January 21, 2016 -- Issue #2

In today's newsletter:

1) Learning: Fun & Serious

2) Powerful Bible Skits

3) Sermon on the Mount

4) Why Do We Pray?

Super Heroes Bible Lesson Plans

1) Learning: Fun & Serious

I think learning should be a mixture of both: fun and serious-just like real life is.  With our culture so overly focused on fun and entertainment that I hesitate with the fun part going overboard. This is my struggle as a preschool teacher. 

                  Bible Lesson Plans

2) Powerful Bible Skits 

I used your Ruth 1 script as my Bible time with my kids (9 and 7) a couple of nights ago. They love these things! But as you might expect, someone else doesn't (if you know who I mean). Well, suffice to say he tried to disrupt our Bible time by overcoming both of my kids with self-centered urges and had them succumbing to fits of yelling and stomping out of the room because they each had been slighted on the number of parts or lines or whatever it was. 

So, Bible time over right? Satan won, right? Not exactly. My daughter, Ali, comes to me about 20 minutes later and apologizes for her behavior and asks for my forgiveness. Totally unsolicited. She is 7 and this is the first time she has ever done that without being prompted. Hallelujah! What Satan meant for evil is turned into good by God once again. Bottom line for me right now is that these skits have power obviously and should be set up to succeed as much as possible.

Steve Cook
AudioOven.com

3) Sermon on the Mount

The Sermon on the Mount explains the characteristics—the inward and outward qualities—of those who belong to the Kingdom of God. It was primarily directed to Jesus’ disciples and his followers. However, people from all across the region of Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and beyond the Jordan, gathered to hear Jesus teach. 

The sermon begins with the Beatitudes (Mathew 5:3-12), which depict the Christ-like character and attitudes that are to be manifested in the lives of believers. The first beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” explains how we begin our faith journey. Apart from Christ, we are spiritually bankrupt. Only when we confess our impoverished, sinful condition, do we begin life in the kingdom of God. The Beatitudes continue through verse 12 describing how to become approved by God and speaks of the rewards in store for those who abide by them.

Then, having described the spiritual transformation and character of his followers in the Beatitudes and the rewards to come, Jesus continues his sermon by explaining the Position—you are salt—and the Mission—you are light—of his followers. The remainder of the sermon is divided into four additional parts: The Law: the Heart of the Matter, Prayer & Fasting, Money & Worry, and Warnings. It is these five parts of the Sermon on the Mount that these Bible lesson plans are directed. I hope they’ll inspire you and help the children you teach to love and serve the King! 

Go to the Sermon on the Mount page to sample Bible Lesson One. 

4) Why Do We Pray?

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus" Philippians 4:6-7.

We talk with our friends about all kinds of stuff. In the same way, we should talk to God about everything that is happening in our lives and how we feel about it. God wants us to tell him when we are happy, sad, and afraid. He wants us to ask him what we want for others and for ourselves. Also when we pray, we give God an opportunity to . . . Read more about praying.

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