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KIDS TALK: AND CAN IT BE

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Hymn of the Month – And can it be

Powerpoint Pictures: Pictures/Video of famous rescues (e.g. Chilean Miners; Jessica McClure; Miracle on the Hudson

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History is full of some incredible rescues.

You may have heard about some of them.

Do you remember those Chilean miners who were trapped underground for 68 days before they were rescued?

May you know the story of an 18-month-old girl called Jessica McClure who fell into an abandoned well and spent 58 hours at the bottom before she was rescued?

Or the time when an aeroplane after taking off in New York hit a flock of Canadian geese damaging the plane and forcing the pilot to crash land into the Hudson River where the passengers were rescued?

How do you think the miners and their families, the little girl and her parents, the passengers and their relatives felt after they were rescued?

It may be hard for them to put it into words.

Now each of us who trust in Jesus have been rescued. We have been saved from sin and death and hell because Christ died for us. And it can be hard to put it to words how it feels that “The Son of God, loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20).

Which is why it is great that there are some hymns and songs they give us words we can use to express this, and our hymn of the month for this month is one that does this.

The hymn is And can it be? which was written by Charles Wesley most likely a couple of days after his conversion and expresses the amazement that he had been saved by Jesus.

Here’s how the hymn begins. 

And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Saviour’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me? 

When we sing these words, we are expressing how amazed we are that God would love us so much that His Son would die for us – because it our sin that caused Him to die.

The next verse describes how incredible what God has done is.  How the One who is God’s Son, who is immortal, dies.  There’s so much we can’t understand, but that doesn’t stop us from adoring God for His mercy. 

’Tis mystery all! The Immortal dies!
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love Divine!
’Tis mercy all! let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.

In verse 3 we get an explanation of how God has rescued us. First, the Son of God left heaven, humbling Himself by taking on flesh, and becoming a man, so He could die for us, and God’s mercy could find us.

He left His Father’s throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace;
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free;
For, O my God, it found out me.

Then in verse 4 we now get words to express what it feels like when God’s mercy finds us.

Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee. 

We were dead in our transgressions and sins.  We were slaves to sin and Satan.  But God has made us alive, freeing us from Satan’s grip and sins power so we are able to believe in Jesus and follow Him.

We now no longer need to fear the future.  One day we will be with God forever. 

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness Divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

So, And can it be? is our hymn of the month.  Here are words we can use to express how it feels to be saved by God.  Let’s do that now.

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More talks from The Hymn of the Month series can be found HERE.

(Photo: Aaron Burden)

KIDS TALK: LUKE

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The Big Read – Luke

Powerpoint Pictures: Homeless person; Sick person; Prisoner; Group of Women; Group of Children; Jewish man; Sikh woman

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How would you describe the following people? [Poor/Homeless; Sick; Prisoner; Women; Children; Jews; Sikhs]

In Luke’s Gospel people play a big part in the story.

In fact, Luke is interested in all sorts of people.

The reason Luke is interested in all sorts of people is because he has good news for them.

This good news is announced right at the start of his book as he records a message an angel spoke to a group of shepherds the night of Jesus’ birth.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you, he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)

That’s the big message the whole of Luke’s gospel is about – that Jesus is the Saviour of the World.

Jesus has come to rescue people of all ages, of all backgrounds, of all nationalities who are lost because of their sins and He does this by dying in the place of sinners.

Luke sums all this up later in his book when he records some words that Jesus said: “For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.”

Jesus came to rescue lost people and He will rescue you if you ask Him to.

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More talks from The Big Read for Kids can be found HERE.

(Photo: Freely)

KIDS TALK: BIG QUESTION #23

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This is part of a series of kids talks I’m doing in the morning service at Banstead Community Church based on the New City Catechism.

Big Question #23 – What happens after death to those not united to Christ by faith? [NCC Q28]

Powerpoint Pictures: Beautiful Person; Top Footballer; Instagram Follower Count; Clever Person; Top Singer; Shaking Hands

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If you hear the following words, what comes to mind?

Ball [Football, Tennis, Basketball, Kick, Throw].

Juice [Orange, Apple, Drink, Healthy, Breakfast].

Mr [Bean, Blobby, Men, T].

Hell [Fire, Darkness, Bad people, Scary, Nether in Mindcraft].

Hell is what we are going to be thinking about in our next Big Question.

This isn’t a nice subject.  It can be difficult to hear about.

But it is real and it is important to know what the Bible says about hell because if we have been saved by Jesus, we need to know what we have been saved from.

Let’s look at our next Big Question now.

