God's Word IS living and powerful!

Each Wednesday, it's such a delight to see kids trooping into the fellowship hall at church for a couple of hours. Our little group of two or three has grown to seven and then nine and hopefully more in the days ahead. What a blessing and encouragement that has been to Errin and I each week.

Since my sisters had been home over the weekend, I taught my quilt class in Dodge on Monday and ended up battling my machine again on Tuesday, I did not feel nearly as prepared to teach Wednesday afternoon as I normally am. That morning I quickly read over the story of Joseph, figuring out how I was going to weave in the theme of forgiveness before packing up my supplies for the afternoon and driving to the church.

After getting off to a late start, we had our snacks and I breathed a quick prayer asking the Lord to help me think and bring out the points I wanted to as I was teaching. I should realize by now that even when I'm the least prepared, God still uses what I say and works through me to reach the hearts of the kids listening. Two important things stood out as I was teaching that thrilled my heart! Here are some bits and pieces from the lesson of Joseph.

In my usual animated voice story-telling way, I started to talk about Joseph and that he had 11 brothers and was his father's favorite. But how his brothers hated him and were jealous of the beautiful coat of many colors that Jacob, their father, had given exclusively to Joseph.

As Joseph traveled to check on his brothers as per his father's request, his brothers saw him afar off and whispered among themselves trying to decide what to do about this brother that they hated. They decided that as soon as he arrived they would throw Joseph into a large pit in the ground so he could not get out and then take his coat of many colors, tear it and spread blood on it from an animal they killed.

At this point, I totally have their attention. I see all these pairs of eyes looking up at me and as I am talking about ripping Joseph's coat and the brother's telling their father of the "fate" of Joseph that they made up, Felicity (in kindergarten) all of a sudden puts her hands over her mouth and says, "Ohhh, that's lying."

To which I respond, "Yes, it is. And is that right or wrong? What is lying?" I still have that mental image in my head - she fully understood what they were doing and that is was wrong. Adorable and yet paying attention to what I was saying!

I finished teaching the story, ending where Joseph's brothers go to Egypt because of the famine and how Joseph forgave his brothers for what they had done to him many years before. And then Alex raises her hand and asks in a voice of awe, "How do you know all these stories?"

To which I said, "These are not just pretend stories, they are true. They really happened and they come from the Bible. Remember how we talked about that God's Word is true and that's how God teaches us and shows us what is right and wrong? Well, the story I just told you is in the Bible, every bit of it."

I turned my Bible to the book of Genesis, laid it in the middle of the table and showed them where the author talks about Joseph and the coat his father gave him. I started picking out verses and reading bits and pieces from the story such as Joseph's dreams he had and that he was sold as a slave to Egypt, going over again what I had previously told them.

Then in my scheduled mind, I am thinking we need to move on, so I started closing my Bible and Alex stops me and says, "No, keep reading. Read this part." They were excited about reading directly from God's Word! Their intent faces and interest was totally centered on listening to God's Word!

I usually have them look up a couple verses in the Bible and read them during the course of what I'm teaching, but just verbally tell them the story. But seeing their interest in actually reading the story and what happened from God's Word was such a thrill, I may have to do that again.

Is the Word of God living and powerful as stated in Hebrews? No doubt about it!

Hunched over the table, reading from God's Word.

See their interest?! So exciting and thrilling!
I love Alex's face in this one!