Teachable Moments!!

A teachable moment is a when a "specific situation or circumstance arises that provides an opportunity to really drive home a particular truth and heart application in the lives of our children."  

This morning was a teachable moment with the 1st - 3rd graders and I want to tell you about it.

In preparing for the baptism, I did not pay attention as much to the rest of the morning service schedule as I should have.  The Voice of the Martyrs video was intense for the kids.  I apologize for that.

At the same time I want to let you know how I believe God used the whole service time for His glory.

Behind the baptismal, in the changing area there is a speaker so the service can be heard.

As we were listening to the audio of the VOM's video, Brian asked what was being watched.

Craig explained it was a video about the persecuted.

One of the boys immediately said "So what we just did (public baptism), wouldn't be legal there, right?"

At that point I knew the video would need to be explained and this would be a great but challenging teachable moment.  The children's church lesson changed slightly at that time.

The scheduled passage for the morning was Joshua 23 and 24.

The principle for the morning was "Believers must obey God wholeheartedly while living in a sinful, idolatrous world."

The kids worked on coloring pages from four different different stories referred to in Joshua 24:1-13 (promise to Abram, 10 plagues, parting the Red Sea, Balaam and the talking donkey).  After some group time coloring and talking about how God worked in each of these stories, we gathered in the kids chapel and talked about God's provisions in good and bad times...
in the Old Testament.   We reviewed Joshua 24;1-13.
for the persecuted church.  I very briefly talked about the persecuted church. 
during World War II.  We watched this video and briefly talked about the life of Corrie Ten Boom.

For the entire video on RightNow Media, click HERE

I want to encourage you to make the most of teachable moments like this.
Use these moments to point your children to Christ.  

HERE is a 14 minute podcast on "How to Talk with Your Child about Evil."

A VERY brief summary of this podcast is
Evil is real and Evil is not permanent.

God is sovereign.

If you have any questions, please email children@emmanuelbaptist.com