Newsletter 40
Newsletter 40 from Maurice Sweetsur
Contents.
Teaching tip 27 - New Life in Christ.
Teaching tip 28 - Assurance of salvation.
Monologue - King Neb.
Laugh Break.
All Newsletters - http://mauricesweetsur.blogspot.com/
Object lessons / Illusions only - http://objectlessons.blogspot.com/
Teaching tips only - http://teachinglessons.blogspot.com/
Stories, skits and puppet plays - http://christianstoriesandplays.blogspot.com
Blessings,
Maurice Sweetsur
Teaching tip 27 - New life in Christ.
I was once asked if God really preferred the not so good Christian to the good man who is not a Christian?
God's original and chief quarrel with man was, and still is, about the wrong use of his will rather than his method of living. It doesn't matter how 'good' or 'bad' a person is because we have all fallen short of God's standard ((Romans 3.23). The vital question is , are we willing to receive the New Life that God offers us through Jesus Christ?
A Christian (a person in whom Jesus Christ is living) is not different in degree from the non-Christian, but he is different in kind, just as for example, a diamond is different from a cabbage. The one is polished and beautiful while the other is rough and crude, but the one is dead while the other is alive. The one has what the other does not possess to any degree whatsoever - LIFE. This is the difference that God sees between the Christian and the non-Christian.
How can we receive this New Life in Christ? By being 'born again' into God's family following repentance of sin and faith in Jesus. The concept of being 'born again' is sometimes difficult for some children to grasp. I sometimes explain it like this :-
"Suppose I met you out walking your dog. You may say to me "Oh Mr Sweetsur, meet my dog Fido, he is very clever. He is always obedient and can do lots of tricks." That's great, I reply "Is your dog your brother, is he part of your family? Is his full name Fido Smith?" You may well reply "Of course not. He is not really part of my family. We bought him when he was a puppy." I reply "Exactly. To become a real part of your family, someone would have to be born into it, no matter how good or clever they were. In the same way the only way to become part of God's family is to be born into it."
Teaching tip 28 - Assurance of salvation.
Three cats were walking along the top of a wall. The first cat's name was FACTS. The second cat's name was FAITH. The third cat's name was FEELINGS. As long as FAITH kept his eyes on FACTS, he progressed well. But as soon as he turned round to see how FEELINGS was getting on, he fell off the wall!
An amusing story, but it reminds us of an important spiritual truth - our salvation depends on our acceptance of the FACT of Jesus' death and resurrection, and not on whether we 'feel' we are saved. In recent years there has been an increasing emphasis on experiencing the presence of God (and there is nothing wrong with that), but we must always remember, especially when relating to children or young Christians, assurance of salvation is based on what Jesus has done for us, rather than how we feel.
I was reminded of this truth a few weeks ago whilst counselling a young girl who had recently made a commitment to Christ. She asked "Why can't I feel God moving in me?" We owe it to our children to adequately explain what salvation is and then, if they do respond to Christ, to assure them of their salvation by explaining clearly that God accepts us on the basis of what He has done rather than on our feelings, which are always changing anyway.
I was once involved in a large after-school Kids club. Most weeks, at the conclusion, an invitation was made for salvation, and usually more than half the children responded. It soon became apparent, however, that largely the same children were responding week after week after week. Why was that? I can only think of two possible answers. Either they kept backsliding each week between meetings or, more likely, they lacked assurance because they didn't really understand what salvation is.
This is how I usually invite children to receive Christ. {Taken from "Teaching tip 8 - Leading a child to Christ (Newsletter 21)}.
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 then teach them four simple steps they can take to do this A, B, C, D. I use a folded card which I gradually unfold to show one word at a time as shown below.
Admit
Believe
Consider
Do
Thus, A stands for Admit. We need to Admit we have done bad things, and be willing to turn away from everything we know is wrong in our lives.
B stands for Believe. We need to Believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and died on the cross in our place, so that we could be forgiven.
