Bible Bee's Local Contest Day - A Day of Worship

Photo:  Microsoft Images

 We nearly missed the Bible Bee's end-of-summer celebration.   Honestly, I hesitated to attend because I didn't want my son to feel discouraged.  He had not completed the Bible Bee Sword Study or committed all the verses to memory.  But we went--just hoping that the emphasis would be on what he did know rather than what he didn't know.

The official name for this wonderful event is Local Contest Day, but in my heart it felt like Worship Day.   Indeed, it is a day of worship, prayer, and praise.  It is a day of bringing glory to God.  Yes, someone unobtrusively records points for oral and written test rounds.  But the focus is not on the competition.  Each child is encouraged to proclaim God's word with joy--whether they know only one verse or all of their verses.  The number and the points are not emphasized.  The entire day is about God's Word being lifted up to His ears and bringing Him pleasure.



The oral test round can be a source of anxiety, especially if you aren't sure what to expect.  Let me share our experience of the oral test round.  Our family was led to a private room with a judge and one other Bible Bee volunteer.  They warmly welcomed us and explained the procedures.  Before starting, they prayed a special individualized blessing over my son who was competing.  (Is there anything more heart-warming than someone praying a special blessing over your child?  I was deeply touched.)  Then, it was time to get down to business.  They prompted my son to recite the memory verses that had been provided to us.  The only reaction from the Bible Bee volunteers was praise and encouragement.  They didn't frown or otherwise indicate disapproval when there was a verse he had not memorized.  If he missed any points on the verses he had memorized, we never knew it.  It was a very uplifting experience--very much a celebration of what he had learned.

Local Contest Day was a day of fun, fellowship, and joy.  If you participate in the Bible Bee's summer program, I hope you are able to attend this wonderful event.  It is inspiring to be surrounded by Christian families from different communities, different demographics, different denominations who are all gathered for a common purpose--to bring glory to God and bring up their children to do the same.  God's presence was evident throughout the event.

More Bible Bee posts:
The Bible Bee:  A Family Adventure
Bible Bee:  Transforming Hearts

Bible Bee: Transforming Hearts

The best part of the Bible Bee for us was seeing how God used it to influence the hearts of every member of our family.  The person most impacted was my son who was registered as a contestant.

Let me share some of the heart transformation we experienced as a result of participating in the Bible Bee.  On Day 1 after receiving our box of Bible Bee goodies, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and not sure where to start. I introduced the first memory verse to my son and which was received with . . . (what shall I say?) . . . . resistance.

By the end of that first day, he had gained a vision of the program.  The realization that thousands of children all over the country (and beyond) were participating in the same process gave him a zeal that went deeper than my greatest expectations.  Before the day was finished, he was enthusiastically reciting his memory verse over and over without prompting--quite a contrast from the grudging attitude of that morning!  He proudly announced that he had read the entire book of 2 Timothy (the focus of the 2012 summer Sword Study) on his own and that he couldn't wait to do it again tomorrow.  For weeks, he faithfully dug into his Sword Study first thing upon waking.



At my son's suggestion, we started a new practice that has become a permanent fixture in our home.  He requested that an entire wall of his room be made into a scripture wall, displaying all his memory verses.  We did this by printing them out of nice decorative paper, displaying them, and will create a beautiful binder of his memory verses for him to review any time he wants.  Our family has always valued scripture, but through participating in the Bible Bee, I saw my son reach a new level of treasuring God' Word.

Photo:  Microsoft Images

My youngest child is still too young to officially participate in the Bible Bee, but we did start a scripture memory project with him as a direct result of the Bible Bee's influence on our family.  During the Bible Bee last summer, he began asking when he can learn verses also.  Of course, I can't let a request like this go without acting on it. :)  We hung free Bible verse visuals from Bible Story Printables on his wall, had him recite a verse daily, and then saved them in a keepsake binder.  A true love for scripture was instilled in the hearts of both my children. 

Enthusiasm did ebb and flow throughout the summer.  The local events provided by the Bible Bee probably would have helped with this, but unfortunately our family was unable to attend last year.  At the end of the summer, my son told me that he wants to participate in the Bible Bee every year until he's 18.  He said that he will learn a lot about the Bible through doing the Sword Studies, and he reminded me that "time spent learning scripture is not empty.  It has eternal value, even after this life is finished" (Isaiah 55:11).