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Q: What happens after death to those not united to Christ by faith?

There’s a famous verse in the Bible, we’re probably familiar with.

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

This verse tells us that: God loves the world; God gave His Son Jesus to die on the cross; God gives eternal life to everyone who believes in Him.

There’s one more thing it says.

In that verse there is an important word we must not miss.  Perish.  Those who don’t believe in Jesus will perish.  What does that mean?

It means they won’t go to heaven.  They won’t enjoy God’s blessings.  They will be punished for their sins.  This is how the answer to our Big Question puts it.

A: They will be cast out from the presence of God, into hell, to be justly punished, forever.

We can’t really imagine what that’s like, but what we do know, is that it is the worst thing that could ever happen to someone, which is why God sent Jesus.  He doesn’t want anyone to perish.  He wants us to trust in Him and be saved.

To help us remember why it is so important that we trust in Jesus and keep trusting in Him, let’s say the question and answer out loud together.

What happens after death to those not united to Christ by faith?  They will be cast out from the presence of God, into hell, to be justly punished, forever.

Children when you go out to Sunday School you’re going to learn a song that will help you to remember this.

KIDS TALK: CORRIE TEN BOOM

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Superheroes of the Faith – Corrie ten Boom

Powerpoint Pictures: Hiding place from ten Boom house

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98… 99… 100. [Uncover eyes]. Ready or not.  Here I come.

Do you like playing hide and seek?  It’s a great game isn’t it?  Lots of fun.

Do you have really good hiding place in your house? One which no-one knows about. One where the person you are playing with would never think to look.

I want to tell you this morning about a family that had a really good hiding place in their house. Not for playing the game hide and seek, but to keep people who were in danger safe.

This house in the Netherlands belonged to the ten Boom family.  The ten Boom family loved God and were followers of His Son Jesus.  And in the bedroom of Corrie, the youngest daughter of Casper ten Boom, who made and repaired watches was a very special hiding place.

During World War II, the Nazi wanted to kill those who were disabled or were Jews. One day, Corrie prayed, “Precious Jesus, isn’t there anything I can do for these poor people?” Well, the family decided that one thing they could do was hide people to keep them safe, in Corrie’s very special hiding place.

And for a number of years it worked. The ten Boom’s were able to feed, hide, and help lots of Jewish people escape.

But one day, someone who lived near them, told the police what they were doing, and soldier came and put the whole family in prison for hiding Jews.

Corrie and her sister Betsie ended up in a concentration camp, a type of prison in Germany. This wasn’t a nice place. They were treated very badly by the prison guards.

Betsie told Corrie that they didn’t need to be afraid because Jesus was with them. She said, “There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.” Even in the worse situations God can help so they need to keep trusting Him. She also wanted Corrie to learn to forgive people who treat her badly like her Saviour Jesus did.

Betsie sadly died in prison, but Corrie was eventually released and spent the rest of her life telling people about how Jesus was with her in prison and spread a message of forgiveness and love and salvation through Jesus Christ. She even had the opportunity to forgive some of the guards of the prison who had treated her so badly.

Even though there are lots of things we might be afraid of, we don’t need to be, because Jesus is with us. He says to us, “Do not fear; for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

Corrie ten Boom is a great example to us of someone who learnt that she did not to be afraid because Jesus was with her, and she reminds us that we don’t need to be either. We can trust Jesus to be with us too, if like Corrie, we are one of His followers because there is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.

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This talk was adapted from Everyone a Child Should Know by Clare Heath-Whyte.

More talks about Superheroes of the Faith can be found HERE.

TALES THAT TELL THE TRUTH VIDEOS FOR TODDLERS

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In place of our parent and toddler group at Banstead Community Church, we’ve been putting online Bible story videos.  In the first season we used the Very Best Bible Stories series of books from The Good Book Company.  We’ve just done another 8 videos using the Tales that Tell the Truth series of books.

Jesus in the Lions Den

The Storm that Stopped

Jesus and the Very Big Surprise

The One O’Clock Miracle

The Friend who Forgives

Wherever You Go, I Want You To Know…

Goodbye to Goodbyes

The Prisoners, The Earthquake, and the Midnight Song

KIDS TALK: BIG QUESTION #22

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This is part of a series of kids talks I’m doing in the morning service at Banstead Community Church based on the New City Catechism.

Big Question #22 – Are all people, just as they were lost through Adam, saved through Christ? [NCC Q27]

Powerpoint Pictures: Beautiful Person; Top Footballer; Instagram Follower Count; Clever Person; Top Singer; Shaking Hands

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Who would you choose to do the following things?

