Bible Study Archives - Page 3 of 7

Bible Study, Bibles, Kids Ministry, Leadership

July 19, 2017

Nothing Less than the Whole Bible

Biblical literacy in adults today is anemic at best. We know that on average, American adults own a total of seven Bibles, but rarely read them. Statistics tell us that only 25% of church-going adults read their Bible regularly. And of those who do choose to read the Bible, many Christians never even read eight or more books (I’ll let you guess which represents the current generation). What does this mean for the kids we are bringing up in the faith?

A recent study published in Transformational Discipleship found that the #1 indicator of spiritual growth in the life of a believer is Bible reading. Not surprisingly, a recent study found that the #1 predictor of a child’s spiritual condition as an adult is directly related to how much they read the Bible. As kids ministers who reach a broad range of children and their families, we need to ask ourselves, “Are we prioritizing the Bible in our ministry?”

A.W. Tozer once said, “Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.” If this is true, many of us are living the Christian life without the fullness of the complete Word of God. There are 66 books in the Bible, yet most adults gravitate to only a handful. If we truly believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, then we must prioritize reading all of the Scripture. This hold true for the children we lead as well.

Why do we hold back from teaching kids certain books of the Bible? Some of us feel ill-equipped to teach about them because we’ve spent such little time reading and understanding them Or, we feel like a certain book may not be appropriate for a child—whether it’s too difficult to understand, doesn’t apply to them, is too gory or graphic, or even contains sensuous material (hello Song of Songs!). One can certainly argue there is a timeline for when certain stories and Scriptures are revealed to children of young ages. However, it would be a mistake to withhold part of God’s Word because of our own comfort level.

So then, what shall we do?

Commit to spending time in books of the Bible that we may not normally read. We should ask God to teach us more about Him as we read and study, and request for Him to reveal something special that we can present to kids in an age-appropriate way.
Consider finding a plan that will help us teach all of Scripture. Review curriculum that has been developed through research that provides age-appropriate lessons for children to learn the whole Bible.
Pray that children and families would fall in love with God’s Word. After all, the Bible is His love letter to all of us.

At LifeWay Kids we want everyone to fall in love with the Bible. This truth convicted us to dedicate time and space at our 2017 ETCH Family Ministry Conference to unpack what it means to not just say the Bible is important, but unpack how this truth transforms your leadership and your ministry. Our 2017 ETCH theme is “Nothing Less”. Throughout the event, we will unpack and help put context to A.W. Tozer’s quote. We will help you apply it to your ministry, your leadership, and your team. At the end of the day, our desire is to do everything we can to equip you to serve and equip parents of the kids in your ministry. For more info on ETCH speakers, breakouts, and more, visit ETCHConference.com.

Kids will not be fully nourished without development in biblical literacy. As they take on the sword of the Spirit, they will be ready to expand the Kingdom as salt and light in a culture of darkness. Give them His Word in its entirety—as it was meant to be—and watch how the fruit of the Spirit will surely develop inside of them at every age. Let’s change the trajectory of biblical literacy from anemic to fully nourished. For His glory!

Jana Magruder serves as the Director of LifeWay Kids. She is a Baylor graduate and offers a wealth of experience and passion for kids ministry, education, and publishing. She is the author of Kids Ministry that Nourishes and Life Verse Creative Journal, which she co-authored with her teenage daughter. She and her husband, Michael, along with their three children reside in Nashville.

Bible Study, Enlistment, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Training

July 5, 2017

Tips for New Teachers

By Bill Emeott

It’s that time of year where we’re all searching for and enlisting new teachers for our ongoing Bible study classes. Below are some “basics” that might be helpful to share with new teachers. These tips can help any new teacher present like a seasoned pro!

