I BELIEVE IN CHILDREN
....There is faith in their eyes,
Love in their touch
And hope in their attitude.
....I thrill with them at life's joy's
Run with them through tall grasses
And bow with them in worship.
....They are the fragile dream of yesterday,
Life's radiant reality of today
And the vibrant vision of tomorrow.
(taken from www.handprint.org.)
....There is faith in their eyes,
Love in their touch
And hope in their attitude.
....I thrill with them at life's joy's
Run with them through tall grasses
And bow with them in worship.
....They are the fragile dream of yesterday,
Life's radiant reality of today
And the vibrant vision of tomorrow.
(taken from www.handprint.org.)
WELCOME TO OUR THIRD YEAR OF READING THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH CHILDREN.
2021-Focus on representing every book of the Bible (See separate page)
2022-Focus on telling in chronological order the untold/unique stories from the Bible (See separate page)
2023-Focus on Biblical virtues (See BELOW)
2021-Focus on representing every book of the Bible (See separate page)
2022-Focus on telling in chronological order the untold/unique stories from the Bible (See separate page)
2023-Focus on Biblical virtues (See BELOW)
BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY AND GRACE AND SALVATION
PRAYER:
"Lord. let salvation spring up within the children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus. I pray that they will grow in the grace and knowledge of their Savior Jesus Christ through His Word. Lord, let this salvation spring up within them so that they may obtain it."
OLD TESTAMENT:
"If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today; the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world." (Deuteronomy 28:1)
NEW TESTAMENT:
"Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."
(2 Timothy 2:10)
"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18)
Do you find it puzzling that we are discussing the virtues of salvation and growth in grace in the Book of Deuteronomy?
Training in Godliness and holiness should begin very early for parents, even before children may fully understand or grasp God’s plan for salvation. Let’s be honest, you can’t really ask a small child if they are going to heaven or hell? Still we can open the door for them to begin to understand what salvation and grace means. No, it’s not about following a bunch of rules but it is about having an obedient heart and belonging to God. There are no age restrictions for salvation but you can never start too early to train a child about these things.
When I think of Deuteronomy, I am reminded of God’s plans and His great love through each of his commandments as well as his gift of grace and salvation. It should be a reminder to all of us to accept this gift and pray the same for the children as they grow. If we truly love God, we will desire to please him. We will be “thinking as God thinks and willing as God wills.” (John Brown) Moses reminded the people of God's expectations for them and their need to listen and obey. Children need to understand that poor choices have consequences. There is great wisdom in understanding God’s boundaries.
Yes, salvation and grace were already "in the making" in Deuteronomy even though Jesus didn't come in the flesh for many more years. Moses even prophesied the coming of Jesus in Deuteronomy 18:15. When he said “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.”
Our book this week is:
Gigi and the Royal Tea Party By Sheila Walsh
https://youtu.be/5xO_hiuw66c
PRAYER:
"Lord. let salvation spring up within the children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus. I pray that they will grow in the grace and knowledge of their Savior Jesus Christ through His Word. Lord, let this salvation spring up within them so that they may obtain it."
OLD TESTAMENT:
"If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today; the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world." (Deuteronomy 28:1)
NEW TESTAMENT:
"Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."
(2 Timothy 2:10)
"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18)
Do you find it puzzling that we are discussing the virtues of salvation and growth in grace in the Book of Deuteronomy?
Training in Godliness and holiness should begin very early for parents, even before children may fully understand or grasp God’s plan for salvation. Let’s be honest, you can’t really ask a small child if they are going to heaven or hell? Still we can open the door for them to begin to understand what salvation and grace means. No, it’s not about following a bunch of rules but it is about having an obedient heart and belonging to God. There are no age restrictions for salvation but you can never start too early to train a child about these things.
When I think of Deuteronomy, I am reminded of God’s plans and His great love through each of his commandments as well as his gift of grace and salvation. It should be a reminder to all of us to accept this gift and pray the same for the children as they grow. If we truly love God, we will desire to please him. We will be “thinking as God thinks and willing as God wills.” (John Brown) Moses reminded the people of God's expectations for them and their need to listen and obey. Children need to understand that poor choices have consequences. There is great wisdom in understanding God’s boundaries.
Yes, salvation and grace were already "in the making" in Deuteronomy even though Jesus didn't come in the flesh for many more years. Moses even prophesied the coming of Jesus in Deuteronomy 18:15. When he said “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.”
Our book this week is:
Gigi and the Royal Tea Party By Sheila Walsh
https://youtu.be/5xO_hiuw66c
BOOK OF NUMBERS AND THE VIRTUE OF SELF-DISCIPLINE AND SELF-CONTROL
PRAYER:
“Father, I pray that all children may acquire a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair.
Help them to not strive to always be like their peers but instead be alert and self-controlled.
OLD TESTAMENT
“They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it.”
(Numbers 14:23)
NEW TESTAMENT
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self control.”
2 Timothy 1:7)
“So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.