Model a new item of clothing? [Someone beautiful].

Play for your team at football? [Someone who is brilliant at football].

Promote something you want people to buy? [Someone who is famous and has lots of followers].

Advise the Prime Minister? [An expert – someone clever].

Sing the national anthem for the Queen? [Someone with a good voice].

Look after something precious? [Someone who is trustworthy].

Generally, people are chosen because of their ability, intelligence, beauty, fame, or goodness.

However, there is someone who does not choose like that.  God.

In an earlier big question, we saw that because of the disobedience of Adam, we are all born in sin and guilt and therefore deserve God’s punishment, which is why we need a redeemer, Jesus, to bring us back to God.

But does Jesus redeem everyone?  Does Jesus bring everyone back to God?  Everybody needs to be saved, but does Jesus save everybody?

That’s what our next Big Question asks.

Let’s look at it now.

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Q: Are all people, just as they were lost through Adam, saved through Christ?

Well, what the Bible teaches is that God choose those He will save and those He has chosen will trust in Jesus and be saved.

“For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.” (Ephesians 1:4)

Who does God choose to be saved?  Those who clever or famous or beautiful or good?

Here’s the incredible thing – God made His choice before anyone was born – in fact, before the world was made.  This means that His choice had nothing to do with how good or clever you are.  It is because God is good and kind.  He didn’t have to choose anybody, but He does.

And if you trust in Jesus to be saved, you can know that He has chosen you.

So, what’s the answer to our Big Question?

A: No, only those who are elected by God and united to Christ by faith.

To help us remember that, let’s say the question and answer out loud together.

Are all people, just as they were lost through Adam, saved through Christ?  No, only those who are elected by God and united to Christ by faith.

Children when you go out to Sunday School you’re going to learn a song that will help you to remember this.

KIDS TALK: ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS’ NAME

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Hymn of the Month – All hail the power of Jesus’ Name

Powerpoint Pictures: Video of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

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Watch the following video.  It is of something that happened before I was born.  In fact, it actually happened over 67 years ago.

It was a really important event in the history of this country.

What is happening in the video?

It is the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.  Her father, King George VI had died and Elizabeth became queen, and this is moment that formally marked that occasion.

And because she is queen, we are to respond to her in certain ways.  We are to address her as, “Your majesty”.  Men are to give her a neck bow and women a small curtsy.

Now as impressive as the Queen’s coronation was, it simply doesn’t compare to another coronation that has taken place.

The most impressive, glorious, majestic one of all.

The coronation of King Jesus when he sat down on the throne in heaven.

When did this happen?

“After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Hebrews 1:3)

This coronation took place after Jesus took on flesh, lived a perfect sinless life, died on the cross to save people from their sins, and rose again defeating death and opening up the way for people to live with Him in heaven.

After Jesus did that, He ascended into heaven and there he now reigns as King of kings.

And because he is king, we are respond to him by calling him King and praising Him with our lives and our lives.

Our ‘Hymn of the Month’ is one that reminds us that Jesus is the King and the right way to respond to him is say that He is our King by what we say and do.

The hymn goes like this.

All hail the power of Jesus’ name!
Let angels prostrate fall.
Bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown Him Lord of all.

This first verse tells us we are to acknowledge, like the angels of heaven, that Jesus has all authority, by saying Jesus, you are the King.

And we are to especially to do that because by His death, He saved us from our sins.

O seed of Israel’s chosen race
now ransomed from the fall,
hail Him who saves you by his grace,
and crown Him Lord of all.

But we’re not the only ones who are to acknowledge that Jesus is King.  Everyone in the world who has heard Jesus call them to come to Him and be saved, are to do that by following Him.

Let every tongue and every tribe
responsive to His call,
to him all majesty ascribe,
and crown Him Lord of all.

The hymn then closes by looking forward to the day when we will join with every follower of Jesus, every member of God’s family, everyone who has been saved, in singing a song that goes on for ever giving praise and honour and glory and power to King Jesus.

Oh, that with all the sacred throng
we at His feet may fall!
We’ll join the everlasting song
and crown Him Lord of all.

Every time we time gather as a church, it is a tiny reminder of what is coming for us who trust in Jesus and who can truly say we are crowning him Lord of all.

So, All hail the power of Jesus’ Name is our hymn of the month. Let’s use this song now to remind us of who Jesus is and how we are to respond to Him.

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More talks from The Hymn of the Month series can be found HERE.

