This object lesson/message is from Revival Fire for Kids curriculum, Building Foundations, available in March. Italics are used for when the teacher speaks.
Supplies needed: GPS, map, Bible
Hold up the Bible. Explain that the Bible is like a GPS for life. It guides us through decisions we make.
Hold up the map. Talk about how when you were young, they didn’t have GPSs. People had to use maps. It was difficult because first you would have to find out where you were on the map. Then you’d have to figure out how to get where you were going. Demonstrate. Sometimes maps didn’t work well because the roads would change or there might be a road that was closed, and the map didn’t show it. Unfold the map and show how difficult it would be to use while driving.
I’m glad we don’t use maps anymore. The GPS is much easier to use.
If you’re lost, you can press “Go Home” and the GPS will guide you every step until you’re home. If you’re spiritually lost, you can turn to John 3:16 or the book of Romans, and the Bible will guide you on how to be saved.
If you don’t know which way to turn, the GPS will let you know when to turn right and when to turn left. If we don’t know which way to turn in life, we can pray and read God’s Word, and it will guide us by giving us wisdom on which way to go.
If there is road construction or congestion up ahead, a GPS will warn the driver. In the same way, God’s Word warns us away from danger.
If we want to go in a certain destination, we plug the address into the GPS. The Bible also has addresses.
The Bible is divided into two major sections. The Old Testament is at the beginning, and the New Testament is at the end. Each section is divided into smaller section with books. In the Bible, an address contains the book of the Bible, the chapter, and the verse. You can find anything using these addresses.
As great as a GPS is, it won’t do you any good unless you turn it on. In the same way, God’s Word won’t guide your life unless you read it and learn what it says.
A GPS plugs into a charger so the battery won’t die. When you read and study God’s Word, you’ll want to plug into a spiritual charger by asking God to help you understand what He is saying in God’s Word and how to apply it to your life.
This Thursday and Friday is the time that the Jewish people celebrate the Feast of Purim. They honor Esther and remember how she saved the Jewish people. I can think of no better time to teach about Esther during mid-week classes or children’s church.
The story of Esther is found in the Book of Esther in the Old Testament. The main theme and verse from the Book of Esther is found here:
Esther 4:14 (NIV) For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?
What a powerful statement for our time. Children need to learn that they were created by God in this time and in the family they were born for an important purpose. Some day, they may need to make a stand as Esther did and risk something to obey God.
One fun thing you can do is have a Purim carnival where everyone dresses up as kings and queens and parades through the church or neighborhood. The children could make banners that say “For Such a Time as This”, and they could carry streamers and noisemakers.
Here are a few online lessons for teaching about Esther:
This is a classroom small group format lesson about Peter walking on the water. Paraphrase the words in bold print to present them to the class.
Bible Basis: Matthew 14:22-33
Bible Truth: Keep your eyes on Jesus, not on the waves.
Memory Verse: Let us keep looking to Jesus. He is the author of faith. (Hebrews 12:2)
Welcome Activity: Waves In Our Lives
Materials: Blue construction paper, cut out shape of wave, poster board, glue, crayons or markers
As children arrive, direct them to sit at the table and cut waves out of the construction paper. They can pattern their waves after the shape of a wave you will cut out ahead of time. Then have them draw pictures on the waves that show problems children face. If children have a hard time with this suggest problems such as divorce, bullying, bad grades in school, and friends moving away. After they finish, they can glue the waves on the poster board hanging on the wall or bulletin board. Helpers should stimulate discussion by asking children about what they do when they have problems in their lives. Who do they talk to about their problems?
Memory Verse Activity:
Materials Needed: cut out picture of Jesus, memory verse poster
Read this week’s memory verse from the poster. Point to each word as you read it:
Let us keep looking to Jesus. He is the author of faith (Hebrews 12:2).
Paste a picture of Jesus on top of the waves glued to the poster board. Have the children stare at the picture of Jesus while they say the verse together again. Have them repeat this a few times.
Ask the children questions about staring at the picture of Jesus.
Children, when you were staring at the picture Jesus, could you still see the waves? (Yes, they could still see the waves.)
