Children’s Bible Program – Level 3: Lesson 35 “Solomon’s Special Request”

Featured Passage: 1 Kings 3

Solomon was a young man when he became king of Israel. It was a big job to oversee the whole nation, and Solomon knew he needed help. One night, God spoke to Solomon in a dream and asked him what was his heart’s desire. God told him that he could have anything he wanted! He could have asked for fame, riches, or a long life. Solomon’s response showed a maturity, humility and concern for his people. God gave him exactly what he needed to fulfill his role as king…and much more!

Discuss:

Richard Gunther (www.lambsongs.co.nz) | FreeBibleImages.org
  • Solomon offered sacrifices to God at Gibeon. Ultimately, God led him to build a temple at another location, which would serve as a worship-house for God for generations to come. Where was that temple built?
  • What would you ask for if you could have anything want? What would be the wisest thing to request of God?
  • Why do you think God was so happy with Solomon’s request?
  • Why do you think it was important to Solomon to have wisdom?
  • We have Solomon’s wisdom with us today in the Bible. He wrote Ecclesiastes, the Song of Solomon, and most of the book of Proverbs. Find a passage in the book of Proverbs that tells us how important it is to find wisdom. 

Memory Challenge: 

1 Kings 3:9 

“…give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”



Children’s Bible Program – Level 2: Lesson 35 “Moses and Aaron Meet Pharaoh”

Featured Passage: Exodus 5-6

When God told Moses to go to Egypt, Moses was very reluctant. He complained that he was not able to speak well. God didn’t accept his excuse. Instead, God informed him that Aaron, his brother, would speak on his behalf. They had a very difficult assignment – to tell Pharaoh that the great God of heaven demanded the release of the Israelites! Imagine the courage that it took to approach the Pharaoh of Egypt and give him this message! Yet Moses obeyed God and went to Egypt, preparing himself to face one of the most powerful rulers on earth, with faith in the most powerful ruler in the universe!

Discuss:

Richard Gunther (www.lambsongs.co.nz) | FreeBibleImages.org
  • How did Pharaoh react when Moses told him to let the people go? 
  • Straw was an important ingredient for making bricks. The Egyptians provided the Israelite slaves this straw to mix with mud. When Moses demanded the release of the Israelites, Pharaoh angrily responded by making a decree that the Israelites would have to gather their own straw from then on. How do you think the people felt about Pharaoh’s order? How do you think they felt toward Moses? Why do you think God allowed this to happen?
  • What lessons did Moses and the Israelites learn from the way that God dealt with Pharoah? What lessons can we learn from reading this part of the Bible? 

Memory Challenge:

Exodus 6:7

I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.



Children’s Bible Program – Level 1: Lesson 35 “Joshua’s Faithfulness in the Wilderness”

Featured Passage: Numbers 13-14

Israel tested God over and over again while in the wilderness. They were constantly complaining and often refused to obey God. However, Joshua had a different attitude. When the Israelites reached the entrance to the promised land Moses selected one man from each tribe to secretly go into Canaan and spy out the land. Joshua was selected from the tribe of Ephraim. The twelve men were to report back on what they saw. Was the land truly flowing with milk and honey? Were there big walls around the cities? The Israelites waited expectantly to hear what the spies would say. 

Discuss:

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  • Why was Joshua selected to be one of the spies? 
  • Did the spies find a truly rich land just as God had said? How did they describe it?
  • Why did the spies demand that Moses take them back to Egypt?
  • Of the twelve men sent to spy out the land of Canaan, only Joshua and Caleb brought back a good report. Why was their report different from the other men?
  • Joshua and Caleb were faithful to God even when everyone else wanted to give up. How did God bless them for trusting in Him? 
  •  God always blesses and rewards those who are faithful to Him. How can we show faithfulness to God?

Memory Challenge:

Numbers 14:6–7

But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.”



Recommended Reads: Do Hard Things

Second Thoughts: Editing in Love

Author: Thomas White | Editorial Dept., Living Church of God

At the start of Living Education’s second academic year, Mr. Wallace Smith, the Living Church of God’s Executive Editor, spoke about… well, editing…

…and he probably could have spoken for far longer, because there’s a lot more to editing than most people think.

