SM Sample Lesson: Couldn't Wouldn't Shouldn't

YEAR 1 Unit One: “SAYS WHO?” Lesson Two Couldn’t. Wouldn’t. Shouldn’t! BIG IDEA: The Bible is not the product of CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES: \"Understand and explain in simple terms the di- man’s mind. It is from God’s mind vine origin of the Bible, i.e. It is God's inspired Word and not an invention of and it’s been given to us in order man\" [M.K.11]; “Obey God’s Word and follow Jesus” [M.D.3]. to think God’s thoughts. Isa 1:18 INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY INTRODUCING TODAY’S KEY VERSE (TO MEMORIZE): Activity: 2 Peter 1:20-21: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of 1. Hand out a slip of paper and a pencil to each stu- Scripture is of any private interpretation [it didn’t originate dent. Ask: “If there were going to be an official with man], for prophecy never came by the will of man [it ‘Best Ice Cream Flavor of All Time’ award, what fla- wasn’t the desire of man to come up with such a book], but vor should win?” After students have written their holy men of God spoke as they were moved [“carried along” responses, collect their papers, and announce, “Oh! like a ship by wind; this same word in the Greek, phero, is I forgot to mention something: If every one of these found in Acts 27:15,17] by the Holy Spirit.” pieces of paper has the same answer, we’ll have an ice cream party, but if they’re different, you owe GROUP GAME: DISCOVERING TRUTH TOGETHER me ice cream!” (Assure students you’re just joking.) “I’d like to play a game to help explain what this 2. Read the first slip. Then build up the hype for verse means. I’ll need a volunteer to come play what you’re about to read on the second slip. Read Match-Up. You have three minutes to try and it. (It’s unlikely to be the same.) Stop whenever the match at least half of these numbers to their cor- flavor named is different than the first one named. rect statements to get a prize. Audience help is al- “It’s too bad that a group this size couldn’t agree lowed.” on the Best Ice Cream Flavor of All Time. What if we were to add another few hundred people to our Place the following statements on the board/chart sample? What are the odds that all of us would paper. Also have a display of the numbers to be agree?” matched. After your volunteer is done, go through each and give the correct answers while adding a Transition: “Today, we’re going to learn about what basic explanation of each. makes the Bible truly unique. From its beginning to its end, the Bible agrees perfectly about all sorts a. The number of individual books in the Bible: of topics that are far more complicated and serious 66. Yes, the Bible is a library in itself, 66 books col- than ice cream — like sin and death, heaven and lected in one volume. 39 of them are in the Old hell, marriage and family life, friends, gossip, how Testament, before Jesus was born, and 27 were to treat the poor, what to do with our money, fu- written after His birth. ture events, etc. The Bible has no disagreements in any of these things. That’s unique!” b. The number of humans God used to write down His thoughts: 40. And these “holy men of God” Reminders were from all walks of life: Shepherd, Doctor, Tax Collector, Musicians, Fishermen, King, Prince (Moses), even a Fig Branch Collector (the prophet Amos)! c. The number of years that spanned the writing of these books: 1400 (Many of these writers never even knew each other, living in different eras.)

