Episode 005: The Bible Is God’s Word

02/02/22 • 6 min

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Children’s Ministry Seminar

Episode 005: THE BIBLE IS GOD’S WORD

by Steve Karges

Podcast Release: February 2, 2022

Sometimes in children’s ministry, we assume kids know things that they really don’t know. So when it comes to the Bible, start at the beginning and be clear.

When you stand before children with an open Bible in your hands, you are holding the divinely inspired Word of God and communicating what He has said. Teaching kids God’s Word is such an awesome responsibility, and why it is crucial that you only say what the Bible says and not add anything or remove anything from the Scripture. Instead, let God speak for Himself through His written Word.

In I Thessalonians 2:13 (ESV), the Apostle Paul says, “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”

As we teach boys and girls the Bible at church, we want them to know they are hearing the actual Word of God, not some fictional storybook. Make a clear distinction between the Bible and all other books because the Bible is the Source we use to teach kids about God. Children must understand that the Bible is God’s book, and it is all true. Therefore they can believe what it says and build their lives on it.

God speaks to us through the Bible, of which, He is the Divine Author. The Bible was written over 1,500 years by almost forty men whom God used as secondary authors to write down His divinely inspired words. Therefore, the Bible is God’s autobiography, and because of His Authorship, the Bible carries the full weight and authority of God Himself. That’s what makes the Bible different from every other book; it came to us from God.

When the Bible speaks, God is speaking through the written words. Therefore, we need to convey this truth repeatedly so that children will be attentive and respectful every time they hear God’s Word.

Children understand that God is in charge when they are taught the Bible, and when God speaks through His Word, kids begin to hear His voice through the pages of Scripture and learn to obey Him. God said everything He wants us to know about Himself in the Bible.

The Bible is a collection of 66 books presented in one volume. These books are divided into two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The Old Testament contains 39 books that are divided into five categories: 1) The Law, 2) History, 3) Wisdom, 4) Major Prophets, and 5) Minor Prophets. The Old Testament reveals the history of Israel and the promise of the coming Savior. The first book of the Old Testament is Genesis, which tells how God created the universe by speaking it into existence. Then God closes the Old Testament historically and prophetically with the book of Malachi.

The New Testament concentrates on the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His church. The 27 books included in the New Testament were written after 400 years of silence. During that time, no prophet spoke or wrote any Scripture until the arrival of John the Baptist, who broke the silence and announced that the promised Lord and Savior had come.

The first four books in the New Testament are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, which are known as the Gospels because they reveal the story of Jesus. The last book of the New Testament is Revelation, which tells of Christ’s ultimate triumph over Satan.

Kids come to know and love God as they grow in their knowledge and understanding of the Bible. God uses His Word to convince and convert sinners and to help believers grow in Christlikeness. The goal of teaching kids the Bible is changed lives.

I want to encourage you to prioritize teaching God’s Word to boys and girls in your church, as this is the most important thing you can do as a children’s ministry leader.

FOR YOUR MINISTRY TOOLBOX

1) Purchase a study Bible for your own edification and to help you prepare to teach children. I highly recommend the MacArthur Study Bible or the Reformation Study Bible in the English Standard Version.

2) Make a commitment to daily Bible study and prayer if you are not already in the habit. You cannot teach children the Bible correctly if you are not into the Word yourself.

TAGS: I Thessalonians 2:13, Bible, Word of God, Scripture, God’s Word, Teaching

Visit www.cmikids.com

Children’s Ministry Seminar

Episode 005: THE BIBLE IS GOD’S WORD

by Steve Karges

Podcast Release: February 2, 2022

Sometimes in children’s ministry, we assume kids know things that they really don’t know. So when it comes to the Bible, start at the beginning and be clear.

The Bible is a collection of 66 books presented in one volume. These books are divided into two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament.

I want to encourage you to prioritize teaching God’s Word to boys and girls in your church, as this is the most important thing you can do as a children’s ministry leader.

FOR YOUR MINISTRY TOOLBOX

2) Make a commitment to daily Bible study and prayer if you are not already in the habit. You cannot teach children the Bible correctly if you are not into the Word yourself.

TAGS: I Thessalonians 2:13, Bible, Word of God, Scripture, God’s Word, Teaching

Visit www.cmikids.com

Previous Episode

Episode 004: Teaching Children About God

1 Recommendations

Children’s Ministry Seminar

EPISODE 004: TEACHING CHILDREN ABOUT GOD

by Steve Karges

Podcast Release: January 26, 2022

As Children’s Ministry Leaders, we have the awesome responsibility of teaching children about God, who He is, and what He has done.

In I Chronicles 28:11 (ESV), we read, “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness Ind the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.”

Ponder this for a moment. Our job is to teach kids about The Triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

The Triune God is the Creator.
He is the Savior.
He is Lord.
He is King.
He is Holy (God is pure and perfect, untouched by sin).
He is Righteous (God always does what is right).
He is Just (when legislating His righteous standards).
He is Sovereign (God is subject to no one and does as He pleases).
He is Eternal (God has no beginning or end).
He is Immutable (God never changes His nature or purpose).
He is Omniscient (God is all-knowing).
He is Omnipresent (God is present everywhere).
He is Omnipotent (God is all-powerful).
He is Love (God is the Source of Love).
He is Truth (God is the Source of Truth, He cannot lie).
He is Mercy (God is compassionate).
He is Faithful (God can be trusted).

And these are just a few of His titles and attributes.

