Newsletters 6 - 10.
Newsletter 6.
Contents.
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.
14. Making the right choice.
Contents.
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.
14. Making the right choice.
A well known "Magician's" trick is to force a volunteer to choose the "right card" from a number of different cards. This technique can be used to ensure a child makes the "right choice" from a number of options represented by different cards.
This lesson is very versatile. For example you can pose questions such as "How can we get to heaven?" or "How can we find peace with God?" The right answer is, of course, Jesus. Now, choose seven alternative answers, which some people may give e.g. Prayer, Reading the Bible, Going to church. Keeping the ten commandments, Doing good, Not doing anything bad, Being Baptised, Believe in God, etc. (Other questions you can ask are "Who is the best role model you can follow?" - it is a good idea to choose a mixture of well known "good" and "bad" role models. – or, "Who or what should be the most important thing in your life?").
Take eight identical pieces of cardboard (of the right size to suit your group), and write "Jesus" on the back of one, and the seven alternative answers on the back of the others. On the front of each card, draw a question mark. However, on the card with "Jesus", make the question mark slightly different from the others - e.g. have the "dot" slightly nearer the main symbol, or have the "curl" slightly more enhanced.
Choose your first volunteer to come and stick each card - question mark to the outside - on a board. Ensure that he/she does not let either you or the rest of the group see what is written on the back of each card. They have complete freedom to stick each card wherever they like, provided that they end up with two columns of four cards each. By looking at the question marks, you will know which is the "Jesus" card.
Explain the purpose of the lesson, and get a second volunteer to come and make what you say you hope will be the right choice. Force him/her to make the right choice as described below. This is a very simple technique, but still seems to baffle the vast majority of people.
Suppose, for example, that the "Jesus" card is in the first column. Ask your volunteer to point to either the first or the second column. If they point to the first, say "Fine, that is your choice, so let us now look at the four cards you have rejected in the second column." As you turn over each of these four cards, explain why they are wrong choices. If your volunteer points to the second column, say "Fine, you have rejected these four cards in the second column", and proceed as before.
You are now left with the four cards in the first column. Ask your volunteer to point to any two of the cards. If the "Jesus" card is one of those chosen, say. "These are the cards you have chosen, let's look at the two you have rejected." Obviously, if they don't point to the "Jesus" card, say " The two you have pointed to are the ones you have rejected --------. " I think you will have got the idea by now, ensuring that your volunteer ends by choosing "Jesus."
15. Little sins grow bigger.
This is a simple but effective illustration to show that "little" sins, if left unchecked, grow and grow until eventually they can cause destruction.
Preparation. Take a round balloon, inflate it, and write the word "sin" on it with a marker. Deflate the balloon.
Lesson. Show your group the balloon, and while you are explaining that "little sins grow bigger", begin to demonstrate this by slowly inflating the balloon (and consequently the word "sin"). It is better to use a balloon pump for this, because eventually you will have inflated the balloon so much that it explodes! - a reminder that sin is very destructive.
16. Break in communication with God.
All that is needed for this illustration is a piece of string or rope at least 1 meter long, and a pair of scissors.
Explain that the rope represents a line of communication. Start by stretching it out horizontally, and say that it could represent a telephone line, with your words going along the line to your friend, and their words coming back to you.
Now hold the rope vertically. Explain that this represents a prayer line to God, with your prayers going up the rope to Him, and His answers coming down to you. State that there is only one thing that can stop your prayers getting through to God - your sins (the bad things you do).
State that you are now going to demonstrate this problem by cutting the rope (Prayer line). Hold the top of the rope in one hand, and grasp the centre of it with the other. Bring the centre portion of the rope to the top, but as your bottom hand reaches your top, swap the centre for a piece of rope about 10 to 15 cm. from the top. This will take place behind your top hand, so will not be noticed. With a little practice you will soon become proficient. It will appear to your group that you are now showing the top and the centre of the rope in your top hand, whereas you will actually be showing the top and a section 10 to 15 cm. below the top.
Cut the rope where it is looped. You have actually cut off just a small top portion, but have appeared to cut it in equal halves. While still concealing the top of the rope behind your hand, tie the small section of rope around the centre, and release for all to see.
Explain that the knot around the centre stands for sin, and prevents your prayers reaching God. Explain that some people try to deal with the problem themselves by reducing their sin. Cut the ends off the knot to make it smaller. Obviously this doesn't work, because the problem (knot) is still there. Explain that some people try to hide their sin. Cover the knot with your hand. This doesn't work either, because we cannot hide anything from God.
Explain that the only way to remove sin is to bring it to God, tell Him you are sorry for it, and ask Him to forgive you. Say, "Imagine my right hand is God, and I am going to bring this sin (knot) to Him." Hold one end of the rope in your right hand, and begin to wrap the rest of the rope around it with your left hand. As you reach the knot - and while still continuing the wrapping - slide off the knot, and keep concealed in your left hand. Unwrap the rope, showing that it has been completely restored! No one will notice that it is now slightly shorter than at first.
17.Burning bush and Fiery furnace.
Here is a good way to demonstrate the burning bush, which was not consumed, or the fiery furnace, which did not harm the three Hebrew boys.
Take a piece of cotton material and draw on it a bush, or three figures as required. Soak the material in a mixture of 2 parts methylated spirits (Methanol) and 1 part water. Squeeze out any excess liquid. Set fire to the material. The methylated spirits will burn, making it appear as if the material is burning. The flames will eventually go out, and the water in the mixture will have successfully protected the material from burning, leaving it unharmed.
Puppet play for Christmas - "What is Christmas all about?"
When I do puppet plays, I usually record the script beforehand - using different 'character' voices, and then play it back while children operate the (glove) puppets. This way I am able to 'watch' the entire group, and also have a puppet/human dialogue if required. For this play, you will need one animal (I use a sheep) and four 'human' puppets. Write the word "Christmas" on a large piece of paper, and display it in a prominent position.
Script.
Host. Today we are going to ask the very important question "What is Christmas all about?" But firstly, let me introduce you to my panel of guests. Let's give a big welcome for my first guest - Miss know it all.
Miss Know it all. Thank you for inviting me onto your show. I am Miss know it all, so you only have to ask me the question, because I know everything.
Host. Well, we will see about that a little later. But secondly, let me introduce Mr. Don't know a lot.
Mr. Don't know a lot. Don't be fooled by my name, because actually I know heaps and heaps of things. So ask me the question, and I will give you the right answer.
Host. Thank you Mr. Don't Know a lot. Our next guest is Mr. Remember well.
Mr. Remember well. As you can tell by my name, I remember everything. So ask me the question, and I will give you the answer.
Host. Thank you Mr. Remember well. Our final guest is Mr. Shaun the sheep. Say "hello" Shaun.
Shaun. Baa, Baa.
Host. Thank you Shaun, If we have time, I will ask Shaun his opinion, but really I don't think he will be much help at all. The question then is "What is Christmas all about?" I am going to save us all some time because I know the answer myself. Christmas is all about money. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but only because Mary and Joseph had to go there to register to pay their taxes to Caesar. So that's the answer - Money. That's why my mum and dad are always complaining what an expensive time of the year Christmas is with so many presents to buy. But, to be fair, I will ask my guests if they have any other opinions. Miss Know it all. Do you know what Christmas is all about?
Miss Know it all. I certainly do. It's not about money you silly old fool. Christmas is all about Food. When Jesus was born, he was placed in a Manger - which is a cattle's eating trough. So that is why people eat so much at Christmas, like Turkey, Christmas pudding and lots of chocolate. So that's the answer to your question - Food.
Host. Thank you Miss Know it all. Remind me not to invite you back on my show. Now, Mr. Don't know a lot, do you know what Christmas is all about?
Mr. Don't know a lot. Well, it's not about money or food. No, Christmas is all about Singing. After Jesus was born, Angels appeared to some Shepherds and they began to sing "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men." So that is the answer - Singing. That is why groups go out carol singing today.
Host. Thank you Mr. Don't know a lot. That was certainly a very "interesting" answer. Mr. Remember well. Do you remember what Christmas is all about?
Mr. Remember well. I certainly do. You should have asked me first, because I remember the answer to the question. Christmas is all about Presents. After Jesus was born, some wise men brought gifts of gold, incense and myrrh to Him. That is why people exchange gifts at Christmas today. So the answer is Presents.
Host. Thank you Mr. Remember well. Finally, I suppose we should ask our last guest Shaun the sheep if he has any opinion. Shaun. Do you know what Christmas is all about?
Shaun. Baa. Baa.
Host. Come along Shaun, give us your answer.
Shaun. Baa. Baa. I need a volunteer to help me.
Self. (Holding up your hand). I will be your volunteer Shaun. My hand was the first to be raised. What would you like me to do?
Shaun. Do you see that paper with "Christmas" written on it?
Self. Yes, I see it.
Shaun. Write out the fourth and fifth letters.
Self. ok.(Counting and writing). I have done that Shaun. What next?
Shaun. Now write out the first six letters.
Self. (Counting and writing) I have done that as well Shaun.
Shaun. That is the answer to our question - "Christmas is Christ."
You may then wish to conclude by recapping on what Christmas is and what Christmas is not all about.
Teaching memory verses.
There are many ways to teach Scripture (Memory verses) to children, but I have found that the more "fun" you make it, the more likely they are to really take it in.
In my experience, the most effective method I have come across is to use "Diminishing words." This is very simple and easy to prepare, but children really enjoy it because they think that they are fooling "teacher."
Write out your memory verse about 6 or 7 times on pieces of cardboard (or paper). However, each time you write, gradually make the words smaller. The words on your last card should be as small as you can possibly write them.