Plan and Prepare. The best session is a prepared session. Regardless of the curriculum you use it will need to be prepared. Developing the habit of planning early can remove the Saturday night (or Sunday morning) stress of weekly teaching prep.
1. Start early in the week and do a little each day.
2. Look over the biblical content early in the week to allow God the opportunity to use your comings and goings to reinforce the Bible truths in your life.
3. Review the session plan for resources you might need to gather and secure those things while you’re out during the week.
Arrive Early. A good rule of thumb is to be in place 15 minutes before the scheduled time to begin. Arriving early allows time to catch your breath, prepare the room, and have a smile on your face when the kids arrive. It’s true that the first person in the room wins. Make sure that person is you.
Start Teaching When the First Child Enters the Room. Don’t waste a minute! Be prepared and be ready for the first child and begin teaching. Some curriculums provide for early arrival activities. Use them! If yours doesn’t, consider Bible skill games and activities as an option for early arrivers (or while waiting for parental pick up at the end of the session). Don’t have kids wait idly for “the rest of the group.” Prepare activities that can begin with one child and add others as they arrive. If kids sit still too long they’ll come up with something to do on their own and it’s not likely to be something that teaches biblical truths and skills.
Build Relationships. It’s an old adage but it’s very true, “They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” The best way to make sure that kids and their families know that you care is by building relationships with them individually. Determine a strategy for getting to know the kids and their families. Understand some general characteristics of the age group you’re teaching, trends that influence your kids, and personal likes and dislikes of individual kids. Learn about their families, schools, sports, and hobbies then use that information to build relationships. Don’t forget relationships with parents. This doesn’t just happen on Sunday morning. Take the time to speak to parents and find opportunities to equip them with helps to be the spiritual leaders in their kid’s lives.
Provide and Safe and Secure Environment. Make yourself familiar with your church’s policies and procedures and be intentional about adhering to them. Always have two adults in the room whenever minor children (anyone under the age of 18) are present. Go out of your way to protect the kids, protect yourself, protect your church, and protect the Kingdom.

Teachers often don’t live up to our expectations because they don’t know what we expect. Share, train, equip, and resource your new (and seasoned) teachers!

Bill Emeott serves as Lead Ministry Specialist for LifeWay Kids. A graduate of Mercer University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Bill has served as a Kid’s Minister and currently teaches 2nd Grade Bible study.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry

June 12, 2017

Bible Skills that Matter, Part 2

By Tim Pollard

The last time we talked about Bible skills (Bible Skills that Matter Part 1) we looked at some beginning foundational skills that can help boys and girls be successful as they navigate Scripture. Some of those early foundational skills included recognizing the two main parts of the Bible, the Old Testament and the New Testament; and working to recognize the elements of a Bible reference. With these two skills solidly in place we can begin to challenge boys and girls in further ways to help them build on those skills and become more biblically literate.

Bible Skills Upon Foundations

Once boys and girls have a basic understanding of the design of the Bible and know the Old Testament tells about things that happened before Jesus was born, and the New Testament tells about things that happened when Jesus lived on the earth and after, they can begin to learn more about how Scripture is grouped.

Boys and girls can hear the names of Bible divisions and begin to learn about the contents of different divisions of the Bible. The Old Testament has five divisions, Law, History, Poetry and Wisdom, Major Prophets, and Minor Prophets. Each type of literature is used to help people learn about God’s Word in different ways and each is important to an overall knowledge of Scripture. To help boys and girls master this knowledge you can use clip type clothespins with a division name written on it. Each pin can be clipped to a notecard with the name Old Testament written on it. Do the same with the New Testament and its five divisions, Gospels, History, Paul’s Letters, General Letters, and Prophecy. Mix up the sets and let boys and girls decide which division name belongs on each card.

As kids begin to master their knowledge of the different divisions of Scripture you can begin to help them name some of the books that fall into each division. With the naming of books, you can also guide girls and boys to know major stories found in each of the books. As children begin to learn where stories are found in the Bible, they will better be able to identify how that story fits into the grand narrative of Scripture.

As we continue our exploration into Bible skills that matter I hope you will join us again next time as we continue to build on the important foundations we have laid.

Tim Pollard teaches 3rd graders at Tulip Grove Baptist Church. He’s passionate about helping kids dig deep into Scripture, which he pursues through his daily work as leader of the Explore the Bible: Kids team. Tim lives with his wife and daughters in Mount Juliet, TN.

