Abraham and Sarah - Bible Story for Children

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

There is no time like now to teach your children about the Bible. With Bible stories like Abraham and Sarah, children can begin to learn that the Bible is full of stories that are there to help us learn and deal with everyday life.

Learning from the Bible

Even children who attend Sunday school and church regularly can come up short when ask about a certain Bible story. For instance, when the story of Moses is told, most children have heard of the story about baby Moses being put in the basket in the river. But, they don't realize that it is that same baby Moses who was responsible for leading the children out of Israel. Nor do they put two and two together about how he went to Pharaoh and God sent the plagues.

The same goes for the story of Abraham and Sarah, or should I say, Abram and Sarai. Children should know that it is this Abraham that is the father of Isaac and Isaac is the father of twin boys. One of these twin boys, Jacob, had the dream about the angels going up and down the ladder to heaven and how Jacob was also the father of Joseph with the 'coat of many colors'.

It is important for children to not only know the Bible stories, but how they all tie in together.

Click Here to see inside the book!

Bible Stories for Children - How Can Children Use Them in Their Own Lives?

Of course, learning the Bible stories are wonderful, but how do they use these stories from the Bible to help them in their own lives? After all, isn't that what God put them there for? We are to study the Bible, learn from it, keep it close to our hearts, and then apply it to our everyday life.

For the most part, Christian children know many stories from the Bible, but ask them how it applies to them and you will come up short. As Christian parents, we should strive everyday to teach our kids the importance of God's Word and how we are to use it each and every day.

Abraham and Sarah Bible Story

Click Here to see inside the book!

Below is an ebook available for Christian parents to help guide their children to understand the Bible and Bible stories better. The story is about Abraham and Sarah and their journey from beginning to end. The story is broken down into lessons for the children to read one each day. At the top of each lesson, the Bible verses are listed and children are encouraged to read the lesson first, then turn to the verses in the Bible and read it again for themselves.

At the bottom of each lesson is a 'cool or interesting' fact that leads children to think a bit more. Also, included in the Bible story is bolded words that children may not be familiar with yet. These bolded words are included in a 'Terms' section along with questions and answers for each lesson.

These Bible Studies are a great way to teach children that the Bible is interesting and cool along with teaching them new reading skills as each lesson is written with young children in mind, but adults will find it very helpful too.

Available at Amazon for the Kindle

Click Here to see inside the book!

You can also find the ebook available for the Nook at Barnes and Noble. 

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Train Up A Child In The Way He Should Go - Proverbs 22:6

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Every Christian parent wonders - How can I raise my child to become a strong Christian adult? How can I teach him to trust in God, to follow God's Word, to look to God in everything he does, and to let God lead his life?

The Bible plainly tells us two things:

First, His PROMISE,

and it is a promise!

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6 KJV

When you are thinking about raising you child in the way he should go, keep in mind this does not mean that you take your child to Church on Easter Sunday, send them to VBS each year, and maybe make it to Sunday school here and there throughout the year.

Training your child in the way he should go means you need a regular church routine. The Lord's day, which is normally Sunday, should not be thought of as just 'another day of the week'. Commandment 4 tells us - Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8 KJV).

So, now we know church is very important. It not only teaches us about God and the Bible, we can fellowship with other Christians and teach our children what they should do as they grow into adults. When children are taught that Sunday is the Lord's day and it needs to be honored, they will know how important it is to take their children to church.

Another way to train up your children is to live a Godly life. Some people will go to church each Sunday just to start Monday off cussing, yelling, talking horrible about others, listening to music with bad language or meaning, setting down to watch television that should not be viewed by anyone, and so on. Children are more likely to grow up and act like their parents do before they grow up and act like they are told to do.

Secondly,

a warning!

Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.

Proverbs 19:18 KJV

and,

Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

Proverbs 22:15 KJV

These two verses let us know that if we do not correct our children when they have done wrong, they will never know it is wrong and continue down a path of destruction. When parents love their children, they want to correct them and show them the right path - the path of God and salvation.

You've heard the old saying - Spare the rod, spoil the child, right? This is probably where the saying came from.

Of course, these verses in no way give a parent permission to 'beat' their children, lock them up, or do any type of physical or mental damage. These verses are there to let us know that we are to 'correct' our kids. Every child is different and often a 'time out' is sufficient, but in more severe cases, a longer grounding might be needed to get them pointed in the right direction.

As parents, it is our own call as to the punishment our children need to correct them. There are many forms of punishment that does not involve jerking your child up by the arm, yelling at the top of your lungs, and beating them with a belt each and every time they have did something they shouldn't. Often, these forms of punishment leads a child in the wrong direction and could case them to become an 'abuser' to their own family when they are grown.

Use every single one of your actions and reactions to teach your child to lead Godly lives. And remember, they are likely to act like you than to do what they are told.