Only the good garbage

As he emphatically said, it’s more than fixing typos, just as getting ready for a formal event is more than slapping on deodorant. There’s copyediting, line editing, layout editing, editing for consistency, editing for style, editing for technical correctness—and all of this is done for written works that are already good. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t be getting published in the first place.

Working in the Editorial department I’ve noticed an encouraging thing—all the good stuff, even the great stuff, needed changes before it could be published. Quite a few changes, actually. Any experienced writer will tell you something along the lines of “The first draft of anything is garbage,” and while that’s not literally true, it’s certainly true in comparison to the final draft.

And spiritually speaking, that’s us, when you think about it.

God’s people are being edited

As God’s people, we’re all—hopefully—undergoing some seriously extensive edits, because we are not even close to publishable at this point. Carrying the analogy perhaps a bit too far, our spiritual commas are everywhere they shouldn’t be, we can’t keep our moral tenses straight, we’re capitalizing priorities that should never be capitalized, and we keep using passive voice where God demands active voice. God’s Holy Spirit is our editor, and it has a lot of work to do, because by Editorial standards, every one of us is a hot mess.

But that doesn’t mean we’re worthless.

Mr. Smith brought out that it’s the editors’ job to serve the writers, because the content of a publishable article is going to be, at its core, good. The goal is to help the articles be the best versions of themselves, not make them completely different. In essence, if an article is good, it gets edited. Sort of like how “whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3:12). If we’re genuinely trying to follow Him, God’s not trying to completely erase our every semblance of individuality or uniqueness; He’s just trying to revise us, because He knows that with some rewrites, with some tweaking and fact-checking and improved consistency, we’re going to eventually be publishable into His Family. He knows that the content is solid, the potential is there.

…there’s no shame in being edited, since every created work needs editing

Taking correction like an edit

Personally, I need to remember this in moments of both taking and giving correction. When someone points out something about me that should probably be altered—of which there are so many—do I take it as a personal attack, or as an edit?

“I think this could be worded more effectively.”

This sort of mindset removes pride from the equation; there’s no shame in being edited, since every created work needs editing. And when I give correction, do I give it in the form of an edit, or an insult? “This writing is bad and you should feel bad,” comes from a completely different source than “I think this could be worded more effectively,” and all too often, the correction we give one another can sound more like the former.

God thinks we’re publishable

In the end, God thinks you and I are publishable, and He thinks the people we really struggle to appreciate are publishable, too.  He’s editing us in love, not to remove all we currently are, but to improve it. Who are we to try to edit each other, or ourselves, in any other way?


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Rachel

Thomas White headshot

Thomas White was one of the onsite Living Education students for the 2018-2019 semesters. He also has a Bachelor’s Degree in English. Thomas currently works as an Editorial Assistant for the Living Church of God. According to his wife, he eats pizza in entirely the wrong way.

Children’s Bible Program – Level 3: Lesson 34 “Solomon Becomes King”

Featured Passage: 1 Kings 1-2

Richard Gunther (www.lambsongs.co.nz) | FreeBibleImages.org

Solomon was the son of King David and Bathsheba. Though David had other sons, he promised Bathsheba that her son Solomon would be the next king of Israel. But as David lay on his death-bed, a different son, Adonijah, proclaimed himself king! Imagine the uproar this caused, as the followers of Adonijah celebrated his coronation. When David was told of of Adonijah’s take-over attempt, he acted quickly, announcing his choice of Solomon as king in his place. He commanded that Solomon should rule over Israel, not Adonijah. He gave instructions for his immediate coronation. David’s decisive action set the stage for a dramatic showdown between Adonijah and Solomon. 

Discuss: 

  • Bathsheba was the daughter of Eliam (one of David’s mighty men) and the granddaughter of Ahithophel (one of David’s advisors).
  • Adonijah was presumptuous to make himself king. What does it mean to be presumptuous, and how does God view this (Psalms 19:13, 1 Peter 2:10)? 
  • The people who supported Adonijah were directly rebelling against the instructions of King David, who had been guided by God to select Solomon as king. What can we learn from this example regarding who we support? 
  • Solomon’s name means rest or peace. Where do we read about the peace that the land of Israel enjoyed during his reign? (note that this introduces the child to the parallel account of the kings of Israel and Judah in 1 and 2 Chronicles)

Memory Challenge: 

1 Kings 1:37

As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so may He be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.



