Exploring the Bible through History

Exploring the Bible through History is an excellent resource for those teaching young children in the church. I especially like the 10-foot timeline that has illustrations for keeping the interest of those learners who need visual clues. I actually purchased this timeline years ago and can attest to the bright colors and attractive drawings. The layout of the lesson plans in the book is geared to most every child’s learning style.

The lesson plans are easy to follow and adapt to the age of the student and the size of the group. One of my favorite activities is to encourage children to connect with God through prayer. Too often we as teachers will pray but forget to teach children the importance of prayer and constant communication with God. Memory verses can also allow children to hide the Word of God in their hearts. 

After the introduction and presentation of the story, the activity section gives a number of Bible-centric activities from which the teacher can choose. Another favorite is using wads of paper to illustrate the food needed to feed the animals in Noah’s Ark. Children race to pick up the food and deliver it to the pretend animals. I can see where this activity could get the wiggles out of the children after they sat to hear the story. Being an elementary school teacher, I know how important it is to let the children release their natural energy in an acceptable way. There is one activity that I would suggest caution you. It involves soaking paper in a solution and then trying to burn it. Curious young minds may try to duplicate this activity when they go home. Although I would not use this activity, there is an abundance of different activities for use.

The teaching of the Old Testament is divided into Books of the Law and History with miscellaneous books. The New Testament highlights the Gospels and the Letters of the Apostles, History, and Prophecy using the book of Revelation. It was good to see a lesson on Prophecy especially during this time in our history.

At the end of the book, there are reproducible sheets for the child. Also, a printable timeline is available with dates that are in red at the top of the sheets. Students could help color the sheets. When connected sequentially, these can be mounted on the wall for a visual history through the bible. The major events include Creation, Abraham and Issac, Moses and the Exodus, through the notable Old Testaments characters. Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection is illustrated, as well as the disciples, and Paul, ending with John on the Island of Patmos.

Listed below is an outline used for each of the 25 lessons. Also suggested are 5 ways for the children to apply the lesson. This is a well organized and comprehensive book. I was given a PDF file for my honest and fair review.

Introduce it

Tell it

Pray it

Apply it

Show it

Act it out

Play it

Craft it

Snack it

Talk it out

Basic questions

Going further

Wrap it up

Suicide Prevention by June Hunt

I have reviewed many pamphlets written by June Hunt. They are Christ-centered and useful information for a variety of personal and family issues. Through my volunteer Christian ministries, it is imperative to recognize the early stage of Suicide. June Hunt has clearly listed three stages. The Downcast or Early Stage; the Distressed or Advanced Stage; and lastly the Despairing or Danger Stage. As a retired teacher and grandparent, I cannot stress enough the parents and teachers need to be aware of all of these stages. Each time I hear of another teenage suicide, I wonder where we are missing the mark with our children. I believe we can make a difference in the lives of our friends and family if we intervene early enough.  Repeated conflicts in the home and difficulties at school can signal a need for discussion. Just having the listening ear of someone with a compassionate heart can make a difference in the life of a downcast and depressed person.

I like the many scripture verses that the author used in this short but valuable resource. Many of these are my "go-to" verses in my communication with depressed and hurting women. Over half of the women who I minister to through online evangelism listed struggles with depression. Depression is listed in the Distressed Stage. “Trouble and distress have come upon me. ... Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief.”  Quotes from the book of Psalms. I highly recommend this pamphlet as one way to educate others about recognizing stages in Suicide Prevention. I was given this PDF for a fair and honest review by Hendrickson Publishing and Rose Publication.

Rose Guide to the Gospels

As a Bible Study teacher in my women's class and a former teaching director of Community Bible Study, I have actually taught all of the gospels verse by verse, except for Luke. I actually have a book entitled Harmony of the Gospels, which I use in my teaching especially around Easter as I cover the Resurrection. I’m delighted to see Chapter 6 "Evidence of the Resurrection" and Chapter 7 "How We Got the Gospels" included this resource. It makes it convenient to gather all these facts in one place. As an online coach for Christianity Explored, we are working through the Gospel of Mark. I can see myself using this resource quite often to mentor women.


The four Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were writing to different audiences, emphasizing different aspects of Jesus life and ministry.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke are referred to as synoptic gospels. Synoptic means the "same view" or "to see together". These three gospels have different audiences but basically the same viewpoint: Focus on a man who was from God. John’s Gospel views Jesus from the perspective of God becoming a man. The Gospel of John shows Jesus is the eternal, divine, incarnate Word. He came to show the world what God is like. One chart of the four Gospels is color-coded and includes the author, the date written, the primary audience, the focus, the link, the keywords, the unique features, and key verses. This would be a great sheet to duplicate for the class.

