Creative Bible Lessons from the Old Testament: 12 Character Studies of Surprisingly Modern Men and Women

by Laurie Polich

Overview

Okay, so they used mule mail instead of e-mail -- but they were still surprisingly modern men and women. With emotions, decisions, and dilemmas as raw and real as the students sitting in front of you every week. David and Rahab, Daniel and Ruth--even with their rough edges, they passionately loved Jehovah in a way today's adolescents can understand and emulate. Here are 12 Old Testament character studies, including-- Believe it or not -Abraham: Living by faith is not for wimps - Faith overcomes a fast past -Rahab: What you live is what you believe. Everything else is just talk. - The waiting game -Joseph: Trials and temptations can make us strong. - Benchwarmer to first string -Moses : Often God uses the least likely person to do great things. - Right woman, right place, right time -Esther : God has created each one of us for a purpose. - Keeping promises -Ruth: Commitment means more than saying the right words. - Bad days for good people -Job: Suffering may be the condition from which humans benefit the most. - The long way home -Jonah: Sometimes we simply say no to God. -- And to help you teach the lesson are clips from easy-to-get videos . . . games for mixing and games that teach . . . in-depth, ready-to-use questions guaranteed to spark small-group discussion . . . original role plays, scripts, dilemmas faced by these ancient but very human believers in their Yahweh. For youth workers, Sunday school teachers, and CE directors, Creative Bible Lessons from the Old Testament will help your students understand that the God who offered hope and courage to ancient history-makers still does the same for teenagers today.12 lessons.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780310854135
Publisher:	Zondervan
Publication date:	02/22/2011
Series:	Creative Bible Lessons
Sold by:	Zondervan Publishing
Format:	eBook
Pages:	112
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

With 15 years of youth ministry experience, Laurie Polich serves as pastor of small groups and discipleship at Ocean Hills Covenant Church, in Santa Barbara. She¹s the author of several books including Help! I'm a Small-Group Leader training curriculum and book, Studies on the Go: John, and Small Group Qs, and she speaks frequently to students and youth workers across the country.

Read an Excerpt

Creative Bible Lessons from the Old Testament: 12 character studies of surprisingly modern men and women By Laurie Polich

HERE'S THE POINT
LIVING BY FAITH IS NOT FOR WIMPS.
What does it take to live a life of faith? It takes patience when the wait seems endless,
hope when things seem impossible, and trust when the circumstances appear insurmountable. Christians are called to a life of ups and downs, of victories and struggles, and ultimately of being a part of something much bigger than our own individual lives. That also describes Abraham's journey---and through his story we can learn what faith is all about.
INTRO
I DON'T BELIEVE IT...
Show the humorous clip from Father of the Bride, Part 2, where Steve Martin's and
Diane Keaton's characters fi nd out they are going to be middle-aged parents.
Then segue into your game by saying---
When Steve Martin and Diane Keaton find out they're going to be parents, they're surprised because they think they're too old. I'm going to test your expertise in sex education by playing a game. (The 'S' word gets everyone's undivided attention.
Trust me, it works every time.)
COULD IT HAPPEN?
Place these three signs around your room:
COULD DEFINITELY HAPPEN COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN COULD NEVER HAPPEN
Request students to stand up and move their chairs (if they need to) so they can move freely across the room. Ask them to listen as you read aloud the following seven statements. Tell them they must respond by moving to stand by the sign that expresses their opinion about whether the statement could defi nitely happen,
could possibly happen, or could never happen.
Keep your students listening carefully and responding rapidly by reading quickly through the statements.
1. It's possible for a 70-year-old man to have a child. (Be ready for some kids to reply: 'Men don't have children.')
2. It's possible for a 60-year-old woman to have a child.
3. It's possible for an 80-year-old man to have a child with a woman who is 25 years younger than he is.
4. It's possible for a 70-year-old woman to have a child with a man who is
15 years younger than she is.
5. It's possible for a 90-year-old man to have a child.
6. It's possible for a 90-year-old man to have a child with a barren woman.
7. It's possible for a 100-year-old man to have a child with a barren woman who is 10 years younger.
Periodically stop and ask students to explain their responses. (Their answers will let you know what you need to teach in your love, sex, and dating series.)
When you get to statement seven, your kids should all be standing by the COULD
NEVER HAPPEN sign. Tell them that statement describes Abraham and Sarah when they gave birth to Isaac.
Segue into your Bible lesson by saying---
Most of you (with good reason) said there was no chance for that last couple to have a baby. It was hard enough for Steve Martin and Diane Keaton to believe they could have a baby in their 50s! Yet Abraham was 100, Sarah was 90, and they had never been able to have children. But God had promised Abraham that, in spite of his circumstances, he and Sarah would have a son.
YOU'LL NEED
* 3 signs as described
* Could it happen?
statements on this page
Why did God wait so long to fulfi ll his promise? It seems God was as interested in building Abraham's faith as he was in answering his desires. Therefore,
God took Abraham through a series of challenges to build him into a great man of faith. He does the same in our lives, too---if we let him.
As we look at Abraham's journey, think about your own faith journey...and how much you are able to trust God.

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRO WHAT THIS BOOK IS ALL ABOUT, AND HOW TO USE IT 9 SESSION 1 ABRAHAM: BELIEVE IT OR NOT (THE FAITH LESSON) 11 Living by faith is not for wimps. SESSION 2 JACOB: IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT (THE CONTROL LESSON) 19 We all wrestle with the issue of control now and then. SESSION 3 JOSEPH: THE WAITING GAME (THE PERSEVERANCE LESSON) 25 Trials and temptations are meant to make us strong. SESSION 4 MOSES: FROM BENCHWARMER TO FIRST STRING (THE TRUST LESSON) 33 Often God uses the least likely person to do great things. SESSION 5 JOSHUA and CALEB: BUCKING THE MAJORITY (THE CONFIDENCE LESSON) 41 Hero---someone who faces a diffi cult or uncertain situation with strength and confi dence. SESSION 6 RAHAB: FAITH OVERCOMES A FAST PAST (THE ACTION LESSON) 47 What you live is what you believe. Everything else is just talk. SESSION 7 RUTH: KEEPING PROMISES (THE COMMITMENT LESSON) 57 Commitment means more than saying the right words. SESSION 8 DAVID: TRUTH HURTS LESS THAN LIES (THE TRUTH LESSON) 65 Our lies shield us from our true selves. SESSION 9 ESTHER: RIGHT WOMAN, RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME (THE PURPOSE LESSON ) 73 God has created each one of us for a purpose. SESSION 10 JOB: BAD DAYS FOR GOOD PEOPLE (THE SUFFERING LESSON) 79 Suffering may be the condition from which humans benefi t the most. SESSION 11 DANIEL: NO FEAR (THE COURAGE LESSON) 87 Courage grows as it is acted upon. SESSION 12 JONAH: THE LONG WAY HOME (THE OBEDIENCE LESSON) 97 Sometimes we simply say no to God.