus explained, however, that if you thought about doing this - even if you didn't actually do it - you had already broken the Commandment in your heart.
8. You shall not steal. Stealing is stealing! If you steal someone's pencil, it is just as much stealing as if you robbed a Bank of a million dollars! If you find some money in the playground and keep it for yourself - that is stealing. If you borrow a book off someone and don't return it - that is stealing.
9. You shall not lie. There is no such thing as a little lie, a white lie, or a fib. Lying is lying.
10. You shall not desire something that belongs to another. This is sometimes called coveting or envy. It is not wrong to desire nice things, but it is if those things belong to someone else. If your friend has a new bike, computer, or even some chocolates, and you think "I wish I had that instead of them", you have broken this Commandment.
Hands up everyone who has kept all ten Commandments all the time. Oh dear. I am afraid that I have to accuse all of you with your hands up (and there usually are a few) of breaking Commandment number 9 - You shall not lie! The Bible tells us that everyone has broken God's Commandments (Romans 3.23). Some people have led very good lives and broken only a few Commandments. Some people have led very bad lives and broken most or all of the Commandments. Most of us have led lives between these two extremes. But no-one has kept all the Commandments all the time.
At this point I will illustrate the seriousness of sin by conducting Object lesson 34b (Everyone has fallen short of God's standard) and 34a (all sins are equal). These are reproduced below.
Thus we are all lawbreakers, and the penalty is death i.e. separation from a holy God (Romans 6.23). You are now probably thinking "Those Commandments are pretty tough. Does God really expect us to keep them all?" No. God knows that because of the selfish nature we are all born with, we are incapable of keeping His Commandments all the time. "Why then does God give us Commandments if He knows that we are unable to keep them?" The answer is so that they will be like a schoolteacher to bring us to Christ (Galatians 3.24). In other words, if there was no Commandment saying "You shall not steal" we wouldn't know we were doing wrong when we stole. If there was no Commandment saying "You shall not lie" we wouldn't know we were doing wrong when we lied etc. etc. It is only because we have the Commandments that, as we break them, we realise we are lawbreakers in need of forgiveness and help in keeping God's rules.
That is the bad news. Now for the good news. Someone did keep all the Commandments. Someone never sinned. Someone did pass the test. His name is Jesus - and He did it all for us. Jesus is God. He didn't have to keep His own rules. But because He loves us, He became a man, and passed the test on our behalf. And after keeping all the Commandments, Jesus died on the cross in our place so we can be forgiven.
(Note. The Bible teaches that death is the result of sin. We are only going to die because of sin. But because Jesus never sinned, He is the only person who never needed to die. He chose to die in our place, however, so we could live forever with God).
Conclusion. If you have only ever broken one Commandment once, you are still a lawbreaker and need to ask Jesus to come into your life to forgive you. And if you put your trust in Jesus, He will help you to do better in keeping the Commandments. No-one will ever become perfect, but as you keep living for Jesus there will be an ongoing improvement in your being able to keep the Ten Commandments.
Object Lesson 34. The seriousness of sin.
Many children tend to categorise sin into big sins (e.g. murder) and little sins (e.g. a lie). Here are two illustrations you could use to help them understand that in God's sight all sin is serious.
a. Hold in one hand a crumpled piece of paper, and in the other a small but heavy object (e.g. a battery). Tell the children that the paper represents what many people think of as "little" sins like lying and swearing, and that the heavy object represents what many think of as "big" sins like murder and robbery. State that you are going to drop both objects to the floor at the same time. Ask the children which object they think will reach the floor first? Most should say the heavy object.
Drop both objects. They will reach the floor at the same time. (You may wish to repeat the exercise). State that sin is like that to God. The lighter or smaller sins are just as serious to Him as the weightier ones, for all wrongdoing is sin (1 John 5 v. 17).
b. Ask the children to imagine that both they and you are going to take a maths test where the pass mark is 100%. State that they - being really clever - get a mark of 98%, but that you - being not too good at maths - only manage 2%.
Ask the children how you have done - passed or failed? You have failed.