Chapter 2 The Life of Jesus, is one of my favorites. The Old Testament gives many scripture verses for the many prophecies about the coming of Jesus, his ministry, and his sacrifice. This is a great tool when sharing with nonbelievers.
There are colorful charts and sidebar notes. Photographs of Jerusalem and paintings by famous masters are sprinkled throughout 160 pages. The miracles of Jesus give biblical references from the different Gospels. The page showing Jesus' mission step-by-step is very useful. Special emphasis is given to Jesus' final week on earth. Three pages share the prophecies and scripture reference in the Old Testament and the New Testament. This is a very good resource for Bible study teachers of the gospels. Colorful map with great details is included.
Chapter 3 Harmony of the Gospels will probably be the most useful chapter. I have a separate book. There are numerous charts about the events in Jesus' three years of ministry. Parables and Miracles list the reference in each of the gospels.

Chapter 4 is the Who’s Who in the gospels listing of 67 characters in alphabetical order beginning with Andrew pg. 74 and ending with Zachariah.pg 93. A brief paragraph in the biblical reference highlights each character.
Chapter 5 Understanding the World of Jesus gives the historical background of the empires, dynasties, and rulers before and during Jesus' time. An additional bonus was the inclusion of the Maccabees. Also included in this chapter mentions the importance of the religious leaders in the world of Jesus, as well as a chart showing the major differences between the Sadducees and the Pharisees.

Ch 6 Evidence of the resurrection shares seven objections nonbelievers have about the resurrection and very thorough answers for each one. There are four theories along with an explanation of why the theories are not true. This chapter includes an extensive page of references. I have several references for this information, but it is nice to have a compact inclusive resource.
Ch 7 How We Got the Gospels was very informative and detailed. It is very detailed and discusses oral traditions, and testimonies; scrolls and original manuscripts. This chapter covers the canonization of the gospels. Most impressive are five pages of references. The details in this chapter are concise and I appreciate not having to dig through my other resources for this info. This will definitely be one of my favorite resources. The pdf allows me ready access using the search and find features on my computer.
Hendrickson Publishing and Rose publication provided a pdf file of this resource for a fair and honest review.side by side charts and overview.

Conquering Fear: 52-Week Devotional

Conquering Fear: 52-Week Devotional This 320-page book covers 52 Weeks of devotions for youth ten to twelve. The Super Hero theme will be entertaining for students with speech bubbles and cartoon words bubbles. Each week provides an short story that illustrates a possible event or crisis typical in the life of a modern youth. At the bottom of this page is a "Fear Buster" that shares a biblical truth that will encourage students and can easily be understood. A short scripture accompanied by a biblical scene taken from Jesus' life on earth is followed by a "Prayer Prompt," suggesting how a student could pray in a given situation. There is often a place to write their thoughts or a place to illustate scenes. Acostic puzzles, Word Finds, mazes, and matching games liven up the devotion while teaching Biblical principals. One activity I really enjoyed was the garbage can illustrating the scripture in Ephesians 4:22-23. Discussing cleaning up their room and deciding what needs to go in the trash. The page ask readers to choose from the word bank habits or attitudes they need to get rid of in their life.

 

My grandson just turned 12 and he is in his second year of middle school. The text of the stories and writing assignments are appropriate for ages 10-12. However some of the activities seem kind of young for middle schoolers. The photos of the children on the pages seem way younger then the targeted age. If I had a suggestion for improvement, it would be to use preteens in the photos. Not many middle school kids wear superhero capes.

This pdf was given to me for a review of the material by Hendrickson Publishers and Rose Publishing.