C Stands for Consider. Something to think about. Jesus not only wants to be our Saviour and Friend, He also wants to be Lord of our lives. That means He wants us to put Him first, and live to please Him rather than ourselves. Some people aren't willing to do that, but if you are, you are ready to move onto the final step.
D Stands for Do. We have to invite Him to come into our lives to be our Saviour, Friend and Lord. If we do (and really mean it) we can be certain that He will come in.
Before leading the children in prayer, I will often say at this point :-
"There are probably four groups of people here -
1. Those of you who have already received Jesus. Wonderful, there is no need for you to pray, as once you receive Him, He stays with you forever.
2. Those who haven't received Jesus, but have now considered it, and would like to. You can pray my prayer after me.
3. Those who are still unsure. That's alright. There is no need for you to pray.
4. Those who once received Jesus, but you know you haven't really been putting Him first, and would like to come back to Jesus again. Or perhaps you are not sure if you have ever received Jesus or not. You can all join in my prayer as well, and then you will be sure."
I then lead the children in a simple prayer along the A B C D lines.
Afterwards, I stress that 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 - - - - - ."
Assurance.
I encourage the children to do two things. Make a note of the date (their second birthday) that they became part of God's family, and tell at least one other person that they have received Jesus into their lives. 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."
Monologue - King Neb.
One of the best ways of making a Bible story really come alive is to dress up as a character, and tell the story from his (or her) viewpoint. Remember -Be dramatic.
When teaching on the "Fiery furnace" I usually tell the story, and then recap it by dressing up as King Nebuchadnezzar to give a monologue.
"I am King Nebuchadnezzar. My friends call me 'Neb'. But you must call me 'Your Highness', or 'Your Lordship', or 'Oh Great one'. I am the greatest, most magnificent king that this world has ever known. Do you see all this land, as far as you can see in every direction - it all belongs to me. And do you see this magnificent golden statue? I had it made in honour of me.
I made an order - which everyone must obey - that when anyone hears the music, they must bow down and worship my statue. Well, I could hardly believe my ears when my servant came to me one day and reported that three Hebrew men - Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down to my statue. I had them dragged before me straightaway. I said "Is this true what I hear - that you refuse to bow down and worship my statue?" They were so insolent. They replied "Yes it is true. We will only worship the one true God." I said "I will give you one last chance. You either bow down and worship my statue right now, or I will have you thrown into the fiery furnace." They still defied me and said "You can do that Oh King, but if you do, our God will rescue us from the furnace. But even if He doesn't we will still not worship your statue."
I was furious. I ordered my servants to heat the furnace up seven times hotter than normal. Then I had Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego thrown into it. But then I saw an amazing thing. I said to my servant "How many men did we throw into that fiery furnace? Was it three or was it four?" He replied "Three Oh King." I said "But look. There are four men walking around in the furnace, and the flames don't seem to have harmed them." I then realised that the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had sent an angel to protect them from the flames. I ordered the men to be brought out straightaway - and they were completely unharmed. There was not even the smell of smoke on their clothes.
I now knew that the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego was the greatest of all. So I made a new order - that nobody, but nobody must ever say anything bad about the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, for He is surely the greatest of all.
Laugh Break.
A little boy was waiting on his mother to come out of a store. As he waited, he was approached by a man who asked, "Son, can you tell me where the post office is?"
The little boy replied, "Sure, just go straight down the street a couple of blocks and turn to your right."
The man thanked the boy kindly and said, "I'm the new preacher in town and I'd like for you to come to church on Sunday. I'll show you how to get to Heaven."
The little boy replied with a chuckle, "Awww, come on; you don't even know the way to the post office!"
A mother always had difficulty persuading her son to go to church. Finally, one Sunday morning, the conversation went something like this :-
Mother. "It's time to go to church."
Son. "I don't want to go to church."
Mother. "Why don't you want to go to church?"
Son. "Because I don't like the preaching, and I don't like the people."
Mother. "But you must go to church."
Son. "Just give me one good reason why I should go to church."
Mother. "Because you're the PASTOR."