Bible Skills, Bible Study, Family, Fun, Games, Kids Bible Study, Kids Devotions, Kids Ministry, Parent Helps, Parenting, Resources, Small Groups

June 7, 2017

Free Bible Skills Activity Guide

By Kids Ministry 101

We believe it’s essential to begin teaching Bible skills from a very young age. As kids learn the different divisions and structure of the Bible, they will understand God’s Word more clearly, providing a foundation for heart transformation.

We’ve developed a free Bible Skills Activity Guide for families and groups. Fill out the form below to download the guide and make copies for every family in your ministry. Parents will love the help as they seek to disciple their kids this summer.

By signing up for this Bible Skills Activity Guide, you will also receive free access to preview sessions of Explore the Bible. Every session of Explore the Bible: Kids brings the Bible to life through rich study and engaging objects, equips kids with foundational Bible knowledge and skills, and encourages them to live what they learn everywhere they go. Try sessions out with your kids, and watch the Word come alive.

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Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Sunday School

March 3, 2017

9 Do’s for KidMin Volunteers (Part 2)

By Landry Holmes

Last month I identified nine suggested actions for effective kids ministry volunteers, found in Polly Hargis Dillard’s 1959 book Improving Nursery Departments. Still convinced that these suggestions are just as appropriate for elementary volunteers at church as they are for preschool teachers, I conclude this discussion with Ms. Dillard’s final nine suggestions:

Be alert to see opportunities to enrich the child’s experiences by singing, talking, or just listening.
Be in the room at least 30 minutes before the session.
Avoid moralizing, such as “God doesn’t like that,” or “Jesus isn’t happy when you do that.”
Offer a child a choice only if you intend to let him make the decision. Avoid “Would you like to go home?” unless he is to make the decision.
Avoid comparing children.
Use redirection (turning the child’s attention to an act which has equal value to him).
Define limits clearly and maintain them consistently.
Encourage a child to talk freely about himself and his feelings toward others.
Be able to call by name the children with whom you work.

Glance at the list one more time. What is a common thread running through these suggestions? For me, Jesus’s words come to mind: “Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them . . .” (Matthew 7:12) These are some of the things I want done for me at church:

Listen to me without judgment.
Be prepared for my arrival.
Teach me the Bible and don’t use it as a weapon.
See me for whom God has created me to be.
Know my name.

Jesus reminds us that when we care for others we care for Him. (See Matthew 25:40.) Therefore when we treat kids and families, as we want to be treated, we glorify our Savior. That includes listening, preparing, teaching God’s Word, valuing kids, and knowing each child individually. What will you do this week in kids ministry that honors Jesus?

Landry Holmes is the Manager of LifeWay Kids Ministry Publishing, Nashville, TN. A graduate of Howard Payne University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Landry served on church staffs before coming to LifeWay. He is a church leader, writer, workshop facilitator, and publisher. Landry also teaches children at his church in Middle Tennessee. He and his wife Janetta are the parents of two adult sons and two daughters-in-law.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Sunday School

January 23, 2017

The Cosmic Importance of Children’s Sunday School

By Jana Magruder

I am so pleased to host Dr. Russell Moore, President of the ERLC of the Southern Baptist Convention on our blog today. Dr. Moore is an important voice in our culture today and is such a huge advocate for Kids and Family Ministry. This blog (originally posted on The Gospel Coalition) caught my eye and I could not agree more with the content. As a leader in children’s ministry, I know you will be blessed by his words.

A friend of mine, an amazingly effective Bible teacher, once told me that he was turned down by his church to teach children’s Sunday school. The reason, he said, wasn’t that the church didn’t think he was gifted to teach but that he was too gifted. They wanted him to teach adult discipleship classes, so they didn’t want to “waste” him on children’s Sunday school.

That statement was one of the saddest and most self-destructive things I’ve ever heard from a church.

How Sunday School Transformed Me

I’ve often said that I wouldn’t want to have to choose between my seminary education and my childhood years in Sunday school, but if forced I would choose Sunday school each time. Now that’s saying something since I believe so strongly in seminary education, and gave most of my ministry to it. I’d never want to give that up. But as important as theological education was for me, Sunday school was more so.

