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 #6 – How can we glorify God?

Powerpoint Pictures: Pictures of Fans of following – Football Team; Pop Star; Royal Family; President of USA; Politicians (e.g. Jeremy Corbyn, Boris Johnson)

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Who or what are the following people fans of?

Football Team e.g. Crystal Palace.

Pop Star e.g. Justin Bieber.

Royal Family or President.

Politicians e.g. Jeremy Corbyn, Boris Johnson.

These fans are glory givers.  They tell other people how amazing and wonderful the person or group or object they are fans of is; how great they are; because they love them.

Now, we saw with Big Question 4 that we have been created, not to give glory to created things, but to the Creator.

How and why did God create us?  God created us male and female, in His own image, to glorify Him.

But how do we glorify God?

That’s what the next big question is all about.  Let’s look at it now…

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Q: How can we glorify God?

How do we do what we have been created to do?

How do we show that we think that God is amazing and great?

“Love the LORD your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always.” (Deuteronomy 11:1)

We glorify God by loving Him, and the way we show that we love God is by trusting Him and obeying Him, by praising and thanking Him and telling other people how wonderful He is.

So what is the answer to the question, “How can we glorify God?”

It is this:

A: By loving Him and by obeying His commands and laws.

Let’s say the question and answer out loud together.

How can we glorify God? By loving Him and by obeying His commands and laws.

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

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 #5 – What else did God create?

Powerpoint Pictures: Goldfish; Empty Goldfish Bowl; Goldfish in Bowl with water and scenery.

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Imagine I’ve just bought a goldfish and a goldfish bowl.

Would I just drop the fish into the bowl?  Why not?

I need to put some water in it first, otherwise the fish is going to die.  But just water in a bowl wouldn’t be very interesting for the fish.

What else could I do?

I could put some coloured gravel, some greenery, some scenery like a shipwreck, in the bowl as well.

Creating a home for a fish that is good requires both care and creativity.

Big Question 4 asked “How and why did God create us?” and the answer it gave was “God created us male and female in His own image to glorify Him.”

But before He created us male and female in His own image, God created something else, and that’s what the next big question is all about.

Let’s look at it now…

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Q: What else did God create?

Genesis 1 tells us that God created everything out of nothing.  The heavens and the earth. Day and night. Sky and sea. Land and plants. Sun, moon and stars. Birds and fish and all the animals that move along the ground.

God took great care in making the earth a perfect home for people to live in.

God was also creative, making it an interesting place to live in with lots of colour and variety and beauty.

We then read that: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31)

It was just as He wanted it to be.  God did all this for our good and to show what He is like – that He is amazing!

So what is the answer to the question, “What else did God create?”

It is this:

A: God created all things, and all His creation was very good.

Let’s say the question and answer out loud together.

What else did God create? God created all things, and all His creation was very good.

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

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 #4 – How and why did God create us?

Powerpoint Pictures: Rock; Lion; Lake; Flower

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How are we different from:

A rock?

A lion?

A lake?

A flower?

The reason we are different to everything else in creation is because there is something about humans that make us different, and that’s what the next big question is all about.

Let’s look at it now…

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Q: How and why did God create us?

Look at what God Himself tells us in His Word.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27)

We see that God made people either male or female.

And both men and women are made in the image of God.

That is, men and women were made to represent God, to show what God is like – that He is amazing!

So, what is the answer to the question, “How and why did God create us?”

It is this:

A: God created us male and female in His own image to glorify Him.

Let’s say the question and answer out loud together.

How and why did God create us?  God created us male and female in His own image to glorify Him.

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

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 #3 – How many persons are there in God?

Powerpoint Pictures: Emoji faces for Confused, Astonished, Concentrating, Happy.

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What do the following faces communicate?  When might you use the following emoji’s to describe how you are feeling? [Confused / Astonished / Concentrating / Happy].