More posts about the Bible Bee:
Bible Bee:  A Family Adventure 
Bible Bee's Local Contest Day - A Day of Worship

Object Lesson: Teaching Children Why Jesus' Sacrifice Was Necessary

Our family loves to use object lessons as a way to teach spiritual truths.  The benefits of activity-based object lessons are described here.

Today's post is a peek into a lesson our family did to learn more about the necessity of Jesus' sacrifice.  It is based on "Mr. Clean" and "A-Cross the Bridge" from Heritage Builders' book An Introduction To Family Nights: Family Nights Tool Chest (a favorite resource!).

We gathered outside and read Exodus 3:1-6 (Moses taking off his shoes to walk on holy ground).  We each took off our shoes and discussed about the meaning of holiness (set apart from anything unclean).  Then I used masking tape to mark a short path on our driveway and filled in the pathway with powder.  The book recommended cornstarch or baby powder, but we used baking soda since the Bible sometimes uses leaven to represent sin.  At the end of the powdered path, I taped a clean sheet of black construction paper. 

In their bare feet, my children tried to traverse the walkway and then place their feet on the construction paper without getting any powder on it.  (I was ready to sweep away powder residue with a hand-held broom so they could try again and again.)  The powder represented life on earth which always includes sin (Romans 3:23).  The black square at the end represented holy ground, being in the presence of God.  It shouldn't have even the tiniest speck of leaven on it.

As my children tried various strategies for going through the powdered path without tracking powder onto the black paper.  They leaped . . . they ran as fast as they possibly could . . . they jumped . . . they tiptoed.  Finally, they determined that there was no way to walk through the powder without tracking it onto the black paper at the end of the path.

After lots of giggles and many failed attempts, we talked about what we learned:

• Is there any way we can get to the holy ground without making it dirty with sin? 

• Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins.  He didn't deserve our punishment, but we are so thankful He took it.

Next, I took out two strips I had cut from a cheap plastic tablecloth and tucked out of sight behind a bush.  One strip went vertically down the path and had the word "JESUS" written in large letters.  The other plastic strip went across it to make the shape of a cross.  We tried again to walk the sin-covered pathway and reach God without tracking our sins.  Of course, it was easy to make it to the end since the powder had been covered by the cross.  We were able to reach holy ground without tracking any powder.

We talked again:

• How is the cross like a bridge?  How is Jesus' death like a bridge for us to reach God?  Can we become holy by ourselves? 

• Even though we made this plastic cross and can use it to get to the clean area, we can never really make a way to get to God.  We read John 14:6 which states that Jesus is the only way to God.  No matter how hard we try, we will always have a little sin in our lives.  That's why Jesus needed to die to rescue us.

We ended with a prayer of thanks for Christ's sacrifice.  We asked God to make us holy and help us to not sin. Start-to-finish, the lesson took less than 20 minutes, but my children gained a deeper understanding of why Jesus' death was necessary.   This object lesson might become annual tradition for us each spring, the season of redemption.

Photo:  Christianphotos.net

The Bible Bee: A Family Adventure

During the summer of 2012, our family participated in the Bible Bee summer program.  Two things about the organization attracted me:

1. Focus on family discipleship
This is not a children's program where you drop off your kids and pick them up later.  The Bible Bee is a commitment for the entire family--a commitment to study God's word together.  This article in The Christian Post describes how the Bible Bee is a program of family discipleship.  One of the mottos of the Bible Bee is

The Bible Bee encourages family discipleship . . . one verse at a time.

We found this to be very true.  The Bible Bee provides the tools and structure to teach your children in God's truth and ways.  It can bond you in a new and meaningful way and set your family on a rewarding path of spiritual growth.

2. Flexibility  
There are enough pressures on families today already, and mine is certainly no different in that regard.  The Bible Bee is an appealing summer program because our family didn't need to conform to the program.  The Bible Bee offers monthly local events, indepth Sword Study (focused on one book of the Bible), memory scriptures, opportunities for social interaction and support, as well as local and national competition.  We experienced no pressure to do it all.  Instead, we customized the program in the way that would best serve our family.   For example, we slowed down the Sword Study and will completed it in the winter, and we memorized the number of verses that we could comfortably manage.