As Children’s Ministry Leaders, we must feel the weight of this responsibility to teach boys and girls about God and get it right. The way we do that is by diligently preparing to teach children God’s Word every week. Remember, the Holy Spirit is the primary Teacher (see John 14:25-26), so it is crucial that we only say what the Scripture says (not add to it or remove anything from it) and get out of the way!

This overwhelming task should cause us to tremble and fall on our knees to plead with God for help.

I am troubled when I see children’s ministry leaders take the responsibility of teaching children about God so casually. Children’s ministry is serious business because it counts for all eternity, and we must take the job seriously.

Teaching children about God begins with leaders and teachers who are mature Christians that faithfully study God’s Word and obey it.

Teaching children about God requires planning, organization, and preparation.

Teaching children about God requires the leader to train other teachers who are committed to the task. These volunteers must be equipped for ministry and receive ongoing instruction and oversight.

Teaching children about God requires that each child have a copy of the Bible.*

Teaching children about God requires a Bible-based curriculum.*

Much of the curriculum sold at Christian conferences simply skim the surface and seldom dive deep into the Scripture.

Yet when selecting a new course of study for their children’s ministry, many leaders do not spend enough time evaluating, researching, and examining the curriculum. Often, the chosen curriculum does not even align with the church’s doctrinal statement.

I remember one now-defunct Christian publisher who sold curriculum that was designed for specific audiences. In their case, they offered one curriculum with Christian doctrine and another curriculum with Catholic doctrine. This publisher was not interested in teaching children Biblical Truth; they simply created products to make money. Avoid publishers like this one. Unfortunately, they seem to be at every conference.

Teaching children about God starts in the nursery and continues systematically until those children have completed elementary school.

We want boys and girls to grow in their knowledge and understanding of the Bible, but the primary goal is that children encounter the Living God through His Word, by the Holy Spirit, and through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

*Visit www.cmikids.com and click Recommended Resources for Children’s Bibles (complete Bibles for young readers and Bible Story Books for non-readers) and children’s ministry curriculum (for Sunday School and weekly children’s programs).

FOR YOUR MINISTRY TOOLBOX

1) Meditate on the titles and characteristics of God as you consider the awesome responsibility of teaching children about Him.

TAGS: 1 Chronicles 28:11, God, Teaching, Curriculum

Visit www.cmikids.com

Next Episode

Episode 006: Teaching Children The Truth

1 Recommendations

Children’s Ministry Seminar

EPISODE 006: TEACHING CHILDREN THE TRUTH

by Steve Karges

Podcast Release: February 9, 2022

In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV), we read, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

The most loving thing we can do for children is to teach them the Truth (1 Corinthians 13:6). To do that, Christian parents and children’s ministry leaders must know the Truth for themselves (John 17:17), speak the Truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), and faithfully live out the Truth every day (1 John 5:1-5).

In other words, our wisdom, words, and actions must be founded upon the Source of Truth – the Triune God. God the Father (Deuteronomy 32:4), God the Son (John 14:6), and God the Holy Spirit (John 16:13). are One God in Three Persons (Matthew 28:19), and God is the Source of Truth.

God has revealed His Truth on the pages of the Bible (Psalm 119:142; John 17:17). It is the Word of the Living God. When the Bible speaks, God speaks. All Scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16) and His written word proceeded from His mouth. He is the Source and Author of the Bible.

There is a primary author and a secondary author for every verse of Scripture. The secondary authors were men, whom God used as the human instruments to record His words (2 Peter 1:20-21). There were approximately 40 human authors of the Bible’s 66 books, but there was One primary Author – God Himself (Matthew 4:4).

Although men wrote down the Scripture, it is not of men or from men; it is from God. (1 Thessalonians 2:13). God speaks through the Bible, so we must be discerning and know the difference between His Word and the words of men (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Truth does not come from within ourselves, as Buddhists believe, but from the Word of God, to which we add nothing (Proverbs 30:5-6).

The Scripture is the revelation of God (Psalm 19:7-9; Hebrews 1:1-2), and in the Bible, the true God is revealed. In John 1:14 (ESV), we read, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”.

God’s Word has power, and through the Bible, God releases His power to save (Romans 1:16, 1 Corinthians 1:18; James 1:21) and to sanctify (John 17:17; Ephesians 5:26) sinful people.

Why is teaching children the Truth so important? Because God is Truth and how a child responds to His Truth, as recorded in the Bible, is the determiner of their life, indeed, their eternity (John 8:47, 20:31). Romans 10:17 (ESV) says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

God is not silent, as some believe. He has told us everything He wants us to know, and it is all written down in the Bible. We need to learn it, believe it, obey it, and pass on the Truth to the next generation (Psalm 78:4-7).

Teach these things to your children at home and at church. (Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4). First, give kids their own copy of the Bible. Then spend time together reading, studying, listening, memorizing, singing, and discussing the Scripture (Deuteronomy 6:6-7; 2 Timothy 3:15).

That, my friend, is how you impart Truth to children.

FOR YOUR MINISTRY TOOLBOX

1) Take some time to read and meditate on all the Bible verses listed above, and then hear God’s voice as He speaks to you through His written Word.

TAGS: Deuteronomy 6:6-7, 32:4; Psalm 19:7-9, 22:6, 30:5-6, 78:4-7, 119:142; Matthew 4:4, 28:19; John 8:47, 14:6, 16:13, 17:17, 20;31; Romans 1:16, 10:17; I Corinthians 1:18, 13:6; Epshesians 4:15, 5:26, 6:4; I Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17, 4:3-4; Hebrews 1:12; James 1:21; 2 Peter 1:20-21; I John 1:14, 5:1-5; God; Truth; Bible; Scripture; Word of God; Teaching

Visit www.cmikids.com