Children’s Bible Program – Level 2: Lesson 34 “Moses – From the Bulrushes to the Burning Bush”

Featured Passage: Exodus 1-4

The Pharaoh who knew Joseph had died, and a new Pharaoh arose in Egypt. He enslaved the Israelites and treated them cruelly. He commanded that all baby boys be killed, but a special couple named Amram and Jochebed decided to hide their son from Pharaoh’s soldiers. They made a plan they hoped would save their baby boy. Jochebed placed her son in a basket of reeds and put him in the river and told her daughter Miriam to watch what would happen to him. What would become of the baby? God was looking for a man to lead His people out of slavery, and it seemed He had a plan in mind for this special little boy.

Discuss:

Richard Gunther (www.lambsongs.co.nz) | FreeBibleImages.org
  • At the time, Egypt was the most powerful nation on earth. Why do you think the Israelites needed God to save them?
  • Amram and Jochebed showed great courage in saving their son’s life. Why do you think they wanted to protect their son? How do you think this compares to how God feels about us?
  • Moses grew up in a palace with servants and riches. Do you think it might be hard for someone to give up that life? Moses did it because he looked to the future Kingdom of God (Hebrews 11:23-26). How does looking to the kingdom of God help us make sacrifices in our lives?
  • Moses told God he wasn’t the right person to carry out God’s instructions to go speak with Pharaoh. Why do you think he was afraid? What did God say to change his mind?

Memory Challenge: 

Exodus 3:12 

So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”



Children’s Bible Program – Level 1: Lesson 34 “Joshua in Training”

Featured Passages: Exodus 17, 24, 32

In the tribe of Ephraim, there was a man named Nun who had a son named Hoshea, whom Moses called Joshua (Numbers 13:16). Joshua was a slave in Egypt when God sent Moses to deliver Israel from bondage. Joshua and his family left Egypt with more than two million other Israelites as Moses led them toward the Promised Land. Moses saw potential in Joshua to be a good leader, and God began to use Joshua in His service. What did the future hold for this young man? In the book of Exodus we begin to uncover the beginning of Joshua’s adventures. 

Discuss:

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  • Joshua went from being a slave to commanding the armies of Israel in a very short period of time. How does having a relationship with God help us to be successful in our lives?
  • Joshua was with the elders when they ate before God. He was with Moses on the mountain for forty days when Moses received the Ten Commandments. What lessons do you think Joshua was learning from these opportunities?
  • Joshua served Moses, but he also developed a personal relationship with God. What can you do to help you be closer to God? 
  • How do you think Joshua’s service to Moses was preparing him to be a good leader?

Memory Challenge: 

Exodus 24:13

“So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up to the mountain of God.”



¡Concurso de Arte de los días santos de otoño!

Directrices del concurso y reglas oficiales:

¿Alguna vez has soñado con ilustrar un libro? ¿Te gusta dibujar caricaturas? ¿Te agrada dibujar con acuarelas? ¿Tienes experiencia creando imágenes vectoriales en una tableta, o tu estilo es más es lápiz y papel?

Buscamos artistas de todas las edades, cuyo trabajo podría aparecer en nuestra edición especial de lecciones infantiles para los Días Santos de Otoño.

English? Click Here!

Français? Cliquez ici!

Asunto

Cuando piensas en las Fiestas santas de otoño, ¿qué imagen se te viene a la cabeza? ¿piensas en un israelita tocando una trompeta de plata brillante frente al tabernáculo? ¿o en los carneros durante el Día de Expiación? ¿o tal vez te imaginas al león y al cordero representando el Milenio? Sea lo que sea, ¡prepárate para dar buen uso a tu creatividad!

Envíenos sus obras de arte relacionadas con la Fiesta de las Trompetas, el Día de Expiación, la Fiesta de los Tabernáculos y el Último Gran Día. Sus dibujos pueden representar símbolos, tradiciones o personajes y escenas bíblicas relacionadas con estas fiestas santas. Estamos especialmente interesados en dibujos estilo caricatura, pero también aceptaremos otros estilos de dibujo para ser utilizados en nuestra publicación de lecciones infantiles de edición especial, “Las Fiestas otoñales de Dios: Una guía de estudio para enseñar el camino de vida de Dios a sus hijos”.