Which seemed bigger, Jesus or the waves? (Jesus)
Now I want you to stare at the poster board again. But this time, don’t look at Jesus. Only look at the waves. Give the children a few moments do this.
Now which looked bigger, the picture of Jesus or the waves? (They should say the waves. If they don’t, suggest that the waves looked bigger when they focused only on them.)
Children, whatever we keep looking at is what will seem the biggest in our lives. If we look at our problems, they’ll seem bigger. But if we keep looking to Jesus, He is bigger than our problems. Let us keep looking to Jesus. He is the author of faith.
After sharing this, connect it to the Bible story in Matthew 14:22-33:
We’re about to hear a story about when Jesus walked on the water. He invited Peter to join him. When Peter looked at Jesus, he had faith enough to walk on the water.
Bible Story: Peter Walks On The Water
Pick one child to play the part of Jesus and one child to play the part of Peter. Divide the remaining children into two groups. One group will be the disciples; the other group will be the waves.
I’m going to tell you the story of when Jesus walked on the water. But I’ll need your help. Have Peter and the disciples stand in the boat you made earlier with masking tape. Have the children who are waves stand outside the boat and sway back and forth and make a soft wrrrrr sound. The child playing the part of Jesus will stand in the corner of the room.
One night, Jesus told Peter and the disciple to get on a boat and go to the other side of the lake. Jesus stayed behind and prayed. Have Jesus get on his knees and pray, and have Peter and the disciples pretend to row.
The waves started getting bigger and pounding on the boat. Tell the waves to sway harder around the boat and make the sound a little louder.
Jesus saw the waves attacking the boat and walked on the water to the disciples. But they were scared. They thought He was a ghost. Have Jesus walk toward the disciples like He’s walking on water. Have the disciples act scared. He called out to them not to be afraid, that it was him.
Peter asked Jesus if he could come to Him on the water, and Jesus said, “Come.” Peter stepped out of the boat and walked toward Jesus. Have Peter step out of the boat. Have the other disciples try to stop him. While Peter kept looking at Jesus, he walked on the water. Have Peter jump around and talk about how he’s walking on water.
But then Peter saw the wind and the waves, and he was afraid. Have the waves sway around Peter and make a louder noise. Have Peter sink into the water. Peter sank into the water. But Peter was smarter than some people. He knew what to do when he was in trouble. He called out to Jesus, “Lord, save me.” Have Peter call out.
Jesus reached out to Peter and grabbed him by the hand. He asked Peter why he doubted. Have Jesus act out what you’re saying. Jesus led Peter into the boat. All the disciples saw that Jesus is Lord and worshipped Him. Have the disciples get on their knees and lift their hands to Jesus.
Children, when you have problems, you should keep looking at Jesus to help you with those problems. He will give you the faith you need to go through anything. But if you do mess up, you can call out to Jesus, and He will help you just as He helped Peter when he sank.
Review Questions:
Where was Jesus when the disciples were on the boat going to the other side of the lake? (Jesus stayed behind to pray)
How did the disciples act when they saw Jesus on the water? (they were afraid)
What did Peter do? (he asked Jesus if he could come to Him)
What happened when Peter looked at the waves? (Peter sank and called out to Jesus)
What did Jesus do when Peter called out to Him? (He grabbed Peter by the arm and pulled him up, saved him)
What should you do when you have a problem? (keep looking to Jesus to give you the faith you need, call out to Jesus)
When Peter looked at Jesus, he could walk on water. But when he looked at the waves, he sank. When he cried out to Jesus, Jesus reached out to save Him. When waves or problems come in our lives, we need to keep looking at Jesus instead of the problem. We can do that by praying and reading our Bibles. But if we do mess up, we can call out to Jesus, and He will help us just like He did Peter.
Snack Time:
If you plan to provide a snack, this is an ideal time to serve it.
Materials: goldfish shaped snacks
Have children eat goldfish shaped snacks while you talk to them about how many of Jesus’ disciples were fishermen before they followed Jesus. They knew all about storms and how dangerous they are, but they also knew that Jesus has power over the wind and the waves. Tell the children another story about when Jesus calmed the storms (Mark 4:35-41).
Note: Always be aware of children with food allergies and have another option on hand if necessary.
