A Meaningful Message Keith Palmer Associate Pastor, Grace Bible Church, Granbury

What should be the primary focus and objective? Romans 1:16 - For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart

What should be the primary focus and objective? 2 Tim. 3: All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work 2 Peter 1:2-3 - Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence

What should be the primary focus and objective? Conclusion: The primary focus and objective of Council Time should be the teaching of Scripture to children

What are some goals in teaching children Scripture? Teach them about God (Theology) Increase their view of God Help them to understand themselves Open their eyes to the work of Jesus Christ in salvation Give them a clear gospel presentation Expose them to the Bible Help them develop a biblical worldview Teach them biblical words

Some practical suggestions for council time in general Make Council Time an exciting time Be Strategic & intentional Offer a follow up time (perhaps during handbook time or after club) for children to talk to a leader one-on-one about their spiritual condition Emphasize to children the link between their heart and their behavior – between their theology and their life Maintain order and build an environment that promotes learning

Some cautions about ministry to children They are easily manipulated They are easily confused They are more subject to doing something “because my friends are” (fear of man) They may respond just to please parents or church leaders They are still developing intellectually – it is not wrong to say “they are still to young to understand” They may respond because they fear punishment or disappointment from leaders

Some practical suggestions on teaching the Bible to children Your ability to minister flows out of your own walk with the Lord (2 Tim. 2:21) Follow the "Ezra" model of ministry: Study, Practice, Teaching (Ezra 7:10). Make sure you have applied the message to your own heart before you apply it to others "A cloud in the pulpit is a fog in the pew." – If you do not understand the content of what you are teaching, your audience definitely will not be able to follow you

Some practical suggestions on teaching the Bible to children Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance – give yourself adequate preparation time Major on teaching verse-by-verse through a Bible book Get the children to interact with you in the text of Scripture Ask questions to make sure the children are following you. Learn to read their facial expressions and respond appropriately

Some practical suggestions on teaching the Bible to children Help them to learn Observation, Interpretation, Application – train them how to interpret and apply the Bible on their own Use the same Bible translation in Council Time that your pastor uses on Sunday morning

Some practical suggestions on teaching the Bible to children Be careful using figurative language, symbolism, and object lessons – As a general rule, don't use figurative language (unless the passage you are teaching does, in which case it should be explained) – Avoid unexplained symbolism. Instead, teach the straight-forward biblical principles – Using symbolism or figurative language to illustrate a point is okay, as long as it is explained

Some practical suggestions on teaching the Bible to children Be careful using figurative language, symbolism, and object lessons – Object lessons can be helpful, but children usually aren't helped by them the way we think they are – Instead of building a message around an object lesson, build a lesson around a biblical text and carefully use an object lesson as an illustration or reminder of the spiritual truth in the text

Some practical suggestions on teaching the Bible to children Don't water down the content of the biblical text. Don't assume the children can't handle deeper truths Use biblical terminology, just be sure to explain terms in language that children can understand – Many times, child evangelism materials will use unbiblical terminology or figurative language in an effort to make the message simpler. Example, "Jesus coming into my heart," or "our hearts are black/dark with sin, etc."

Some practical suggestions on teaching the Bible to children Use biblical terminology, just be sure to explain terms in language that children can understand – This only confuses children, who often cannot grasp figurative language – It also can be confusing when those kids begin to read the Bible and are introduced to a whole host of terms they have never seen before – Instead, use the terms and words the Bible uses – just explain to kids what they mean