Show your first card (Biggest words) to your group, and have them say the verse. Then simply work your way through to the last card - children repeating the words each time. As you get to the smaller words, start to compliment the group on their eyesight. Act amazed when they manage to "read" your last card. Then say. "I think you are trying to fool me. I don't believe you can really read this last card. I think you have memorised the verse. I think you can repeat the verse without any card at all" - And they will!
Newsletter 7.
Contents.
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).
Dear Children's Minister,
In my last mailout, I included the puppet play "What is Christmas all about?" I also posted this play on two web sites :- www.puppetresources.com and www.carey.ac.nz/drama . The response to this was very encouraging, with many people emailing me to say that they were intending to use the play at their particular group. Therefore, I am including a similar play "What is Easter all about?" in this newsletter. I know that Easter is still some time away, but some lessons require a little planning beforehand. My two object lessons this time are therefore also on the meaning of Easter. I am sure many of you will be familiar with one or both of them, but they are still very effective illustrations on the meaning of the cross, which is, of course, at the heart of the gospel.
Yours in Christ,
Maurice Sweetsur.
Puppet play - "What is Easter all about?"
You will need three “people” puppets, one “animal” puppet ( I use a sheep), a piece of plain paper, and a pair of scissors.
SCRIPT.
HOST. Today, we are going to ask the question “ What is Easter all about? “, but firstly let me introduce you to my panel of guests. Representing the younger generation is Miss Know it all.
MISS KNOW IT ALL.. Thank you for inviting me back on your show. Just ask me the question, and I will give you the answer, because I know everything.
HOST. Secondly, representing the older generation, is Mr Don’t know a lot.
MR. DON’T KNOW A LOT. Although my name is Mr. Don’t Know a lot, I know heaps and heaps of things, so all you need to do is ask me the question.
HOST. Finally, representing the animal kingdom, is Shaun the sheep. Say “hello” Shaun.
SHAUN. Baa. Baa.
HOST. Thank you Shaun. If we have time, I will ask Shaun his opinion, but I don’t really think he will be much help at all. Today’s question is “What is Easter all about?” and I happen to know the answer myself. Easter is all about HOLIDAYS. Everybody I know go on holiday at Easter, so that is the answer – holidays. However, just in case there are any other opinions, I will ask my guests the question. Miss Know it all, do you know what Easter is all about?
MISS KNOW IT ALL. I certainly do. Easter is not about holidays. Easter is all about BUNNIES. Everyone knows that Easter is the time that all the bunny rabbits come out.
HOST. Thank you Miss Know it all. That was certainly a very “interesting” answer. Now, Mr. Don’t know a lot, do you know what Easter is all about?
MR. DON’T KNOW A LOT. It’s certainly not about Holidays or Bunnies! No, Easter is all about EGGS. There are ordinary chicken’s eggs, but the ones I like best are those Cadbury Cream eggs. They are so delicious. I have heaps and heaps of them at Easter time. So that is your answer – Eggs.
HOST. Thank you Mr. Don’t Know a lot. You certainly lived up to your name! Now Shaun, have you any idea at all what Easter is all about?
SHAUN. Baa. Baa. Baa.
HOST. Come on Shaun. Don’t be shy. Give us your answer.
SHAUN .Baa. Baa. I need a volunteer to help me.
SELF. (Holding up your hand). I will be your volunteer Shaun. What would you like me to do?
SHAUN. Take that piece of paper and fold over the top right corner.
SELF. (Folding the top right corner so that it meets the left edge). I have done that Shaun, what next?
SHAUN. Take the top left corner and fold it over.
SELF. (Folding as before so that the top left corner meets the right edge to produce a “house” shape). Oh I see it now Shaun, Easter is about spending time at home with your families!
SHAUN. Now fold the paper down the middle.
SELF. (Folding as directed, to produce an “aeroplane” shape). Oh yes, now I understand. Mr. Host was right all the time. Easter is all about going off on holiday on an aeroplane!
SHAUN. Now cut a strip off the paper, next to the longest edge.
SELF. On no, Shaun, that would spoil my aeroplane.
SHAUN. Just do as you’re told Mr. (name), and cut a strip off the paper.
SELF. Don’t you talk to me like that you silly sheep. I will put you back in your sheep pen, if you are not careful.
SHAUN. Just cut a strip off the paper.
SELF. Oh alright – though I am sure this is going to spoil my aeroplane. (Cut about a 1 cm. strip parallel to the longest edge). I have done that Shaun, what next?
SHAUN. Open the paper up.
SELF. (Opening up the paper to reveal a cross). I think Shaun has given us the right answer. Easter is all about a cross. But not a paper cross. It’s about a wooden cross on which Jesus Christ, God’s Son, died to take away our sins.
18. What happened at the cross? - Jesus takes away our sins.
For this object lesson you will need two chemicals - Potassium Permanganate and Sodium Metabisulphite. ( These are both solids and can be obtained from Chemical suppliers ), a large glass jar, four smaller glasses, and two sticks tied together to form a cross. One of the sticks needs to be hollow at one end ( A bamboo cane is ideal ). The hollow end will form the bottom of your cross.
Preparation. Wrap 2 or 3 grams of Sodium Metabisulphite in a paper tissue and secure it with a small rubber band. Insert the package into the bottom of your cross. Push it down so that it is out of sight.
Dissolve a few grains of Potassium Permanganate in about 250 mls. water (or, alternatively Iodine solution can be used instead). This will produce a maroon coloured liquid to represent "sin."
Half fill your large jar with water. Fill one glass with your Potassium Permanganate solution. Half fill the other three glasses with water, and mark them "Good works", "Church" and "Money" - or, any suitable alternatives which some people think will solve our "sin" problem.
Presentation. This can vary depending on your preferences and the children you are ministering to, but I usually proceed ( often after presenting the "What is Easter all about?" puppet play) along the following lines :-
Hold up the large jar. In the beginning God created a perfect world, and the best thing He made was people. He made them rather like this glass of water - clean on the outside (representing our bodies), and clean on the inside (representing our hearts or spirits).
However, the first people disobeyed God, and this act brought sin into the world and spoiled it all. Pour in about half of the "sin" solution. The jar contents should now be a fairly deep maroon colour. So this now is the problem we are all born with - sin or selfishness on the inside (you could give a few examples here).
Down through the years, some people have realised they have a selfishness problem, and have tried many ways to overcome it. Some have thought the answer may be Good Works. Pour in the "Good works" jar. God does want us to be good to each other but, as you see, that doesn't solve our "sin" problem. Some have thought the answer was going to church. Pour in the "Church" jar. It is an excellent idea to go to church, and by doing so you will probably find the answer to your problem. But, as you see, going to Church in itself is not the answer. Some have thought "If I gave half my money away to the poor, surely God will be really pleased with me and take away my sin." Pour in the "Money" jar. God does want us to be generous, especially to those who don't have as much as we do but, as you see, that still doesn't change us on the inside.
Actually, no matter what we try, it is impossible to change ourselves. But the good news of Easter is that what we can't do for ourselves, God has already done for us. It was on the cross that Jesus died in our place to take away our sins. Pick up your cross and place it in the jar. If you have got your concentrations right, the maroon solution will become clear within a few seconds. If not, gentle stirring with the cross should produce the desired effect.
Conclude the illustration as you think appropriate, but I usually proceed as follows :- Some of you may be thinking "I once did put my trust in Jesus and what He did on the cross, but then I did something bad (e.g. shouted at my dad, was cheeky to my mum, had a fight with my brother etc. ). Does that mean that I have become dirty on the inside again? Lets see shall we. Remove the cross from your jar, then pick up the remaining Potassium Permanganate solution and pour a little at a time into it - repeating the "sins" just mentioned (e.g. being cheeky to your mum). The maroon colour should vanish on making contact with the solution in the jar. Now please don't misunderstand me. If you do do something wrong, you need to ask God to forgive you. But, as you can see, once you have put your trust in Jesus and He has taken away your sin, you stay clean on the inside. nd that is the Good News we remember at Easter.
19. The meaning of the cross.
For this close-up illustration you will need a little coloured water, a saucer, a short candle, a glass, a coin and matches.
Presentation. Tell the children that you are going to explain to them what happened at the cross of Jesus.
State - that the coin represents you or me - place it in the saucer, towards the edge.
- that the coloured water represents our sins - pour it into the saucer until the coin is submerged.
- that the candle represents Jesus - stand it at the centre of the saucer, and light it.
- that the flame represents the life of Christ.
Tell the children to watch carefully, as you take the glass and place it over the lighted candle. Within a few seconds, the flame will consume all the oxygen in the glass and be extinguished. However, it will have created a vacuum which, in turn, will draw the water up inside the glass (thus surrounding the candle) and leave the coin dry.
Recap that on the cross, Jesus gave up His life (the flame went out) so that he could take our sins on Himself, and we could go free.
Contents.
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).
Dear Children's Minister,
In my last mailout, I included the puppet play "What is Christmas all about?" I also posted this play on two web sites :- www.puppetresources.com and www.carey.ac.nz/drama . The response to this was very encouraging, with many people emailing me to say that they were intending to use the play at their particular group. Therefore, I am including a similar play "What is Easter all about?" in this newsletter. I know that Easter is still some time away, but some lessons require a little planning beforehand. My two object lessons this time are therefore also on the meaning of Easter. I am sure many of you will be familiar with one or both of them, but they are still very effective illustrations on the meaning of the cross, which is, of course, at the heart of the gospel.
Yours in Christ,
Maurice Sweetsur.
Puppet play - "What is Easter all about?"
You will need three “people” puppets, one “animal” puppet ( I use a sheep), a piece of plain paper, and a pair of scissors.
SCRIPT.
HOST. Today, we are going to ask the question “ What is Easter all about? “, but firstly let me introduce you to my panel of guests. Representing the younger generation is Miss Know it all.