The best part of our experience with the Bible Bee was 

seeing the heart changes in our children!

Photo:  Microsoft Images

More Bible Bee posts:

Bible Bee:  Transforming Hearts
Bible Bee's Local Contest Day - A Day of Worship

9 Lessons Of Redemption: A Round-Up Of Links For Family Activities

Image:  Microsoft Images

Whether you observe the Passover or celebrate Easter, the themes of sin, sacrifice, grace, and redemption remain consistent during this season.  This week let's take a look at some of the wonderful resources for teaching our children about God's plan of salvation which shows His incredible love for mankind.  I've collected links to some of my favorite object lessons for this season and want to share them with you.

Knock Sin Out Of Our Lives by Family Time Training - Here is a visual representation of the basic gospel message that is sure to get your kids' attention!  If you've seen my workshop about Family Time Training, then you have seen this object lesson before.  I can attest that it keeps a roomful of people on the edges of their chairs!

Repentance Box by A Holy Experience - Are you wanting your children to really personalize what Christ's sacrifice means in their own lives?  This repentance box is a perfect way to teach how the confession of sins results in receiving God's grace.  Try this in your home, and give your children the experience of seeing their transgressions being blotted out (Isaiah 43:25). 

The Meaning of the Cross by "Uncle Maurice" - Using a penny, a candle, and colored water, Maurice creates a visual message of Christ taking on our sins and dying so that we may be saved.  Fire is always sure to get the attention of your children!

Repentance Object Lesson by MeckMom - With a $20 bill and 5 minutes, you can create a lasting impression in your child's mind about the effects of sin and our worth in God's eyes. 

Easter Week Family Night Activities by Kurt and Olivia Bruner - The video below explains two fantastic lessons for this week.  Though "Easter" is in the title, these lessons--which explain why we need the sacrifice of Jesus Christ--are also very applicable if you observe the Biblical Passover. 




One Sin by Mad About Jesus (Lesson 1) - Another wonderfully captivating object lesson that explains salvation through Jesus Christ using balloons and a candle.

Nothing Gold Can Stay by Mad About Jesus (Lesson 11) - This object lesson will take a little more preparation, but it's sure to leave an impression.  A narrated story accompanies this visual representation of the basic gospel message--sin and redemption through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  Be sure to take a look at the video so you can see this object lesson being performed. 

Choosing Good Friends by Your Life Uncommon - At the end of a lesson about friendship, this family took their object lesson one step further in order to illustrate atonement for our sins through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Your kids will love watching their sins becoming "white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18).  All it takes is some pasta, red food coloring, bleach, and a few minutes of time. 

May God bless your family and your efforts to lead them to Him during this holy season!

Photo:  Microsoft Images

If you try any of these, please share your experience in the Comments.  We would love to hear how it worked for your family!

What are some of your favorite lessons to teach during this season?  (Please be sure to credit the sources if your ideas are not original.) 

Spring -- The Season Of Spiritual Renewal For Our Family

Photo: Jason Paluck

Spring is a universal symbol of renewal. It's the season of physical rebirth and surrounds us with new life.  It is also a common time when Christians take a step back, consider the state of their spiritual lives, and experience spiritual restoration.  We have begun the habit of carefully examining our entire family's spiritual health during this season.

Every spring we reflect on the past year, including spiritual growth and challenges.  We also look forward to the coming year, consider our spiritual needs, and plan a strategy to achieve new goals.  Spring is a beautiful time to inventory my family's spiritual development.  We try to gain a godly perspective by looking at the big picture and then compare it with where we are on our spiritual journey as a family.  This practice of annual analysis helps me focus on what is important and be intentional in the spiritual leadership of our family.

Here are some of the categories I evaluate and specific questions I ask each spring:

Each Child As An Individual
What growth has occurred for each of my children this past year?  Am I actively preparing them to be servants of our Lord?  What positive character traits do I see in my children?  How can I use these strengths as building blocks for their faith and further character development?  What are their character weaknesses?  What potential stumbling blocks lie ahead for them?  How can I prepare them for those challenges?