Ask the children how they have done - passed or failed? They also have failed.
Explain that although the children did much better than you in this imaginary test, they still failed. State that in life some people have led really led really bad lives and, rather like getting a mark of two out of a hundred, fall far short of God's standard, which is perfection. State that other people (give a few examples) have led wonderful lives, but no matter how good they have been they still come short of God's standard. Most people come somewhere between these two extremes, but the good news of the Gospel is that one man, Jesus, did lead a perfect life and reach God's standard. The even better news is that Jesus did it for us, and then died on the cross in our place, so that we could be forgiven - no matter how short of God's standard we have come.
Story - God knows best.
Many years ago an Irish girl was born with blonde hair and brown eyes. She wished, however, that her eyes were blue like all her brothers and sisters - she just didn't like looking different from them. One day she read in her Bible where Jesus promised to give her whatever she asked for. That night she excitedly prayed, asking God to change the colour of her eyes to blue. The next morning she expectantly looked in the mirror to check the colour of her eyes and, to her great disappointment, found them still to be brown.
Somewhat puzzled the young girl consulted her mother. "Why will God not give me blue eyes like my brothers and sisters?" Her wise mother replied "God knows best. He has given you brown eyes for a reason. God has planned your life out even from before you were born, and perhaps one day you will discover why He chose to give you brown eyes."
The years passed, and that Irish girl became a Missionary to India. To her horror she discovered that young children were working as slaves in a factory near where she now lived. She knew that she must do something about it. Therefore she disguised herself as a native Indian, blackening her blonde hair with boot polish, browning her face and arms with coffee, and putting on a Sari dress.
Boldly the disguised missionary walked past the factory guards and managed to smuggle a number of the smallest children out by hiding them under her loose fitting dress.
Later, when this event was being recounted to some friends, one of them exclaimed "Isn't it lucky that you have brown eyes and not blue eyes like all your brothers and sisters. No-one can disguise the colour of their eyes, so if you had blue eyes you could never have fooled the factory guards by passing yourself off as an Indian!"
Was it "luck" that that Irish girl was born with brown eyes? I don't think so. I believe that God gave her brown eyes for a reason. God "knows the end from the beginning." He knew that she would need to have brown eyes all those years later.
Sometimes we may pray and ask God for something. And although it may appear that there is no good reason why He shouldn't grant our request, we don't get what we asked for. At those times we need to trust God and to remind ourselves that, as with the case of the Irish girl, He sees "The big picture." Whereas we see only a little part of our lives, God sees all of it - past, present, and future. And only He knows what is really best for us.
Teaching Children to Pray
by Verda Rubottom
Christian educators know that one of the most valuable things we can teach children is how to pray. Many of God's chosen leaders learned to pray as children. King David learned to commune with God as a young shepherd boy on the hills of Judea. The boy, Samuel, heard the voice of God as he lay on his bed in the temple of the Lord. God still speaks to children today and wants to reveal himself to them through his Word, and through prayer. But how can we teach in a way that will not only instruct—but will inspire children to pray?
Inspired by Example
A good place to begin is with our own prayer life. Our students will sense the power of the Holy Spirit in our teaching if we have spent time in prayer through the week. In Luke 11 one of Jesus' disciples made a request, "Lord, teach us to pray..." The disciples saw the wonderful relationship that Jesus had with his Father through prayer—and they wanted this too! Likewise, children will have a greater desire to pray when they see evidence of an effective prayer life in people they admire. Parents and teachers who communicate freely with God are teaching by their actions that prayer is an important part of Christian living, and is a natural outflow of a close relationship with God.
It's important to use examples from Scripture as the foundation for our teaching on the subject of prayer. Don't underestimate the influence of a Bible story told with conviction, enthusiasm, and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Stories such as; "The Boys Who Would Not Bow," "Daniel in the Lion's Den," "Hannah's Baby Boy," and "Peter in Prison," are all stories about prayer and God's intervention. Stories can be used to clarify the ways we can pray in a variety of situations. Follow up your lesson with discussions, Bible games, and developmentally appropriate learning activities. This will reinforce the lesson, and help the children understand how they can apply prayer in their daily lives.