(Photo: Aaron Burden)

KIDS TALK: MARK

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The Big Read – Mark

Powerpoint Pictures: Poor person; Messy person; Sprinter like Usain Bolt; Tall Person; Someone standing in first position

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What is the opposite of rich? [Poor] 

What is the opposite of messy? [Neat]

What is the opposite of fast? [Slow]

What is the opposite of tall? [Short]

What is the opposite of winner? [Loser]. 

Mark’s Gospel is the shortest of the four Gospels, the four books of the Bible that tell us about Jesus’ life on this earth.  As well as being the shortest of the four Gospels, it is also the easiest to understand because it mainly answers two big and important questions: ‘Who is Jesus?’ and ‘Why did Jesus come?’

The answer Mark gives to the first question, ‘Who is Jesus?’ is a surprising answer, because Mark says that Jesus is both a winner and a loser.

Mark says that Jesus is both the Son of Man and the Suffering Servant, two figures that appear in the Old Testament.

The Son of Man is an image of a winner – He is one who is given the authority to rule as King forever.

The suffering servant is an image of a loser – He is one who suffers and is put to death.

How can Jesus be both a winner and a loser?  It doesn’t appear to make sense.  But Mark says that it does when you look at the answer to the second question of ‘Why did Jesus come?’

In Mark 10:45 Jesus tells us why He came.  “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mark says that the reason Jesus is both a winner and a loser is because the only way for Jesus to win is by losing first.  It is because Jesus dies, because Jesus is defeated that He wins, that He saves the lives of many people that He then rules over.

And you can be one of the many people that Jesus saves if you repent of your sins and believe this good news about Him.

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More talks from The Big Read for Kids can be found HERE.

(Photo: Freely)

KIDS TALK: THOMAS BARNARDO

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Superheroes of the Faith – Thomas Barnardo

Powerpoint Pictures: Bedroom; Bunk Beds; Bed; Toys

What is your bedroom like?  Is it your own bedroom or do you share it with your brother or sister?

What is your bed like?  Is it comfy?  Is it a good bed to bounce up and down on?  Does your mum or dad tell you off if you do?

What else do you have in your bedroom?  Do you have lots of toys to play with?  Do you enjoy spending time in your room, chilling out, reading a book, playing games?

Well, 150 years ago, in London, at the time when Queen Victoria was on the throne, there were lots of children who didn’t have a bedroom.

Not a bedroom of their own.  Not even a bedroom to share with someone else.  They didn’t have any toys or fun stuff to play with.  Nor did they have bed to sleep on.  Not even an uncomfortable bed to sleep on.

They did not live in a house but on the street.

Now there was a man called Thomas Barnardo who wanted to be a missionary to China, to tell people there about Jesus.  But when he saw all the children living on the street in London, he decided that it would be better for him to help them than go to China.

He knew that God loves children.  Psalm 68 verses 5 and 6 tells us that “God in his holy dwelling is a father of the fatherless and a champion of widows.  God provides homes for those who are deserted.”

And because Jesus loves children, he should too, and that he should help them.  The way he did that was by opening homes for the children to live in and schools for them to learn at called Ragged Schools.  He found places for children who had no home and no bedroom to stay.

He wanted to help and care for children who were poor and sick and sad and alone.  He had a famous motto: “No Destitute Child Ever Refused Admission.”

And in these homes and schools that Thomas Barnardo set up, he made sure they children as well as being cared for, were taught about the one who cares for them the most.  As they were taught to read and write they learned about Jesus the great Saviour who loves His people and died on the cross to save them from their sins.

Thomas Barnardo reminds us that God loves children, that He cares for them especially those who have no-one to look after them, and that He wants them to hear about Jesus, and so should we.

This talk was adapted from Everyone a Child Should Know by Clare Heath-Whyte.

More talks about Superheroes of the Faith can be found HERE.

KIDS TALK: BIG QUESTION #21

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This is part of a series of kids talks I’m doing in the morning service at Banstead Community Church based on the New City Catechism.

Big Question #21 – What else does Christ’s death redeem? [NCC Q26]

Powerpoint Pictures: Picture of beautiful places, animals, plants, buildings, artwork

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This world is full of lots of beautiful things.

There are places of beauty.

There are beautiful animals and plants.

There are building, architecture that has a beauty to it.

As well as beautiful pieces of art.

Yet as beautiful as all these things are, they are not as beautiful as they could be.  It is possible for all of these things to be even more beautiful than they already are.  And that’s because, they, like everything in the world, have been affected by sin.

Sin has damaged every single part of God’s creation.  If sin had not entered the world, God’s world and everything He made, would be more beautiful and more wonderful, that anyone can imagine it to be.,

But here’s some incredible news.  One day, creation, this world, will be so much better than it is now.