Lead by example and you have God's promise that they will no depart from their upbringing.

Here is a wonderful video of two girls singing Christian music from Francesca Batistelli.

This is one example of teaching your children to praise God...

Special Thanks to Haleybop5726

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Teaching Sunday School - Help for Sunday School Teachers

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Whether you have been a Sunday School teacher for years or have just found yourself teaching Sunday School, you can benefit from new ideas, games, and advice. Why?

Kids today are wound up in a fast paced world with fast paced gadgets and need to be taught in a way that keeps their attention. When we were younger, the Sunday School teacher could stand up front, read from the bible, tell the bible story in her own words, then ask questions that all the kids knew the answers to. Not today!

Teaching Sunday School
No matter what age class you teach (with adults being the exception), you'll need to keep their attention or the kids will not learn anything. The whole point of Sunday School is to learn about the Bible, God, Jesus dying on the cross, how to get to heaven, and how we can live like Jesus. Of course, this is a brief description of what kids learn. There are many other things they need to know and that is where we as Sunday School teachers come into play.



Help! I'm a Sunday School Teacher!

Games are a great way to help them learn the Bible story and their Bible verse. No matter how old a child is or whether they can even talk yet, I can't stress how important it is for them to learn Bible verses. Bible verses give children a foundation to build their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Active role playing can help children as well. Planning your story ahead with costumes can bring new learning into the Sunday School room. If you have a large class of children, have group 1 children play different characters in the story while group 2 kids watch, then let them switch. By going through the story more than once, you'll be helping them gain a better understanding of the meaning of the story and they will remember it to tell their parents when class is over.


Sunday School Games

One Sunday School game that can be played at any age and with any number of students is 'Chair Bounce'. To begin, set up one chair for each child in a square, a circle, or a rectangle. The teacher can play too as the kids seem to love it! If you have parents in the room, get them involved too.

To play 'Chair Bounce', each child and adult will sit in a chair. Be sure the kids can see each other. It makes the game funner. Next, ask a question about the story or about stories you have already told. Let the children yell out the answers. By letting them yell out the answers, they will try to compete to answer the questions while the children who don't know the answers will learn them.

When a child gets the answer right, call out, 'Chair Bounce' or 'change seats'. Everyone will move to the right (or left - your choice) and sit down in the next seat. Continue asking questions and chair bouncing until you come back around to the seat you started in. The kids love to move fast, answer fast, and get back around to their seat fast.

The faster the questions are asked and answered the better they like it. It can get a little crazy, but they will listen and learn. You can also change it up a bit by sitting the seats a little further a part and making them hop to the next seat, duck walk to the next seat, or even tip toe. Don't forget to ask the Bible verse during the game!

Other Resources for Sunday School Teachers and Parents

Read Allowed Bible Stories

Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids

The Games Bible - Over 300 Games

Links That May Be Useful

Sunday School Game – Launching Words of Kindness : Sunday ...
http://www.christianitycove.com/sunday-school-game-launching-words-of-kindness-0406/1206/2/13/12
Warning: This is one of our water games and is great for hot days! LAUNCHING WORDS OF KINDNESS GAME Materials needed: Water balloons, two bed sheets, Sunday school table or a couple of chairs, container for your filled water ...

Runabout Games for Sunday School Kids « The Vicar's Wife
thevicarswife.wordpress.com2/28/12
Runabout Games for Sunday School Kids. 28 February, 2012 by thevicarswife. We normally have about ten kids in our Junior church. Their ages range from 4 to 12, so we have readers and non-readers. We often have some very wriggly ...

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VBS - Reviews of Standard Publishing, LifeWay, and More

Monday, April 9, 2012

What VBS program will you pick this year? There are so many great programs available each and every year that it can be hard to choose.

How to Pick a VBS Program

Making a list of the following will get you started:

• how many kids are you expecting?
• how many adults will you have to help?
• how long will each VBS last? 2 hrs, 3 hrs, one full day?
• where will it be held? inside or outside?
• how much room do you have? a parking lot or a huge field?
• will there be snacks served?
• will you be running a church bus?
• what will the age group be? small children, teens, adults?
• do you want a puppet program?
• will there be skits to put on?

As yo can see, these are only a few questions to ask yourself. Now, one of the easiest ways to determine what type of VBS program you purchase is to buy the sample pack or starter kit that many VBS retailers offer. You can order these months in advance and can weed out any programs that doesn't suit your needs.

VBS Reviews and VBS Costs

Below are some links to some reviews by fellow VBS administrators that may help you make your decision easier.