Unit One: “Says Who?” Lesson Two d. The number of languages spoken by those who in the choir,’ or maybe, ‘You sure get bad grades in were directed by God to write: 3 (Hebrew: OT; Greek: Math’? No, it is part of our human nature to want peo- NT; Aramaic: a few chapters of the OT). ple to like us. So we like to present the ‘best version’ of ourselves to others. But the Bible does not do that. In- e. The number of countries (10) and continents (3) stead, it describes humanity as spiritual lepers [discuss where these writers lived (Africa, Asia, Europe) what leprosy is]: …from the bottom of your foot to the top of your head; you are covered with wounds, hurts, 2. DISCUSS: “Given these facts and the perfect agree- and open sores that are not cleaned and covered, and ment throughout the Bible, why can we safely conclude no medicine takes away the pain” (Isa 1:6 NCV). that man COULDN’T have written the Bible on his own?” (Write COULDN’T.) “The Bible says that we have wicked hearts! The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked “Some say the Bible came to exist in the same way that (Jer 17:9). We’re rotten to the core!” we play the game of Telephone — one person passed the message on to another, who passed it on to the b) “Second: We don’t like the idea of a God who is going next, and so on. This would allow room for error to to judge us. We want to do as we please, to be in charge creep in.” of our own lives. But the Bible says that there is a God who is holy and who punishes sin. Man would call that A BETTER ANALOGY: intolerant; he would never write that kind of book.” A more fitting analogy would be that of a satellite in LET’S REVIEW: “This is a book that man COULDN’T outer space beaming down a video that people all write (physically) and WOULDN’T write (because of around the world could watch at the same time. “The pride). This brings us back to our big idea of the day: perfect agreement and harmony of the Bible, from be- The Bible is God’s Book. He is its divine Origin and Au- ginning to end, indicates that there is only one reason- thor. Knowing this, I’d like to leave you with a personal able explanation of how different people, who had challenge”: different occupations, who lived in different periods of history, on different continents, and who spoke different 5. Change the ‘W’ in WOULDN’T to ’SH’ to make languages could all agree in what they said: the mes- SHOULDN’T. We shouldn’t ignore the message of the sage that each of them was given came from the same Bible. single Source, one divine Author — God.” It is also worth pointing out that the human agents God chose to write a) Yes, it shows us we are sinners. down His ideas often didn’t even understand what God b) Yes, it shows us there is a holy God who punishes was talking about (see 1 Pet 1:10-11). Still, they were sinners. BUT… faithful to write exactly what God had shown them. c) It also shows that God’s Son came from Heaven so that He could take the punishment FOR US! Listen to 3. Review today’s key verse. this amazing news! “For He [God the Father] made Him [God the Son] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we 4. But you know what? [Change the letter ‘C’ in might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor COULDN’T to a ‘W’ to make the word WOULDN’T.] “Even 5:21). if we were able to somehow gather all these people into one place at one time, and if they all spoke the same This is a 2-way exchange! When we give the Lord Jesus language, and if they all shared the same opinions, still, our sin (which He already took, on the cross), He will the Bible is not the kind of book that man would write. give us God’s righteousness (we can be declared judi- Man WOULDN’T ever write a book like the Bible! As our cially, or legally, “right” before a holy God). verse says, this Book didn’t come from the “will [desire] of man”. Why not?” [Field responses]. But we must ask Him to make this transaction for us. Have you ever done this? You can do it today! Simply Some suggestions: acknowledge that you are the sinner for whom Jesus a) “First, the Bible paints a horrible picture of us! How died, then, in simple faith, ask for God’s forgiveness. In long do you look at yourself in the mirror before going a moment of time, you’ll become a “brand new cre- out with your friends? Would you ever go up to some- ation” (2 Cor 5:17) and a child of God (Jn 1:12)! one you were meeting for the first time and tell them, ‘Hey, you have bad breath,’ or, ‘You're the worst singer — IN CLOSING — Take these three words with you about the Bible — Man COULDN’T have written the Bible. Man WOULDN’T have written the Bible. Yes, it’s GOD’S BOOK. Therefore, man SHOULDN’T ignore the Bible. Are you? (P.S. Time for ice-cream?)

The main purpose The main purpose of the Bible is to of the Bible is to set someone set someone on the path on the path that leads to the Savior. that leads to the Savior. 3 1400 10 66 3 40 3 1400 10 66 3 40 FOR REVIEW: Try to match the numbers with the statements below. FOR REVIEW: Try to match the numbers with the statements below. The number of individual books in the Bible The number of individual books in the Bible The number of humans God used to write down His thoughts The number of humans God used to write down His thoughts The number of years that spanned the writing of these books The number of years that spanned the writing of these books The number of languages spoken by these human writers The number of languages spoken by these human writers The number of countries from which the writers came The number of countries from which the writers came The number of continents on which these human writers lived The number of continents on which these human writers lived BONUS: Circle the occupations of those whom God used to pen His Word. BONUS: Circle the occupations of those whom God used to pen His Word. Shepherd Doctor Tax Collector Musician Fisherman Shepherd Doctor Tax Collector Musician Fisherman Fig Branch Collector Prophet King Prince Fig Branch Collector Prophet King Prince