MISS KNOW IT ALL.. Thank you for inviting me back on your show. Just ask me the question, and I will give you the answer, because I know everything.
HOST. Secondly, representing the older generation, is Mr Don’t know a lot.
MR. DON’T KNOW A LOT. Although my name is Mr. Don’t Know a lot, I know heaps and heaps of things, so all you need to do is ask me the question.
HOST. Finally, representing the animal kingdom, is Shaun the sheep. Say “hello” Shaun.
SHAUN. Baa. Baa.
HOST. Thank you Shaun. If we have time, I will ask Shaun his opinion, but I don’t really think he will be much help at all. Today’s question is “What is Easter all about?” and I happen to know the answer myself. Easter is all about HOLIDAYS. Everybody I know go on holiday at Easter, so that is the answer – holidays. However, just in case there are any other opinions, I will ask my guests the question. Miss Know it all, do you know what Easter is all about?
MISS KNOW IT ALL. I certainly do. Easter is not about holidays. Easter is all about BUNNIES. Everyone knows that Easter is the time that all the bunny rabbits come out.
HOST. Thank you Miss Know it all. That was certainly a very “interesting” answer. Now, Mr. Don’t know a lot, do you know what Easter is all about?
MR. DON’T KNOW A LOT. It’s certainly not about Holidays or Bunnies! No, Easter is all about EGGS. There are ordinary chicken’s eggs, but the ones I like best are those Cadbury Cream eggs. They are so delicious. I have heaps and heaps of them at Easter time. So that is your answer – Eggs.
HOST. Thank you Mr. Don’t Know a lot. You certainly lived up to your name! Now Shaun, have you any idea at all what Easter is all about?
SHAUN. Baa. Baa. Baa.
HOST. Come on Shaun. Don’t be shy. Give us your answer.
SHAUN .Baa. Baa. I need a volunteer to help me.
SELF. (Holding up your hand). I will be your volunteer Shaun. What would you like me to do?
SHAUN. Take that piece of paper and fold over the top right corner.
SELF. (Folding the top right corner so that it meets the left edge). I have done that Shaun, what next?
SHAUN. Take the top left corner and fold it over.
SELF. (Folding as before so that the top left corner meets the right edge to produce a “house” shape). Oh I see it now Shaun, Easter is about spending time at home with your families!
SHAUN. Now fold the paper down the middle.
SELF. (Folding as directed, to produce an “aeroplane” shape). Oh yes, now I understand. Mr. Host was right all the time. Easter is all about going off on holiday on an aeroplane!
SHAUN. Now cut a strip off the paper, next to the longest edge.
SELF. On no, Shaun, that would spoil my aeroplane.
SHAUN. Just do as you’re told Mr. (name), and cut a strip off the paper.
SELF. Don’t you talk to me like that you silly sheep. I will put you back in your sheep pen, if you are not careful.
SHAUN. Just cut a strip off the paper.
SELF. Oh alright – though I am sure this is going to spoil my aeroplane. (Cut about a 1 cm. strip parallel to the longest edge). I have done that Shaun, what next?
SHAUN. Open the paper up.
SELF. (Opening up the paper to reveal a cross). I think Shaun has given us the right answer. Easter is all about a cross. But not a paper cross. It’s about a wooden cross on which Jesus Christ, God’s Son, died to take away our sins.
18. What happened at the cross? - Jesus takes away our sins.
For this object lesson you will need two chemicals - Potassium Permanganate and Sodium Metabisulphite. ( These are both solids and can be obtained from Chemical suppliers ), a large glass jar, four smaller glasses, and two sticks tied together to form a cross. One of the sticks needs to be hollow at one end ( A bamboo cane is ideal ). The hollow end will form the bottom of your cross.
Preparation. Wrap 2 or 3 grams of Sodium Metabisulphite in a paper tissue and secure it with a small rubber band. Insert the package into the bottom of your cross. Push it down so that it is out of sight.
Dissolve a few grains of Potassium Permanganate in about 250 mls. water (or, alternatively Iodine solution can be used instead). This will produce a maroon coloured liquid to represent "sin."
Half fill your large jar with water. Fill one glass with your Potassium Permanganate solution. Half fill the other three glasses with water, and mark them "Good works", "Church" and "Money" - or, any suitable alternatives which some people think will solve our "sin" problem.
Presentation. This can vary depending on your preferences and the children you are ministering to, but I usually proceed ( often after presenting the "What is Easter all about?" puppet play) along the following lines :-
Hold up the large jar. In the beginning God created a perfect world, and the best thing He made was people. He made them rather like this glass of water - clean on the outside (representing our bodies), and clean on the inside (representing our hearts or spirits).
However, the first people disobeyed God, and this act brought sin into the world and spoiled it all. Pour in about half of the "sin" solution. The jar contents should now be a fairly deep maroon colour. So this now is the problem we are all born with - sin or selfishness on the inside (you could give a few examples here).
Down through the years, some people have realised they have a selfishness problem, and have tried many ways to overcome it. Some have thought the answer may be Good Works. Pour in the "Good works" jar. God does want us to be good to each other but, as you see, that doesn't solve our "sin" problem. Some have thought the answer was going to church. Pour in the "Church" jar. It is an excellent idea to go to church, and by doing so you will probably find the answer to your problem. But, as you see, going to Church in itself is not the answer. Some have thought "If I gave half my money away to the poor, surely God will be really pleased with me and take away my sin." Pour in the "Money" jar. God does want us to be generous, especially to those who don't have as much as we do but, as you see, that still doesn't change us on the inside.
Actually, no matter what we try, it is impossible to change ourselves. But the good news of Easter is that what we can't do for ourselves, God has already done for us. It was on the cross that Jesus died in our place to take away our sins. Pick up your cross and place it in the jar. If you have got your concentrations right, the maroon solution will become clear within a few seconds. If not, gentle stirring with the cross should produce the desired effect.
Conclude the illustration as you think appropriate, but I usually proceed as follows :- Some of you may be thinking "I once did put my trust in Jesus and what He did on the cross, but then I did something bad (e.g. shouted at my dad, was cheeky to my mum, had a fight with my brother etc. ). Does that mean that I have become dirty on the inside again? Lets see shall we. Remove the cross from your jar, then pick up the remaining Potassium Permanganate solution and pour a little at a time into it - repeating the "sins" just mentioned (e.g. being cheeky to your mum). The maroon colour should vanish on making contact with the solution in the jar. Now please don't misunderstand me. If you do do something wrong, you need to ask God to forgive you. But, as you can see, once you have put your trust in Jesus and He has taken away your sin, you stay clean on the inside. nd that is the Good News we remember at Easter.
19. The meaning of the cross.
For this close-up illustration you will need a little coloured water, a saucer, a short candle, a glass, a coin and matches.
Presentation. Tell the children that you are going to explain to them what happened at the cross of Jesus.
State - that the coin represents you or me - place it in the saucer, towards the edge.
- that the coloured water represents our sins - pour it into the saucer until the coin is submerged.
- that the candle represents Jesus - stand it at the centre of the saucer, and light it.
- that the flame represents the life of Christ.
Tell the children to watch carefully, as you take the glass and place it over the lighted candle. Within a few seconds, the flame will consume all the oxygen in the glass and be extinguished. However, it will have created a vacuum which, in turn, will draw the water up inside the glass (thus surrounding the candle) and leave the coin dry.
Recap that on the cross, Jesus gave up His life (the flame went out) so that he could take our sins on Himself, and we could go free.
Newsletter 8.
Contents.
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.
Dear Children's Minister,
Here are my latest two object lessons - I hope that you will find them beneficial to your ministry. It is good just to have "fun" with your children sometimes. Therefore, I am also sending a few "Ice Breakers." I find these are particularly helpful when space is restricted, and the children are not able to move around too much.
Yours in Christ,
Maurice Sweetsur.
20. Creation.
When introducing the topic of Creation, I usually start by emphasizing the point that there are two things that only God can do.
Firstly, although people are very clever, and can do such things like land a man on the moon, invent televisions or computers, they cannot make something out of nothing. Given starting materials, people can often change their properties - size, shape, colour, texture etc., but they cannot make something out of nothing - only God can do that.
Secondly, people cannot make something that is living out of something that is not living. Again, only God can do that.
I then proceed by stating that I am now going to re-create two of the creatures that God first created on the fifth and sixth days of the Creation week. I then make a balloon bird (or fish) and a balloon animal, continuing my talk as I do so. ( If you don't do balloon modelling, you can still get your point across by simply cutting out appropriate shapes from pieces of paper).
As you make the shapes, emphasize that you are starting with something that already exists e,g. your uninflated balloon and some air. Then state that for anybody to make anything ( whether it be a watchmaker, a car-maker, a shoe-maker, or a balloon animal maker) only two things are needed - Know-how ( or intelligence ) and Power ( or energy ). Without power, your idea will remain only in your head, and without know-how (or an intelligent plan), you will just make a big mess!
As your models near completion, ask "If I had more know-how, do you think I would make a better or worse model?" The children will respond "better." Then ask "The Bible tells us that God has all know-how (He knows everything and is super-intelligent), so how good do you think God could make things?" The children should respond "very good" or "perfect." Then state " That's exactly right. The Bible tells us that in the beginning, God created a perfect world."
Then ask "If I had more power, do you think I could make these models faster or slower than I can now?" The response will be "faster." Then ask "All the power in the Universe belongs to God, so how fast do you think He could make things?" The children should respond "in a split second" or "instantly." State "That's exactly right. The Bible tells us that God not only created a perfect world, but He also made everything in it instantly - just by speaking."