Photo:  Code Poet

Family practices
What new strategies for family worship and spiritual instruction have we tried?  What worked well?  What didn't work well?  Is there another way to try to achieve the same goal?  Was there a strategy that was working for us but was abandoned along the way?  Do we need to implement it again?  Am I providing my children with a solid foundation of Biblical understanding?

Do we participate in regular family worship of God in our home?  Are we praying together?  Are we going through the motions--treating family worship as something on our "to do" list--and missing the heart of worship?

Relationship with God
Is each family member growing in their relationship with God?  Are we neglecting praise?  Are we communicating with God through prayer?  Are we listening for his Spirit to speak to us?  Am I nurturing our children's heart connections with God?  Am I focusing on behavior and knowledge to the exclusion of impressing a love of God on the hearts of my children?  Or am I giving that mandate the daily attention it requires?

My Role As A Parent

How healthy is my personal spiritual life?  What am I modeling for my children?  Trying to look like the perfect Christian?  Or sharing the Christian journey of struggling with personal weaknesses, relying God in the face of real problems, and making spiritual growth a life priority?  Am I seeking God and allowing Him to lead my family?  Or am I seeking to take control by myself?

Photo:  Pink Sherbet Photography

Have I allowed Satan to discourage or distract me from my primary mission as a parent?  Am I making time for academics, athletics, and extracurricular activities while treating my children's spiritual development as an "extra" activity that is easily neglected?

After this evaluation, I decide what baby steps can I take when a change in direction is needed.  What small change can I make to align our current focus and routine with God's plan for our family?  I feel encouraged by Reggie Joiner's words in Think Orange: Imagine the Impact When Church and Family Collide...: "A little change in the rhythm of a family's time together can make a lasting impact on the heart of a child . . . . Most parents cannot do everything, but they can do something more.  That 'something' can make a huge difference in the life of the family and in the spiritual growth of a child." 

When I try new ways of leading my children spiritually, I often experience feelings of awkwardness.  The final questions I must ask myself are Am I willing to deal with my own feelings of discomfort to be an instrument of God?  Am I willing to lay aside my ego so God can accomplish His work in my family? 


When you are examining the status of your family's spiritual development, what other categories and questions are important for you?  

Photo:  PresentationPro

Nurturing Your Child's Heart Connection with God

Photo: Microsoft Images

Recently, I wrote a post about teaching my children to pray.  This is something we have made a priority in our family.  What I've learned in this process is that it's simple to teach the mechanics of prayer.  It is more challenging--yet incredibly important--to foster a heart connection between my children and God.

My children don't need to follow a specific formula to pray "correctly."  What I truly want is for my children to want to talk with God.  Sally Clarkson says it so eloquently in her book The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity, "I want [my kids] to leave my home with a hunger and passion to know God personally and to be used by him to accomplish great things for his kingdom."  This is what I want for my children.  And you know what?  It's what God wants for them too.  There will be times in his life when my son will feel distant from God.  At those times, I want him to feel that some vital part of him--something at the very core of his being--is missing.  I want him to fervently search for that missing piece and not rest until his relationship with God is deepened.

I am always striving to cultivate a stronger heart connection between my children and God.  Here are a few ideas I've tried:

Emphasize Common Traits and Interests

Photo: Chrisianphotos.net

My oldest son has a tendency toward intense enthusiasm.  When he expresses fervor for his latest lego building project or his passion for something new he has learned in science, I try to use those events to connect him with God.  We talk about how much God loves creating and all the wonderful things He has made.  We discuss the Author of science and wonder at God's incredible mind.  I want him to know that God is eager to hear about the things that are important to him.


Silent Prayers with Prompts
Occasionally, we do silent bedtime prayers.  I prompt my son to talk with God about various things that he might tell a friend (even sharing a funny joke).  When he has finished his silent response, he taps my hand to indicate that he's ready for another prompt.  Silent prayers remove feelings of self-consciousness as our children explore new ways of talking with God.

His Mighty Warrior & His Little Princess books
His Mighty Warrior: A Treasure Map from Your King and His Little Princess: Treasured Letters from Your King (His Princess) are beautiful collections of intimate letters from God to a boy or a girl. You can read my full description and review here.

