Bible Lesson Visuals for Power Point

A friend recently recommended Eikon Bible Art  to me.  This site has some wonderful Bible lesson visuals on power point  for children.  The visuals are sharp and look like real people.  I use them when teaching children at Bible clubs and camp.  I have found that using power point is easier for me than holding up the large picture flashcards.  With power point, I can concentrate more on the message that I'm sharing rather than whether or not all of the children are able to see the picture I'm holding.  I also tend to gesture quite a bit, or act out the story that I'm telling, so it's nice for me to have my hands free.  

If you're interested, their website is:  www.eikonbibleart.com
You can receive one free lesson for checking them out.  You will need to register, but they only send occasional emails.  You can, of course, unsubscribe.

I know Someone who can mend broken hearts

This world is full of heartache.  It's all around us.  Every person we encounter carries some sort of burden.  Why is that so, and what can be done about it?

I was speaking to a little girl in our after-school Bible club.  She is one of my thinkers.  I asked her what she was thinking about concerning the things we were studying in club.  She told me that she had trusted the Lord Jesus as her Saviour, but there was something that troubled her.  She said, "Every Monday after club I go home and pray to God that I will have a good day...but I never do."  She had tears in her eyes as she spoke.  We talked about her situation at home.  Unfortunately, it is typical of most of the children we work with- she was being raised by her grandmother, her mother was in and out of the picture, she didn't know her father, other cousins were also in and out of the home, she was constantly surrounded by arguing, anger, and frustration.  

Does God hear the cries of this heart-broken little girl?  Does He care?  Why doesn't He do something?

First of all, God does hear. 
Psalm 34:15-  "The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry."
Psalm 69:33- "For the Lord hears the needy and does not despise His who are prisoners."

Secondly, He does care.
Mark 10:13-14- "Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.'"
Mark 9:42- "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."

So...why doesn't He do something?

To begin with, we must understand that when God created this world it was a perfect, wonderful place.  People are the ones that ruined it.  We are the ones who brought in sin when we chose to disobey God.  There are consequences to sin.  When sin entered the world, it brought with it sorrow, sickness, pain, and death.   Sin destroys everything that is good and beautiful.  Worst of all, it separates us from God.

So God did do something- He sent His own perfect Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who went to the cross, giving His life to pay the penalty for our sins.  The Lord Jesus died and was buried, but on the third day, He rose from the dead.  Now He lives to give new life- eternal life- to anyone who will put their trust in Him as the only Saviour.  This is God's promise- "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

This little girl and I talked about the wonderful promises God has given to her.  She has the Spirit of God Himself living within her who is working to make her character more and more like that of the Lord Jesus.  She cannot control the people in her life or the circumstances she finds herself in, but she can rest in the love that God has for her.  Though there is turmoil all around her, she can have the peace that passes all understanding.  Jesus said in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."  And one day, she will too.

Reaching Children with the Gospel

Do you have a heart to reach children in your area with the gospel?  
Then you need to go to where they are.

This past school year, I was blessed to work with one of my sisters-in-law teaching a Bible club that meets in a public elementary school.  We do it under the auspices of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF).  CEF is a Bible-centered ministry that reaches out to share the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with children throughout the world.  The goal is to see children brought to faith in Christ, and then discipled and established in a Bible-believing local church.  

Did you say public school?  Is that legal?  
Yes, I did, and yes, it is!

In 2001 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Good News Clubs v. Milford Central School that Good News Clubs can meet in public schools in the United States after school hours on the same terms as other community groups. Children attend Good News Club only with their parents' permission.  (Excerpt taken from Child Evangelism Fellowship website) 

Good News Club is the name of the after-school Bible clubs affiliated with CEF which meet after school hours once a week in the public schools.  To help in a Good News Club, some training is required, but I found it to be extremely beneficial and personally encouraging.  

During the club time, the children sing songs which teach doctrinal truths, are taught and work on memorizing a Bible verse, have a Bible lesson (using CEF materials, which I have found to be very well-written), and then play a review game to reinforce what they have learned.  

Working with these children can be physically and emotionally draining.  It can be heart-breaking as they share with you some of the situations they deal with in their homes on a daily basis.  But it is an opportunity for you to share the love of Christ with them and to let them see, through His Word and through your own life, the reality of who He is.  

