KIDS' PRAISE

Can you guess what lesson I was teaching??

I have been absolutely BLESSED with the opportunity to combine two of my favorite things: teaching and Jesus! This semester, I have been working under Pastor James at GSLC, teaching Bible lessons to ten wonderfully unique, eager, and challenging 3rd and 4th graders. It has been a quality experience, taking strategies from my Education classes at school and implementing them in small ways on Wednesdays nights.

But, I have a confession. (How James 5 of me! Ha.) 

....I teach the lesson to myself right along with the kids sometimes. Growing up in Sunday School, I could probably relate the story without evening cracking a Bible - but step out of my very sophisticated, Christian-educated shoes and I am humbled by what reviewing these "simple stories" can do for my faith. 

From a teacher perspective, I have to know my students well enough to plan a lesson that fits the group. A few weeks in, and I think I have found the tempo of these kids. Forcing myself to see the stories from their point of view, I cannot escape the simple truths that God whispers to my heart. I get on my knees and put on my little third grade thinking cap and read again the stories that I have grown up hearing. This allows me to see applications, connections, and relationships from things in the Bible that I hadn't caught onto before. 

Example: I taught the Lord's Supper last week. The correlation from the freedom of slavery (from Egypt) celebrated in Passover and the freedom from slavery (from sin) celebrated in the Lord's Supper is astounding! I cannot put emphasis enough on the "aha" moment I had. YOU GUYS I GREW UP IN THE CHURCH. Part of me feels bad.... Should I know this already? Probably. But hey - what's another example of how "I do not have my life together" gonna hurt?

Cue the lesson from the picture. This was a visual that I gave the students about the lost sheep in Luke 15. Even though I do not measure up,  

"...he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

God cares about me. He doesn't care about how many years I've missed the point. He cares that now I am one of His own. I am his lost sheep who is now found. Heaven rejoices.

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God that I can boast in what He has done for me and not what I have accomplished in this life.

Taking on this challenge has turned out to be very fulfilling for me, as I have gotten to know my fellow leaders better each week, which has been another source of mentorship that I did not expect to result from this position. I look forward to Wednesday nights as much now as I did back in my youth group dayzzz. 

I think the kids in "Kids' Praise" fill me back up just as much as I pour into them. 

May I always be refreshed by the child-like faith with which I am surrounded. 

I'm on my way to .... Teach 'Em & Reach 'Em!