Learning Activity #1: Faith Stronger Than Water
Materials: glass, water, cardboard (old breakfast cereal boxes work best)
Pour water into a glass until it is almost full. Place a piece of cardboard, cut to slightly larger than the top of the glass, shiny side down, over the top. (an old breakfast cereal box is an ideal source of suitable cardboard). Hold cardboard in place, and invert glass. Take away your hand from the cardboard. Explain that gravity is still at work trying to make the water fall on the floor, but that the air – which we cannot see – is stronger than gravity and is keeping the cardboard in place. Try this at home first to make sure it works correctly.
Invite the children to show they know the air is there – which they cannot see- and walk under the glass.
Peter could walk on water because his faith in Jesus was stronger than the water. As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, his faith held him up. When he no longer looked at Jesus, but looked at the waves, his faith failed, and he sank. Children, when you walked under the glass of water, you had faith in the air that was holding the cardboard in place and keeping the water from spilling on you. Just as you had faith in the air to hold the cardboard in place, when you have faith in Jesus, He will help you through the waves or problems you face, because your faith in Him is stronger than any troubles you have.
Learning Activity #2: Keep Your Eyes On The Target
Materials: ball, marker board with a circle drawn
Draw a circle the size of the ball on the marker board. Have each child keep his or her eyes on the circle and throw the ball at it. Then have each child focus on something else in the room and throw the ball again trying to hit the circle.
Children, which time was it easier to hit the circle with the ball? (the first time) Why do you think it was easier the first time? (they had their eyes on the target) It’s easier to trust Jesus to help us when we go throw storms in life when we keep our eyes on Him.
Here’s a great children’s sermon you can use for the New Year or as an 8 week series of messages on heroic faith.
Read Romans 12:1
Sacrifice: to give up, to forfeit, to let go to surrender
To be a living sacrifice is to forfeit or surrender our lives completely to God. We give our lives to Him at the altar and we don’t get back up off the altar when things become difficult or inconvenient or if what He desires for us is not what we desire for ourselves.
Hebrews chapter 11 is a those who have been living sacrifices to God in the past. They are the heroes of the faith. Hebrews 11 talks about Abel’s sacrifice and how Noah obeyed God by building an ark. It talks about Abraham and Issac and Jacob and Moses. It mentions Gideon, David and Samuel as well as many others. Each of these people who lived their lives for God – who became living sacrifices – did so because of their faith in God. They became heroes of the faith. But they are not the only ones with heroic faith. God calls each of us to take that same challenge.
Hebrews 12:1-31Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
When we focus and Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith and considering the sacrifice that Christ made for us, we can have the heroic faith that each of these people who came before us.
Lets look at 8 characteristics of people with heroic faith.
1. Eternal perspective:
People with heroic faith see beyond this world to eternal realities.
They don’t live for the moment and for this world, they look to the next, knowing that life here is not all the is. Abraham had this kind of faith in Hebrews 11:10. “Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city built by God.” In this world of microwave mentality, people are used to doing whatever benefits them at the moment. They don’t have the eternal perspective that gets them to sacrifice what they want today for a greater vision of tomorrow. This is not what Christ did. We are to look to His as an example. He endured the cross because He was looking forward to the reward. That reward was reconciling us to Him. God wants us to live an abundant rich and full life on Earth but He also wants us to remember that what we gain on Earth could never compare to what is waiting for us in Heaven. When we have an eternal perspective, we will be more concerned with what our Heavenly Father wants for us rather than what this world has to offer us.
Matthew 6:20-21 20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
2. dependence on God:
Moses showed a dependence on God when he led the children of Israel into the desert. He depended on God show him which direction to go. He depended on God for enough food and water to feed the people. He depended on God to keep their clothes for wearing out for 40 years. And he depended on God to deliver them when the Red Sea was in front of them and the armies of Egypt were behind them. Not everyone who prays depends on God but everyone who depends on God prays and often. If a person is truly dependant on God that person will be in constant communion with God just as Moses was. They will not want to do anything without knowing what God wants them to do. God want us to depend upon Him for everything. If we depend upon God for every day things, for mundane things, for whatever comes our way, then we will depend upon Him when we are under pressure or we are in the dark about what God is doing in our lives. We will start to depend upon Him to part a Red Sea in our lives when we need it.
