Big Questions need Big Answers from the Bible

Impressive 13 lessons for ages 3 to 12

In Big Wave Discovery, Gospel Light creates a resource that interested me the moment I heard about the apologetics flavor it had. The 13 big questions really are questions that I've had kids ask me, and yes, even adults. Is God for real? Why do bad things happen? Is Jesus the only way to God? These questions really rattle the cage of our existence and the answers must be Biblical and they must be true.

As usual, Gospel Light takes a fun and yet solidly Biblical, bible centered and creative approach for your classes and lessons. The  included CD has the book's contents plus music and customizable files that make this resource significant, in other words, worth using and then easy to use. I think summer time midweek or even Sunday School could really benefit from this curriculum. Before you wear yourself out looking for those 4 or so lessons in between what you are teaching do yourself a favor and check this one out.

Big Books rescue big ministry problems

Big Book of message rescue

This book has rescued my on several occasions this AWANA TNT year already. Looking back I should have just picked 30 or so of the 52 available lessons on discipleship and had that as the basis of the teaching year. I love the simple format, the opening topic intro games or activities. The lesson content is solid and its indexed perfectly for quick finds by topic or scripture. These Big Books from Gospel Light are must haves for the leader's library but also the teacher's as well.

Tozer's Totally Tweetable

A.W. Tozer's wordsmithing, theology and penetrating barbs into modern culture are still as relevant today as they were 50 to 80 years ago when he was alive and writing. Every time I read this book I shocked into repentance of my shallow slavery commitments to Christ and just scratch my head as he continues to peg our culture long after his death. It seems that every other sentence that Tozer wrote needs to be tweeted. @TozerAW has beat us all to it and is worth following on Twitter.
I thought that any review of the Tweetable Tozer would be remiss without some solid tweetable tweets.
"The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One."
"There is within the human heart a tough, fibrous root of fallen life whose nature is to possess, always to possess."
"The pronouns, my and mine look innocent enough in print...they are verbal symptoms of our deep disease."
"Whoever defends himself will have himself for his defense, and he will have no other.
"But let him come defenseless before the Lord and he will have for his defender no less than God Himself."
I could go on since the above quotes are just from the first 30 pages of the book. Plain and simple: this is a must read, a must own, and a must read yearly kind of book.

Are you comfortable in your own shoes?

Are you comfortable in your own preaching shoes? In Well-Driven Nails, my pastor, Byron Yawn, explains the strange event that all of us know as the sermon. Everyone has heard a sermon and many picking up this book have preached or are about to preach a sermon real soon. Ok, so why should a preacher or teacher invest in this book. First, its a fairly unique approach to the subject. Finding your own voice is pretty hard stuff to do in life whether you are a stand up comic or a Sunday school teacher. But for those who study to deliver God's word to an audience it is of immense importance. Secondly, Byron takes a unique road of personal interviews to get inside some of the top preachers of our time, RC Sproul, John Piper and John MacArthur. Then he distills down three necessary ingredients: clarity, simplicity and passion into a very helpful approach to preaching and teaching.Finally, this book is great for the preacher to grasp preaching in a deeper way and is helpful to us being "preached at" so we know what we are supposed to get. That's a pretty tough thing to accomplish in one book and you would never think that he could deliver that dual message, but he does.

A book worth reading that has a solid Biblical core

Larry Fowler encourages me every time I listen to him or shake his hand. In Rock Solid Volunteers he wonderfully draws truth, encouragement and easy principles from the evidence from Nehemiah. I loved this book because it was straight from the Bible. I have read and studied Nehemiah's leadership and planning principles many times and yet Larry taught me several things that I just flat our missed. I can't wait to put them in to practice in my church's AWANA ministry and my own life. Ok, books have to accomplish several things to be any good, worth reading, worth owning, worth re-reading and then worth recommending. This one accomplished that and more. Number one: Biblical. I only want to read and suggest books to people that are more God's truth than man's opinions. Done. This one is solid Bible through and through. Number two: Quick. I like books that flow well, read quick and steady, organize thoughts that I can remember and apply. Done. I can remember the things I need to do in ministry from this book by simply remembering the flow of Nehemiah's story. Finally, I like books that translate instantly into my life's needs. Done, I needed a fresh boost of energy concerning my volunteers and for me, a volunteer too. These seven simple and instantly achievable principles are just what I needed. Now, let's see, I've got a wall to finish. Hey, are you still sitting there? Go get the book. See you at the wall.