(1 Thessalonians 5:6)
There is much wisdom to harvest from the Book of Numbers. One of these lessons is accepting that we need to be self disciplined and self controlled. Kids need to understand at an early age that they are accountable not only to their parents but also to God. We should protect our children by teaching them discipline. Then, as they grow up and move away from parents, they will understand they still have a responsibility to seek and please God. Without following His rules and being willing to implement His plan, we would all be just like the Israelites who wandered aimlessly in the desert. We should build our camps/homes with God at the center and we should organize our thoughts around Him. In Numbers we see much precise instructions on how the Israelites should prepare for what laid ahead of them in the Promised Land. They would soon face many enemies.
As we go into the new year we make many resolutions in preparation. One of the most important ones for all of us is to resolve to make God the center of our lives. As a friend of mine recently said, we need to be resolved to keep our lamps filled with His oil by reading scripture and meditating on His Word. Learning to listen and obey (having self-discipline and self-control) didn’t come so easy for the Israelites as they continued to show contempt for God and His commandments. They showed this contempt for God when they disregarded the importance of obeying His demands. I pray that the children will grow up knowing the right thing as commanded by God through His Word and have the self-control to make God the center of their lives as the enemy lies ahead of them.
Our book this week is:
The Bad Seed By Jory John
https://youtu.be/DMCvXtXXc6U
(The bad seed decides he doesn’t want to be a bad seed anymore. He used self-discipline and tried to do better.)
PRAYER:
“Father, I pray that all children may acquire a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair.
Help them to not strive to always be like their peers but instead be alert and self-controlled.
OLD TESTAMENT
“They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it.”
(Numbers 14:23)
NEW TESTAMENT
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self control.”
2 Timothy 1:7)
“So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.
(1 Thessalonians 5:6)
There is much wisdom to harvest from the Book of Numbers. One of these lessons is accepting that we need to be self disciplined and self controlled. Kids need to understand at an early age that they are accountable not only to their parents but also to God. We should protect our children by teaching them discipline. Then, as they grow up and move away from parents, they will understand they still have a responsibility to seek and please God. Without following His rules and being willing to implement His plan, we would all be just like the Israelites who wandered aimlessly in the desert. We should build our camps/homes with God at the center and we should organize our thoughts around Him. In Numbers we see much precise instructions on how the Israelites should prepare for what laid ahead of them in the Promised Land. They would soon face many enemies.
As we go into the new year we make many resolutions in preparation. One of the most important ones for all of us is to resolve to make God the center of our lives. As a friend of mine recently said, we need to be resolved to keep our lamps filled with His oil by reading scripture and meditating on His Word. Learning to listen and obey (having self-discipline and self-control) didn’t come so easy for the Israelites as they continued to show contempt for God and His commandments. They showed this contempt for God when they disregarded the importance of obeying His demands. I pray that the children will grow up knowing the right thing as commanded by God through His Word and have the self-control to make God the center of their lives as the enemy lies ahead of them.
Our book this week is:
The Bad Seed By Jory John
https://youtu.be/DMCvXtXXc6U
(The bad seed decides he doesn’t want to be a bad seed anymore. He used self-discipline and tried to do better.)
BOOK OF LEVITICUS AND THE VIRTUE OF MERCY AND FORGIVENESS
PRAYER
"May children learn to always show remorse when they make bad choices and a willingness to ask for forgiveness and may they always have a heart to forgive others.”
OLD TESTAMENT
“But at last my people will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors for betraying me and being hostile toward me."
(Leviticus 26:40)
NEW TESTAMENT
"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."
(Luke 6:36)
When I think of Leviticus, I choose to see a lot of forgiveness rather than focusing on a lot of rules. Those sacrificial fires of repentance must have been burning constantly. This book of the Bible reminds me of God’s great mercy and forgiveness and His desire to have a relationship with us. Without laws and guidelines there would be less of a need to seek forgiveness from God or to forgive others. Behind each of those Old Testament laws was the mercy and love of God and His desire to teach us holy living. A set of rules often precedes the need for mercy and forgiveness because we all fall short of expectations. Remind children that God demonstrates his love to us by having guidelines but He also freely offers mercy to each of us. Kids (and adults) need to understand that we all make mistakes and poor choices but forgiveness is ever present. We should all know how to ask for and receive His forgiveness when we stray from holy living. And we should accept the truth that grace and mercy draw us into a closer relationship with God. We should always read our Bibles and listen to Him and seek to do whatever He says without questioning. He is the creator and planner of all things. Yes, we might find much antiquated and difficult detail in God’s instruction to the people of Israel in Leviticus but this detail only demonstrates just how much He loved His people and His willingness to forgive them over and over. Likewise, we should show this same mercy to others.
Our book this week is
Martha doesn't say sorry! By Samantha Berger
https://youtu.be/qbPFZ_4fdew
(Martha learns that apologizing isn't so bad after all.)
PRAYER
"May children learn to always show remorse when they make bad choices and a willingness to ask for forgiveness and may they always have a heart to forgive others.”
OLD TESTAMENT
“But at last my people will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors for betraying me and being hostile toward me."
(Leviticus 26:40)
NEW TESTAMENT
"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."