Creative Prayer Journal
Kay Arthur's book Lord, Teach Me to Pray for Kids (Discover 4 Yourself® Inductive Bible Studies for Kids) inspired us to start a creative prayer journal (or "logbook").  This a great idea for children who are artistically inclined or who have a difficulty putting their thoughts into words.  Here are a couple of the pages from my son's prayer journal.

Short Spontaneous Prayers Throughout the Day
We have a routine of praying at specific times--meals and bedtime.  Instead of telling my children that they can talk with God about anything at any time, I've made a real effort to model this for them.  When we see a particularly beautiful sunset, we say a quick prayer to of praise.  If we encounter an obstacle, we turn to the One who is ready to help at all times.  When we encounter a small blessing, we immediately share our appreciation with God.  We are striving to "pray without ceasing" (I Thessalonians 5:17) on a day-to-day basis.


Nurturing my children's heart connections with God is something I am actively working on.  Please share your thoughts and ideas!

Photo:  Christianphotos.net

Teaching Our Children to Pray

Christianity is about living in relationship with God.  Can any relationship be strong if there is not good communication?  Prayer is an integral part of being a Christian.  Some children naturally share their hearts with God.  For others, prayer is not instinctive so we need to be intentional about teaching prayer as a way of life.

In our family, we've used a variety of materials to teach prayer.

Teaching Your Child How to Pray is a wonderfully thorough resource.  It contains practical ideas for helping your child develop a habit of prayer as well as enriching your own prayer life.  There are some really beautiful analogies here that helped me explain the purpose of prayer to my son.  Probably the most unique aspect of this book is the developmental stages of prayer based on the lives of Samuel and Jesus. Explanations for each of these 6 stages includes scriptural context, examples of what is involved in each stage, approximate ages, suggestions for teaching and for transitioning to the next stage, cautions, and key Bible verses.


Faith Begins @ Home Prayer is one of the companion books for Faith @ Home.  This slim book is a very quick read.  Despite its small size, it is a treasure trove of creative (and fun!) approaches to incorporating prayer into family life. Below are some of our favorites, but there are twenty four kid-friendly, innovative prayer ideas presented in the book.

• circle prayer (holding hands and praying around the circle, squeezing the next person's hand to signal when you are finished)
• popcorn prayer (complete-the-sentence prayers with an exciting twist)
• prayer calendar (assigning specific topics that need regular prayer to a particular date each month)
• prayer maps (support for missions and peoples in need)
• characteristics of God ( completing the phrase "God is  . . . " and turning it into praise)
• prayer walks (praying about things or people you see as you walk along).  

Lord, Teach Me to Pray for Kids (Discover 4 Yourself® Inductive Bible Studies for Kids) is a fun educational tool that uses inductive study to learn what the Bible says about prayer.  The book has a fun military theme to captivate the attention of children.  My son really enjoyed the puzzles.  The activities throughout the book weren't just busywork.  They were carefully designed to increase understanding.  Because the book contains eight chapters of the Bible in their entirety as an appendix, there is no need to have a separate Bible to use it.  This made it a convenient portable activity book. The target age for this book is 8-12 years old.  We introduced it at a younger age, but the vocabulary presented a bit of a challenge.  (The lessons rely heavily on words such as allegiance, submission, petition, and intercession.)  It can be challenging to find Bible study books that are especially interesting to boys.  This one definitely fits the bill!

This prayer poster is another resource we have used in our family.  It took me a grand total of 5 minutes to create it.  I just taped 5 envelopes to a piece of posterboard.  The top envelope can hold a pen and some index cards.  On the other four envelopes, I wrote the words:  "Praise," "Thanks," "Sorry," and "Please help."  The poster was hung in a high traffic area of the house where we see it often.  If a prayer idea occurs to us, we can write it on an index card and slip it in the appropriate envelope.  This really helps us remember what we want to pray about.

I recently printed, laminated, and attached magnets to the free prayer printables at When You Rise.  (Fantastic blog, by the way!)  I love the idea of praying scripture over my children and am looking forward to giving this a try. 



Other prayer ideas I love:

Prayer Pail by Lu Bird Baby.

Children's Prayer Books by Our Family for His Glory.



