Firm Foundations 10:1 - Continuing down the Romans Road

I haven't posted our catechism lessons lately! Sorry about that - the holidays sort of threw my schedule for a loop. Anyway, if you're interested, here's the next lesson for my Firm Foundations series:

Theme: Sin is disobedience to God
"But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness." (Romans 1:18, NLT)

Scripture Memory: The next stop on the Romans Road is Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." There are quite a few options for singing, if you want to learn this verse by song! Check out these Romans 6:23 melodies from Amazon's MP3 store.
We're going to memorize just the first half of Romans 6:23 today. Here are the actions I'm using:

• For the wages (Pretend to be handing out money)
• Of sin is death (Bow head)

Catechism Q&A: For clarity's sake, I've again changed (and condensed) some of the Catechism question and answers. If you'd prefer to use the real wording, this week of lessons is based off The Catechism for Young Children, questions 28-30 & 37.

Q. What is sin? A. Sin is disobedience to God's commands.
Q. What does every sin deserve? A. The anger and curse of God.

Missing the Mark: If your children have grown up regularly attending church and Sunday School, they probably have a general idea of what the word "sin" means. Nevertheless, I felt like it was important to define it clearly for this week of lessons. One of my goals is to help my children see sin as a personal issue - that they'll know THEY are sinners too and not just those "bad guys" out there somewhere!

Play "Simon Says". Increase the speed of the game until your children finally mess up. Explain to them that they lost the game because they didn't obey you perfectly. You told them to do"this" and they did "that".
Sit down with the Bible and read the following commands God gives us. For each command, discuss what "this" God tells us to do and point out what "that" we often do instead. Try to think of recent examples to illustrate how easy it is to disobey God's rules.

• Colossians 3:9 - "Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds."
• Ephesians 6:1-2: "Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do.  'Honor your father and mother.' This is the first commandment with a promise."
• Matthew 5:21-22a: “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.'  But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment!"
• 1 Thess. 5:18: "...give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
• 1 Thess 5:15: "Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else."

Notebook: I didn't prepare any notebooking pages or ideas this week. If you've got something, let me know and I'll link to it here!

Firm Foundation 9:2

Theme: God gave Adam 1 rule
"And the LORD God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.'" (Gen. 2:16-17)

Scripture Memory: Review Romans 3:23

Catechism Q&A: Q. What covenant did God make with Adam? A. The covenant of works.
Q. What was Adam bound to do by the covenant of works? A. To obey God perfectly.

Making Rules: Do your children understand rules? If they're like mine, they probably have a fuzzy idea but couldn't define the word clearly. Before reading today's Scripture passage, play this fun "make your own rule" ball game.

Gather some balls and baskets or boxes beforehand. When it's time for the game, ask your children what a rule is. Talk about their definitions, then give one of your own: A rule is a command that must be obeyed consistently. What sorts of rules do you have in your house? Name some of the rules. Then tell them that they get to make the rules for this game! They can make rules for the following 4 areas:

1. What is the playing field?
2. How do you move the balls around?
3. When do you get points?
4. Is there anything you CAN'T do during game play?

Spend 10 minutes or so playing their game together! When the game is done, sit down and read Genesis 2:8-17. What was the one rule that God gave Adam? Shouldn't be too hard, should it?

Notebook: Make a mini book using one of these lapbook templates and record some of your family's rules. You can either have your children illustrate the book or find clipart using Google Image.

Firm Foundations 6:4

Theme: Memorize Scripture so you'll remember what God says!
"Thy word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee." (Psalm 119:11)

Scripture Memory: Review Ps. 119:9. Then begin on verse 10:

• "I seek you (Cup hand over eyes as though searching for something)
• With all my heart (Draw heart with both fingers)
• Do not let me stray (Shake head while doing the ASL sign for "lost")
  
• From your commands (Put hands together in a book shape)."

Catechism Q&A: Review Q&A 14 - Q. Where do you learn how to love and obey God? A. In the Bible alone.

Pass a Message: Read Psalm 1. The psalmist points out several blessings for the person who loves and mediates on God's word. When something is very important to us, we memorize it so we won't forget it.
Play a version of "Telephone" where you whisper a message to one of your children. They must either run to another child and whisper the message, or pass it on to their other parent or a grandparent. Is it hard to remember the messages? If so, have them repeat it back to you several times before delivering it. Talk about how important it is to repeat Scripture over and over in order to memorize it, just like they've been doing with the Bible memory passages.