(Luke 6:36)
When I think of Leviticus, I choose to see a lot of forgiveness rather than focusing on a lot of rules. Those sacrificial fires of repentance must have been burning constantly. This book of the Bible reminds me of God’s great mercy and forgiveness and His desire to have a relationship with us. Without laws and guidelines there would be less of a need to seek forgiveness from God or to forgive others. Behind each of those Old Testament laws was the mercy and love of God and His desire to teach us holy living. A set of rules often precedes the need for mercy and forgiveness because we all fall short of expectations. Remind children that God demonstrates his love to us by having guidelines but He also freely offers mercy to each of us. Kids (and adults) need to understand that we all make mistakes and poor choices but forgiveness is ever present. We should all know how to ask for and receive His forgiveness when we stray from holy living. And we should accept the truth that grace and mercy draw us into a closer relationship with God. We should always read our Bibles and listen to Him and seek to do whatever He says without questioning. He is the creator and planner of all things. Yes, we might find much antiquated and difficult detail in God’s instruction to the people of Israel in Leviticus but this detail only demonstrates just how much He loved His people and His willingness to forgive them over and over. Likewise, we should show this same mercy to others.
Our book this week is
Martha doesn't say sorry! By Samantha Berger
https://youtu.be/qbPFZ_4fdew
(Martha learns that apologizing isn't so bad after all.)
BOOK OF EXODUS AND THE VIRTUE OF GRATITUDE
PRAYER
"Help all children to live lives that are always overflowing with thankfulness and always giving thanks to God the Father for everything.”
OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE
"I have promised to rescue you from your oppression in Egypt. I will lead you to a land flowing with milk and honey." (Exodus 3:17)
NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES
"And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
(Ephesians 5:20)
"Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness."
(Colossians 2:7)
The book of Exodus records the events of the people's deliverance from slavery. It's important for children to have hearts of gratitude and to trust that God will always rescue them from any evil that threatens them. Just as God delivered the Israelites from slavery, so He continues to guide our paths and protect us. That's a lot to be thankful for! Guard against ungrateful hearts and grumbling and complaining just because things don't always seem to be the way you think they should be.
Our book this week is
I’m Thankful By PK Halliman
https://youtu.be/6-sqUoDg7yM
PRAYER
"Help all children to live lives that are always overflowing with thankfulness and always giving thanks to God the Father for everything.”
OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE
"I have promised to rescue you from your oppression in Egypt. I will lead you to a land flowing with milk and honey." (Exodus 3:17)
NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES
"And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
(Ephesians 5:20)
"Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness."
(Colossians 2:7)
The book of Exodus records the events of the people's deliverance from slavery. It's important for children to have hearts of gratitude and to trust that God will always rescue them from any evil that threatens them. Just as God delivered the Israelites from slavery, so He continues to guide our paths and protect us. That's a lot to be thankful for! Guard against ungrateful hearts and grumbling and complaining just because things don't always seem to be the way you think they should be.
Our book this week is
I’m Thankful By PK Halliman
https://youtu.be/6-sqUoDg7yM
BOOK OF GENESIS AND THE VIRTUE OF BIBLICAL SELF-ESTEEM
PRAYER:
“Help all children to develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.” (Mom’s in Touch)
OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE:
“So God created human beings in his own image.” (Genesis 1:27)
NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE:
“ For we are God's masterpiece.He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
(Ephesians 2:10)
We begin the new year with Genesis. It’s important for kids to understand that everything including themselves was created by an awesome God who loves them. Biblical self esteem isn’t pride in yourself nor is it humility. It’s understanding that we are special and we can do anything through an omnipotent God. All our accomplishments are because of the love, power and strength of God. When I think of the Book of Genesis the thing that stands out in my mind is the creation and God’s desire to set His people apart as special.
When God created the world, He spoke “Let there be…”. When He created man, I envision that He got down on His hands and knees in the dirt and formed man into His own image. He loves us that much. We are special. Lots to think about.
Our picture book is:
Little Lu By Silvia Hilli Weber and Nina Dulleck
https://youtu.be/Fr2cYMbJ14o
PRAYER:
“Help all children to develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.” (Mom’s in Touch)
OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE:
“So God created human beings in his own image.” (Genesis 1:27)
NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE:
“ For we are God's masterpiece.He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
(Ephesians 2:10)
We begin the new year with Genesis. It’s important for kids to understand that everything including themselves was created by an awesome God who loves them. Biblical self esteem isn’t pride in yourself nor is it humility. It’s understanding that we are special and we can do anything through an omnipotent God. All our accomplishments are because of the love, power and strength of God. When I think of the Book of Genesis the thing that stands out in my mind is the creation and God’s desire to set His people apart as special.
When God created the world, He spoke “Let there be…”. When He created man, I envision that He got down on His hands and knees in the dirt and formed man into His own image. He loves us that much. We are special. Lots to think about.
Our picture book is:
Little Lu By Silvia Hilli Weber and Nina Dulleck
https://youtu.be/Fr2cYMbJ14o