Children also need to know that God has been working in people's lives throughout history. Stories of great Christians from our nation's history are an excellent resource for teaching children how prayer has influenced our culture. Add to this some current testimonies of Christian role models and testimonies from people in your own church. We don't have to look far to find examples of amazing stories of answered prayer.
Instruction is Essential
When we teach children about prayer we should take care to preserve their childlike faith. We should avoid making prayer seem too complicated, or give the impression that prayer is a formula, a ritual, or merely a church or family tradition. Prayer is really just talking, worshipping, and fellowshipping with Jesus our friend from our hearts. When children understand this they will be more likely to share all their feelings with the Lord, and come to Him with confidence. Children need to understand that they can talk to God about anything, no matter how big, or how small the problem. When we invite children to pray audibly in class we can expect many different kinds of prayers. In the book, Children's Letters to God, there are many examples of how children see things. One example from the book is a letter from Jeff who says, "Dear God, It is great the way you always get the stars in the right places." Another one from Donny asks, "Dear God, is Reverend Coe a friend of yours, or do you just know him through business?" Children will pray in a natural way if they are not concerned about other people's reactions. Their prayers will also reflect their spiritual maturity, level of development, and their experiences with prayer at home and in church. It is the
teacher's responsibility to set the emotional and spiritual tone in the classroom that will encourage children to pray, while at the same time gently guiding them into a greater understanding of prayer.
Although many of the children we teach have church backgrounds, we should not assume that they understand what prayer is all about. Many come from prayerless homes; others pray more out of habit, and some may even be influenced by false doctrine and have an erroneous concept of who God is. For this reason it is essential that we help students build a solid foundation for their prayer life.
• God wants his children to approach him as their heavenly Father.
• God's name is holy.
• We should pray for God's will (His plan for everyone) to be done on earth.
• God wants us to ask Him for the things we need each day. He cares for us.
• We need to ask God to forgive us for the wrong things we do, and to help us to forgive others.
• We should ask God to keep us from things that tempt us.
• We can ask God to deliver (rescue) us from evil.
• We should come to God with thankful hearts, and praise Him for the wonderful things He has done.
• We can come to the Father through Jesus. He is the only way to God. That is why we pray in Jesus' name.
• The Holy Spirit will help us pray when we're not sure how to pray.
• We can pray in the Spirit.
• We should pray for others. This is called intercession.
• When we pray believing—and according to God's will—we can expect the Lord to answer our prayers. We can expect miracles today!
• We can talk to God anytime and anywhere, because Jesus is with us all the time.
• We can trust God—even if He says no to our request because He knows what is best for us and is working out a good plan for us.
• When we have to wait a long time for an answer, we can trust that God is working things out for our good because He loves us.
Involve the Children in Prayer
As Christian educators we know that it's not enough to observe others praying, or to learn about praying; children need to experience for themselves the power of prayer. This is where we need good planning and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit to allow opportunities for children to enter into prayer during Sunday school and children's church. However, it's important to remember that prayer is a matter of the heart. As teachers, we can require respect and cooperation during prayer times, but we must rely on the Holy Spirit to change hearts and give boys and girls the desire to pray.
Here are some ways to actively involve children in prayer:
• Ask volunteers to lead the class in prayer.
• Provide time for students to give praise reports of answered prayers. Make a class praise book with a page for each child to draw or write about something they are thankful for.
• Break up into small groups for a discussion on how God answers prayer. Shy children will be more likely to ask questions in this setting. Follow this up with small group prayer.
• Keep a class record of prayer requests and answers to prayer. Be sensitive to requests of a more personal nature that should not be recorded. Pray for the requests during the week.
• Have children make individual prayer journals in class. Then provide time each week for them to record their individual requests and answers to prayer. The journals can be sent home at the end of the quarter, and serve as a permanent reminder of God's working in their lives.
• Challenge your class to memorize key prayer scriptures using a variety of teaching methods that involve active participation. Make sure the children understand the meaning of the verses. Use these scriptures during prayer times to reinforce the application of the verse.