Contents.
Teaching tip 27 - New Life in Christ.
Teaching tip 28 - Assurance of salvation.
Monologue - King Neb.
Laugh Break.
All Newsletters - http://mauricesweetsur.blogspot.com/
Object lessons / Illusions only - http://objectlessons.blogspot.com/
Teaching tips only - http://teachinglessons.blogspot.com/
Stories, skits and puppet plays - http://christianstoriesandplays.blogspot.com
Blessings,
Maurice Sweetsur
Teaching tip 27 - New life in Christ.
I was once asked if God really preferred the not so good Christian to the good man who is not a Christian?
God's original and chief quarrel with man was, and still is, about the wrong use of his will rather than his method of living. It doesn't matter how 'good' or 'bad' a person is because we have all fallen short of God's standard ((Romans 3.23). The vital question is , are we willing to receive the New Life that God offers us through Jesus Christ?
A Christian (a person in whom Jesus Christ is living) is not different in degree from the non-Christian, but he is different in kind, just as for example, a diamond is different from a cabbage. The one is polished and beautiful while the other is rough and crude, but the one is dead while the other is alive. The one has what the other does not possess to any degree whatsoever - LIFE. This is the difference that God sees between the Christian and the non-Christian.
How can we receive this New Life in Christ? By being 'born again' into God's family following repentance of sin and faith in Jesus. The concept of being 'born again' is sometimes difficult for some children to grasp. I sometimes explain it like this :-
"Suppose I met you out walking your dog. You may say to me "Oh Mr Sweetsur, meet my dog Fido, he is very clever. He is always obedient and can do lots of tricks." That's great, I reply "Is your dog your brother, is he part of your family? Is his full name Fido Smith?" You may well reply "Of course not. He is not really part of my family. We bought him when he was a puppy." I reply "Exactly. To become a real part of your family, someone would have to be born into it, no matter how good or clever they were. In the same way the only way to become part of God's family is to be born into it."
Teaching tip 28 - Assurance of salvation.
Three cats were walking along the top of a wall. The first cat's name was FACTS. The second cat's name was FAITH. The third cat's name was FEELINGS. As long as FAITH kept his eyes on FACTS, he progressed well. But as soon as he turned round to see how FEELINGS was getting on, he fell off the wall!
An amusing story, but it reminds us of an important spiritual truth - our salvation depends on our acceptance of the FACT of Jesus' death and resurrection, and not on whether we 'feel' we are saved. In recent years there has been an increasing emphasis on experiencing the presence of God (and there is nothing wrong with that), but we must always remember, especially when relating to children or young Christians, assurance of salvation is based on what Jesus has done for us, rather than how we feel.
I was reminded of this truth a few weeks ago whilst counselling a young girl who had recently made a commitment to Christ. She asked "Why can't I feel God moving in me?" We owe it to our children to adequately explain what salvation is and then, if they do respond to Christ, to assure them of their salvation by explaining clearly that God accepts us on the basis of what He has done rather than on our feelings, which are always changing anyway.
I was once involved in a large after-school Kids club. Most weeks, at the conclusion, an invitation was made for salvation, and usually more than half the children responded. It soon became apparent, however, that largely the same children were responding week after week after week. Why was that? I can only think of two possible answers. Either they kept backsliding each week between meetings or, more likely, they lacked assurance because they didn't really understand what salvation is.
This is how I usually invite children to receive Christ. {Taken from "Teaching tip 8 - Leading a child to Christ (Newsletter 21)}.
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 then teach them four simple steps they can take to do this A, B, C, D. I use a folded card which I gradually unfold to show one word at a time as shown below.
Admit
Believe
Consider
Do
Thus, A stands for Admit. We need to Admit we have done bad things, and be willing to turn away from everything we know is wrong in our lives.
B stands for Believe. We need to Believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and died on the cross in our place, so that we could be forgiven.