If you have any questions as to how you can start, or be part of, a Good News Club in your area, check out the CEF website for more information at www.cefonline.com.

"Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; 

for of such is the kingdom of God."

(Mark 10:14b)

Share Your Story

Are you able to share your salvation testimony succinctly and in a way that honors the Lord?

For the past several years, I have had the joy of working with children in a camp setting each summer.  During the week, I try to visit one-on-one with as many children as possible about where they are spiritually.  After spending some time talking about what they like best about camp and what they are learning from the Bible lessons, I will ask them, “Do you know for sure where you will spend eternity?”  If they tell me “yes” and that they are going to Heaven, my next question is, “How do you know that?”  The standard response is, “Because I’m saved.”  To which I will ask, “Can you tell me about it?”

Here are some examples of a typical testimony I will hear:

“I got saved when I was 5.”

“My mom prayed with me and I got saved.”

“My dad showed me some verses and prayed and I got saved.”

While these things may all be true, they don’t give the complete story. 

When working with children, I try to teach them the importance of covering the main points of the gospel message in their testimony.  Their salvation testimony is their story of what Christ has done for them.  It is an instrument they can use to share the gospel with their friends.  We work on them being able to share their testimony in such a way that after hearing their story, the listener would know how to be saved from their sins and brought into a relationship with God if they so desired.  Plus, I believe being able to answer the following questions gives the child himself more confidence to share his testimony publicly because he has a better understanding of what God has actually done for him. 

I have them answer these questions:

• ·         WHY did you need to be saved?  What was the problem?
• ·         WHO could save you?  Why does He have the ability to do that?  What did He do for you?
• ·         WHEN and HOW were you saved? (This is the part where they share the details of their personal experience.)
• ·         How do you KNOW that you’re saved? (This is where they share a Bible verse that assures them of what God has done for them.  This has nothing to do with their feelings.)

I try to emphasize that the main character of this story is the Lord Jesus.  It is not so much about what the child did, but about what the Lord Jesus has done for them.  I also encourage them to use Bible verses in their testimony.  God’s Word is truth.

Here are the salvation testimonies of two of my children, written using this format:

Seth:

When I was 6 years old, my family was having our Bible time in the afternoon.  We were talking about the Lord’s return.  I started to cry because I knew if the Lord came back that day I would not be ready.  My mom and I went back to her room to talk.  I knew that I needed to be saved because I was a sinner.  I had told many lies and I knew that Revelation 21:8 says that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire.  I knew that as a sinner I deserved to spend eternity in hell.  But then we read 1 Timothy 1:15- “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”  I understood that Jesus had died on the cross for my sins and took the punishment that I deserved.  I told my mom that I wanted to be saved.  She told me to talk to the Lord about it, so I prayed and asked the Lord to save me.  I know that my sins are forgiven because Acts 16:31 promises, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” 

Eric:

          I was raised by parents who knew and served the Lord.  They taught me the gospel at an early age, but I never acted upon it.  I thought I was a good person and went through life without thinking of my need for salvation.  But more and more, I became aware of my sin, and I knew that I could not be good on my own.  Romans 3:10 says, “There is none righteous, not even one.” 

          One evening at Bible club, when I was nine years old, the teacher taught a lesson on eternity.  He said that all men were sinners, and sin leads to death and hell.  Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death.”  I knew that I was on my way to hell, a place of eternal darkness, torment, and separation from God.  There was only one way to be saved from this horrible punishment.  God loved me so much that He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to earth as a man.  He died and shed His blood on a cross, bearing my sin and punishment.  He later rose from death so that I could have eternal life. All that was left for me to do was to believe and accept His sacrifice for my salvation.

          When I went home that night, I knew the most important decision of my life lay just ahead.  I confessed my sin to the Lord, thanked Him for taking my place on the cross, and asked Him to take control of my life.  I know that I am saved because John 5:24 says, “He who hears my word and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”  The Lord has been working to change me.  I want my life to glorify Him. 

"Then they said among the nations, 'The Lord has done great things for us.'"  

-Psalm 126:2