That’s what the answer to our next Big Question tells us.

Let’s find out now as we look at it.

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Q: What else does Christ’s death redeem?

Is it only people?

Does Jesus’ death only mean that all our sins can be forgiven?

Look at this verses from the Bible.  “Creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay.” (Romans 8:21)

Here we are told that all of creation is under God’s curse because of sin.  However, one day it will be set free.  Jesus’ death is the beginning of all of creation being redeem and re-created and made what it was meant to be.  A new creation that is truly beautiful.

“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:19-20)

So, what else does Christ’s death redeem?

The answer.

A: Every part of fallen creation.

And if we trust in Christ we will one day get to enjoy this new creation.

To help us remember that, let’s say the question and answer out loud together.

What else does Christ’s death redeem?  Every part of fallen creation.

Children when you go out to Sunday School you’re going to learn a song that will help you to remember this.

KIDS TALK: HOW GREAT THOU ART!

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Hymn of the Month – How Great Thou Art!

Powerpoint Pictures: Grand Canyon; Sunset; Football Goal; Orchestra

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There are lots of things that might make you go “Wow!”

The grandeur of creation or the beauty of creation.

Something incredible you see or hear like a great achievement or a moving piece of worship.

But “Wow!” shouldn’t just be our response.  It should be “Wow!” Isn’t God great?”  Isn’t God so amazing that He would create a world which is so vast and wonderful and where people can do incredible things?

Now there are other things that should make us go “Wow! Isn’t God great?”

Like Jesus’ death on the cross – that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

And how one day Jesus will return to take all His people to live with Him in heaven.

Should they make us say “How great and glorious and good God is”?

To worship Him because as Deuteronomy 10:21 reminds us “He is your praise and he is your God, who has done for you these great and awe-inspiring works your eyes have seen.”

And there is a great hymn to help us to do that, which is going to be our hymn of the month, and it would be really great if we all could learn it, so that we can use the words to glorify our great God  for what He has done.

It goes like this:

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

This verse reminds us of the power of God seen in creation.  The vastness of the universe, the thunder echoing through the mountains.  But His greatness also comes through in the gentleness of the breeze and the songs of the birds, and the next verse reminds us.

When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze.

The hymn then shifts our gaze from creation to the cross.  To our sins and God’s solution to them.

And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

What beautiful words to praise God our Saviour for His grace and mercy that He should send His Son to be the perfect sacrifice to take away the sins of who trust in Him.

And because of what Christ has done, look at the hope His followers have which the hymn ends with.

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, My God, how great thou art!

Our God will make all things new when Jesus returns and then we will be home.  “Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee: How great thou art!  How great thou art!”

So, How great Thou art! is our hymn of the month.  Let’s use the words to sing and praise God for His greatness seen in His creation, Christ’s cross, and His coming again.

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More talks from The Hymn of the Month series can be found HERE.

(Photo: Aaron Burden)

KIDS TALK: MATTHEW

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The Big Read – Matthew

Powerpoint Pictures: Mickey Mouse, Marge Simpson, Pinocchio, Shrek, Elvis with most of the picture covered up

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Can you tell me who the following pictures are of? [Mickey Mouse; Marge Simpson; Pinocchio; Shrek; Elvis].

We can recognise them because they have some feature which makes them recognisable whether it be their ears or their haircut.

What’s true for them is also true for Jesus.

When we look at Jesus we should be able to recognise who He is.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Matthew tells us about Jesus, and says we should recognise who He is.

But just in case we’re not sure, he gives us a massive clue in the opening line.

“A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (Matthew 1:1)

We don’t generally don’t see how this line is so amazing because we’re not the people of Israel.  We haven’t been waiting hundreds of years for God to keep His promise about a King from the line of David who will reign forever.  A King who would bring God’s blessing or salvation which was promised to Abraham to all the nations of the world.

The people of Israel were waiting for the Messiah or Christ, the promised King who saves, and Matthew wants his readers to know that this King is HERE!

Throughout the book we see Matthew pile on the evidence to convince us that Jesus is the promised King who saves people from their sin.

But not everybody recognised that Jesus was this King.

Throughout Matthew there is a variety of responses to Jesus.  The crowds were amazed, the Pharisees refused to believe, and the disciples worshipped although some doubted.

The question is, do we recognise that Jesus is this King, and have we responded by repenting of our sin and following Him?

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More talks from The Big Read for Kids can be found HERE

(Photo: Freely)