Read Along: We read this book during the Proverbs Project lessons, but it's such a fun one that we're going to read it again. Don't Forget the Bacon recounts the hiliarious escapades of a boy trying to remember the shopping list his mother verbally gave to him that morning.

Firm Foundations 6:2

Theme: The Bible is like a map for life!

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word..." (Psalm 119:9)
Scripture Memory: Review Psalm 119:9a, then learn the second half of the verse.

• By living (ASL sign)
• According to Your word (Put hands together like a book)

Catechism Q&A: Q. Where do you learn how to love and obey God? A. In the Bible alone.

Follow the Map: Hide a treasure box outside, filled with some special treat or cheap toy your children will enjoy. Prepare a page of instructions, ie "walk 5 steps from the front door" and "turn left, then skip till you reach the trash can". The instructions will lead them to the treasure box AND the Bible with today's reading marked. Hand them the instructions in an envelope, stating that it's a message from you. Help them read the message and follow the instructions to the hidden treats.

After recovering the treasure, sit down together and discuss how the instructions helped them successfully find the box. What would have happened if your kids wouldn't obey your message? God's Word also contains instructions for us. When we obey them, we'll successfully live life! Then read Daniel 1. Talk about how obedience to God's Word (and you might have to explain the special diet Jews were instructed to have) helped Daniel be successful in his job. God knows what's best, so you can't lose by obeying Him!

Notebook: Eat some sunflower seeds for a snack, then glue a few into your Notebook page as a reminder of the blessings of hearing and obeying!

Firm Foundations 5:2

Theme: God can control nature, doing whatever He wants
"Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him." (Psalm 115:3)

Scripture Memory: Review Psalm 139:1-3. If the weather is nice, do today's Bible lesson outside and enjoy nature as you learn about God's power over nature.

Catechism Q&A: Q.  Can God do all things? A. Yes; God can do all his holy will.

Solar Power: Read Psalm 115:3 and 135:5-7. The Lord's power is truly great. Tell your children in your own words the story of how Joshua cried out to the Lord during a battle and God stopped the sun from moving. While you tell the story, have them illustrate the battle scene with a sun. When you're done, put the illustration in square #2 of this week's notebook page.

To underscore God's power, read some books about the Sun, such as The Sun is My Favorite Star and The Sun: Our Nearest Star. It's incredible to contemplate how God has such power as to stop a massive star as the sun in its tracks! Only our Creator.

Rocketing: For a fun go-along activity, try making this cool vinegar/baking soda rocket and blasting into, well, upper space!

Firm Foundations 5:1

Theme: God Knows – All of the World’s Knowledge
“Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.” (Psalm 147:5)
Scripture Memory: Time to learn verse 3 of Psalm 139!

• “You discern my going out and my lying down;
  
• You are familiar (ASL Sign) with all my ways (ASL Sign).”

Catechism: Q. 12. Does God know all things? A. Yes; nothing can be hid from God.

Astronomy Unit Study, part 1: There’s nothing like the vastness of space to make us feel very small. The heavens truly do “declare the glory of God…” Throughout the week we’re going to explore some of the amazing aspects of our universe and discover more about the amazing God who created it all.

Read Psalm 147:4-5.God knows all the stars by name! To comprehend how much that is, cover a piece of construction paper with glue (you can use a paintbrush and a glue/water mix to keep the mess manageable). Then allow your children to sprinkle glitter all over the page. Once they’re done, ask them to count the glitter pieces. Can they? There are 200 billion stars just in the Milky Way galaxy. How many more in all of space? God knows EVERYTHING there is to know!

Notebook: Glue the glitter picture on to this week’s notebook page. Before you put it in, you might want to cover it in Saran Wrap so that the glitter doesn’t slowly fall on your floors every time the book is opened!

Read Along: The Magic School Bus Sees Stars or The Sky is Full of Stars

Heart Check 5: The Wonder of Insignificance

"You are familiar with all my ways..." (Psalm 139:3)

This week I'm going to be teaching my children about God's omniscience and omnipotence. We'll explore some of the wonders of space in our quest to understand the awesomeness of our Creator. The number of the stars, the rotation of the planets, the cosmic enormity of our universe - all underscore His power.