Proverbs 3:5-6 5Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall £direct your paths.
3. Love of God’s Word:
Those with heroic faith love God’s Word. They love to read it. They love to study it. They love to hear it. They memorize it. But even more, they live by it. We can’t live by faith unless we hunger for the Word of God. Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Without the Word of God, our faith in God will die.
4. Courage:
True courage is not the absence of fear, but boldly doing what God wants even when we are afraid.
True courage comes from the Holy Spirit. It is what changed Peter from a coward who denied knowing Christ to the man who boldly preached the sermon to the crowds of people on the day of Pentecost after receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. True courage is the power that the Holy Spirit gives us to be His witnesses. Courageous Christians act in faith, knowing their calling. They depend on God and His love. They know that they can’t do what is required on their own but they also know that they can do all things when they are empowered by the Holy Spirit.
5. Endurance
Christians with heroic faith don’t give up because things get rough. They persevere. They continue to do what God wants them to do. They never give up. They don’t believe that God changes His mind. They continue on and on until God fulfills the vision He gave them. Abraham persevered when it took so long for Issac to be born. Moses persevered through the desert. Joshua persevered when he and the children of Israel marched around the walls of Jericho seven times. And Daniel persevered when he continued to pray 21 days for an answered from God. Things would have been a lot different if these men would have decided to give up when things got too difficult but their faith in God to come through would not let them give up. I wonder how many times we have given up right before our breakthrough would have come.
6. Obedience
Heroic Faith takes obedience to God seriously. It doesn’t make excuses or think that God understands my weakness in this area. Those with heroic faith are willing to be living sacrifices, to obey God no matter what the cost. That obedience was most evident in Abraham. He was willing to sacrifice Isaac, his son and the fulfillment of God’s promise, for no other reason than because God told him too. Sometimes it seems foolish to obey God. Sometimes what He wants us to do may seem too difficult or cost too much. That’s when we show heroic faith, knowing that God has everything under control and His way is not only the best way, but the only way.
7. Self Control:
Being a living sacrifice involves controlling our flesh. When we have self control, we will not always do what we want. We will not use our words to hurt others. We will not easily lose our tempers. We will decide to die daily to our flesh. The reason Paul told us to make it a daily thing is because our flesh doesn’t go away. It is a constant struggle to control it – to do what God wants and not what would make us feel good for the moment.
8. Love
Many times people think of love as an emotion or feeling. Love that the Bible talks about is not an emotion but a choice. Sometimes we won’t feel like loving and forgiving someone that we believe hurt us. But God doesn’t say that we should love only when we feel like it. We show that we love God by choosing to love others. That means we have to trust God enough to love someone even though that person has hurt us. We need to trust God enough to consider others needs as more important than our own. Again if we look at Christ as our example, we can see that not only was He not selfish when it came to meeting His needs above others, He was willing to sacrifice everything for us. His love is so great that He was willing to humble himself enough to wash Judas’ feet even though he know Judas would betray Him. Remember Christ is God. His name is above every name. But He didn’t pull rank. He gave Himself. He put our needs above His own. He choose to love us when we were unlovable. How can we do any less?
1 John 4:11 – 1 John 4:12 (NKJV) 12No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
Today, I’m posting three object lessons and the sermon for the lesson, Ready to Serve Christ. This will conclude the lesson. I hope you find it useful in your children’s ministry.
Focus Point: God wants us to be Ready to Live For Christ, Expecting God to move and Determined to share the Gospel.
Goal: Children will learn to look for opportunities to serve God with boldness.
Focus Verse: Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13
Object Lesson #1: Police are always ready
Items Needed:A police badge or hat and a walkie talkie.
This is a police badge or hat. Police officers train to always be ready. They learn to fire a gun and to drive a car fast. They also learn how to act in every situation that comes up. They are always ready to act. If a robbery happens, they know exactly what to do. If a man is speeding, they are ready to react if the man turns out to be a car thief who pulls a gun on them. They don’t have to think about what to do. They know what to do because they have been trained for every situation. We should always be ready to do the right thing – to do what God wants. If we train to be Christians by learning the Word of God, praying praising and going to church, we will know what God wants us to do and we will be ready to do it.