There was nothing about my Sunday school experience that would be commended by a seminar on children’s development or Bible teaching. My teachers weren’t theologically trained, and probably not one of them could have explained the hypostatic union or the Pauline doctrine of election. They also weren’t pedagogically equipped. Some just had us go around the room taking turns reading, monotone, from the curriculum shipped from the denominational publishing house. Sometimes the biblical text was incomprehensible to us, since we were, at the time, a King James Version-only church (not out of some theological conviction but because we didn’t know about other translations).

And yet, Sunday school transformed my life.

What I needed was the slow repetition, over years and years, of the Word of God. What I sometimes find among Christians is knowledge of systematic theology in one tribe or of biblical moral principles in another—without knowing the narrative of the text itself. Some Christians know how to argue their view of whether Romans 7 describes pre- or post-conversion experience but don’t know the difference between Rehoboam and Jeroboam, between Abigail and Michal. We would all—as gospel Christians—affirm the entirety of the Bible as necessary and profitable but still might, if we’re honest, think that knowledge of the text’s details—rather than the theology or life principles arising from it—is more about Bible trivia than the Christian life. If so, we are wrong.

Love the Lord Your God with All Your . . . Intuitions

We can sometimes assume the Bible is profitable to us since we know how to search it for the right passages at the right moment. Someone in the church is teaching that sinless perfection is possible? Well, we know how to get to 1 John 1. We feel guilty for sin? We know how to find Psalm 51. We are depressed and discouraged? We can go to Jesus in Gethsemane. That’s all good and valuable, but it’s not as important as having our intuitions shaped by the whole Bible.

When Jesus is tempted by the Devil in the wilderness, his response—with biblical texts—isn’t a matter of proof-texting. His biblical responses aren’t just propositional but narrative. When Jesus responds to the temptation to turn stones into bread with “Man shall not live by bread alone,” he’s doing more than finding an applicable truth to counter an error. He recognizes he’s standing where Israel had stood before him, in the wilderness, tempted to question God’s fidelity to his people. When Jesus cries out from the cross “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” he isn’t merely quoting an isolated text on vicarious atoning suffering. He sees himself in the warp and woof of Psalm 22. So it isn’t just a cry of dereliction but ultimately a cry of victory too: “For kinship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations” (Ps. 22:28).

It’s good to find a word from God when we need it. But God usually prepares us with his Word before we know we need it. Jesus tells his disciples ahead of time he will be crucified. He tells them ahead of time they will experience persecution, “that when their hour comes you may remember that I told [these things] to you” (John 16:4). What a blessing to have a conscience shaped by the story of Peter’s restoration years before you wonder after a terrible sin if Jesus will receive you back. What a blessing to know how to inhabit the story of Elijah years before you wonder if you’re alone and abandoned.

If you’re walking through a time of fear and anxiety, you may scan the whole Bible to find relevant words, but I’ve found the best way is to have intuitions so shaped by the rhythm and flow of the text that most of it lies there submerged, poised to rise to the forefront at just the right time.

That’s why children’s Sunday school is not just another program. It can be a matter of life and death.

Russell Moore is president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, a TGC Council member, and author of the book Onward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel (B&H, 2015). He blogs at Moore to the Point and you can follow him on Twitter.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Parent Helps

December 16, 2016

A Kid-Friendly Bible-Reading Plan

By William Summey

Have you ever heard Christians called “people of the Book”? This phrase emphasizes how important the Bible is to Christians. We try our best to memorize Scripture, study God’s Word, and read it from cover to cover. But we often fail at some of these tasks perhaps because we lose sight of its importance.

I was blessed to grow up as part of a family who believed in reading the Bible in family devotion times. My mom actually read us the entire Bible in family devotion times! Then she challenged us to read through the Bible on our own, following one of those read the Bible in a year guides. I found out very quickly that Leviticus laws and census counts in Numbers were not as kid-friendly reading and may have de-railed my efforts.