Alternatively (for a younger class) you could simply produce a balloon animal which has already been made, and ask "How do you think this model was made? Do you think it could have been made by accident? Perhaps someone left an uninflated balloon in this room last night, and left the window open. Overnight, the wind blew through the window and into the balloon. The balloon then began twisting itself round and round until it formed the shape of this animal which you see here now. Finally, the end of the balloon managed to tie itself in a knot to stop the air escaping.Do you think that really happened, or do you think that there is a balloon model maker somewhere who made this animal on purpose?" The children should see the absurdity of the model being able to make itself by accident, and respond "There is a balloon model maker somewhere." Emphasise the point that everything the children see around them has to have a maker. Watches need watchmakers, shoes need shoemakers, chairs need chairmakers etc. Nothing can make itself.
You will then be able to apply the above argument to the creation of the Universe and everything in it. State "There are some people who believe that the Universe made itself by accident. But the Universe is far more wonderful and complex than a balloon animal, and if even that couldn't make itself, then how likely is it that the whole Universe made itself? No, the Bible teaches us that we have wonderful Creator who made the Universe and everything in it on purpose. And the good news is :- He made it all for our benefit.
21. The Trinity.
There are many ways of explaining the trinity to children, but the one I like the best is very visual, and involves the use of food colouring.
If you ask at a cake shop, they should be able to tell you where to obtain food colouring in powder form. This comes in a variety of colours.
Stick small pieces of double-sided sticky tape to the inside bottoms of three glasses. Choose three suitable colours, and place a little on each tape. These food colourings are very concentrated, so only very small amounts are required, and are consequently unlikely to be noticed by the children. However, you will probably need to determine by trial and error the best way to do this preparation.
Show a jar of clear water. State "There is one God, represented by the water in this jar, who is made up of three different Persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit." As you are talking, pour some water into your three glasses to produce the three different colours.
Depending on your group, you could then go on to discuss the different aspects of the three Persons of the trinity in more detail.
A similar illustration could be used if you are teaching about the "water into wine."
Ice Breakers.
1. Body Challenges. Get the children to attempt these challenges. Some are fairly easy, but others are very hard. No. 7 (I am told) is impossible. However, children love attempting them, and often demonstrate their own "feat" to you after the class has finished. You may also be able to add some of your own challenges to the list.
1. Touch the tip of your nose with your tongue.
2. Balance on one leg for 10 sec., with your eyes closed.
3. Pat your head, rub your tummy and stamp your feet, all at the same time.
4. Touch your toes without bending your knees.
5. Wiggle your ears.
6. Wink an eye, without moving your mouth.
7. Lick your elbow.
8. Put your toe in your mouth.
9. Pick up a pencil with your toes.
2. Dumb Laws. For some countries,many National, State, or City laws are simply "dumb." Others are obviously out of date, but are still officially operative, because they haven't been repealed.The web site www.dumblaws.com has published many of these "dumb laws" My, much reduced, list has been compiled mainly from this site, and reflects those I think will be of particular interest in my children's groups. They could be used as part of your teaching on the Ten Commandments.
Scotland.
On Sundays it is illegal to fish, or sell vegetables (except for carrots!).
It is illegal to be drunk in charge of a cow.
If a stranger knocks on your door and asks to use your toilet, you have to let him in.
York (England).
It is legal to shoot a Scotsman with a bow and arrow, provided you don't do it on a Sunday!
Britain.
It is illegal to stand within 100 yards of the Monarch, if you are not wearing socks.
Bangladesh.
Children can be jailed for cheating in their exams.
Iceland.
It is illegal to own a dog.
Switzerland.
It is illegal to hang out washing, wash your car, or mow your lawn on a Sunday.
Alaska.
It is quite legal to shoot a moose with your gun, but it is illegal to wake one up so you can take it's photograph!
Nebraska.
If you burp in church, your parents could be arrested.
Louisiana (and some other states).
It is illegal to drive your car blindfold.
It is illegal to keep an alligator in your bath.
3. Advice for Kids. These little "gems" were taken from the "Joke" section on the children's web site www.kids4god.org They are pieces of advice to children from children who had obviously found out the hard way that there are certain things you just should not do!
1.Never trust a dog to watch your food.
2. When your dad is mad and asks "Do I look stupid?" Don't answer him.
3. Never tell your mum her diet isn't working.
4. When your mum is mad at your dad, don't let her brush your hair.
5.Never let your little brother in the same room as your homework papers.
6. You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
7. Felt markers are not good to use as lipstick.
8. Don't pick on your sister while she is holding her hockey stick.
9. When you get a bad mark at school, always show it to your mum while she is on the phone.
10. Never try to baptise a cat.
11. When feeding seagulls, always remember to wear your hat.
Contents.
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.
Dear Children's Minister,
Here are my latest two object lessons - I hope that you will find them beneficial to your ministry. It is good just to have "fun" with your children sometimes. Therefore, I am also sending a few "Ice Breakers." I find these are particularly helpful when space is restricted, and the children are not able to move around too much.
Yours in Christ,
Maurice Sweetsur.
20. Creation.
When introducing the topic of Creation, I usually start by emphasizing the point that there are two things that only God can do.
Firstly, although people are very clever, and can do such things like land a man on the moon, invent televisions or computers, they cannot make something out of nothing. Given starting materials, people can often change their properties - size, shape, colour, texture etc., but they cannot make something out of nothing - only God can do that.
Secondly, people cannot make something that is living out of something that is not living. Again, only God can do that.
I then proceed by stating that I am now going to re-create two of the creatures that God first created on the fifth and sixth days of the Creation week. I then make a balloon bird (or fish) and a balloon animal, continuing my talk as I do so. ( If you don't do balloon modelling, you can still get your point across by simply cutting out appropriate shapes from pieces of paper).
As you make the shapes, emphasize that you are starting with something that already exists e,g. your uninflated balloon and some air. Then state that for anybody to make anything ( whether it be a watchmaker, a car-maker, a shoe-maker, or a balloon animal maker) only two things are needed - Know-how ( or intelligence ) and Power ( or energy ). Without power, your idea will remain only in your head, and without know-how (or an intelligent plan), you will just make a big mess!
As your models near completion, ask "If I had more know-how, do you think I would make a better or worse model?" The children will respond "better." Then ask "The Bible tells us that God has all know-how (He knows everything and is super-intelligent), so how good do you think God could make things?" The children should respond "very good" or "perfect." Then state " That's exactly right. The Bible tells us that in the beginning, God created a perfect world."
Then ask "If I had more power, do you think I could make these models faster or slower than I can now?" The response will be "faster." Then ask "All the power in the Universe belongs to God, so how fast do you think He could make things?" The children should respond "in a split second" or "instantly." State "That's exactly right. The Bible tells us that God not only created a perfect world, but He also made everything in it instantly - just by speaking."
Alternatively (for a younger class) you could simply produce a balloon animal which has already been made, and ask "How do you think this model was made? Do you think it could have been made by accident? Perhaps someone left an uninflated balloon in this room last night, and left the window open. Overnight, the wind blew through the window and into the balloon. The balloon then began twisting itself round and round until it formed the shape of this animal which you see here now. Finally, the end of the balloon managed to tie itself in a knot to stop the air escaping.Do you think that really happened, or do you think that there is a balloon model maker somewhere who made this animal on purpose?" The children should see the absurdity of the model being able to make itself by accident, and respond "There is a balloon model maker somewhere." Emphasise the point that everything the children see around them has to have a maker. Watches need watchmakers, shoes need shoemakers, chairs need chairmakers etc. Nothing can make itself.
You will then be able to apply the above argument to the creation of the Universe and everything in it. State "There are some people who believe that the Universe made itself by accident. But the Universe is far more wonderful and complex than a balloon animal, and if even that couldn't make itself, then how likely is it that the whole Universe made itself? No, the Bible teaches us that we have wonderful Creator who made the Universe and everything in it on purpose. And the good news is :- He made it all for our benefit.
21. The Trinity.
There are many ways of explaining the trinity to children, but the one I like the best is very visual, and involves the use of food colouring.
If you ask at a cake shop, they should be able to tell you where to obtain food colouring in powder form. This comes in a variety of colours.
Stick small pieces of double-sided sticky tape to the inside bottoms of three glasses. Choose three suitable colours, and place a little on each tape. These food colourings are very concentrated, so only very small amounts are required, and are consequently unlikely to be noticed by the children. However, you will probably need to determine by trial and error the best way to do this preparation.
Show a jar of clear water. State "There is one God, represented by the water in this jar, who is made up of three different Persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit." As you are talking, pour some water into your three glasses to produce the three different colours.
Depending on your group, you could then go on to discuss the different aspects of the three Persons of the trinity in more detail.
A similar illustration could be used if you are teaching about the "water into wine."
Ice Breakers.
1. Body Challenges. Get the children to attempt these challenges. Some are fairly easy, but others are very hard. No. 7 (I am told) is impossible. However, children love attempting them, and often demonstrate their own "feat" to you after the class has finished. You may also be able to add some of your own challenges to the list.
1. Touch the tip of your nose with your tongue.
2. Balance on one leg for 10 sec., with your eyes closed.
3. Pat your head, rub your tummy and stamp your feet, all at the same time.
4. Touch your toes without bending your knees.
5. Wiggle your ears.
6. Wink an eye, without moving your mouth.
7. Lick your elbow.
8. Put your toe in your mouth.
9. Pick up a pencil with your toes.
2. Dumb Laws. For some countries,many National, State, or City laws are simply "dumb." Others are obviously out of date, but are still officially operative, because they haven't been repealed.The web site www.dumblaws.com has published many of these "dumb laws" My, much reduced, list has been compiled mainly from this site, and reflects those I think will be of particular interest in my children's groups. They could be used as part of your teaching on the Ten Commandments.
Scotland.