Tried and True curriculum evaluation questions

There is a growing number of children's Sunday School curriculum options in the market today due to the ease of the internet and digital production capabilities of your average computer savvy church worker or leader. I was digging through some old Gospel Light resource books and dusted off this old resource and Surprise! Surprise! The content is just as important today as it was first written back in the 70s or even before that probably.
So here goes: when choosing a curriculum you must watch for:

BIBLE CONTENT AND USAGE

1. Is the curriculum designed to teach the Bible as God’s inspired and authoritative Word?
2. Is there balanced coverage of the Old and New Testaments?
3. Does the overall plan of the curriculum point students to faith in Christ as Savior and Lord, and also nurture and guide them to “grow up in Christ”?
4. Does the material present Bible truths in a manner appropriate to the abilities and development of the students’ age levels?
5. Are hands-on Bible usage and skill development encouraged at appropriate age levels?

TEACHER

1. Does the curriculum challenge the teacher to prepare spiritually for the task of teaching?
2. Is the material clearly arranged to show the teacher an understandable and logical lesson plan?
3. Are the Bible-learning and life response aims specifically and clearly stated for each lesson?
4. Does the material provide the teacher with a variety of Bible-learning approaches from which to choose?
5. Are the materials clearly presented, enabling the teacher to be prepared with a reasonable amount of effort?
6. Are there enough ideas and suggestions to adapt the material for longer or shorter sessions, larger or smaller groups, or limited equipment?

STUDENT

1. Is the vocabulary appropriate for the age and abilities of the students?
2. Does the curriculum provide a variety of ways for students to participate actively in the learning process?
3. Are the student materials attractive and do they encourage involvement?
4. Do the teacher resources provide a variety of attractive aids to stimulate student interest and involvement?
5. Are the Bible-learning approaches appropriate to the mental, spiritual, social and physical development of the students?

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

1. Does the material provide ideas for making and sustaining meaningful contact with both students and families outside the classroom?
2. Does the take-home paper contain activities that assist the family in relating the student’s learning to everyday life?
3. Does the curriculum speak to issues relevant to the student’s everyday life?
4. Does the curriculum provide materials and suggestions for ways students may understand the responsibility and joy of sharing Christ?
5. Does the curriculum encourage outreach and church growth?

 © 2000 by Gospel Light. Permission to photocopy granted. How to Have a Great Sunday School (Content also appeared in a 70s copy of Sunday School Standards also published by Gospel Light)

Family Devotions in a personal and unique style

Our family has kept a tradition for years of reading to our children devotional books or any quality classic for that matter. We have been through the Bible in various forms, Narnia, Little House on the Prairie and countless other books over the last 18 years. This devotional is different than all the others. One simple, yet profound twist in the writing style makes this one interesting and memorable. Instead of reading about God and Jesus this book has Jesus and God speaking to us directly. This is how the Bible should be read and understood. Its God's love letter about His Son to us. I absolutely love the personal nature of this first person style in concept, away. It speaks to the heart and takes very simple passages of Scripture that are overlooked due to familiarity and transforms them to touch our hearts. Even though written for 3rd to 6th graders I find myself captivated by what God has to say to me today.
Today's devotion, September 30th, entitled, I Already Know, is about God being with us and walking beside us to help since He has already lived in our future and knows exactly what we need from Him to live for Him. I took great comfort in this truth presented by this book in a very personal way. I think your family will too. I recommend this book with some precautions to you especially if you are just starting out with family devotions.
As with almost every modern book, sloppy theology has infiltrated this devotional as well. Its so subtle but is especially troublesome with a book that in many ways is most dangerous to write, a book in first person from God. The author has taken a much needed approach  to writing a devotional but a little more theological sobriety would have been nice. Here is the warning for readers and writers of theology. We are dealing with God, His very words to His church and His very character and name are on the chopping block of men's hearts. When I say, "Thus says the Lord!" I better be sure He really did say that. The devotion for October 4th dumped in some of that insidious man-centered theology commonly known as Arminianism. The author, speaking for God mind you, says: "But when you choose to become one of My followers, I come to live inside you." This is unfortunate because the Bible is clear over and over again that we don't choose God first, we don't seek God first, we are dead in sin until God chooses us first. Once we are born again then we are able to have faith, repent, trust and live for Him all as gifts from God. Our spiritual gifts and tools are not inherent from within but from without. (see 1 Cor. 1:30 as one simple example) To be more biblical the author should have said, "When I choose you..."
For this reason, I can only recommend this book for the discerning parent who can glean the junk food theology out of the book for their children.