• Use a globe or world map when praying for missionaries to increase an awareness of worldwide missions, and compassion for people in other parts of the world. Have a child hold the globe as you pray.
• Invite children with special requests to come for prayer during your praise and worship time. In a large class you can have other teachers pray with children individually while the main teacher continues to lead the rest of the group in worship. This can also be done at the close of the lesson. Allow time for the Holy Spirit to move in the hearts of the children, be sensitive to His leading.
• When a child requests prayer for a significant event, such as a family move, or surgery, invite your class to pray for the child by forming a prayer circle by joining hands and praying as a group, or individually around the circle.
Yes, prayer changes things and people! When we provide examples that inspire, instruction at the child's level, and opportunities for involvement, we will see spiritual growth and development in our children that will be the foundation for a lifetime of exciting adventures in prayer.
Harry Potter mania.
With the continuing Harry Potter mania, here are some links to help you and your ministry to make an informed response:
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/harrypotter.html
http://www.christianpost.com/article/education/895/section/finding.god.in.harry.potter/1.htm
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050716/NEWS10/507160346
http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/Harry&Witchcraft.htm
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/jul/05071508.html
http://www.worthynews.com/news-features/harry-potter-3.html
Things Kids say (3).
A new-entrants teacher had twenty-five children in her class and she presented each child in her class the first half of a well-known proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb.
While reading these keep in mind that these are 6-year-olds!
1. Don't change horses.............until they stop running.
2. Strike while the................bug is close.
3. It's always darkest before.........Daylight Saving Time.
4. Never underestimate the power of........ termites.
5. You can lead a horse to water but ......... how?
6. Don't bite the hand that................... Looks dirty.
7. No news is...................................impossible.
8. A miss is as good as a........................ Mr.
9. You can't teach an old dog new ............... math.
10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll......stink in the morning.
11. Love all, trust ....................me.
12. The pen is mightier than the ................... pigs.
13. An idle mind is........................the best way to relax.
14. Where there's smoke there's ................ pollution.
15. Happy the bride who............gets all the presents.
16. A penny saved is........................ Not much.
17. Two's company, three's?................. The Musketeers.
18. Don't put off till tomorrow what.... you put on to go to bed.
19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and.......you have to blow your nose.
20. There are none so blind as.................... Stevie Wonder.
21. Children should be seen and not.......spanked or grounded.
22. If at first you don't succeed............ Get new batteries.
23. You get out of something only what you........ see in the picture on the box.
24. When the blind lead the blind ............get out of the way.
We all have many rules in our lives - rules at home (things we can or cannot do), rules at school, rules given by the Government, such as the Road rules, and rules given by God, the best known ones being called the Ten Commandments.
Would it be good if we didn't have any rules? For example, suppose you could go to bed at whatever time you liked. Or if the school bell rang, you didn't have to come in from the playground if you didn't want to. Or if you liked the look of someone else's lunch, you could eat it because there was no rule to say that you couldn't. Or if you didn't like the look of someone, you could give them a punch in the stomach!
That may sound good to some of you, but if you didn't have to keep any rules, neither would anybody else. Suppose somebody ate your lunch because they liked the look of it, or gave you a punch in the stomach because they didn't like the way you looked? No, that wouldn't be so good would it? All rules, whether given by parents, teachers, the Government or God are for our benefit. They are not given to us to spoil our fun, but rather to prevent us hurting ourselves or others. (You could give an example here about the possible consequences of disobeying (say) the road rules).
I have a list here of God's rules - The Ten Commandments. The first four concern our relationship with God, and the last six concern how we should treat other people. I will talk about each one in turn, and you can decide whether or not you have kept that particular Commandment. Remember, even if you have broken a Commandment only once, you are still a lawbreaker. You only have to tell one lie to become a liar, or steal one thing to become a thief. (You could give each child a piece of paper, and get them to put a tick or x against each Commandment depending on whether they have kept it or not. Remember to assure them that this is just between them and God, and that you won't be collecting the papers in afterwards).
