This is part of a series of kids talks I’m doing for a weekly assembly in a local junior school.  The plan is to tell the story of the Bible over 4 years.

The Big Bible Adventure #11 – Genesis 18:1-15 & 21:1-8:

Powerpoint Pictures: Invisible Man; Eyebrow; Superman Flying; Ear; Brain

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Can anybody do the following?  [Be invisible, lick your eyebrow, fly like superman, smell your own ear, read my mind].  It was a bit unfair of me to ask whether you could do any of these things because they are all impossible to do.

In the true story of the Bible we’ve been looking at something that seems impossible to do.

God has promised Abraham that he would have a family as big as the number of stars in the sky.  He even changed his name so that it now meant ‘father of many’.

But the problem of Sarah being childless still remained.  Sarah couldn’t have children yet God promised she would.

It looked like a promise that was impossible to keep.

Abraham is now 99 years old.

One day he sees three men walking by – it was the Lord coming to remind Abraham of his promise with two of his angels – so he invites them in for a spot of dinner.

Over dinner God tells Abraham that in a years time, his wife Sarah will give birth to a son.  Sarah just happened to be earwigging at the time, and when she heard what was said she began laughing.  She thought that she was far too old to have a child.

But God reminded her of something.  “Is anything too hard for the Lord?  I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son.” (Genesis 18:14)

The very next year, when Abraham was 100 years old, Sarah finally gave birth to the son God had promised.  They called him Isaac which means ‘to laugh’ because they laughed with joy at his birth.

God proved to Abraham that He was worth trusting.

God the promise maker is also the promise keeper.

But this was not the end of the story?  Would he be the one who would bring blessing to the whole world?  Is he the Saviour?

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More talks from The Big Bible Adventure can be found HERE.

(Photo: bigal101)

This is part of a series of kids talks I’m doing for a weekly assembly in a local junior school.  The plan is to tell the story of the Bible over 4 years.

The Big Bible Adventure #10 – Genesis 17:1-8

Powerpoint Pictures: Tiger Woods; Katy Perry; Bruno Mars; Lady Gaga; David Walliams

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Here are the names of some people who have changed their names.  Can you tell me who they are more commonly known as?  [Eldrick Woods, Katheryn Hudson, Peter Hernandez, Stefani Germanotta, David Williams].

There are lots of different reasons why people change their names.

In the next part of the true story of the Bible we see that someone has their name changed by God.

We’ve seen how God had made some incredible promises to Abram.  The promise of a great nation, a great big family, made up of as many people as the stars in the sky.  He also promised that out of this great family would come one who would be a rescuer, the Saviour of the world.

But there was a problem.  His wife couldn’t have children.  How on earth is God going to keep His promise?

More years passed by and still no child on the horizon.  Abram and Sarai got tired of waiting and so they tried to sort out the problem themselves.  “Abram you need an extra wife!”  Abram took Sarai servant Hagar as a second wife and she got pregnant and gave birth to a son named Ishmael.

It looked like everything was sorted.

But it wasn’t.

Ishmael was not the child God promised.  The child God promised Sarai would give birth to.

God appears to Abram again and repeats his promise.  “No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.” (Genesis 17:5)

Just to show how certain it was that God was going to keep His promise, He changed Abram’s name to Abraham which means ‘father of many’.

But the question still remains: “How is He going to do this?  Will God be a promise keeper as well as a promise maker?  Can God be trusted?”

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More talks from The Big Bible Adventure can be found HERE.

(Photo: bigal101)

This is part of a series of kids talks I’m doing for a weekly assembly in a local junior school.  The plan is to tell the story of the Bible over 4 years.

The Big Bible Adventure #9 – Genesis 15:1-21

Powerpoint Pictures: Milky Way; Sun

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If you go out into the countryside at night and look up you might see the sky filled with stars.

Just think for a moment about the stars.

Does anyone know how many stars there are in our galaxy the Milky Way? [200-400 billion stars].

Can anyone tell me what the nearest star to earth is? [The Sun].

But the sun isn’t particularly near is it?  It would take 221 days to reach the sun by space shuttle, 177 years by car and 3000 years by walking.

Stars are important in the next part of the true story of the Bible.

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So far we’ve seen that God spoke to a man named Abram and told him to leave his home, his country and go to the place He would show him.

He also made two wonderful promises: a great nation would come from him and also a Saviour who would mend this broken world.

But there was a problem.  Sarai his wife could not have children.

Abram travelled to the land God showed him.  While he was there, years passed by, and still no child.  Abram began to wonder whether the promise would ever come true?

Then we read that “God took Abram outside and said “Look up at the heavens and count the stars – if indeed you can count them.”  Then God said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” (Genesis 15:5)

Look up at the stars and count them.  Can you count them?  No, there’s too many.  Well, Abram, that is how many people there will be in your family, and one of those stars represents the Saviour!

To show that He was going to keep this promise, that He was serious, God made a covenant with Abram (a bit like making a deal and shaking hands on it).  Instead of shaking hands, they did it a bit different.  They would get some animals, cut them in half, and walk between them, and by doing so what they were saying is that what happened to the animal will happen to you if you break this promise.

However only God passed between the animals.

God was promising that He would keep His promise.  But how is He going to do this?

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More talks from The Big Bible Adventure can be found HERE.

(Photo: bigal101)

This is part of a series of kids talks I’m doing for a weekly assembly in a local junior school.  The plan is to tell the story of the Bible over 4 years.

The Big Bible Adventure #8 – Genesis 12:1-3

Powerpoint Pictures: 10 Downing Street Door; England Shirt; School Uniform; X-Factor Elimination; Prize

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In the story of the Bible we have people who speak different languages in different places divided from one another.

People are still disobeying God and the world is a mixture of good and bad.

But God’s promise to rescue people by sending someone to undo the mess brought into this world by Adam and Eve still stands.

And it begins with God choosing one man and his family.

“The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.  I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:1-3)

God chooses one man, Abram.  He gives him a command, leave everything you know and go to the place He would show him.  He also makes some wonderful promises.

People – a great nation, enough people to fill a country.

Blessing – one from his family who would save people and bring God’s blessing to all the peoples on earth.

But Abram was a surprising choice.  Sarai, Abram’s wife, was barren which mean that she couldn’t have children.

So how on earth would a great big family come from Abram?  How would this Saviour of the world come from Abram?

Would Abram believe God’s promises and do what God asked him to do?  Will God keep His promises?