Description
Step By Step Through The Bible With Children
“All thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.”
(Isaiah 54:13)
3rd REVISED EDITION
Copyright 1937
by
ALMA H. BAILEY
Contents
FOREWORD.. 3
PREFACE. 4
Chapter One – CHILD EVANGELISM.. 7
Chapter Two – HOW TO OPEN A WEEK-DAY BIBLE CLASS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD 13
LESSON 1 -THE GOSPEL STORY. 26
LESSON 2 – THE NEW BIRTH.. 33
LESSON 4 – THE CREATION STORY. 44
LESSON 5 – CREATION OF MAN. 51
LESSON 6 – THE FALL OF MAN. 57
LESSON 7 – LUCIFER. 64
LESSON 8 – THE SERPENT. 68
LESSON 9 – DISOBEDIENCE PUNISHED.. 73
LESSON 11 – WILLFUL CAIN AND HIS SEED.. 85
LESSON 12 – ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD.. 91
LESSON 13 – NOAH WALKED WITH GOD.. 103
LESSON 14 – THE FLOOD.. 111
“What we make children love and desire is more important than what we make them learn.”
“Even a child is known by his doings. (Proverbs 20:11)
“According to church statistics it costs $10,000.00 to save an adult, and only a few dollars to save a child.” Why not invest your money in evangelizing the children.
FOREWORD
A surpassing love for children, the rare gift of simplicity in statement, a firm belief in the regeneration of boys and girls, a passion for their salvation, ability to hold their attention while teaching them the Word, and many years of experience in developing her message and method, have given to the author of these Bible studies a peculiar fitness for preparing them.
The Gospel in every lesson is a blessed and marvelous achievement.
By this method, through constant review with the eye and the ear, the child – even the small child – soon “thinks through the Bible,” in a rudimentary way.
Teaching the Bible to children dispensationally is, as far as I know, a new venture. Everywhere these lessons have been used, this feature has met with the fullest commendation.
– J. Irvin Overholtzer
PREFACE
“All thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children” (Isaiah 54:13).
“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of Life” (John 6:35).
“Feed my lambs” (John 21:15).
Some fifteen years ago, it was my privilege to sit under the teaching of Dr. B. B. Sutcliffe and there receive my first glimpse of the Bible as a whole, and the plans and purposes of GOD through the ages.
I wondered why, after faithful attendance at church and Sunday School for 25 years (having joined at an early age), the Bible should still be a closed book, that I should have no knowledge of it, other than the usual familiar stories.
I felt keenly the wrong done, not only to myself, but to thousands of other children and young people, who grow up in the church and Sunday School without receiving clear, definite teaching of the Bible.
I began to realize that the Bible was not only deep and profound, but it was also clear and sane, with a beautiful simplicity that would appeal to very little children, if given to them simply.
So I began to give some of the teaching I was receiving for the first time (but which I felt I should have received very early in life), to the children in my Primary Department. They were not only delighted but fascinated with the lessons.
And now, after more than fifteen years of teaching children (from three to thirteen) the fundamental truths of the Bible, I am fully convinced that GOD has prepared the hearts of little children for His Word, and that there is no place in any evangelical church or Sunday School for mere nature stories, hero stories, or even stories with a good moral lesson attached.
The time is so short and precious that everything said and done should have some bearing on the Word of GOD. The younger the children, the greater the responsibility of the teacher to give them the truth as it is in CHRIST JESUS.
To supplement the work of the Sunday School, there is being formed all over this continent as well as others, Week Day Bible School Classes, the object of which is to give young children the Gospel, and to lead them to accept JESUS as their personal Saviour; then to give them a view of the Bible as a whole, relating the familiar stories with prophecy, and with GOD’s plans and purposes for the ages, that very early in life the child may read the Bible for himself with interest and profit.
For this purpose these lessons have been developed. They have been used for several years, with great profit to children and adults alike.
After many requests that they be printed so that they might benefit young teachers who do not have the opportunity to receive expository teaching of the Bible, they are sent forth with much prayer that GOD may use them to the salvation of many souls, and for the deepening of the spiritual life of the teachers of children.
“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
“And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20).
– THE AUTHOR
Moody said, “I believe myself that if children are old enough to come to Sunday School they are old enough to come to Calvary. Let us make up our minds, GOD helping us, to win the children for CHRIST. A little lamb in Noah’s Ark was as safe as the elephant.”
Chapter One – CHILD EVANGELISM
Child Evangelism differs from the usual Bible teaching among children, in that the Gospel is the central theme in each lesson. Gospel means “Good News.” The “Good News” is that “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (I Corinthians 15:3, 4).
We need to keep in mind that the Gospel is “the power of God unto salvation.” GOD is able to convict even boys and girls of sin, and to reveal to them their need of a Saviour, when we faithfully give forth this wonderful message.