Police officers also carry radios like this one. They always are listening to the radio so that they are ready to move if a crime happens. We should always be listening to the Holy Spirit. He will warn us when we are doing something that will get us in trouble. If we are always ready to listen to him, he will help us to avoid temptation.
Object Lesson #2: Fire Fighters Expect to Move
Items Needed:Fire fighters hat or badge.
Fire fighter are always expecting a fire. Whether they are sleeping, eating or watching TV, they are always listening for the alarm so that they can move quickly. We can always expect God to move in our lives. We can expect His Spirit to move in church services. We can expect Him to help us. We can expect Him to answer our prayer. Just as a fire fighter is always expect a fire. We can always expect the fire of God to move in our lives.
Object Lesson #3: Doctors and Nurses are Determined
Items Needed: Doctor’s bag, stethoscope or white coat.
Have any of you ever seen a TV show about an emergency room. If you have, you know that when a patient is in a crisis, doctors and nurses are determined to save the patient’s life. They will do whatever it takes to save the patient. They will work for hours on their feet without taking a break to save the patient. We need to have that determination to share Jesus with our friends who are not saved. We need to be willing to do whatever it takes to help others know about Jesus and to lead them to Christ. It’s not easy. Sometimes people make fun of Christians. Sometimes they don’t want to listen. But we should have the same determination that doctors have when they want to save a patient.
Sermon: Code Red
Christians are ready, expecting and determined.
Are you ready to do what God wants in you’re life?
Are you expecting God to move when you pray?
Are you determined to do whatever it takes to live the Christian life and to share Jesus with others
Today, I’m posting a way for you to teach the Bible story for the lesson, Ready to Serve Christ. At the end of this week, I’ll start posting object lessons to use with this lesson.
Focus Point: God wants us to be Ready to Live For Christ, Expecting God to move and Determined to share the Gospel.
Goal: Children will learn to look for opportunities to serve God with boldness.
Focus Verse: Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13
Bible Story: Disciples who were Ready, Expecting & Determined
Acts 3:1 – 4:30
Today’s Bible Story uses word interaction. The children say something whenever you say certain words during the story. Rehearse these words with the children several times before telling the story.
Peter and John: Say men of courage are ready.
Preach or heal: Say I’m expecting God to move.
Saved: Say Praise the Lord
Council: Stand up & say We are determined and we’re not backing down.
After the day of Pentecost, two of the disciples, Peter and John (men of courage are ready) were so excited that they went around preaching (I’m expecting God to move) to everyone about Jesus. One day as they were going into the temple, Peter and John (men of courage are ready) saw a lame beggar. He asked Peter and John (men of courage are ready) for some money. Peter and John (men of courage are ready) immediately began preaching (I’m expecting God to move). They told him that they had something better than silver and gold. They had the name of Jesus. They commanded him to rise and walk. The beggar immediately was healed (I’m expecting God to move) and began jumping and leaping and praising God.
When everyone saw the healing (I’m expecting God to move) of the beggar, they surrounded Peter and John (men of courage are ready). Peter and John (men of courage are ready) preached (I’m expecting God to move) to the crowd about Jesus and about how they could be saved. About 5000 people were saved (Praise the Lord). But as Peter and John (men of courage are ready) were preaching, (I’m expecting God to move) the council (We are determined and we’re not backing down) of religious leaders had Peter and John (men of courage are ready) arrested. The council (We are determined and we’re not backing down) had the disciples jailed until morning.
The next day, the council (We are determined and we’re not backing down) brought Peter and John (men of courage are ready) to trial. The council (We are determined and we’re not backing down) demanded to know by what authority Peter and John (men of courage are ready) were preaching (I’m expecting God to move) and healing (I’m expecting God to move) people. Peter immediately got up and said that the lame beggar was healed (I’m expecting God to move) in the name of Jesus, and they were preaching (I’m expecting God to move) about Jesus so that people could be saved (Praise the Lord).