1. You shall have no other gods before me. God must have first place in our lives. If you love someone or something more than God, you have broken this Commandment.
2. Do not make any image of God. Not many people today make a picture or sculpting of God and worship that. But many people do break this Commandment by making God in their own image. If your idea of God is, or has been, different from the God of the Bible, you have broken this Commandment. For example, some people think that God won't mind a little bit of wrongdoing -as long as it is not too bad, or that if you lead a good life you will go to heaven, or that Jesus is just one of many ways of coming to God.
3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. God and His name cannot be separated. We must always use the name of God and Jesus in the right way - with respect. If you have ever used His name as a swear word, you have broken this Commandment.
4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. God created the Universe and all that is in it in six days and rested on the seventh, as an example of how we should organise our lives. We should take a rest or break from our normal routine one day in every seven. This is also a good day to get to know God better by talking to him, reading the Bible and meeting with other believers.
5. Honour your father and your mother. This means that we should obey them (unless they tell us to do something that breaks God's laws), respect them, treat them well and never talk nastily to them or about them.
6. You shall not murder. Before you all rush to put a tick against this one, wait a moment. Jesus explained what this Commandment really meant. He said that if we hate someone, we have already murdered them in our hearts. So if you hate (or have hated someone) you have broken this Commandment, even if you have not gone on and actually killed them!
7. You shall not commit adultery. This is really a Commandment for grown ups. Husbands and wives should be faithful to each other, stick together and not go off with someone else. Jesus explained, however, that if you thought about doing this - even if you didn't actually do it - you had already broken the Commandment in your heart.
8. You shall not steal. Stealing is stealing! If you steal someone's pencil, it is just as much stealing as if you robbed a Bank of a million dollars! If you find some money in the playground and keep it for yourself - that is stealing. If you borrow a book off someone and don't return it - that is stealing.
9. You shall not lie. There is no such thing as a little lie, a white lie, or a fib. Lying is lying.
10. You shall not desire something that belongs to another. This is sometimes called coveting or envy. It is not wrong to desire nice things, but it is if those things belong to someone else. If your friend has a new bike, computer, or even some chocolates, and you think "I wish I had that instead of them", you have broken this Commandment.
Hands up everyone who has kept all ten Commandments all the time. Oh dear. I am afraid that I have to accuse all of you with your hands up (and there usually are a few) of breaking Commandment number 9 - You shall not lie! The Bible tells us that everyone has broken God's Commandments (Romans 3.23). Some people have led very good lives and broken only a few Commandments. Some people have led very bad lives and broken most or all of the Commandments. Most of us have led lives between these two extremes. But no-one has kept all the Commandments all the time.
At this point I will illustrate the seriousness of sin by conducting Object lesson 34b (Everyone has fallen short of God's standard) and 34a (all sins are equal). These are reproduced below.
Thus we are all lawbreakers, and the penalty is death i.e. separation from a holy God (Romans 6.23). You are now probably thinking "Those Commandments are pretty tough. Does God really expect us to keep them all?" No. God knows that because of the selfish nature we are all born with, we are incapable of keeping His Commandments all the time. "Why then does God give us Commandments if He knows that we are unable to keep them?" The answer is so that they will be like a schoolteacher to bring us to Christ (Galatians 3.24). In other words, if there was no Commandment saying "You shall not steal" we wouldn't know we were doing wrong when we stole. If there was no Commandment saying "You shall not lie" we wouldn't know we were doing wrong when we lied etc. etc. It is only because we have the Commandments that, as we break them, we realise we are lawbreakers in need of forgiveness and help in keeping God's rules.
That is the bad news. Now for the good news. Someone did keep all the Commandments. Someone never sinned. Someone did pass the test. His name is Jesus - and He did it all for us. Jesus is God. He didn't have to keep His own rules. But because He loves us, He became a man, and passed the test on our behalf. And after keeping all the Commandments, Jesus died on the cross in our place so we can be forgiven.
(Note. The Bible teaches that death is the result of sin. We are only going to die because of sin. But because Jesus never sinned, He is the only person who never needed to die. He chose to die in our place, however, so we could live forever with God).
