Part 2: Faith Comes by Hearing the Word of God David & Sally Michael
Three Things We Will Not Hide: 1. The Glory of God 2. The Gospel of Christ 3. The Testimonies of God We will not hide God’s Word and God’s praiseworthy deeds as they are recorded in the Bible. Psalm 78:5—For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children…
Bible-Saturation 2 Timothy 3:15-17—…and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. Ephesians 4:14—…so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Romans 10:17—So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Bible-saturated people drip Bible.
yy Everything we observe, are taught, consider, decide, and conclude is shaped and influenced by the Word of God. yy If we are saturated by the Word, we have an ever-present and infinitely wise Counselor, Comforter, and Interpreter to guide us and others through us.
Principle 1: Use the Bible in Teaching If we are serious about… yy …teaching the Bible to children and wanting our children to be guided by it… yy …giving our children a biblical vision of God, a biblical view of the world and culture, and a biblical view of themselves… yy …the next generation being Bible-saturated… …then we need to consider the place the Bible—the book itself—has in our homes, in the church, and in the children’s ministries of the church.
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The absence of the Bible should raise questions: yy Are we teaching the Bible or just lessons? yy Are children becoming biblically literate? yy Are we teaching children to find the answers to life in the Book of Life? yy Are we cultivating a habit of turning to the Bible for answers? We need to expose children to the Bible because God’s Word is powerful and has authority. Isaiah 55:10-11—For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Children have important business in church—to learn the Bible so they can know the God of the Bible. Biblical appetites and habits can be nurtured in childhood, and then serve children for a lifetime. Children can be challenged to: yy Open their eyes yy Read the text yy Think about the text yy Answer questions about the text yy Discover the truth of the Bible
Principle 2: Teach the Whole Counsel of God Children need to see all aspects of the character of God so they worship the one true God. (2 Timothy 3:15-17; Acts 20:26-27) Some Pillars to Teaching the Whole Counsel of God
yy Story-based Chronology—God-centered Bible story narratives emphasizing key biblical truths. Through careful presentation of key Bible stories in a God-centered way, children will start committing to memory important truths about God and His character. The Bible is one continuous, interconnected story, driven by one main character: God. yy Biblical Theology—the central “storyline” of the Bible which emphasizes the historical/redemptive/ Gospel work of Jesus Biblical Theology sees the “big picture” of the Bible. It is important because it helps the children see the Bible as one complete, true story that progressively reveals God’s redemptive purposes, which come to their complete fulfillment in the Person and work of Jesus Christ. Children need to understand the scope of redemption from beginning to end: In the beginning was God who is the Creator who has sovereign rights over all of creation. (In the Beginnning, Jesus) His greatness and worth can be clearly seen through His creation. (The ABCs of God, He Has Been Clearly Seen) 2
2013 National Conference Seminar Notes
Part 2: Faith Comes by Hearing the Word of God
He has established standards of righteousness which must be kept perfectly. (The Righteous Shall Live by Faith) Man has broken God’s holy standards which has placed him under the wrath of God and subject to eternal punishment. (The Righteous Shall Live by Faith) Man is unable to save himself from the wrath of God but God, who is faithful to all His promises, sent Jesus to pay the price of man’s sin through His death on the cross—What a Savior! (Faithful to All His Promises and Jesus, What a Savior!) Those who are trusting in Jesus are submitted to His ways as they learn to walk in wisdom and to abide in Jesus daily as they grow to be like Jesus. (Teach Me Your Way, The Way of the Wise, Abiding in Jesus, To Be Like Jesus) The Christian life is learning to fight the good fight of faith to believe that God’s Word is Truth, His Purpose Will Stand and His Name is Majestic. (Fight the Good Fight, Your Word is Truth, My Purpose Will Stand, How Majestic is Your Name) God has given Christians fellowship with Him, His Word and fellow believers in the church to strengthen their faith until Jesus returns. (Pour Out Your Hearts, Open My Eyes, I Stand in Awe, I Will Build My Church) Luke 24:27—And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. yy Systematic Theology—foundational doctrines which summarize the Bible’s teaching on various topics. Systematic theology helps children make sense of the biblical narratives. Systematic theology puts all of life into a biblical perspective. yy Moral Instruction—the commands of Scripture which communicate ethical instruction, guiding us in the righteous ways of God. God’s law is a reflection of His holy and righteous character. James 2:10—For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. Children must know God’s commands if they are to see they are sinners. The law is meant to drive us to the cross. The main purpose of Bible stories is not to teach morals, but there is a place for moral instruction. God’s ways are wonderful because… They lead to life They protect us from evil They give us wisdom and counsel They show us how to live
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yy Gospel Presentation—explicit systematic presentation of the essential truths of the Gospel leading to an understanding of saving faith. By presenting the Gospel in a structured and systematic manner, children will be clearly taught the essence of the Gospel with the hope that, through the work of the Holy Spirit, they might respond to these truths in belief. yy Bible Study—instruction in studying Scripture through the use of inductive Bible study skills. Exposure to the whole counsel of God is vital, but children must also be taught to rightly understand the Word. 2 Timothy 2:15—Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. In a postmodern culture where it is acceptable to define your own truth, children must realize that truth is not “what a Bible verse means to me,” but rather that truth is found in discovering the author’s original intent interpreted in light of the whole message of the Bible, leading to the God-given meaning of the text. 2 Timothy 2:7—Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. We must impress on the next generation the discipline of Bible study… careful observation of the text thoughtful, objective interpretation appropriate life application …as well as the value of meditating on the Word “day and night” and memorizing Scripture.