"J's Diner" is a seven-week study of Psalm 23. lower elementary

"J's Diner" is a seven-week study of Psalm 23 for lower elementary children. J’s Diner is a flashback to the 1950 diners. The theme has an eye-catching black and white checked border, with red, green, and yellow banners and signs. It is attractive and makes me want to pick it up and read the lessons. Using the 23rd Psalm is powerful and familiar. It was one of my first and favorite passages of scripture.
This 112-page leaders guide will help keep your children in Sunday school and Bible school actively engaged while teaching the Bible passage for scriptural knowledge and real-life impact.
I like that the crafts are included in the lessons where they make sense and can be helpful to children as they learn. Psalm 23 is the focus of the lessons. The first verse “the Lord is my shepherd” is coupled with John 10. Games repeat the theme of the good shepherd taking care of the sheep.
In the resources section, there are seven reproducible placemats to be printed in grayscale. Decorated in the diner’s theme they use word games and puzzles for children to color and learn. These include a Word-find, Fill-in-the-Blank for Psalm 23, TicTacToe, Connect the Dots and several others. This is activity quick and easy to prepare and keeps the children focused and engaged.
Cute 8 x 11 colorful posters use the phrases from the 23rd Psalm. Examples are: The Lord is my shepherd with the yield sign; the Lord is my provider with a rest area sign.
I would recommend this leaders guide for Sunday school teachers for meaningful and easy lessons. This resource was given to me by Hendrickson Rose publishing company for a fair review.

"J's Diner" is a seven-week study of Psalm 23.

"J's Diner" is a seven-week study of Psalm 23. It is part of the 28nineteen p. This upper elementary leaders' guide is beautifully crafted with a black and white checkered border. Bright red, yellow, and green is an attractive color scheme that is pleasing to the eye. The resource displays the directions in an easy to read format. J's Diner includes "Today's Special" which would be the memory verse and "The Pantry," which supplies large and small group activities. The Leader's Devotion is insightful and gives you wonderful prayer prompts.
In the past, I have been subjected to small print and difficult to follow directions. But this instructional guide makes you want to pick it up and read it. Each page and each section is highlighted by a bright colored banner.
Every activity has a specific purpose and connects to the Bible lesson and the main point for the day. Psalm 23 is broken down into easy to memorize sections. Small Group activities ask questions to break the ice and introduce the topic.
The main reason I like this resource as it talks about the Bible being the best part. In the "What did God say?" section, the memory verse is only one verse or passage during each day's session.
The Bible lesson is introduced, then the children actually read the Bible. The text is from Psalm 23. With each lesson, the gospel is presented in a clear and age-appropriate method. The lessons end with an application of how the children can focus on Jesus in their daily lives.
Large group activity includes materials and directions for games prepared especially to integrate the theme of the memory verse. "The Lord is my shepherd" uses sheep in the game.
The reproducible pages are a plus. They are attractive and allow the children to have a bookmark size instructions for the activities.
As an elementary school teacher, I would say these lessons are fun and easy to plan. Psalm 23 is one of my first and favorite scriptures as a child. I agree that these lessons are scripturally sound. They are also adaptable to small churches such as where I attend.
I received this PDF in exchange for a review of the material the Hendrickson Rose publishing company

The Chronology of Israel's Kings and Prophets

This pamphlet "The Chronology of Israel's Kings and Prophets" is a must for anyone studying the Old Testament. As a student of the Bible, the New Testament was always easier for me. First and Second Kings and First and Second Chronicles seemed repetitive and confusing. The Old Testament books labeled the Major and Minor Prophets took more historical training. When I studied the Divided Kingdom, I was a novice and struggled to line up the prophets and the kings with the Upper and Lower Kingdom. The fact that different prophets could serve different kings during the same time period was the key to make a timeline. As a participant in Community Bible Study, I enjoyed entering pertinent facts on a table or chart. Trying to make create my own chart was time-consuming and tedious. When I became a bible study teacher, I searched for a resource to share with others. Hendrickson Publishers and Rose Publishing have the perfect tool: "The Chronology of Israel's Kings and Prophets." The facts are organized in a clear and concise manner throughout this pamphlet using a color. Starting with the book of First Samuel the people demanded a king. Saul and David were anointed by Samuel, chosen by God. Prophets names are written in red. The key events for the King and Prophets are listed in the table with the chapter of the book included. The reign of King Saul is noted with a yellow stripe running vertically on the chart. The reign of King David is shown with the dark green band and King Solomon is denoted with the lighter green band. After the death of Solomon, the kingdom was divided, his descendants ruling Judah in the south and other kings ruling Israel in the North. The color key for the Divided Kingdom: PROPHETS are in red; KINGS OF ISRAEL (Northern Kingdom) are in gold; KINGS OF JUDAH (Southern Kingdom) are in blue. Key events are listed by chapter (CH). The boxes sprinkled throughout the pamphlet contain relevant information about the kings and prophets. It was a privilege to review this resource from Hendrickson Publishers and Rose Publishing. I received this PDF for a fair review.