C Stands for Consider. Something to think about. Jesus not only wants to be our Saviour and Friend, He also wants to be Lord of our lives. That means He wants us to put Him first, and live to please Him rather than ourselves. Some people aren't willing to do that, but if you are, you are ready to move onto the final step.
D Stands for Do. We have to invite Him to come into our lives to be our Saviour, Friend and Lord. If we do (and really mean it) we can be certain that He will come in.
Before leading the children in prayer, I will often say at this point :-
"There are probably four groups of people here -
1. Those of you who have already received Jesus. Wonderful, there is no need for you to pray, as once you receive Him, He stays with you forever.
2. Those who haven't received Jesus, but have now considered it, and would like to. You can pray my prayer after me.
3. Those who are still unsure. That's alright. There is no need for you to pray.
4. Those who once received Jesus, but you know you haven't really been putting Him first, and would like to come back to Jesus again. Or perhaps you are not sure if you have ever received Jesus or not. You can all join in my prayer as well, and then you will be sure."
I then lead the children in a simple prayer along the A B C D lines.
Afterwards, I stress that 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 - - - - - ."
Assurance.
I encourage the children to do two things. Make a note of the date (their second birthday) that they became part of God's family, and tell at least one other person that they have received Jesus into their lives. 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."
Monologue - King Neb.
One of the best ways of making a Bible story really come alive is to dress up as a character, and tell the story from his (or her) viewpoint. Remember -Be dramatic.
When teaching on the "Fiery furnace" I usually tell the story, and then recap it by dressing up as King Nebuchadnezzar to give a monologue.
"I am King Nebuchadnezzar. My friends call me 'Neb'. But you must call me 'Your Highness', or 'Your Lordship', or 'Oh Great one'. I am the greatest, most magnificent king that this world has ever known. Do you see all this land, as far as you can see in every direction - it all belongs to me. And do you see this magnificent golden statue? I had it made in honour of me.
I made an order - which everyone must obey - that when anyone hears the music, they must bow down and worship my statue. Well, I could hardly believe my ears when my servant came to me one day and reported that three Hebrew men - Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down to my statue. I had them dragged before me straightaway. I said "Is this true what I hear - that you refuse to bow down and worship my statue?" They were so insolent. They replied "Yes it is true. We will only worship the one true God." I said "I will give you one last chance. You either bow down and worship my statue right now, or I will have you thrown into the fiery furnace." They still defied me and said "You can do that Oh King, but if you do, our God will rescue us from the furnace. But even if He doesn't we will still not worship your statue."
I was furious. I ordered my servants to heat the furnace up seven times hotter than normal. Then I had Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego thrown into it. But then I saw an amazing thing. I said to my servant "How many men did we throw into that fiery furnace? Was it three or was it four?" He replied "Three Oh King." I said "But look. There are four men walking around in the furnace, and the flames don't seem to have harmed them." I then realised that the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had sent an angel to protect them from the flames. I ordered the men to be brought out straightaway - and they were completely unharmed. There was not even the smell of smoke on their clothes.
I now knew that the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego was the greatest of all. So I made a new order - that nobody, but nobody must ever say anything bad about the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, for He is surely the greatest of all.
Laugh Break.
A little boy was waiting on his mother to come out of a store. As he waited, he was approached by a man who asked, "Son, can you tell me where the post office is?"
The little boy replied, "Sure, just go straight down the street a couple of blocks and turn to your right."
The man thanked the boy kindly and said, "I'm the new preacher in town and I'd like for you to come to church on Sunday. I'll show you how to get to Heaven."
The little boy replied with a chuckle, "Awww, come on; you don't even know the way to the post office!"
A mother always had difficulty persuading her son to go to church. Finally, one Sunday morning, the conversation went something like this :-
Mother. "It's time to go to church."
Son. "I don't want to go to church."
Mother. "Why don't you want to go to church?"
Son. "Because I don't like the preaching, and I don't like the people."
Mother. "But you must go to church."
Son. "Just give me one good reason why I should go to church."
Mother. "Because you're the PASTOR."
posted by Maurice Sweetsur @ 10:00 PM
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