¿Qué tipo de dibujos estamos buscando?

Las ilustraciones se pueden preparar en cualquier medio 2D (por ejemplo: lápiz, tinta, lápices de colores, carbón, pasteles, acuarela o pintura). También se aceptarán dibujos realizados por medios tradicionales o electrónicos. Tenga en cuenta que estamos buscando trabajos limpios y listos para usarse en nuestras diversas publicaciones.

Los dibujos deben ser de alta calidad (es decir, libre de arrugas, manchas, marcas de borrador, etc.). Si es necesario, configure su escáner, o su cámara para enviar imágenes de alta calidad.

¿Quién puede participar?

Se invita a artistas de cualquier edad a presentar sus mejores dibujos. Las ilustraciones se evaluarán en tres categorías basadas en tres grupos de edad.

Grupo 1  (12 años y menores)

Grupo 2  (13 – 20 años)

Grupo 3  (21 – 121 años)

Fechas límite del concurso

El concurso comienza el 15 de agosto de 2019

Último día para inscribirse: 20 de septiembre de 2019

Publicación de resultados: 27 de septiembre de 2019

Cómo participar

Los dibujos deben enviarse por medio del formulario de inscripción del concurso en línea, que estará disponible para los artistas a partir del 15 de agosto. Todos los artistas deben proporcionar su nombre, edad, una dirección de correo electrónico válida, congregación, algunas frases sobre sí mismos, y una breve descripción de su obra de arte junto con su presentación. Los artistas del Grupo 1 necesitarán la aprobación de sus padres para poder participar. Si no tiene acceso a Internet o un medio para crear copias electrónicas de su obra de arte, tal vez pueda pedir ayuda a alguien en su congregación local.

Formulario en línea: https://form.jotform.com/92453648593166

Reglas oficiales

  1. Dios, Jesucristo o criaturas celestiales no pueden ser representados en los dibujos.
  2. Sólo dibujos originales – no haga plagio o use material protegido por derechos de autor.
  3. Las imágenes deben ser apropiadas para niños menores de 12 años.
  4. Educación Viviente se reserva el derecho de rechazar dibujos que contengan contenido inapropiado.
  5. Los artistas deben presentar su trabajo usando su propio nombre y bajo la categoría de edad apropiada.
  6. Los artistas pueden enviar hasta dos dibujos. 

Renuncia de responsabilidad:

Enviar obras de arte para el Concurso de Arte de Otoño transfiere el derecho al programa de Educación Viviente para usar y modificar obras de arte con fines educativos y/o promocionales. Los dibujos no se utilizarán para ningún propósito de ganancia financiera.

Ganadores*

Los mejores dibujos de cada categoría se utilizarán en nuestras lecciones semanales para niños o en nuestra edición especial de lecciones de las Fiestas Santas de otoño. Se mostrarán en el blog “Actualizaciones” en nuestro sitio web junto con una breve biografía del artista y una descripción de la obra de arte. Los artistas recibirán crédito por cualquier obra de arte utilizada en nuestras publicaciones. Además, los ganadores de cada grupo de edad recibirán un pequeño premio de Educación Viviente.

Las ilustraciones que reciban mención honorífica se mostrarán en el blog “Actualizaciones” en nuestro sitio web junto con una breve biografía del artista y una descripción de la obra de arte.

*Si se selecciona su dibujo, recibirá una notificación por correo electrónico.

** Puede haber oportunidades especiales disponibles para que artistas destacados se unan al equipo de ilustración del Programa Bíblico para Niños de Educación Viviente que puede involucrar diferentes proyectos e iniciativas.


Para obtener más información sobre las directrices de este concurso, o para preguntas, póngase en contacto con:

Rebekah Ross  | Living Education – Children’s Bible Program Staff

[email protected]

704-708-2295


Orientation Week Video

Orientation week may have come and passed us by, but luckily we’ve still got proof! We put together a short video so that you’re caught up on the exciting student life here in Charlotte, NC.