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Laying the Foundation for Salvation - M/A 06 |
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Our country abounds with people who claim to believe in God.
According to Barna Research (2003) only 11 percent of Americans
classify themselves as agnostic or atheistic. Does belief in God then
translate into saving faith for close to 90 percent of this nation?
Obviously not.
Children must know who the true and living God is, then personally
receive His Son, Jesus Christ. Who is this God? What authority does He
have? And what does He require of us? You can be the one to tell them
the truth!
God Is Our Maker
Build the foundation of truth by teaching children that God is our
maker. Choose a memory verse such as Psalm 95:6, “Come, let us bow down
in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” As our Creator,
God is our owner who cares about us, wants to protect us and desires to
have a relationship with us. Understanding that God personally cares
for him gives a child a sense of significance. His response should be a
desire to know and obey God’s plan for his life.
To help kids articulate how God feels about them, ask them to bring to
class something they have made. Let them discuss their feelings about
what they made (pride, concern, protection, admiration, pleasure).
Compare their feelings to the way God views His most special
creation—people!
God Is Our Ruler
Since God made us He has the right to be our ruler and He has the
right to make whatever rules He wants to. We must obey God’s rules—even
the ones we may not like.
Talk about the fact that in society there is always someone in charge
who gets to make the rules (parents, teachers, policemen, generals,
presidents). Say, “Think of the most powerful person in the world. Who
is in charge of him?” Someone has to be the ultimate one in charge and
that person is God. Teach the story of Nebuchadnezzar acknowledging God
as the Most High Ruler (Dan. 4:28-37; 5:21).
When a child accepts God as the ruler of all, he is prepared to believe
that God’s way of salvation through Jesus Christ is the only way to
forgiveness and eternal life.
God Is Our Standard
We can know God’s way is the right way because He is the only perfect one. Everything God does is good and right.
Knowing that God is the perfect ruler helps children understand why He
must punish sin. Because God is perfect He is the standard by which
everyone is measured. Only when kids compare themselves to God can they
see their sin for what it really is.
Divide your class into four groups and assign leaders to read a verse
to their group. Each group should find a word in their verse that
describes God as the perfect one. Possible verses are: Psalm 119:68
(all good); Psalm 99:9 (holy); Deuteronomy 32:4 (perfect); Psalm
119:137 (righteous). Have your class sing the following words through
twice, using a familiar tune such as “Allelujah”: God is all good, God
is holy, God is perfect. God is righteous.
Teaching who God is can help to move your students from merely believing in God to accepting His plan of salvation!
—Carol Nolen
Instructor at Children’s Ministries Institute
Prepare kids to acknowledge God as their maker, ruler and standard through:
• A memory verse
• A Bible lesson
• An object lesson
• A class activity
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Copyright © 2006 Carol Nolen.
March/April '06
Teach Kids!
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