Do any of you remember the theme song from the children's show that starts out, "Do you know what's in the Bible?" That little ditty has been playing on a loop in my head ever since we began reviewing Books of the Bible At a Glance from Teach Sunday School . So, do you know what's in the Bible? Or does the thought of trying to begin a study on your own intimidate you? If you find yourself in the latter category, then you will really find this resource helpful.
Basically, these are "cheat sheets" for each of the sixty six books in the Bible. This is not a study unto itself, rather, each sheet is a one page synopsis of the book, providing all of the pertinent information, including the following:
* New Testament or Old Testament
* Author
* Main Ideas
* Who is the audience?
* Why was it written?
* Key verses
*Other important points
How you choose to implement these pages is completely up to you. As I sit here and consider the possibilities, there are numerous ways to use them, whether for individual study, or as a tool in preparing lessons for a group. The information is helpful as you plan for any age group, really. Speaking for myself, when I am about to read a book from Scripture, I like to refresh my memory with all of the background information, in order to keep everything within the correct context. This is also valuable for my teenagers, as they learn to navigate the Bible on their own. I can have them read these information pages, providing them with a foundation, so they get the general idea of what's going on before they begin to read. Furthermore, the key verses that each sheet provides, are good ones to have my daughters memorize, as well as practice copy work. Up until recently, our family has been, for the most part, using more formal studies and curriculum for Bible time. I like these Books of the Bible At a Glance to wean them off of those books a bit, in order to teach them how to study for themselves. Not that there is anything wrong with the other types of studies. I love them and use them. I think we would all agree though, that at some point, we need to know how to study the Bible on its own.
I have the opportunity to teach Sunday School once a month at our local church. They are a mix of preschool and elementary children, and this is another setting where these sheets are useful. While most kids are not necessarily interested in the deeper theological aspects of a lesson, it still helps me to have background information as I plan my lessons. Likewise, if you're planning for an older class, the details included make for a more lively study and discussion. See? They are useful for all ages.
For the purpose of this review, I printed off all of the sheets, and put the in a binder for our use. As we have read the Bible for our quiet time, we used them to get an overview before reading a particular book. As I mentioned, I like these for my teens, as they learn to navigate the Scriptures on their own. Our binder will continue to stay out in a prominent place for our own use, as well as for help in planning church lessons.
One more thing that I want to share with you is the fantastic resources that are available at the Teach Sunday School website. There are a variety of activities, lesson plans, crafts, seasonal ideas, printables, and even Christian skits for you to try. There are also tools for parenting, handouts, ideas for service projects, and more that I haven't listed. If your curiosity has been piqued, go visit their site, and take a look!
No comments:
Post a Comment