Conclusion. If you have only ever broken one Commandment once, you are still a lawbreaker and need to ask Jesus to come into your life to forgive you. And if you put your trust in Jesus, He will help you to do better in keeping the Commandments. No-one will ever become perfect, but as you keep living for Jesus there will be an ongoing improvement in your being able to keep the Ten Commandments.
Object Lesson 34. The seriousness of sin.
Many children tend to categorise sin into big sins (e.g. murder) and little sins (e.g. a lie). Here are two illustrations you could use to help them understand that in God's sight all sin is serious.
a. Hold in one hand a crumpled piece of paper, and in the other a small but heavy object (e.g. a battery). Tell the children that the paper represents what many people think of as "little" sins like lying and swearing, and that the heavy object represents what many think of as "big" sins like murder and robbery. State that you are going to drop both objects to the floor at the same time. Ask the children which object they think will reach the floor first? Most should say the heavy object.
Drop both objects. They will reach the floor at the same time. (You may wish to repeat the exercise). State that sin is like that to God. The lighter or smaller sins are just as serious to Him as the weightier ones, for all wrongdoing is sin (1 John 5 v. 17).
b. Ask the children to imagine that both they and you are going to take a maths test where the pass mark is 100%. State that they - being really clever - get a mark of 98%, but that you - being not too good at maths - only manage 2%.
Ask the children how you have done - passed or failed? You have failed.
Ask the children how they have done - passed or failed? They also have failed.
Explain that although the children did much better than you in this imaginary test, they still failed. State that in life some people have led really led really bad lives and, rather like getting a mark of two out of a hundred, fall far short of God's standard, which is perfection. State that other people (give a few examples) have led wonderful lives, but no matter how good they have been they still come short of God's standard. Most people come somewhere between these two extremes, but the good news of the Gospel is that one man, Jesus, did lead a perfect life and reach God's standard. The even better news is that Jesus did it for us, and then died on the cross in our place, so that we could be forgiven - no matter how short of God's standard we have come.
Story - God knows best.
Many years ago an Irish girl was born with blonde hair and brown eyes. She wished, however, that her eyes were blue like all her brothers and sisters - she just didn't like looking different from them. One day she read in her Bible where Jesus promised to give her whatever she asked for. That night she excitedly prayed, asking God to change the colour of her eyes to blue. The next morning she expectantly looked in the mirror to check the colour of her eyes and, to her great disappointment, found them still to be brown.
Somewhat puzzled the young girl consulted her mother. "Why will God not give me blue eyes like my brothers and sisters?" Her wise mother replied "God knows best. He has given you brown eyes for a reason. God has planned your life out even from before you were born, and perhaps one day you will discover why He chose to give you brown eyes."
The years passed, and that Irish girl became a Missionary to India. To her horror she discovered that young children were working as slaves in a factory near where she now lived. She knew that she must do something about it. Therefore she disguised herself as a native Indian, blackening her blonde hair with boot polish, browning her face and arms with coffee, and putting on a Sari dress.
Boldly the disguised missionary walked past the factory guards and managed to smuggle a number of the smallest children out by hiding them under her loose fitting dress.
Later, when this event was being recounted to some friends, one of them exclaimed "Isn't it lucky that you have brown eyes and not blue eyes like all your brothers and sisters. No-one can disguise the colour of their eyes, so if you had blue eyes you could never have fooled the factory guards by passing yourself off as an Indian!"
Was it "luck" that that Irish girl was born with brown eyes? I don't think so. I believe that God gave her brown eyes for a reason. God "knows the end from the beginning." He knew that she would need to have brown eyes all those years later.
Sometimes we may pray and ask God for something. And although it may appear that there is no good reason why He shouldn't grant our request, we don't get what we asked for. At those times we need to trust God and to remind ourselves that, as with the case of the Irish girl, He sees "The big picture." Whereas we see only a little part of our lives, God sees all of it - past, present, and future. And only He knows what is really best for us.