But as I was meditating on the truths covered in these lessons, I was reminded that in the midst of the vastness and complexity of space, God has still taken time to know me. Me. What an incredible thought that He would even care about someone so small and seemingly insignificant. And yet He does. David's words in Psalm 139 paint a picture of the God who is here:

Before a word is on my tongue
       you know it completely, O LORD.
  You hem me in—behind and before;
       you have laid your hand upon me. 

We all face varied trials, heartaches, struggles that appear meaningless and more conducive to our ruin than to our good. But don't let appearances deceive you! God knows you. And the result of that deep, personal knowledge is the ability to use our trials to bring ultimate good. So trust. And rest. He knows and His way is best.

Firm Foundations 4:3

Theme: God is invisible
"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Tim 1:17)

Catechism Review: Q. Can you see God? A. No; I cannot see God, but he always sees me.

Scripture Memory: We've done Psalm 139:1-2a, now it's time to add 2b:

• "You perceive (ASL sign) my thoughts from afar (start with hands together, then spread them apart as far as possible)."

Invisibly Visible: Read 1 Tim 1:17, John 1:18, 6:46 A fun game that illustrates the power of the unseen can be played with a few small pieces of tissue paper and a fan! Use a floor fan, and turn it on high. Tilt it upwards so that it is blowing air towards the ceiling. Then get ready to play! Throw the tissue paper pieces into the air above the fan, and watch them float high into the air. At my house, we played this game for at least 20 minutes! In the future, this is going to be on my short list of  emergency fun activities!

Firm Foundations 4:2

Theme: No matter where I go, God is there!
“If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” (Psalm 139:9, 10)

Scripture Memory: Review Psalm 139:1-2. Look at Lesson 1 in this week’s series for memorization ideas.

Catechism Review: Q.  Where is God? A. God is everywhere.

Wherever I Go: It’s time for some Hide and Seek! First, read again the passage from yesterday, Psalm 139:5-12, in a different Bible version to help your kids hear it in a “new” way. Then start the game! As you play, remind them that even though you aren’t with them as they hide, God is with them. God will be wherever they go – no getting away from Him! They may be able to hide from you, but not from Him.

Notebook: No notebook page today! The lesson is similar enough to yesterday’s that I decided not to bother with it!

Theme: Show God love by telling others about Him
^“I will speak of your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame, for I delight in your commands because I love them.” (Psalm 119:46-47)

Scripture Memory: Review Psalm 100:1-3

Catechism Review: Q.  How can you glorify God? A. By loving him and doing what he commands.

On Mission: Read Psalm 145:3-12. What kinds of things does the Psalmist say we should tell others about? Discuss how we can show God love by telling others about him. Read a missions book or watch a movie about a missionary and discuss how their love for God motivated them to tell many others about Him.

Further Resources: My goal for my children at their current ages (5 & 3) is not to necessarily be out witnessing! Instead, I want to give them a vision for talking about God and then model that for them. To help with the former goal, we’ll read a biography about a Christian hero geared for young children. I’d recommend the Heroes for Young Readers series published by YWAM or Hero Tales by Dave and Neta Jackson. You can also download a pdf book, On African Roads from WMU.  Another fun resource is the Kids on Mission site from the Southern Baptist Mission Board. They’ve got great videos geared towards kids on mission related topics. Finally, check out Wycliffe’s Bright Ideas PreK and elementary curriculum to find some other fun, mission focused activities.

Firm Foundations 3:1

Theme: We show love to God by seeking to learn more about Him
Scripture Memory: Review Psalm 100:1-2. Then begin memorizing verse 3: “Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” We’ll work on the first half of the verse today with the following actions:

• Know (ASL Sign)
• That the Lord is God (Pretend to put a crown on your head)
• It is He who made us (Use hands to model imaginary clay)
• And we are His. (Point at self, then point upwards)

Catechism Q&A: Q.  How can you glorify God? A. By loving him and doing what he commands.
If you’re memorizing the Q&A, go over it. If not, just ask the question to your children. In this week’s lessons, I’m going to focus on teaching my kids what it means to love God, as least in small part! I’ll probably simplify the wording even more by asking “How do we love God?” The answer for today is “By getting to know Him.”