The council (We are determined and we’re not backing down) was amazed at the disciple’s boldness. They also realized that the lame beggar really was healed (I’m expecting God to move). But they did not want Peter and John (men of courage are ready) to preach (I’m expecting God to move) about Jesus because they didn’t want people to follow Jesus instead of them. So the council (We are determined and we’re not backing down) came up with a plan. They ordered the disciples to stop talking about Jesus, and they would let Peter and John (men of courage are ready) go.
Peter and John (men of courage are ready) said “We will obey God rather than man.” They told the council (We are determined and we’re not backing down) that they would not back down but would continue to talk about Jesus so that people would be saved (Praise the Lord). They immediately went out to preach (I’m expecting God to move) about Jesus, and they prayed for courage to do what God wanted them to do.
Today, I’m posting a way for you to teach the memory verse for the lesson, Ready to Serve Christ. At the end of this week, I’ll post a Bible story to use with this lesson.
Focus Point: God wants us to be Ready to live the Christian life, Expecting God to move and Determined to share the Gospel.
Goal: Children will learn to look for opportunities to serve God with boldness..
Focus Verse: Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13
Memory Verse Activity
Items needed:Memory verse overhead, Posters with each word of the verse on a separate poster.
Have posters scattered all over the room. Each poster has one word of the memory verse. One poster has the memory verse reference. Say the verse with the children a couple of times.
Christianity is not for wimps. A Christian is Ready, Expecting and Determined at all times. That is why it is important to be on our guard against temptation to do wrong. We also need to stand firm in our faith or our belief in Christ. To do this we have to be strong and courageous. We must also train just as emergency workers train to do their jobs.
A Christian trains by learning the Word of God, praying, praising, and going to church. Just as a police officer without training would not know how to guard against being caught unaware by a bad guy, a Christian who does not train, can’t stand firm when the enemy comes against him.
We are going to do some training right know. When I say Emergency, I want you to get out of your seats and find a poster with a word on it. Then I want you to bring it to the front and put the words in order to make today’s memory verse. I will time you.
Have them do this 2 to 3 times.
The more you played this game, the easier it became and you became faster at it. The more you train to be a Christian by praying, praising, learning the Bible, and coming to church, the easier it will be to Stand Firm in the faith and to live the Christian life.
Today, I’m posting a game you can use for this lesson, Ready to Serve Christ. Use the italics as an example of what you can say to the children. Next week, I’ll post a way for the children to learn the memory verse and a Bible story to use with this lesson.
Focus Point: God wants us to be Ready to live the Christian life, Expecting God to move and Determined to share the Gospel.
Goal: Children will learn to look for opportunities to serve God with boldness..
Focus Verse: Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13
Game Time: Getting Ready for Emergencies
Items needed:2 oversized pairs of pants, 2 oversized shirts, 2 pairs of large boots, 2 hats
There are a lot of things we get ready for.Can you name a few? Have the children name some things we need to get ready for. Fire fighters have to get ready to go to a fire at a moment’s notice. Even in the middle of the night, if the fire alarm sounds, fire fighters have to jump up, get dressed and run to the fire truck in only a few seconds. Today we are going to see how good we would be as fire fighters.
Divide all of the children into two teams for a clothing relay. The game starts when you sound the alarm by yelling Emergency. The first child on each team will get dressed in pants, a shirt, a pair of boots and a hat and run to the other side of the room and back making noises like a fire truck. Then the child will take off the clothes as the next child puts them on and does the same. The team who finishes first wins.
It’s very important for fire fighters to be ready when there’s a fire. It’s even more important for Christians to be ready to do what God wants.
Hold up the Bible. Explain that the Bible is like a GPS for life. It guides us through decisions we make.
I’m glad we don’t use maps anymore. The GPS is much easier to use. 
As great as a GPS is, it won’t do you any good unless you turn it on. In the same way, God’s Word won’t guide your life unless you read it and learn what it says.
This Thursday and Friday is the time that the Jewish people celebrate the Feast of Purim. They honor Esther and remember how she saved the Jewish people. I can think of no better time to teach about Esther during mid-week classes or children’s church.
What a powerful statement for our time. Children need to learn that they were created by God in this time and in the family they were born for an important purpose. Some day, they may need to make a stand as Esther did and risk something to obey God.