Teaching Children to Pray
by Verda Rubottom
Christian educators know that one of the most valuable things we can teach children is how to pray. Many of God's chosen leaders learned to pray as children. King David learned to commune with God as a young shepherd boy on the hills of Judea. The boy, Samuel, heard the voice of God as he lay on his bed in the temple of the Lord. God still speaks to children today and wants to reveal himself to them through his Word, and through prayer. But how can we teach in a way that will not only instruct—but will inspire children to pray?
Inspired by Example
A good place to begin is with our own prayer life. Our students will sense the power of the Holy Spirit in our teaching if we have spent time in prayer through the week. In Luke 11 one of Jesus' disciples made a request, "Lord, teach us to pray..." The disciples saw the wonderful relationship that Jesus had with his Father through prayer—and they wanted this too! Likewise, children will have a greater desire to pray when they see evidence of an effective prayer life in people they admire. Parents and teachers who communicate freely with God are teaching by their actions that prayer is an important part of Christian living, and is a natural outflow of a close relationship with God.
It's important to use examples from Scripture as the foundation for our teaching on the subject of prayer. Don't underestimate the influence of a Bible story told with conviction, enthusiasm, and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Stories such as; "The Boys Who Would Not Bow," "Daniel in the Lion's Den," "Hannah's Baby Boy," and "Peter in Prison," are all stories about prayer and God's intervention. Stories can be used to clarify the ways we can pray in a variety of situations. Follow up your lesson with discussions, Bible games, and developmentally appropriate learning activities. This will reinforce the lesson, and help the children understand how they can apply prayer in their daily lives.
Children also need to know that God has been working in people's lives throughout history. Stories of great Christians from our nation's history are an excellent resource for teaching children how prayer has influenced our culture. Add to this some current testimonies of Christian role models and testimonies from people in your own church. We don't have to look far to find examples of amazing stories of answered prayer.
Instruction is Essential
When we teach children about prayer we should take care to preserve their childlike faith. We should avoid making prayer seem too complicated, or give the impression that prayer is a formula, a ritual, or merely a church or family tradition. Prayer is really just talking, worshipping, and fellowshipping with Jesus our friend from our hearts. When children understand this they will be more likely to share all their feelings with the Lord, and come to Him with confidence. Children need to understand that they can talk to God about anything, no matter how big, or how small the problem. When we invite children to pray audibly in class we can expect many different kinds of prayers. In the book, Children's Letters to God, there are many examples of how children see things. One example from the book is a letter from Jeff who says, "Dear God, It is great the way you always get the stars in the right places." Another one from Donny asks, "Dear God, is Reverend Coe a friend of yours, or do you just know him through business?" Children will pray in a natural way if they are not concerned about other people's reactions. Their prayers will also reflect their spiritual maturity, level of development, and their experiences with prayer at home and in church. It is the
teacher's responsibility to set the emotional and spiritual tone in the classroom that will encourage children to pray, while at the same time gently guiding them into a greater understanding of prayer.
Although many of the children we teach have church backgrounds, we should not assume that they understand what prayer is all about. Many come from prayerless homes; others pray more out of habit, and some may even be influenced by false doctrine and have an erroneous concept of who God is. For this reason it is essential that we help students build a solid foundation for their prayer life.
• God wants his children to approach him as their heavenly Father.
• God's name is holy.
• We should pray for God's will (His plan for everyone) to be done on earth.
• God wants us to ask Him for the things we need each day. He cares for us.
• We need to ask God to forgive us for the wrong things we do, and to help us to forgive others.
• We should ask God to keep us from things that tempt us.
• We can ask God to deliver (rescue) us from evil.
• We should come to God with thankful hearts, and praise Him for the wonderful things He has done.
• We can come to the Father through Jesus. He is the only way to God. That is why we pray in Jesus' name.
• The Holy Spirit will help us pray when we're not sure how to pray.
• We can pray in the Spirit.
• We should pray for others. This is called intercession.
• When we pray believing—and according to God's will—we can expect the Lord to answer our prayers. We can expect miracles today!
• We can talk to God anytime and anywhere, because Jesus is with us all the time.
