Special Blog - The Bible.

Introduction (The Bible).

I discovered you blog today while searching for help in teaching Bible history to 13 year olds. We are in the middle of teaching about the Kings and Prophets, which have so many wonderful stories. But the kids hear "history" and "Bible" and stop listening. When I read your blog, I knew immediately what I needed to do to re-focus my teaching. These are not just stories and ideas - the Bible is a real, living gift, God-breathed. If I want them to pay attention and take away more than dates and names, I have to give them every reason to want to know it and believe it.

Story - Jo Jo and the umbrella.

Object Lesson - Obedience brings success.

Object Lesson - Straight and crooked roads.

Object Lesson - Drawing a picture whilst blindfold.

Object Lesson - God's Guidance.

Object Lesson - The flaming Bible.

Teaching tip - The progressive revelation of God.

Fundamental Beliefs - Did God write the Bible?

The return of Jesus. Sometime in the future, when He comes back to complete the job of making everything perfect again.

2. God's Plan for Man.

2. Send someone to teach the people of their world how to be good.

3. Go yourself to show the people how to love each other.

4. Give them the power to change and become good.

4. The Wordless book.

Black. Sin entered the world.

Red. Jesus shed his blood for us.

White. We are forgiven and cleansed.

Green. We need to grow to become more like Jesus.

Gold. The colour of heaven - our future home.

5. The Seven C's of History.

2. Corruption (The Fall of man).

3. Catastrophe (Noah's flood).

4. Confusion (the Tower of Babel).

7. Consummation (the new heavens and new Earth).

6. Four words to describe the history of the world.

Story - Jo Jo and the Umbrella.

standing alternatively to the left or right as I deliver my lines, and running between the two positions>. - - - - went to the back of the shop, got something out and said.

"There you are Jo Jo, the very thing for you."

"That's an umbrella."

"An umbrella, but what does it do?"

"Well, when it rains, you get out your umbrella, and it stops you from getting wet. It keeps you dry in the rain."

"Wow! That sounds amazing. I have never heard of anything like that. My friends will be really impressed. I will take it."

"Hey, Jo Jo. Did you really go to the big city?"

"Yes, it was amazing. There were things there called motor cars that could travel faster than tigers. And big things that people got inside of and moved about in called buses, that were bigger than elephants. And big, tall buildings made of brick, that were even taller than giraffes!"

"That sounds fantastic Jo Jo. But did you remember to bring us back something from the big city to prove that you really went there?"

"That's an umbrella."

"An umbrella. What does it do?"

"Well, when it rains, I will get out my umbrella, and it will keep me dry in the rain."

"That sounds amazing Jo Jo. Alright, next time it rains, we will come round to your house, and you can show us how it works."

"Hey Jo Jo, it's raining. Come on out and bring that magic umbrella with you. Show us how it keeps you dry in the rain."

So Jo Jo picked up his umbrella and walked to the centre of the village square. All Jo Jo's friends were watching. But Jo Jo got his umbrella and went - - - - - . Of course, the rain still fell on Jo Jo, and all his friends laughed.

"Ha Ha Jo Jo, you are as wet as the rest of us. That umbrella's useless, I would go and get your money back if I were you."

"Dad. I made a fool of myself in front of all my friends. I got soaking wet, and they all laughed at me. You will have to take me back to the big city to get my money back for this rotten umbrella."

"Alright Jo Jo, next time I go to the big city, you can come with me."

"Give me my money back for this rotten umbrella. I made a fool of myself in front of all my friends. I got soaking wet, and they all laughed at me."

"But Jo Jo, did you hold the umbrella above your head?"

"Well, no. I didn't actually hold it above my head."

"Oh yes Jo Jo, for the umbrella to work, you need to hold it above your head."

"Oh, I didn't realise that. Alright, I will keep it."

"Oh no. I just did something terrible. I just hit my dad. Sorry, Dad. I thought you were a crocodile!"

"Hey Jo Jo, did you get your money back for that rotten umbrella?"

"No, but I know how it works now."

"Alright Jo Jo, next time it rains, we will come round to your house, and you can show us how it keeps you dry in the rain."

"Hey Jo Jo, it's raining again. Come on out and bring that magic umbrella with you. Show us how it keeps you dry in the rain."