On Sundays it is illegal to fish, or sell vegetables (except for carrots!).
It is illegal to be drunk in charge of a cow.
If a stranger knocks on your door and asks to use your toilet, you have to let him in.
York (England).
It is legal to shoot a Scotsman with a bow and arrow, provided you don't do it on a Sunday!
Britain.
It is illegal to stand within 100 yards of the Monarch, if you are not wearing socks.
Bangladesh.
Children can be jailed for cheating in their exams.
Iceland.
It is illegal to own a dog.
Switzerland.
It is illegal to hang out washing, wash your car, or mow your lawn on a Sunday.
Alaska.
It is quite legal to shoot a moose with your gun, but it is illegal to wake one up so you can take it's photograph!
Nebraska.
If you burp in church, your parents could be arrested.
Louisiana (and some other states).
It is illegal to drive your car blindfold.
It is illegal to keep an alligator in your bath.
3. Advice for Kids. These little "gems" were taken from the "Joke" section on the children's web site www.kids4god.org They are pieces of advice to children from children who had obviously found out the hard way that there are certain things you just should not do!
1.Never trust a dog to watch your food.
2. When your dad is mad and asks "Do I look stupid?" Don't answer him.
3. Never tell your mum her diet isn't working.
4. When your mum is mad at your dad, don't let her brush your hair.
5.Never let your little brother in the same room as your homework papers.
6. You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
7. Felt markers are not good to use as lipstick.
8. Don't pick on your sister while she is holding her hockey stick.
9. When you get a bad mark at school, always show it to your mum while she is on the phone.
10. Never try to baptise a cat.
11. When feeding seagulls, always remember to wear your hat.
Newsletter 9.
Contents.
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.
22. Miracles.
Here is a simple illustration to demonstrate that with God "All things are possible."
Preparation. Take a piece of cardboard ( about 40x40cm. ) and cut out a round disc (about 15cm. diameter) from the centre. Retain both pieces. Find a solid disc (an ordinary plate is ideal) a little larger than your cardboard disc e.g. about 20cm. diameter.
Presentation. "Sometimes we find that we just cannot do certain things. But we need to remember that God can do absolutely anything. With Him nothing is impossible." Hold up your cardboard sheet and disc. Explain that the disc is just small enough to pass through the hole. Pass the disc through the hole a few times in different ways e.g. face on and side on.
State that if the disc were any larger, it would be "impossible" to pass it through the hole. Your class should agree. Produce your larger disc and pretend to attempt to pass it through the hole in different ways as before. Remind your class that what is impossible for us is possible for God, and state that you are now going to demonstrate that by passing the larger disc through the small hole.
Fold your sheet in half, and place your larger disc inside so that the top protrudes through the hole. Grasp this part of the disc with one hand, and with the other pull down on the side of your sheet - this actually stretches the hole - A gentle tug on your disc will ensure that it passes through the hole without tearing it in any way. You may wish to repeat the operation a few times.
23. Standing up under pressure.
When things are going well, it is sometimes hard to tell the difference between the person who is trusting in Jesus, and the one who is not. However, when pressure - hardships, troubles, problems etc. - comes upon us, the person who knows Jesus is able to keep standing, whereas the person without Christ often crumples or "goes under."
Preparation. Take two plastic pen tops (Preferably different colours). Attach one or two plastic paper clips to the first top. To make the second top heavier than the first, attach one or two metal paper clips. Take about a two litre plastic clear bottle, and fill about 90% full with water. Drop the two plastic tops (with attached clips) into the water. They should both float. Screw the top on the bottle, and apply pressure to the bottle by squeezing it. A little "trial and error" may be required here. You may need to adjust your tops by adding or subtracting clips to ensure that when pressure is applied, the first top continues to float, whilst the second always sinks, or "goes under." When you release the pressure, the submerged top should rise to the surface again.
Presentation. You can make this as long or as short as you wish. Explain that the two same-sized tops represent two people, one who is trusting in Christ, and one who isn't. When things go well (no pressure to the bottle), there is no difference - the tops both float. However, when pressure comes, one continues to float, but the other goes under. Repeat the pressure-on / pressure-off process a few times.
24. Defeating evil with good.
The Bible tells us that we are to defeat evil with good. (Romans 12.21). Here is a good object lesson to illustrate that point.
Preparation. Take a thin piece of wood (about 40cm. x 10cm.), and write on it the word "EVIL." Take 3 or 4 sheets of newspaper, and write on one of them the word "GOOD."
Presentation. Ask your class "Which do you think is stronger "Evil" or "Good" ? You will probably get a mixed response.
Proceed along these lines. "With so much evil in the world, it may sometimes appear as though evil is stronger than good, but God tells us that we are to defeat evil, not with evil, but with good. This piece of wood stands for evil, and it certainly looks strong ( bang it on a table a few times ). These flimsy pieces of newspaper stand for good but, as you know, they could easily tear. However, we shall now find out which is the stronger - the wood or the paper, evil or good."
Lay the piece of wood on a table or desk, overhanging the edge about 15cm. Place the pieces of newspaper fairly tightly over the wood, with the piece marked "GOOD" on the very top. As you do so, you could retell the story of Calvary i.e. " I am sure that when Jesus was arrested, beaten and crucified, the forces of evil were jumping for joy. They thought they had beaten "Good" for ever. But they were in for a shock, because on the third day Jesus rose from the dead, proving the reverse - that He was stronger than evil."
Tell the class that you are now going to hit the wood and paper hard with the side of your hand. "Which will break - the flimsy paper ? - the hard wood ? (or perhaps your hand! ?). Do this, hitting the wood and paper just past the "overhang." You will find that the wood will break and the paper will remain intact, reminding us that "Good" is stronger than "Evil."
Conclusion. "Good, therefore, can defeat evil. This means for us that if someone is nasty to us, we can defeat this by being good to them in return. This can often be a hard thing to do, but if we persist in doing good, we will usually find that they will start being good to us as well.
Gems from the classroom.
I thought I would share a few interesting comments that I have heard children come up with in my Bible classes over the last few years. Each one has either amused, blessed or challenged me (in some cases all at the same time!). I hope they do the same for you.
Child. " I don't believe in God."
Her Friend. "But there must be a God. If there was no God, we wouldn't have Bible lessons!"
"Thank you for being my Bible teacher. You have taught me everything you know."
"God spoke to me last night, just like He spoke to Samuel.He told me to go and tell my Granny that He loves her. So I did."
"I know that God loves me, because if He didn't love me, He wouldn't have made me."
The Bible says I should not lie. But what about 'stranger danger' ? Surely, if I am in danger, it would be alright to lie to try and get out of it?" (How would you answer that one?).
"Please forgive me for being naughty in class last week. Please also forget what I did." (After teaching that God both forgives and forgets our sins).
"I will praise the Lord for you - if you let me have a turn with the puppets."
"God is just a theory." (Following a school class trip to the 'World of Whales' exhibition at Auckland museum).
The questions Kids ask.
I find that if you ask a group of children if they have any questions (about what they have been taught, God, Jesus, the Bible, or just life in general) most will be reluctant to ask - Noone wants to risk looking silly in class! Therefore,once a year, what I do in my classes is hand each child a blank sheet of paper and ask them to write down any questions they have - assuring them of their anonymity when I reply.
I then spend the following week giving considered answers to the questions. In doing so, I am able to teach the children what they really want to know, rather than what I perceive they need to know. In my experience, it is very unusual for a child not to ask at least one question, and many will ask multiple questions.You may think it "impossible" to answer so many questions in about 30 mins., but you will find that many of the questions are the same, or very similar to each other.
The following is an abbreviated list of some of the most common, amusing or challenging questions that children have asked me.
Who made God ? (The most common question).*
Why is my brother / sister nasty to me ? (The second most common question).**
Is God real ?
How old is God ?
How big is God ?
What does God look like ?
Why did God make us ?
What did God make us out of ?
Is God male or female ?
How does God see all of us, all at the same time ?
Why did God let Satan come into the world ?
If God knows the future, why did He put that fruit tree in the garden of Eden?
If God has lived forever, why didn't He make people trillions and trillions of years ago ?
Does God really prefer the Christian who is not so good to the non-Christian who is good ?
Since there is so much proof that God exists, why doesn't everyone love him ?
Do you believe in God ?
Why are you always talking about God ?
Why do you come here each week ?Which came first the chicken or the egg ? (I used to ask that myself, until I read the first chapters of Genesis).
Did Adam have a belly button ?
Are there aliens?
Who is Jesus ?
How do you know that Jesus will come back again ?
How do we know that the Bible is from God ?
Are the things in the Bible true ?
Why doesn't God answer my prayers ?
Why did my pet dog die ?
Why are babies baptised ?
Is heaven real ?
Exactly, where is heaven ?
Do you have to pay to get into heaven?
Do people have birthdays in heaven ?
Do animals go to heaven ?
Do you eat and drink in heaven ? If so, what is the food like ?
* I usually answer this question in the following way :-
"If I told you the answer to that, I know what your next question would be. You would say "Who made the person who made God ?" Then, if I told you that , you would ask "Who made the person who made God ?" Then, if I told you that, you would ask "Who made the person who made the person who made God ?" etc. etc.
No, the answer is Nobody made God. God is eternal. That means He has no beginning or end. He has always existed. In fact, there was a time when there was no matter (solid things), no space, and no time, only God Himself. Then God spoke and by His power brought everything in the Universe into existence.The exciting thing is that although we have a beginning, God has made each one of us eternal as well. That means the "real you" - your Soul and Spirit will never die.