I love hearing new ideas!  How do you teach your children to pray?

Photo: Microsoft Images

Movie Nights: A Technique For Teaching Biblical Worldview

How can we equip our children for adulthood?  What skills do they need to avoid being deceived and losing their faith?   How can we prepare them to recognize subtle spiritual attacks?  When Christianity requires that they swim against the tide of the rest of our culture, will they know and be ready to do so?

Photo:  Mitja Ribic

With each successive generation, young people are spending more time as consumers of media.  Their attraction to this form of communication makes them particularly vulnerable to its messages which shape and infuse the culture around us.   As George Barna states, "God's enemies have adopted the media as a means of exposing children to ideas and images that are harmful to their development as servants of God."  How can we mediate this powerful influence on our children?  Can discernment be taught?

A fun and effective way to teach Biblical worldview and critical thinking skills involves using movies, the form of media most likely to elicit a strong emotional reaction.  Movie Nights are mentioned as a technique in Revolutionary Parenting, a book which reveals extensive research into the common principles and methods used by parents who have raised spiritual champions.  Want to know more?  I highly, highly, highly recommend this entertaining and informative Movie Night Chats podcast by Kurt Bruner where explains how he has used Movie Nights with his own family.  (Did I mention that I highly recommend you listen to the podcast?--Yes, it's that helpful!)  Also included are some amusing video clips from interviews with other parents and kids who use Movie Nights.

Benefits of Movie Nights include:

• Stimulating discussion about spiritual matters
• Learning to perceive subtle messages or bias
• Understanding the underlying belief system of writers
• Strengthening Biblical worldview
• Evaluating these influences in the light of eternal truths

The critical thinking skills that it hones can be applied to music, other forms of media, books, news coverage of current events, and lectures given by college professors.  Not only will your child gain clarity in their thought processes and reinforce their faith, they will also be learning how to communicate these beliefs to others.

Photo:  Bmaksym

The effort for these benefits is minimal--watching a movie with your family and talking with them!  If you feel you need some help getting started or just want a little more guidance, you may want to check out these resources.  Kurt Bruner hosts Movie Night Chat blog which gives a synopsis of suggested films, points for discussion, and relevant Bible scriptures.  He also shares some tips for screening offensive content.  Heritage Builders also has two books: Movie Nights for Kids and Movie Nights for Teens.  These books provide the same information as you will find on the Movie Night Chat blog but contain more detail and examine different movies.  I particularly appreciate the meticulous focus on "cautions" for each film where they describe anything in the movie that could be potentially scary or offensive.  In addition the books provide some follow-up activities and suggestions for making this an effective technique to use with your family.

Movie Nights can create wonderful family memories.  Through Movie Nights, you initiate dialogue about topics that are hard to discuss.  They can also provide a training ground for skills that will serve your child for years to come.  Some families do Movie Nights on their own.  Others have group Movie Nights with other families.  However you choose to do Movie Nights, have fun!

If you use this technique, please share your experiences.  I would love to hear about it!

Oh, and don't forget the popcorn!

Photo: Microsoft Images

Family Time Training: An Effective Tool for Passing On the Faith to Your Children

Is it your desire to make your home the place where your child’s faith is planted and blossoms?  Do you want your child to know a living and dynamic God?  How can you make spiritual training the most exciting part of their week?

Through "Family Night" activities (or "Family Time Training"), parents and grandparents utilize the same teaching techniques that Jesus Christ used, creating memorable and engaging spiritual lessons.  This teaching strategy is practical for today's busy families because it requires little or no preparation time.  Though lessons are completed in only 10-20 minutes, the activities provide a springboard for spiritual conversations long after the activity has ended.  This video, by Kurt Bruner of Heritage Builders, explains how Family Night activities work:




A famous Chinese proverb states:  "Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember;  involve me and I'll understand."   These activity-based lessons increase children's understanding of spiritual matters and strengthens their connection to God.  Additionally, we don't just form a theoretical analogy.  The object lessons used are made very concrete because that is the way children learn best.

Family Time Training is an incredibly versatile strategy to use.  You can do this with children from age 2 to age 18.  As a parent, you know your child's character weaknesses and potential stumbling blocks.  Whatever spiritual goals you have for your child-- increase their knowledge of the Bible, develop specific character traits,  gain a better understanding of the plan of salvation, understand the basic gospel message, learn about the attributes of God, etc.--you can probably find a Family Nights activity to address those goals.

