Lesson - Holding Fast The Faithful Word

VERSES:   Titus 1: 4-13

MEMORY VERSE:   Titus 1:9  "Holding fast the faithful word..."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Colossians.  Write "Colossians" on small strips of paper and hand out to the students to take home and memorize that particular book.  We should all strive to hide God's Word in our hearts, meditating on it throughout the day. What will help us? Knowing where the books of the Bible are located inside the book.  By encouraging students to memorize the order of the books of the Bible, it can only help knowing where to find God's precious commandments and words of comfort so we can read it for ourselves.

PRAYER:  May the Lord's church be filled with Christians who are strong in the faith and are able to hold fast to God's Word.

SPECIAL SONG:   Read, Read Every Day (see February 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #1 on this blog. If you click on the orange icon by the song, you will hear the tune.)  

VISUAL AID:   Draw a picture of a hand holding on tightly to a rope.  Write "Holding Fast" on the board and "Titus 1:9."

LESSON POINTS:

• When we find something of great value, we want to keep it forever and never let it go.  Even if that something is not valuable, but it is something that we treasure and it means something to only us, we still want to keep it for a long, long time.  That same feeling should be how we feel about the Bible.  The Bible, which is God's Word, should be our most precious possession.  Not our car, or home, or trophy, Grandma's quilt, a diamond ring, or all the money in the bank is more valuable than the words that are written in the Bible.  The Bible contains words from the most high God, the one who created the world and all that is in it.  The Bible tells us what pleases God and how we should live our life in order to please Him.  The Bible gives us example after example of how others in the Bible lived their lives and if they pleased God or not.  The Bible, God's Word was and is the standard for living the right way.
• God tells us that we should "hold fast" to His Word.  An example of holding fast to something is like you are drowning in the ocean in the middle of a raging storm and somehow someone throws you a rope! How tightly would you hold on to that rope?  If you let go, you would drown, but if you held on as tightly as you could all the way to the end where you could be saved from the ocean and the storm, you would live!  How long would you try to hold on to that rope?  For as long as you possibly could! That's what holding fast means.  Holding on with all of your might for as long as possible! That is what we should do with the Bible, knowing that it is through God's Word we are saved if we hold on long enough.  
• Did you know that we should desire or want the Bible more than anything in the whole world? God says in the book of Psalms, in the 19th chapter and in verse 10 that the words of God should be desired more than very fine gold!  It also says in that same verse that God's words are sweeter than honey and the honeycomb!  Who likes something sweet? We all do, don't we? A little honey is so good and sweet!  That's how God's Word is--it makes life better! 

"Older Student" Tips:

• Read 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.  Ask "What is God's Word good for?"  Read this verse again, writing the answers on the board. (Profitable means "good for.")  Doctrine, reproof, correction, for instruction in righteousness. "Why?"  So that the man following God should be perfect.
• Owning the Bible is not all that is required of God's people.  They must read (Isaiah 34:16) , study (2 Timothy 2:15) and obey (Acts 5:29).

ACTIVITY:   
Materials Needed: 9" x 12" light blue paper, 3" x 9" dark blue paper, 4" x  6" brown paper,   1" x 7" white paper, glue, scissors, pencil, crayons.

1. Hand out brown paper.
2. Each student clenches his/her own fist and places thumb-side down on paper.
3. With pencil, trace fist onto brown paper with the other hand (or if Bible teacher chooses, students may pair up to help each other).
4. Cut out fist.
5. Draw lines for fingers.
6. Cut a small line between thumb and index finger.
7. Set aside.
8. Hand out dark blue paper.
9. Slightly tear one long edge of dark blue paper.This will look like waves in the ocean.
10. Set aside.
11. Hand out white paper.
12. Draw a long rope, using most of the white paper.
13. Cut out rope. (May cut one end like the end of a rope, if desired.  See picture above.)
14. Write "Faithful Word" on the top of the rope.
15. Set aside.
16. Hand out light blue paper.
17. Glue "rope" in the middle of the paper, only putting glue on the top of the rope..
18. Towards the bottom middle of the light blue paper, glue hand, touching the rope like it is holding on to the rope with end of the white rope between the thumb and the index finger.
19. Glue dark blue paper to the bottom of the light blue paper.
20. Add "waves" in water with crayon.
21. At the top of the light blue paper, write "Holding Fast the Faithful Word" and "Titus 1:9."

Lesson - Why We Must Preach The Word

VERSES:   2 Timothy 4:1-4

MEMORY VERSE:   2 Timothy 4:2.  "Preach the word..."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Philippians.  Write 'Philippians' on small strips of paper and hand out to the students to take home and memorize that particular book.  We should all strive to hide God's Word in our hearts, meditating on it throughout the day. What will help us? Knowing where the books of the Bible are located inside the book.  By encouraging students to memorize the order of the books of the Bible, it can only help knowing where to find God's precious commandments and words of comfort so we can read it for ourselves.

PRAYER:  May we treasure each and every verse of the Bible, knowing we gain guidance and comfort through His Word.  Let us never be afraid to proclaim God's Truth to our friends and neighbors.  

SPECIAL SONG:   Acts 8:4 (see June 2015 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #7 on this blog. If you click on the orange icon by the song, you will hear the tune.)  