I know this is hard for us to understand, because we are used to living in time, with beginnings and endings. But let us consider the alternative. If there is no God (or Creator), that means that everything in the Universe must have created itself - beginning with nothing. Our common sense tells us that nothing can make itself - it has to have a maker or creator. That is why most people in the world believe in a Creator (God). It requires far,far too much faith to believe that everything made itself out of nothing.It is far easier to believe that there always has been a loving God who created everything.
** I usually answer this question in this way.
"Before I answer your question, can I ask you "How about you ? Are you nasty to your brother /sister ? It is very easy for us to see the faults in others, but very hard to see the faults in ourselves. Brothers and sisters are often nasty to each other, and to understand why, we have to go back to the garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, that brought sin into the world, and spoiled everything. We are all descendants of Adam and Eve and have been born with a selfish nature that wants its own way. Children soon realise that being selfish all the time often gets them in to trouble, so they learn to control their behaviour, especially when they are outside their home environment. However, without Jesus, their selfish nature is still there. When you live with the same persons day after day ( like brothers and sisters ), this selfishness is bound to show itself from time to time, often resulting in "nastiness" to each other.
If your brother or sister is really nasty to you, there are two important things you can do. Firstly, pray that they will hear and respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and allow Him to begin to change their selfish nature. Secondly, whenever your brother / sister is nasty to you, then you be nice to them. The Bible tells us that we are to defeat evil, not with evil, but rather with good. (Romans 12.21).That can be a really hard thing to do, but if you persist in being nice to them, then usually they will start being nice to you !
If time permits, I will conclude my answer by conducting object lesson 24 - defeating evil with good.
Contents.
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.
22. Miracles.
Here is a simple illustration to demonstrate that with God "All things are possible."
Preparation. Take a piece of cardboard ( about 40x40cm. ) and cut out a round disc (about 15cm. diameter) from the centre. Retain both pieces. Find a solid disc (an ordinary plate is ideal) a little larger than your cardboard disc e.g. about 20cm. diameter.
Presentation. "Sometimes we find that we just cannot do certain things. But we need to remember that God can do absolutely anything. With Him nothing is impossible." Hold up your cardboard sheet and disc. Explain that the disc is just small enough to pass through the hole. Pass the disc through the hole a few times in different ways e.g. face on and side on.
State that if the disc were any larger, it would be "impossible" to pass it through the hole. Your class should agree. Produce your larger disc and pretend to attempt to pass it through the hole in different ways as before. Remind your class that what is impossible for us is possible for God, and state that you are now going to demonstrate that by passing the larger disc through the small hole.
Fold your sheet in half, and place your larger disc inside so that the top protrudes through the hole. Grasp this part of the disc with one hand, and with the other pull down on the side of your sheet - this actually stretches the hole - A gentle tug on your disc will ensure that it passes through the hole without tearing it in any way. You may wish to repeat the operation a few times.
23. Standing up under pressure.
When things are going well, it is sometimes hard to tell the difference between the person who is trusting in Jesus, and the one who is not. However, when pressure - hardships, troubles, problems etc. - comes upon us, the person who knows Jesus is able to keep standing, whereas the person without Christ often crumples or "goes under."
Preparation. Take two plastic pen tops (Preferably different colours). Attach one or two plastic paper clips to the first top. To make the second top heavier than the first, attach one or two metal paper clips. Take about a two litre plastic clear bottle, and fill about 90% full with water. Drop the two plastic tops (with attached clips) into the water. They should both float. Screw the top on the bottle, and apply pressure to the bottle by squeezing it. A little "trial and error" may be required here. You may need to adjust your tops by adding or subtracting clips to ensure that when pressure is applied, the first top continues to float, whilst the second always sinks, or "goes under." When you release the pressure, the submerged top should rise to the surface again.
Presentation. You can make this as long or as short as you wish. Explain that the two same-sized tops represent two people, one who is trusting in Christ, and one who isn't. When things go well (no pressure to the bottle), there is no difference - the tops both float. However, when pressure comes, one continues to float, but the other goes under. Repeat the pressure-on / pressure-off process a few times.
24. Defeating evil with good.
The Bible tells us that we are to defeat evil with good. (Romans 12.21). Here is a good object lesson to illustrate that point.
Preparation. Take a thin piece of wood (about 40cm. x 10cm.), and write on it the word "EVIL." Take 3 or 4 sheets of newspaper, and write on one of them the word "GOOD."
Presentation. Ask your class "Which do you think is stronger "Evil" or "Good" ? You will probably get a mixed response.
Proceed along these lines. "With so much evil in the world, it may sometimes appear as though evil is stronger than good, but God tells us that we are to defeat evil, not with evil, but with good. This piece of wood stands for evil, and it certainly looks strong ( bang it on a table a few times ). These flimsy pieces of newspaper stand for good but, as you know, they could easily tear. However, we shall now find out which is the stronger - the wood or the paper, evil or good."
Lay the piece of wood on a table or desk, overhanging the edge about 15cm. Place the pieces of newspaper fairly tightly over the wood, with the piece marked "GOOD" on the very top. As you do so, you could retell the story of Calvary i.e. " I am sure that when Jesus was arrested, beaten and crucified, the forces of evil were jumping for joy. They thought they had beaten "Good" for ever. But they were in for a shock, because on the third day Jesus rose from the dead, proving the reverse - that He was stronger than evil."
Tell the class that you are now going to hit the wood and paper hard with the side of your hand. "Which will break - the flimsy paper ? - the hard wood ? (or perhaps your hand! ?). Do this, hitting the wood and paper just past the "overhang." You will find that the wood will break and the paper will remain intact, reminding us that "Good" is stronger than "Evil."
Conclusion. "Good, therefore, can defeat evil. This means for us that if someone is nasty to us, we can defeat this by being good to them in return. This can often be a hard thing to do, but if we persist in doing good, we will usually find that they will start being good to us as well.
Gems from the classroom.
I thought I would share a few interesting comments that I have heard children come up with in my Bible classes over the last few years. Each one has either amused, blessed or challenged me (in some cases all at the same time!). I hope they do the same for you.
Child. " I don't believe in God."
Her Friend. "But there must be a God. If there was no God, we wouldn't have Bible lessons!"
"Thank you for being my Bible teacher. You have taught me everything you know."
"God spoke to me last night, just like He spoke to Samuel.He told me to go and tell my Granny that He loves her. So I did."
"I know that God loves me, because if He didn't love me, He wouldn't have made me."
The Bible says I should not lie. But what about 'stranger danger' ? Surely, if I am in danger, it would be alright to lie to try and get out of it?" (How would you answer that one?).
"Please forgive me for being naughty in class last week. Please also forget what I did." (After teaching that God both forgives and forgets our sins).
"I will praise the Lord for you - if you let me have a turn with the puppets."
"God is just a theory." (Following a school class trip to the 'World of Whales' exhibition at Auckland museum).
The questions Kids ask.
I find that if you ask a group of children if they have any questions (about what they have been taught, God, Jesus, the Bible, or just life in general) most will be reluctant to ask - Noone wants to risk looking silly in class! Therefore,once a year, what I do in my classes is hand each child a blank sheet of paper and ask them to write down any questions they have - assuring them of their anonymity when I reply.
I then spend the following week giving considered answers to the questions. In doing so, I am able to teach the children what they really want to know, rather than what I perceive they need to know. In my experience, it is very unusual for a child not to ask at least one question, and many will ask multiple questions.You may think it "impossible" to answer so many questions in about 30 mins., but you will find that many of the questions are the same, or very similar to each other.
The following is an abbreviated list of some of the most common, amusing or challenging questions that children have asked me.
Who made God ? (The most common question).*
Why is my brother / sister nasty to me ? (The second most common question).**
Is God real ?
How old is God ?
How big is God ?
What does God look like ?
Why did God make us ?
What did God make us out of ?
Is God male or female ?
How does God see all of us, all at the same time ?
Why did God let Satan come into the world ?
If God knows the future, why did He put that fruit tree in the garden of Eden?
If God has lived forever, why didn't He make people trillions and trillions of years ago ?
Does God really prefer the Christian who is not so good to the non-Christian who is good ?
Since there is so much proof that God exists, why doesn't everyone love him ?
Do you believe in God ?
Why are you always talking about God ?
Why do you come here each week ?Which came first the chicken or the egg ? (I used to ask that myself, until I read the first chapters of Genesis).
Did Adam have a belly button ?
Are there aliens?
Who is Jesus ?
How do you know that Jesus will come back again ?
How do we know that the Bible is from God ?
Are the things in the Bible true ?
Why doesn't God answer my prayers ?
Why did my pet dog die ?
Why are babies baptised ?
Is heaven real ?
Exactly, where is heaven ?
Do you have to pay to get into heaven?
Do people have birthdays in heaven ?
Do animals go to heaven ?
Do you eat and drink in heaven ? If so, what is the food like ?
* I usually answer this question in the following way :-
"If I told you the answer to that, I know what your next question would be. You would say "Who made the person who made God ?" Then, if I told you that , you would ask "Who made the person who made God ?" Then, if I told you that, you would ask "Who made the person who made the person who made God ?" etc. etc.
No, the answer is Nobody made God. God is eternal. That means He has no beginning or end. He has always existed. In fact, there was a time when there was no matter (solid things), no space, and no time, only God Himself. Then God spoke and by His power brought everything in the Universe into existence.The exciting thing is that although we have a beginning, God has made each one of us eternal as well. That means the "real you" - your Soul and Spirit will never die.
I know this is hard for us to understand, because we are used to living in time, with beginnings and endings. But let us consider the alternative. If there is no God (or Creator), that means that everything in the Universe must have created itself - beginning with nothing. Our common sense tells us that nothing can make itself - it has to have a maker or creator. That is why most people in the world believe in a Creator (God). It requires far,far too much faith to believe that everything made itself out of nothing.It is far easier to believe that there always has been a loving God who created everything.