There is much opposition to the blood of CHRIST these days, We are told that very young children should not be given the story of the crucifixion, that only the bright and beautiful should be presented.
This sounds very wise and most reasonable, but it is not scriptural.
Quote:
II Timothy 3:14-17
“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
Paul urges this young man Timothy to cling to the teaching he received from his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice. He was taught the Scriptures (O.T.) which are full of blood sacrifices pointing to the Lamb of GOD who was to come and die for the sins of the world (John 1:29).
Timothy was taught this doctrine from the time he was a babe; “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (II Timothy 3:15). Jewish mothers weaned their children at the age of three or four years, when they were still called babes and infants. They were taught the Scriptures before anything else. Most little children (infants) are raised on nursery rhymes, fairy tales, Santa Claus stories, etc. We could hardly say to the modern child, “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them” (II Timothy 3:14).
Many children have implicit faith in Santa Claus, only to learn a little later that they have been deceived. One mother said, “I just can’t deceive my little girl (9 years old) any longer about Santa Claus.” Why should any mother deceive a child at any age?
The LORD JESUS CHRIST can be made just as real as Santa Claus to a very young child. When such a love for, and faith in JESUS CHRIST has been established, he need never be disappointed in Him, as many children have been in their imaginary friend.
GOD plans to save little children, to have them fed on the Bread of Life, that they may grow in grace.
Method: There is no fixed rule for leading children to CHRIST. The Gospel may be given while walking along the street, driving along in a car, or playing in the ocean, and a decision asked for.
The methods used depend very much upon the age of the children. The older the children are, the greater the tact needed in bringing them to a decision. These lessons were prepared for primary children and the methods used in the decision service at the close of each lesson are for that age especially.
The children become deeply interested in this part of the service and frequently in the middle of the lesson, some one will say, “You have not asked Jimmy if he wants to be saved,” so eager are they that their friends are not overlooked or forgotten.
It is a great help to the children to hear the Gospel and the invitation given over and over, for they soon learn how to give the invitation themselves to their playmates after they have told them the Gospel.
If there are older children in the class and they seem embarrassed, speak to them privately after class. Some teachers prefer to have all of the new children remain after class while the way of salvation is explained to the group. Other teachers would rather speak to individuals.
The way for the teacher to learn is to do it. By experience one will soon learn which method brings the desired results, Make it a point to give the invitation in the very first lesson regardless of how poorly it is done, then keep right on doing it until it becomes as natural as telling the story.
If you know there are unsaved children in the class who did not accept CHRIST when the invitation was given, speak to them quietly after class.
If the story has been convincingly told and the contrast between good and evil sharply made, so that you can say with Moses (Deuteronomy 11:26-29) “I set before you this day a blessing and a curse,” there is little doubt but that the children will be eager to make the right choice. Failure often results because the children have not been convinced, and that is often due to an unprepared teacher who gives the beautiful and convincing lesson in a half-hearted way.
Where the majority of the children are over ten years of age, it seems advisable for the teacher to speak to each child individually, unless she feels led to do otherwise.
Make a practice of marking on your record the date of each decision. Also keep a record of how many accepted the LORD each week. This information will prove helpful later when some child about whom you had forgotten the details, tells you that he accepted CHRIST the year before. Accepting CHRIST is more real to most children than the teacher realizes. Your carefully kept records will prove this many times.
A CHILD’S RELIGION
“The Gospel involves no conditions that a child cannot fulfill: it imposes no requirements that a child cannot meet. A child may trust its promises, realize its blessings, and anticipate its rewards. The death of JESUS is the child’s plea: the grace of JESUS is the child’s strength: pleasing JESUS is the child’s easiest rule of right: and going to be with JESUS is the child’s best thought of Heaven.”
– S. Coley.
HOW OLD OUGHT I TO BE?
“Dear Mother,” said a little maid,
“Please whisper it to me
Before I am a Christian,
How old ought I to be?”
“How old ought you to be, dear child,
Before you can love me?”
“I always loved you, Mother mine,
Since I was tiny wee.
I love you now and always will,”
The little daughter said.
And on her mother’s shoulder laid
Her golden, curly head.
“How old, my girlie, must you be,
Before you trust my care?”
“Oh, Mother dear, I do, I do,
I trust you everywhere.”
“How old ought you to be, my child,
To do the things I say?”
The little girl looked up and said,
“I can do that today.”
“Then you can be a Christian, too.
Don’t wait ’till you are grown.
Tell JESUS now you come to Him
To be His very own.”
Then, as the little maid knelt down
And said, “LORD, if I may,
I’d like to be a Christian now,”
He answered, “Yes, today.”
– Anonymous ~
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