All of those faces – confused, astonished, concentrating, happy – are ones I think we could have when we hear the answer to the next big question.

So let’s look at it now…

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Q: How many persons are there in God?

Surely the answer is one.  One God equals one person.  But when we read the Bible we discover that’s not the case because of verses like this one:

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14)

In that verse, we discover God is three persons.  Lord Jesus Christ = The Son.  God = the Father.  And the Holy Spirit.

This is what we call the Trinity.  One God, three persons.

So, what is the answer to the question, “How many persons are there in God?”

It is this:

A: There are three persons in one God.

Now this can be hard to get our heads are.  So, let me ask you some true/false questions to expand on what it means that there are three persons in one God.

There is one God. [True]

The Father is fully God. [True]

The Son is fully God. [True]

The Holy Spirit is fully God. [True]

God has always been three persons. [True]

The Son is not the Father nor the Holy Spirit. [True]

Each person of the Trinity has a different role. [True]

God the Father died on the cross. [False – it was God the Son who could because He became a man]

This is some of what it means that God is three persons but one God.

Let’s say the question and answer out loud together.

How many persons are there in God?  There are three persons in one God.

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

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 #2 – What is God?

Powerpoint Pictures: Apple; Hippo; Tiddlywinks; Boris Johnson; Diamond; Woodlouse

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What is an apple? [A fruit]

What is a hippo? [An animal]

What is tiddlywinks? [A game]

What is Boris Johnson? [A human]

What is a diamond? [A jewel]

What is a woodlouse? [An insect]

We’re finding out some answers from the Bible to some big questions.  The next big question is a big ‘What is…?’ question.  In fact, the biggest there is!

So let’s look at a second big question…

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Q: What is God?

How would you answer that?  Maybe you’d list some of His attributes (descriptions about what He is like) such as love, holy, eternal, merciful, powerful and so on.  Or you might say He is Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

But before we learn all these things about God, He introduces Himself as… what?

Creator!

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

The first thing He tells us about Himself is that He exists and that He is the Creator of everything.

So, what is the answer to the question, “What is God?”

It is this:

A: God is the Creator of everyone and everything.

Let’s say the question and answer out loud together.

What is God?  God is the Creator of everyone and everything.

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

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 #1 – What is our only hope in life and death?

Powerpoint Pictures: The White Witch; Wicked Stepmother & Ugly Stepsisters; Villains of Gotham City; Thanos; Voldemort

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Who was the four Pevensie children and the inhabitants of Narnia’s only hope of rescue from the White Witch? [Aslan]

Who was Cinderella’s only hope of rescue from her wicked stepmother and ugly stepsisters? [The Prince]

Who was Gotham City’s only hope of rescue from villains such as the Joker, the Penguin and the Riddler? [Batman]

Who was the universe’s only hope of rescue from Thanos? [The Avengers]

Who was wizards and muggles alike’s only hope of rescue from ‘He who must not be named’? [Harry Potter]

We’re starting a new series today where we are going to find out the answers from the Bible to some big questions.

At different times in the history of the church, God’s people have used questions and answers (called a catechism) to help them learn some really important truths about God and His Son Jesus.

And the first big question we’re going to ask is about who our only hope of rescue is.

So let’s look at the first big question…

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Q: What is our only hope in life and death?

All of us need to be rescued.

We need to be saved from our sins otherwise God will punish us for them in hell.

Wonderfully that is what God has done for us by sending His Son Jesus, who by His life, death, and resurrection, offers us forgiveness for every sin we have committed and eternal life in heaven.

But only if we put our trust in Him.

“Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” (1 Thessalonians 1:10)

Our only hope is being part of God’s people, belonging to Him by trusting in Jesus.  It is those who belong to God that will be saved.

So, what is the answer to the question, “What is our only hope in life and death?”

It is this:

A: That we are not our own but belong to God.

Let’s say the question and answer out loud together.

What is our only hope in life and death?  That we are not our own but belong to God.

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