Principle 3: Teach True Doctrine Often when you dig into a faith crisis, what is behind it is poor doctrine. We have a great God, but often children’s material brings Him down to man’s level. Weak doctrine produces weak faith.
Principle 4: Inspire Children to Memorize the Bible What is memorized in childhood is often retained for a lifetime. Memorization makes meditation possible: Psalm 1:1-2—Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. Meditation on the Word through Bible memory… yy …brings insight we would otherwise have missed. yy …provides us with language for prayer and worship. yy …is accompanied by the power of God. 4
2013 National Conference Seminar Notes
Part 2: Faith Comes by Hearing the Word of God
Three Common Objections to Word-Saturated Children’s Programs Objection 1: “It is too much to expect children to study the Bible.” “Children can’t sit and listen to a [half hour] Bible lesson.” Response: Children will rise to your level of expectation. Objection 2: “Many of the truths of the Bible are too difficult for children to understand. You should stick to the simple Bible stories.” Response: They can learn these important truths through the power of the Holy Spirit, working in conjunction with the Word of Truth, as it is being presented step-by-step, precept upon precept. Objection 3: “Sunday school should be fun.” “Children learn by doing—they need to play games and do activities—otherwise they will be bored.” Response: Our aim should be to engage children in learning, not simply to entertain them. Children should not be passive listeners, but actively participating in the learning process.
The Bible is not boring! God is not boring! John 6:64-68—“...there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him.) 65And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” 66As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. 67So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” 68Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life…”
Conclusion: Psalm 74:8—We will not conceal them from their children, But tell the generation to come of the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD…
Notes:
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Part 2: Discussion Questions 1. What place does the Bible have in your classrooms and teaching? Does the way you use and interact with the Bible emphasize its importance to your teachers, parents, and students? What are you doing that is working well? How could you improve in this aspect of your ministry? 2. Are you a Bible-saturated person? Are your children’s ministry workers Bible-saturated people? How can you work to grow in this area? 3. Are you presenting students with a basic introduction to the Bible through a story-based, chronological approach? When Bible stories are told, who is the main character? 4. Are students learning a biblical theology that teaches the main storyline of the Bible? Are children able to articulate this at an age-appropriate level? Should they? 5. How do you incorporate systematic theology into your teaching? 6. Do you teach the moral instruction of the Bible? How are you using the Bible to show your students the holy and righteous ways of God? 7. Are you teaching your students how to accurately handle the Word of God? What evidence from your classroom shows that you are succeeding in this? How does your current curriculum help you to accomplish this goal? How can you better equip your teachers to teach Bible study skills to your students? 8. Is it your goal to teach your children the entire counsel of God? Which of these building blocks (eg. story-based chronology, systematic theology, Bible study, etc.) is the strength of your current program? Which areas are weak? Discuss ways you can improve and strengthen your program. List specific steps for areas that need improvement. 9. Do you believe that memorizing Scripture is important? Are you encouraging your staff, volunteers, and students to memorize the Word of God? How do you coordinate and encourage Bible memory? Is it working? 10. Do you hear any of the three common objections from leaders in your own church, from parents, or from your children’s ministry volunteers? Discuss this as a team. If necessary, discuss what steps could be taken to address these objections. What can you do to better communicate your vision for children’s ministry to your staff, families, and volunteers? Pray together for wisdom and to ask the Lord for help.
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