About the Children's Department: How Did I Determine Which VBS ...
http://www.aboutthechildrensdepartment.com/2012/01/how-did-i-determine-which-vbs-is-my-top.html1/29/12
I want to give you an idea of how I made my selections for this year's Top Ten VBS resources. I'm not a VBS publisher and I'm not a bookstore; I'm a children's ministry person so when I evaluate curriculum I look for the "tools" ...

About the Children's Department: VBS 2012 - Dollars & Cents of ...
http://www.aboutthechildrensdepartment.com/2012/02/vbs-2012-dollars-cents-of-vbs-part-3.html2/8/12
Today I'm going to once again take a look at the Dollars and Cents for the final five VBS resources I reviewed. I'm happy to see in many of the director's materials some fun ideas of ways to raise money for VBS, but again, ...

Weekend VBS – Rocky Point Lighthouse – Review | Children's ...
cmbuzz.com3/27/12
If you don't do VBS today or if the traditional 5-day VBS just isn't working for your church...maybe you should take a look at Group's Weekend VBS - Rocky. ... Epic $10000 Children's Ministry Resource Giveaway. October 18 ...

A Few Words About My Top Ten VBS Picks for 2012 - Home School ...
homeschoolcourier.com1/4/12
while I do “rank” the VBS resources based on the content and components of each kit, this year it was particularly difficult for me to do so as most of the kits I reviewed were absolutely wonderful! This is. Read Full Article- follow ...


About LifeWay VBS

What We LOVE About VBS | LifeWay VBS Blog
lifewayvbs.wordpress.com2/14/12
If you think these 10 reasons we love VBS sound a little like LifeWay's “Purpose and Principles of VBS” statement you are correct. To those of us who have the privilege of working to provide your VBS resources this is more ...


About Standard Publishing VBS

Standard Publishing's 2012 Vacation Bible School Named Top Pick ...
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/7866718876.html2/6/12
Contact: Joni Sullivan Baker, Buoyancy Public Relations, 513-319-3231 CINCINNATI, Feb. 6, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Standard Publishing again received top honors for the best Vacation Bible School in the nation with ...

Hidden VBS Costs

There are several hidden VBS costs that you may not think of when making out your budget. Whether it is a week long VBS, two or three night VBS, or even a Saturday VBS, you may come across some of the costs, so make sure to add in some extra cash for things like:

• bottles of water (especially on hot days)
• snacks (kids get extremely hungry when on the go)
• puppets or costumes
• VBS t-shirts, hats, etc.
• gas for church vans, buses, etc.
• items for VBS games
• VBS crafts
• paper plates, plastic ware, cups, napkins, etc.
• toilet paper, soap, wipes
• coffee, kool-aid, and other drinks

Remember, no matter which VBS program you choose, do it for God. Don't let all the 'little stuff' that will pop up get you down. The devil doesn't want you to have VBS, so keep the reason for VBS first and foremost in your mind - Jesus!

Have a fantastic Vacation Bible School this year!

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Taking the Lord's Name in Vain - The Third Commandment

Most people, even those who are not Christians, know some of the Ten Commandments. While all of the Ten Commandments get broken, some of them are broken more often than others and by Christians themselves.

Most Commonly Known Commandments

Commandment Six - Thou shalt not kill.
Commandment Eight - Thou shalt not steal.

and even,

Commandment Five - Honour thy Father and Mother.

But, what about the other seven Commandments? Especially, Commandment number three? The Third Commandment seems to be one that gets broken the most. Why is this?

Exodus 20:7 KJV

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord they God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

The Third Commandment Today

Just about every television show you turn on today uses the Lord's name in vain. Even cartoons have this problem. And, yes, it is a major problem. How do we expect our children to know what is right and wrong, to love God, and to grow up to be strong Christian adults if we can't teach them one of the simplest of the Ten Commandments?

In case you didn't realize...

Saying, "Oh my," then, "God", is using the Lord's name in vain. Even using the letters O, M, and G are wrong as they stand for the same thing. Even if you are not using the letters to mean this, what do other people think you are saying? As Christians, we should strive to be the best we can be for God.

What about this old saying?

"Lordy, Lordy, Look who's forty?"

Have you heard or used this? What does it have to do with the Lord? Nothing.

Today's society tends to throw God's name around everywhere that it doesn't belong. His name should be used correctly.

Using God's Name Correctly

The only time we should use God's name is when:

1. We are talking TO him.
2. We are talking ABOUT him.
3. We are PRAISING him.
4. We are READING about him.

God's name is holy and shouldn't be thrown around without any thought at all. The next time you use the Lord's name in vain, stop and think about what you've done.

• You have just broken the Third Commandment.
• You have just acted like everyone else in this world who doesn't think enough about God to use his name correctly.
• You have given others a reason to believe it is acceptable.
• You are not showing others you are a Christian.

Of course, this doesn't mean you are not a Christian. It just means you need to correct yourself now, ask for God's forgiveness, and get back on track!


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