** I usually answer this question in this way.
"Before I answer your question, can I ask you "How about you ? Are you nasty to your brother /sister ? It is very easy for us to see the faults in others, but very hard to see the faults in ourselves. Brothers and sisters are often nasty to each other, and to understand why, we have to go back to the garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, that brought sin into the world, and spoiled everything. We are all descendants of Adam and Eve and have been born with a selfish nature that wants its own way. Children soon realise that being selfish all the time often gets them in to trouble, so they learn to control their behaviour, especially when they are outside their home environment. However, without Jesus, their selfish nature is still there. When you live with the same persons day after day ( like brothers and sisters ), this selfishness is bound to show itself from time to time, often resulting in "nastiness" to each other.
If your brother or sister is really nasty to you, there are two important things you can do. Firstly, pray that they will hear and respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and allow Him to begin to change their selfish nature. Secondly, whenever your brother / sister is nasty to you, then you be nice to them. The Bible tells us that we are to defeat evil, not with evil, but rather with good. (Romans 12.21).That can be a really hard thing to do, but if you persist in being nice to them, then usually they will start being nice to you !
If time permits, I will conclude my answer by conducting object lesson 24 - defeating evil with good.
Newsletter 10.
Contents.
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.
For a change, this newsletter has a little bit of a theme about it, with Object Lesson 26 describing five different ways in which we can teach the important truth that our God is omniscience (all-knowing). I have also included the results of a survey I conducted in my classes a short time ago. It is important to know how effective we are being in reaching the children we teach God's Word to.
25. Jesus is the light of the world.
You should be able to obtain some "trick" birthday cake candles - i.e. the ones that appear to be extinguished when they are blown, but after a few seconds flame up again.
With one of these candles you can summarise the history of the church. For example :-
Jesus came as the light of the world (lite candle), but Satan used wicked men to try and put out this light by crucifying Him (blow out). However on the third day He came alive again (flame rekindled). Jesus has now passed this light on to the church. Over the centuries Satan has continued trying to put out this light by persecuting the church. At times he seemed to have succeeded (blow out), but each time this light returned brighter than ever (rekindle).
26. God is all knowing.
Here are five simple ways in which you can help children remember that God is all-knowing.
1. Take four pieces (you could use more if you wish) of differently coloured cardboard - e.g. Yellow, red, blue and green. On the back of the yellow card write "You will pick up the yellow card." Write on three small pieces of paper "You will pick up the red card ----------------- blue card. ------------------green card." Place these papers out of sight, but in easily accessible positions e.g. inside a plain envelope which is in full view of the class, inside the front cover of your Bible, etc.
Place the four coloured cards in full view of the class, and ask for a volunteer to come and pick up one of the cards - stating that you know beforehand which one they are going to choose. If the yellow card is chosen, ask your volunteer to pick it up and turn it over - showing the words "You will pick up the yellow card." They will probably think that the other three cards have a similar message written on the back. Show the class that this is not the case !
If your volunteer picks up one of the other cards, direct him/her to the appropriate piece of paper in the envelope, Bible etc.
Conclude by stating that what you did was a trick (without revealing how it was actually done), but that our God really does know everything - even the future !
2. This illustration has been around for at least 50 years, but most children are still baffled by it.
Write out the number "1089 " on a piece of paper, and seal it in an envelope. Ask a child to look after it for you, and to be ready to open it at the end of your illustration.
Ask for a volunteer to come and do a maths calculation on the blackboard for you. State that although the numbers will be chosen by your volunteer, you have already placed the answer to their calculation in the envelope.
Ask your volunteer to - 1. Write any three digit number on the board. 2. Write the same number reversed under the first number. 3. Subtract the lesser number from the greater. 4.Reverse the answer obtained. 5. Add the last two numbers. Your final answer will always be 1089.
Here is an example : -
825
528
-----
297
792
-----
1089
------
Try a few calculations yourself, just to be completely convinced !
3. This next illustration is similar to the last one, but it has the advantage that all your class can do their own calculations. It does, however, involve a little more complicated maths, so it is better used with older children. HINT. If you give your answer to a child, and they reply "No. You are wrong" , don't worry, it will be because the child has made a mistake with their maths !
Ask each child to do the following calculation (out of your sight, of course) :-
1. Write down the age of one of their brothers or sisters ( a cousin or friend will suffice if they have no siblings ). 2. Multiply this number by two. 3. Add on five. 4. Multiply the answer by fifty. 5. Subtract the number of days in a year (365). 6. Add the number of times they have flown on an aeroplane ( or use any other question that will produce a reasonably low answer e.g. total number of brothers and sisters). 7. Add on one hundred and fifteen.
Get the children to show you their answers. They will probably all be different, but you will be able to instantly tell them the number of times they have been on a plane - from the last two digits, and the age of their brother or sister - from the remaining number or numbers. (i.e. first one or two digits).
Here is an example for someone with a twelve year old brother, and who has been on a plane three times :-
12
x2
----
24
+5
----
29
x50
-----
1450
-365
------
1085
+3
------
1088
+115
------
1203
------
4. Another variation on the same theme, but this one has the advantage that you are not dependent on a child getting their maths right !
Write the number "34" on a piece of paper, place in envelope, and hand to child for safekeeping. Draw a square grid on the blackboard containing sixteen squares (4x4). Simply fill in the grid with the numbers 1 to 16 in their normal order i.e. "1" will be in the top left hand corner, and "16" in the bottom right.
Ask a child to come and choose four numbers for you that you will then be able to add up. State that you already know their final answer - which is contained in the envelope.
1. Get the child to choose any number by putting a circle round it. Explain that for their next choice, they will still have plenty of numbers to choose from, but that you are going to reduce their options a little. Cross out all the other numbers on the same row and column as the circled number (i.e. six in all).
2. Get the child to choose a second number from those remaining. Cross out the remaining numbers on that row and column as before (four in total).
3. There will be four numbers left. Get the child to choose any one. Cross out the two numbers on that row and column.
4. There is now only one number left. That will have to be their final choice.
Add up the four chosen numbers. The answer will be 34. Time to open the envelope !
5. Nothing is hidden from God. He sees through everything. (Hebrews 4.13).
Place twenty small identical objects (e.g. matches or counters) on a table. Tell a volunteer that while your back is turned, he/she will be able to pick up and hide two separate lots of the objects and hide them in a pocket and in a closed hand. However, you will then be able to tell them exactly how many objects are in their pocket and hand respectively.
1.While your back is turned, instruct your volunteer to pick up any number of objects between 1 and 10, and place them in their pocket.
2. Next, ask your volunteer to count (silently) how many objects are left. It will be a two-digit number. Ask him to add the two digits together, pick up that number of objects and add them to the pile in his pocket. (Note. You will be able to calculate that, no matter how many objects your volunteer first picked up, he will now have eleven in his pocket - leaving nine on the table).
3. Instruct your volunteer to pick up as many of the remaining objects he wishes, and hold them in his closed hand.
4. Turn around. Count the number of objects left on the table (Lets call this "x"). Inform the class that your volunteer has eleven objects in his pocket, and nine minus "x" objects in his hand ! (e.g. if there are three objects on the table, he must have nine minus three = six objects in his hand).
What children Believe - Results of survey.
I teach "Bible" mostly to children in state primary schools, with the vast majority coming from non-Christian homes. I wondered what influence we "Bible in school" teachers were having on the children. Were their beliefs falling in line with the Bible, or were the children still being largely influenced by their parents and guardians ?
I chose six classes, from four different schools in South Auckland for my survey. Thus a total of about 180 children participated. They were all in the age range 10 to 13, and all had previously attended weekly Bible classes for at least two years.
Results of my survey are shown below. I consider it to be a fair indication of children's beliefs in this area of Auckland, although there is always the possibility that some of the answers were made to "please teacher" rather than expressing what they really believed. For comparison, results of a survey - asking exactly the same questions - conducted among about 400 adults in the same area as two of the schools, and therefore probably including some of the children's parents, are shown. For further comparison, results of a similar survey of over 2,000 adults made between 10 and 15 years ago in Ayrshire, Scotland are also included.
Results.
Children Adults - N.Z. Adults - Scotland
1. What would encourage more people to go to church ? (%) (%) (%)
Closer friendships 26 14 3
Livelier services / More relevant preaching 23 15 30
More participation 19 5 7
More social activity 12 18 10
Other Ans. 12 13 1
Don't know 8 35 49
2. Do you believe in God ?
Yes 79 82 82
Not sure 21 11 11
No 0 7 7
3. Who is Jesus, according to your belief ?
Son of God 70 58 58
A good man 9 22 20
Other Ans. 8 7 7
Don't know 13 13 15
4. Why did Jesus come to earth ?
To die for our sins 74 42 42
To teach us 9 15 15
To save the world 9 13 13
Other Ans. 8 30 30
5. In your opinion, how does a person become a Christian ?
Believe in Christ as personal Saviour 40 43 19
Believe in God 36 20 23
Lead a good life 2 12 24
Other Ans. 22 25 34
6. What do you believe will happen to you when you die ?
Heaven 70 49 40
Reincarnation 11 6 5
Afterlife (unspecified) 8 13 18
Cease to exist 2 5 14
Other Ans. 1 0 2
Don't know 8 27 21
7. What qualifies you for heaven ?
Faith in Jesus 53 14 14
Living a good life 16 67 67
Church membership 9 0 1
Other Ans. 6 6 5
Don't know 16 13 13
8. If you could know God personally, would you be interested ?
Already know God personally 20 35 10
Yes 58 42 74
No 4 2 13
Not sure 18 21 5
Conclusions.