VISUAL AID:   Write "2 Timothy 4:2 - "Preach the Word..." on the white board or chalk board.

LESSON POINTS:

• God has given us a precious book that contains everything He wants us to know and what we should do to please Him.  This book also tells us how to get to heaven, the difference in right and wrong, how to be obedient to God, how to live a peaceful life, and how to help others.  This book is called the Bible. It is a book containing 66 smaller books that are filled with lessons starting from the beginning of creation. It also tells us what we should do with this book called the Bible.  When we turn to the New Testament pages of Second Timothy and look in the fourth chapter and second verse, we find what we should do with this book.  What does it say?  "Preach the Word..."  With boldness and confidence, the Bible student should share what he/she has learned from the scriptures, no matter how trivial it may seem.  
• 2 Timothy 4:2 also says that we should be ready and prepared to preach the Word when it is popular or unpopular.  We need the Bible to correct, admonish and even scold those who should know what pleases God, but are not doing those pleasing things.  We should also build up or exhort others by preaching God's Word.
• Why should God's Word be preached? Because there will be a time when people will not listen to the Bible. They will find men who only preach what they want to hear and not necessarily what God wants them to hear and do.  2 Timothy 4:3 and 4 says they want to have their ears itched with words they want to hear and then they will turn away from God's Word to hear fables or stories. How sad not to read and listen to God's Word, but only want to hear funny or silly stories and ignore God! How that must make God sad and angry! We should learn to read, learn to read well, know what God wants us to do, and teach others what we have learned. The Lord needs many gospel preachers to preach and teach His Word!

"Older Student" Tips:

• Read Psalm 19:7-10 aloud and write on the board descriptions of God's Word.
• How do we know what He wants us to do and how to do it? We must not only read the Bible, but diligently study the Bible! (2 Timothy 2:15).
• In 2 Timothy 4:1-4, there are four steps to apostasy or falling away from the Truth.  Can the students list them? (Not endure sound doctrine, have teachers teach their itching ears, turn away from the Truth, turn to fables.)

ACTIVITY:   
Materials Needed:  9"x 12" any color piece of construction paper, 3" x 5" light brown paper, 4" x 4" red paper, 4" x 6" blue paper, 4" x 6" green paper, 3" x 4" yellow paper, 2" x 4" tan paper, 2" x 3" black paper, stapler and staples, crayons, scissors.

1. Pass out large any color paper to each student. (I chose brown.)
2. Fold edge of paper one-third of the way up.
3. Staple side edges of paper to form a pocket.  (This is where the objects for the lesson will be kept.)
4. Write "WHY WE MUST PREACH THE WORD" and "2 Timothy 4:1-4" at the top of the pocket.
5. Set aside.
6. Hand out blue paper.
7. Write "THERE WILL BE A TIME WHEN PEOPLE WILL NOT LISTEN TO GOD'S WORD."
8. Put inside pocket.
9. Hand out light brown paper.
10. Draw a person from the side view (see picture above.)
11. Cut out person.
12. Draw lines for his/her clothing, hair, eye, smile.
13. Turn person over.
14. Draw lines for his/her clothing, hair, eye, frown, and not smiling.
15. Put inside pocket.
16. Hand out small tan paper.
17. Draw an ear on the tan paper.
18. Cut out out ear.
19. Write "ITCHING EARS" on ear.
20. Put inside pocket.
21. Hand out black paper.
22. Write "BIBLE" on one side of paper.
23. May round two corners if desired, to look like more like book.
24. Put inside pocket.
25. Hand out red paper.
26. Draw a VERY large "X" in the middle, using up most of the paper.
27. Cut out 'X."
28. Put inside pocket.
29. Hand out yellow paper.
30. Write "MOTHER GOOSE" on one side of yellow paper. (This a book of Mother Goose fables or nursery rhymes.)
31. If there is room, draw a goose on the yellow paper under the words "MOTHER GOOSE."
32. Put inside pocket.
33. Hand out green paper.
34. Write "WE MUST PREACH GOD'S WORD!" on the green paper.
35. Place blue paper, person, ear, Bible, red X, Mother Goose book, and green paper  inside the large pocket.
36. Clean up.
37. As a whole group, everyone takes their objects out of their paper pockets and lays them on the table in front of them, telling the story as a group. (Numbers may be written on the backs of each object except the person to help in remembering the  sequencing.) For example:  
1. (Bible is placed in front of the student.) "Why must we preach what God tells us in the Bible?"
   
2. (Place blue paper on table.) "God says there will be a time come when people will not listen to God's Word." 
   
3. (Place ear on the table.) "God says they will find teachers who will preach what the people want to hear because they have itching ears." 
   
4. (Place red 'X' on Bible and the frowning person walking away from the Bible.) "God says they will  turn away from the Truth."
   
5. (Place Mother Goose book on table and the happy person looking at the Mother Goose book.)  "God says they will turn to fables."
   
6. (Place green paper on table.)  "God says, 'We must preach His Word!"
   
7. Place all objects back in pocket.  If time permits, tell the story as a group again until runs out.
38. The Bible teacher should practice these four steps to apostasy or the falling away from the Truth until it is fluent.