So Jo Jo picked up his umbrella and walked to the centre of the village square. All Jo Jo's friends were watching. Jo Jo held his umbrella (still unopened) horizontally above his head. Then he held it vertically . Of course, it still rained on Jo Jo, and all his friends laughed again.

"Jo Jo, you are still as wet as the rest of us, and you never got your money back for that rotten umbrella."

"Dad. I made a fool of myself in front of all my friends again. I got soaking wet, and they all laughed at me. You will have to take me back to the big city to get my money back for this rotten umbrella. What's that! You won't take me back to the big city? Oh dad! Dad won't take me back to the big city."

"Mum. You tell dad to take me back to the big city. He will listen to you. Dad's always do what mum's tell them don't they!"

"Give me my money back for this rotten umbrella. I made a fool of myself in front of all my friends again. I got soaking wet, and they all laughed at me."

"But Jo Jo, did you hold the umbrella above your head like I told you?"

"Yes I did. But I still got soaking wet. Come on, give me my money back."

"But Jo Jo, did you open the umbrella up?"

" - - - - - Open it up. What do you mean 'open it up'"

"Here Jo Jo, let me show you." . "When it rains, you get out your umbrella, press this little switch here, give it a shake, and open up the umbrella like this. Then, you hold it above your head - and the rain falls on the umbrella, instead of falling on you!"

"Oh, yes. Now I understand. Now I see how it works. I will keep it"

"Hey Jo Jo, did you get your money back for that rotten umbrella?"

"No, but I know how it works now."

"Oh you do do you Jo Jo? Alright next time it rains, we will come round to your house, and you can show us how it keeps you dry in the rain - Ha Ha."

"Hey Jo Jo, in case you hadn't noticed, it's raining. Come on out and bring that magic umbrella with you. Show us how it keeps you dry in the rain. Ha Ha."

So Jo Jo picked up his umbrella and walked to the centre of the village square. All Jo Jo's friends were watching. But Jo Jo got his umbrella, pushed the little switch like he had been told, gave it a little shake, opened it up, and held it above his head. Of course, the rain fell on the umbrella instead of on Jo Jo. So Jo Jo looked around at all his friends and said

"Ha Ha. The joke's on you now, because I'm nice and dry under this umbrella, and all you are getting soaking wet!"

O.L. - Obedience brings success.

All you need for this illustration are a few sheets of newspaper.

Some newspapers are printed "with the grain", and some "against the grain." This means that if you hold a piece of newspaper vertically, and begin to tear strips from top to bottom, they will either come out very straight, or very ragged (despite your best efforts), depending on the way the grain is running.

We are all on a path through life, either a straight path which leads to God, or a crooked path which does not. Choose about eight volunteers. Give one half the first set of newspaper sheets, and the other half the second. Ask them to tear the sheets into strips from top to bottom as straight as they can. One set of volunteers will end up with straight strips of paper, and the other half with a big mess!

O.L. - The flaming Bible.

T.T. - The progressive revelation of God.

1400 B.C. Moses - God is a Covenant (or Agreement) keeping God (He desires to enter into covenants with His people).

860 B.C. Elijah - There is only one God.

760 B.C. Amos - God is Righteous. (He does not have favourites).

740 B.C. Hosea - God is righteous, yet Merciful.

740 B.C. Isaiah - God is Holy, worthy of worship, and Concerned for all mankind.

620 B.C. Jeremiah - God is a Personal God, desiring to have a personal relationship with us.

30 A.D. Jesus - The Supreme revelation to mankind - "God is love."

2. The fulfilled prophecies.

3. There are no contradictions in the Bible.

4. There are no proven errors in the Bible.

5. The remarkable Mosaic Laws.

6. The Authority of Jesus.

7. The life changing power of the Bible.

The Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ are inextricably linked together as God's revelation to man of His Truth. God has given us the Bible not only that we may know what the truth is, but also that we might come to know Him who is Himself the Truth.

The above was extracted from a Booklet "The Bible. The work of man or the Word of God?" that I wrote a number of years ago. If you would like a free copy of the complete booklet and you live in Britain, I understand they are still available from New Life Centre, Prestwick, KA9 2PA, Scotland. If you live in New Zealand, please email me your postal address, and I will send one on to you.