Getting to Know You: When we love somebody, we care about what they like and dislike. I’m going to have my kids call up a favorite family member or friend and interview them. I’ll write down the answers as they dictate them to me, and we’ll use this interview sheet as part of our Week 3 Notebooking page.

When the interviews are over, I’ll read them Jeremiah 9:23-24. Getting to know God better is more important than being rich or having great strength or even being really smart! We want to know God better, and that’s why we have Bible time together every day. We want to know what God likes, what He dislikes, what’s important to Him and how He is at work in the world. It’s sort of like interviewing Him, just like they did with their friend on the phone. Pray and close out the lesson.

Lesson Add Along: Focus on phone ettiquete. Teach your kids how to properly answer the phone when it rings, what they should say (or not say!) and how to close out a conversation. Do some mock phone calls together. To memorize their phone number, draw it outside in chalk. Have them hop from number to number, saying each number out loud as they jump down the “path”.

Firm Foundations 2:4

Theme: Your purpose is to live for God
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matt. 22:37)

Scripture Memory: Review Psalm 100:1 & 2

Catechism Q&A: Why did God make you and all things? For His glory.
A Purpose to Live By: Provide some fancy stickers, fun paper, glitter, etc. Let your children decorate a card or poster for someone special in their life. When they get done, talk about who their masterpiece was created for.

Next, read Colossians 1:16 together. Who are we created for? Read Matthew 22:34-40. What did Jesus say is the greatest thing we can do with our life? That is our purpose!

Notebooking: Glue two hearts and write "Love God, Love Others" as a reminder of our life purpose!

Heart Check: Firm Foundations Week 1

"By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm." (Psalm 33:6-9)

This week we'll be teaching our children about God as the Creator and the source of life. It's such a basic concept, foundational to Christian faith. Yet because of its very simplicity, I think we forget the implications of this truth. God created us. We exist because of and for Him. Thus our lives should be absolutely centered around Him. We should be quick to give Him the reverence and worship He is due.  "...For He spoke, and it came to be..." That's power!

In the midst of the trials, joys and mundanity awaiting you this week, remember that you are not here for yourself. You are here becuse you were created by and for God. It's His purposes that ultimately matter.

Introducing our 2010 Bible Curriculum: Firm Foundations

I've only posted on my main blog a handful of times this summer, in case you haven't noticed. In part, that's because of the normal summer busyness as well as preparations for our first year of "real" homeschooling (started Kindergarten with Happiness).  But it's also because I've been writing lessons for our fall & winter Bible curriculum, Firm Foundations.

As I posted in May, I've had a burden to teach my kids God's Word in a deeper fashion. The Bible stories are great in their place and character training is important and needed in its place, but both leave a gaping hole. I believe that hole is the study of theology - the study of God. Knowing who God is provides a framework for the rest of life and a foundation (hence the name) upon which our children can grow in the "wisdom and instruction of the Lord".

Not being seminary trained or having much of a background in systematic theology, I wasn't sure where to start. But a friend referred me to the Catechism for Young Children and that proved to be the answer. Using the general structure of this catechism, as well as the Westminister Catechism, I've devised 16 weeks of lessons (with more to come). Throughout the lessons I focus on the Gospel, on our sinfulness and on our need for a Savior. I don't necessarily agree with all the theological lessons the Catechism teaches. Those Q&As that I wasn't comfortable with I just skipped or reworded. I'm also not covering every point that the Catechism covers. Instead, I'm focusing on the truths that I feel are foundational and needed for my children at this time.

Lesson structure looks like this:

• Four lessons each week
• Scripture Memory
• Catechism Review (which I consider MUCH less important than the Scripture Memory. If my kids learn it, great. If they don't, I'm not worried.)
• Hands-on lesson to teach the big truth of the day
• Notebooking/lapbooking to allow us to review the lessons we've learned at a later date.
• Every 4 weeks, we'll take a week break to review what we've learned so far.

To help me along in my study, I made extensive use of Training Hearts, Teaching Minds by Starr Meade. Loved this book and appreciated all the work she's put into turning the Westminister Catechism into a daily Bible study.

Each week I'll be posting the lessons, along with a supplies list and some thoughts on what that particular week's truths have meant to me. Hope you enjoy and that these lessons will be a tool you can use in the monumental task of raising children for the glory of God!