Photo: Microsoft Images

The real beauty of Family Nights is that it creates a natural way to incorporate spirituality into everyday discussions.  After you have this fun common experience, it becomes very easy to refer back to it.  By doing so, you will drive home the real life application of the spiritual principle that was taught.  Family Nights are fun for all and make the goal of Deuteronomy 6 attainable for busy families today.

Looking for resources to help you get started?  Family Time Training posts a free activity every month.  Additionally, you can find activity books in their online store.   Heritage Builders also has an excellent series called the Family Nights Tool Chest.  Both organizations have lesson books for families with preschoolers through teens.  Mad About Jesus has some fantastic object lessons for teens, and the lessons can be easily adapted for use in the family setting.

If you live in the Cincinnati area and would like me to do a workshop, sharing this technique with your small group, please email me.

Please share your experiences using this teaching technique.  I would love to hear your stories!

Object Lessons in the Bible

This is what I lightheartedly refer to as my "woefully incomplete list of object lessons on the Bible." For every one listed here, there are numerous others that are not listed. When I started looking for object lessons in the Bible, I found that the Bible was full of them--cover to cover. Matthew 13:34 states that Jesus Christ always taught the multitude by using an illustration. This teaching technique seems to be one of the primary methods that God uses to teach human beings about spiritual matters. If the Creator of our minds--who knows exactly how we learn--chooses to use this teaching tool, doesn't it make sense that using object lessons would be an effective method for teaching our children faith lessons?  For ideas about how to incorporate object lessons into a fun form of spiritual training, please read my post about Family Time Training.

Source: Christianphotos.net

Lev 16 and Heb 8-9 sacrifices and the shedding of blood 

Lev 23:42 dwelling in booths  

Josh 4 stones in remembrance 

II Sam 22:2; Ps 18:2; Is 26:4 God is a stronghold (rock, fortress)  

Ps. 69:1-2 trials compared to turbulent water  

Ps 119:103 Scriptures likened to honey 

Prov 6:6-8, 30:24-25 ant colony represents diligence 

Pr 11:22; Mat 7:6* Someone who cannot appreciate spiritual matters is compared to a pig 

Is 64:8; Jer 18:6 God’s people as clay 

Jer 5:14 God’s Word compared to fire 

Jer 13:1-11 linen girdle 

Jer 19:1, 10-11 shattered honey jars depict destruction of Judah

Jer 27:2-11 bonds and yokes 

Ezek 4:1-3; Ezek 5 illustrations on tile, shaving of head 

Ezek 24:3-14 meat boiling in pot 

Hos 1:2-9 Hosea’s marriage to a prostitute 

Mat 3:10, 7:16-20; Gal 5:22 fruit likened to spiritual maturity 

Mt 5:13* Christians are salt of the earth 

Mat 7:3*; Lk 6:41* Board illustrates blindness to your faults 

Mat 7:24-27* practicing faith like strong foundation 

Mat 9:35-38*; Lk 10:2* People ready to convert referred to as harvest 

Mat 10: 29, 31* God’s care for sparrow teaches about His care for us 

Photo:  © Leloft1911

Mat 13:19-23* 31-32* Truth compared to seeds 

Mat 17:20* faith like a mustard seed
Mat 25:32-33*; I Pet 5:2 Christians described as flocks of sheep
Lk 13:34* God’s protection like a hen gathering chicks 

John 1;29, 36 Jesus is the Lamb of God 

John 3:8* wind as example of Holy Spirit 

John 4:14* water refers to life 

John 8:12* Jesus is the light 

John 13:14-15* foot washing 

I Cor 5:6 Sin described as leaven 

I Cor 11: 24-26* broken bread and wine as a symbol of Christ’s sacrifice 

Heb 4:12 God’s word like a sword 

Heb 6:8 worthless faith compared to thorns 

I Pet 5:8-9 Satan depicted as lion 

*direct quote from Jesus Christ

-List compiled from The Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach by Robin Sampson, Larry Fowler's writings, and personal Bible study