• We can trust God—even if He says no to our request because He knows what is best for us and is working out a good plan for us.
• When we have to wait a long time for an answer, we can trust that God is working things out for our good because He loves us.
Involve the Children in Prayer
As Christian educators we know that it's not enough to observe others praying, or to learn about praying; children need to experience for themselves the power of prayer. This is where we need good planning and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit to allow opportunities for children to enter into prayer during Sunday school and children's church. However, it's important to remember that prayer is a matter of the heart. As teachers, we can require respect and cooperation during prayer times, but we must rely on the Holy Spirit to change hearts and give boys and girls the desire to pray.
Here are some ways to actively involve children in prayer:
• Ask volunteers to lead the class in prayer.
• Provide time for students to give praise reports of answered prayers. Make a class praise book with a page for each child to draw or write about something they are thankful for.
• Break up into small groups for a discussion on how God answers prayer. Shy children will be more likely to ask questions in this setting. Follow this up with small group prayer.
• Keep a class record of prayer requests and answers to prayer. Be sensitive to requests of a more personal nature that should not be recorded. Pray for the requests during the week.
• Have children make individual prayer journals in class. Then provide time each week for them to record their individual requests and answers to prayer. The journals can be sent home at the end of the quarter, and serve as a permanent reminder of God's working in their lives.
• Challenge your class to memorize key prayer scriptures using a variety of teaching methods that involve active participation. Make sure the children understand the meaning of the verses. Use these scriptures during prayer times to reinforce the application of the verse.
• Use a globe or world map when praying for missionaries to increase an awareness of worldwide missions, and compassion for people in other parts of the world. Have a child hold the globe as you pray.
• Invite children with special requests to come for prayer during your praise and worship time. In a large class you can have other teachers pray with children individually while the main teacher continues to lead the rest of the group in worship. This can also be done at the close of the lesson. Allow time for the Holy Spirit to move in the hearts of the children, be sensitive to His leading.
• When a child requests prayer for a significant event, such as a family move, or surgery, invite your class to pray for the child by forming a prayer circle by joining hands and praying as a group, or individually around the circle.
Yes, prayer changes things and people! When we provide examples that inspire, instruction at the child's level, and opportunities for involvement, we will see spiritual growth and development in our children that will be the foundation for a lifetime of exciting adventures in prayer.
Harry Potter mania.
With the continuing Harry Potter mania, here are some links to help you and your ministry to make an informed response:
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/harrypotter.html
http://www.christianpost.com/article/education/895/section/finding.god.in.harry.potter/1.htm
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050716/NEWS10/507160346
http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/Harry&Witchcraft.htm
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/jul/05071508.html
http://www.worthynews.com/news-features/harry-potter-3.html
Things Kids say (3).
A new-entrants teacher had twenty-five children in her class and she presented each child in her class the first half of a well-known proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb.
While reading these keep in mind that these are 6-year-olds!
1. Don't change horses.............until they stop running.
2. Strike while the................bug is close.
3. It's always darkest before.........Daylight Saving Time.
4. Never underestimate the power of........ termites.
5. You can lead a horse to water but ......... how?
6. Don't bite the hand that................... Looks dirty.
7. No news is...................................impossible.
8. A miss is as good as a........................ Mr.
9. You can't teach an old dog new ............... math.
10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll......stink in the morning.
11. Love all, trust ....................me.
12. The pen is mightier than the ................... pigs.
13. An idle mind is........................the best way to relax.
14. Where there's smoke there's ................ pollution.
15. Happy the bride who............gets all the presents.
16. A penny saved is........................ Not much.
17. Two's company, three's?................. The Musketeers.
18. Don't put off till tomorrow what.... you put on to go to bed.
19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and.......you have to blow your nose.
20. There are none so blind as.................... Stevie Wonder.
21. Children should be seen and not.......spanked or grounded.
22. If at first you don't succeed............ Get new batteries.
23. You get out of something only what you........ see in the picture on the box.
24. When the blind lead the blind ............get out of the way.
posted by Maurice Sweetsur @ 1:08 AM
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