1. The answers of the two adult groups were remarkably similar (especially for some of the questions). This probably reflects the fact that the average regular church attendance in New Zealand and Scotland is similar (between 5 and 10 percent). The majority of people still think that "living a good life" is what qualifies you for heaven.
2. For most questions, the answers given by the children were more "Biblical" than those given by their parents and neighbours, the most notable exception being on how a person becomes a Christian.
3. We cannot assume that just because we teach Biblical truths, the children will necessarily come to share our beliefs. Parental and peer pressure are obviously still strong influences.
4. Although the school "Bible" classes are having a positive influence on the beliefs of the children, we could perhaps still do better in explaining what a Christian is, and how we can have a personal relationship with Christ.
Contents.
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.
For a change, this newsletter has a little bit of a theme about it, with Object Lesson 26 describing five different ways in which we can teach the important truth that our God is omniscience (all-knowing). I have also included the results of a survey I conducted in my classes a short time ago. It is important to know how effective we are being in reaching the children we teach God's Word to.
25. Jesus is the light of the world.
You should be able to obtain some "trick" birthday cake candles - i.e. the ones that appear to be extinguished when they are blown, but after a few seconds flame up again.
With one of these candles you can summarise the history of the church. For example :-
Jesus came as the light of the world (lite candle), but Satan used wicked men to try and put out this light by crucifying Him (blow out). However on the third day He came alive again (flame rekindled). Jesus has now passed this light on to the church. Over the centuries Satan has continued trying to put out this light by persecuting the church. At times he seemed to have succeeded (blow out), but each time this light returned brighter than ever (rekindle).
26. God is all knowing.
Here are five simple ways in which you can help children remember that God is all-knowing.
1. Take four pieces (you could use more if you wish) of differently coloured cardboard - e.g. Yellow, red, blue and green. On the back of the yellow card write "You will pick up the yellow card." Write on three small pieces of paper "You will pick up the red card ----------------- blue card. ------------------green card." Place these papers out of sight, but in easily accessible positions e.g. inside a plain envelope which is in full view of the class, inside the front cover of your Bible, etc.
Place the four coloured cards in full view of the class, and ask for a volunteer to come and pick up one of the cards - stating that you know beforehand which one they are going to choose. If the yellow card is chosen, ask your volunteer to pick it up and turn it over - showing the words "You will pick up the yellow card." They will probably think that the other three cards have a similar message written on the back. Show the class that this is not the case !
If your volunteer picks up one of the other cards, direct him/her to the appropriate piece of paper in the envelope, Bible etc.
Conclude by stating that what you did was a trick (without revealing how it was actually done), but that our God really does know everything - even the future !
2. This illustration has been around for at least 50 years, but most children are still baffled by it.
Write out the number "1089 " on a piece of paper, and seal it in an envelope. Ask a child to look after it for you, and to be ready to open it at the end of your illustration.
Ask for a volunteer to come and do a maths calculation on the blackboard for you. State that although the numbers will be chosen by your volunteer, you have already placed the answer to their calculation in the envelope.
Ask your volunteer to - 1. Write any three digit number on the board. 2. Write the same number reversed under the first number. 3. Subtract the lesser number from the greater. 4.Reverse the answer obtained. 5. Add the last two numbers. Your final answer will always be 1089.
Here is an example : -
825
528
-----
297
792
-----
1089
------
Try a few calculations yourself, just to be completely convinced !
3. This next illustration is similar to the last one, but it has the advantage that all your class can do their own calculations. It does, however, involve a little more complicated maths, so it is better used with older children. HINT. If you give your answer to a child, and they reply "No. You are wrong" , don't worry, it will be because the child has made a mistake with their maths !
Ask each child to do the following calculation (out of your sight, of course) :-
1. Write down the age of one of their brothers or sisters ( a cousin or friend will suffice if they have no siblings ). 2. Multiply this number by two. 3. Add on five. 4. Multiply the answer by fifty. 5. Subtract the number of days in a year (365). 6. Add the number of times they have flown on an aeroplane ( or use any other question that will produce a reasonably low answer e.g. total number of brothers and sisters). 7. Add on one hundred and fifteen.
Get the children to show you their answers. They will probably all be different, but you will be able to instantly tell them the number of times they have been on a plane - from the last two digits, and the age of their brother or sister - from the remaining number or numbers. (i.e. first one or two digits).
Here is an example for someone with a twelve year old brother, and who has been on a plane three times :-
12
x2
----
24
+5
----
29
x50
-----
1450
-365
------
1085
+3
------
1088
+115
------
1203
------
4. Another variation on the same theme, but this one has the advantage that you are not dependent on a child getting their maths right !
Write the number "34" on a piece of paper, place in envelope, and hand to child for safekeeping. Draw a square grid on the blackboard containing sixteen squares (4x4). Simply fill in the grid with the numbers 1 to 16 in their normal order i.e. "1" will be in the top left hand corner, and "16" in the bottom right.
Ask a child to come and choose four numbers for you that you will then be able to add up. State that you already know their final answer - which is contained in the envelope.
1. Get the child to choose any number by putting a circle round it. Explain that for their next choice, they will still have plenty of numbers to choose from, but that you are going to reduce their options a little. Cross out all the other numbers on the same row and column as the circled number (i.e. six in all).
2. Get the child to choose a second number from those remaining. Cross out the remaining numbers on that row and column as before (four in total).
3. There will be four numbers left. Get the child to choose any one. Cross out the two numbers on that row and column.
4. There is now only one number left. That will have to be their final choice.
Add up the four chosen numbers. The answer will be 34. Time to open the envelope !
5. Nothing is hidden from God. He sees through everything. (Hebrews 4.13).
Place twenty small identical objects (e.g. matches or counters) on a table. Tell a volunteer that while your back is turned, he/she will be able to pick up and hide two separate lots of the objects and hide them in a pocket and in a closed hand. However, you will then be able to tell them exactly how many objects are in their pocket and hand respectively.
1.While your back is turned, instruct your volunteer to pick up any number of objects between 1 and 10, and place them in their pocket.
2. Next, ask your volunteer to count (silently) how many objects are left. It will be a two-digit number. Ask him to add the two digits together, pick up that number of objects and add them to the pile in his pocket. (Note. You will be able to calculate that, no matter how many objects your volunteer first picked up, he will now have eleven in his pocket - leaving nine on the table).
3. Instruct your volunteer to pick up as many of the remaining objects he wishes, and hold them in his closed hand.
4. Turn around. Count the number of objects left on the table (Lets call this "x"). Inform the class that your volunteer has eleven objects in his pocket, and nine minus "x" objects in his hand ! (e.g. if there are three objects on the table, he must have nine minus three = six objects in his hand).
What children Believe - Results of survey.
I teach "Bible" mostly to children in state primary schools, with the vast majority coming from non-Christian homes. I wondered what influence we "Bible in school" teachers were having on the children. Were their beliefs falling in line with the Bible, or were the children still being largely influenced by their parents and guardians ?
I chose six classes, from four different schools in South Auckland for my survey. Thus a total of about 180 children participated. They were all in the age range 10 to 13, and all had previously attended weekly Bible classes for at least two years.
Results of my survey are shown below. I consider it to be a fair indication of children's beliefs in this area of Auckland, although there is always the possibility that some of the answers were made to "please teacher" rather than expressing what they really believed. For comparison, results of a survey - asking exactly the same questions - conducted among about 400 adults in the same area as two of the schools, and therefore probably including some of the children's parents, are shown. For further comparison, results of a similar survey of over 2,000 adults made between 10 and 15 years ago in Ayrshire, Scotland are also included.
Results.
Children Adults - N.Z. Adults - Scotland
1. What would encourage more people to go to church ? (%) (%) (%)
Closer friendships 26 14 3
Livelier services / More relevant preaching 23 15 30
More participation 19 5 7
More social activity 12 18 10
Other Ans. 12 13 1
Don't know 8 35 49
2. Do you believe in God ?
Yes 79 82 82
Not sure 21 11 11
No 0 7 7
3. Who is Jesus, according to your belief ?
Son of God 70 58 58
A good man 9 22 20
Other Ans. 8 7 7
Don't know 13 13 15
4. Why did Jesus come to earth ?
To die for our sins 74 42 42
To teach us 9 15 15
To save the world 9 13 13
Other Ans. 8 30 30
5. In your opinion, how does a person become a Christian ?
Believe in Christ as personal Saviour 40 43 19
Believe in God 36 20 23
Lead a good life 2 12 24
Other Ans. 22 25 34
6. What do you believe will happen to you when you die ?
Heaven 70 49 40
Reincarnation 11 6 5
Afterlife (unspecified) 8 13 18
Cease to exist 2 5 14
Other Ans. 1 0 2
Don't know 8 27 21
7. What qualifies you for heaven ?
Faith in Jesus 53 14 14
Living a good life 16 67 67
Church membership 9 0 1
Other Ans. 6 6 5
Don't know 16 13 13
8. If you could know God personally, would you be interested ?
Already know God personally 20 35 10
Yes 58 42 74
No 4 2 13
Not sure 18 21 5
Conclusions.
1. The answers of the two adult groups were remarkably similar (especially for some of the questions). This probably reflects the fact that the average regular church attendance in New Zealand and Scotland is similar (between 5 and 10 percent). The majority of people still think that "living a good life" is what qualifies you for heaven.
2. For most questions, the answers given by the children were more "Biblical" than those given by their parents and neighbours, the most notable exception being on how a person becomes a Christian.
3. We cannot assume that just because we teach Biblical truths, the children will necessarily come to share our beliefs. Parental and peer pressure are obviously still strong influences.
4. Although the school "Bible" classes are having a positive influence on the beliefs of the children, we could perhaps still do better in explaining what a Christian is, and how we can have a personal relationship with Christ.
posted by Maurice Sweetsur @ 3:28 PM
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