So how do you help your kids stay in God’s Word? Check out the following things you can do to help teach kids to have a daily time with God:

Pray and ask God to be with your time in His Word and invite God to speak to you through you study.
Model to kids how to have a quiet time with God. Have a quiet time together so that a child will understand.
Treat the Bible with respect as you handle and carry it, affirming its trustworthiness, authority, and reliability.
Read a passage out loud together.
Ask kids what they think the passage means.
Memorize important verses.
Talk about what actions God is telling you to take as a result of your Bible study. Take action where God tells you to take action!
Respond to God in prayer.
Journal about the things you are learning and God’s answers to your prayers.
Thank God for answering your prayer.

Notice how this movement starts and ends with prayer and opening yourself to God speaking and your taking action. What great lessons for our kids! It is even better to take this journey together and read the same passages and talk about them together.

Foundations for Kids is one example of a great tool that helps parents teach their kids God’s Word. Not only does it provide a 260-day reading plan (5 days per week for one year), but it coincides with the Foundations adult devotional so that parents and kids can go through this study together: reading God’s Word, memorizing Scripture, understanding and applying Bible truths, and responding to God in prayer.

Check out Foundations for Kids.

William Summey is the team leader for LifeWay Kids Discipleship and Devotional products.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership

December 5, 2016

Unseen

By William Summey

When I was a preschooler, my mom bought me a little journal in which she wrote memory verses she wanted me to learn. God uses those verses in my life even today. One of those verses is a go to when I am struck by fear: “God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment” (2 Timothy 1:7).

My mom not only used this passage to teach me a powerful truth about God’s gifts of power, love, and sound judgment to us but also about the reality of spiritual warfare. God sends us good gifts, but a spirit of fearfulness is sent by someone else who wants to be paralyzed by fear. Together we would pray this verse when we were afraid and stand upon God’s promise. Spiritual warfare became a normal part of my faith, and I learned a powerful lesson about praying truths found in Scripture.

Author Priscilla Shirer is no stranger to what the Bible teaches about spiritual warfare. She wrote the popular women’s study, The Armor of God, an in-depth study of Ephesians 6:10-17. But Priscilla credits one question her son asked her with an entire new line of thought. He asked, “Mom, will I ever be in a war, a battle . . . with Satan?”

This question inspired Priscilla to write the Prince Warriors trilogy for kids about spiritual warfare. She wanted kids to know that we are in a battle—a daily battle. The novels help bring home those truths for kids through the characters they read about.

I am excited to announce that kids can also go deeper with Priscilla’s newest Bible study: Unseen: The Armor of God for Kids. Based on Priscilla’s study of the Armor of God, this 7-week study of Ephesians 6:10-17 helps equip kids to put on the Armor of God to fight life’s battles. This Bible study challenges kids in Grades 1–6 to come to understand these truths and how God equips us with His armor.

With our kids, it is much like the story of Elisha and his servant. “Elisha prayed, ‘LORD, please open his eyes and let him see.’ So the LORD opened the servant’s eyes. He looked and saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17). We must pray that God will open the eyes of our little ones to these truths much like Eli guided little Samuel to hear God’s voice and respond.

Let’s join together in teaching our kids about this unseen reality and equip them as God intended to battle with His armor.

William Summey is LifeWay Kids team leader of short-term discipleship resources, devotionals, and ParentLife magazine. You can purchase Unseen: The Armor of God for Kids by visiting lifeway.com.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Kids Ministry Curriculum, Leadership, Podcasts

August 25, 2016

The Gospel Project: Sharing The Gospel Message Through Each Bible Story

By Andy Dukes

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What does it mean to study the Bible from a Christ centered chronological approach? Brian Dembowczyk, team leader of The Gospel Project for Kids, sits down with Jana Magruder and Chuck Peters for the third episode in our podcast series discussing curriculum. They discuss helping kids study the Bible from a Christ centered chronological approach using The Gospel Project for Kids curriculum. Listen and discover if The Gospel Project Kids is a fit for your kids ministry.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Kids Ministry Curriculum, Leadership, Levels of Biblical Learning, Podcasts, Training

August 18, 2016

Bible Studies for Life: Helping Kids Apply The Bible To Real Life