Are you looking for a fun way to teach your child life lessons that will help him or her thrive? Does he or she have a high degree of curiosity and adventurousness that keeps you on your toes? Do you want to encourage natural childlikeness without sacrificing thoughtful boundaries? Do you ever worry that your child's boisterousness is being inconsiderate of others?
As parents, we want our children to have a bright future; and one of the best ways we can support that is to teach them to be wise and respectful. Even more important is to introduce them to Jesus.
If you are looking for a fun, meaningful, and effective age-appropriate way to share God, here is a great tool you can begin using today! It will help you reach this goal, build a stronger relationship between you, and deepen your connection with the Lord.
By using inspirational mainstream storybooks and combining them with Bible readings, you can be the messenger of some memorable lessons that will help them build a personal relationship with Jesus and bolster well rounded personal development.
Because God is the author of all truth, the positive morals in classic children’s stories can be found in the Bible. So, by becoming personally enlightened and then awakening your children’s interest and awareness, you can inspire them to see the Lord all around them.
This article includes a personal devotional for you to connect with God, equip you with Bible passages and children's resources, and transform storytime into a rich, hands-on teaching experience for you and your child.
This is a tool, not a script. It is meant for you to read, gain insight, personalize, and then naturally share your own input with your children during storytime and throughout the day as natural discussions arise. By using this lesson as your own personal devotional and by praying for direction, you will be ready to have dynamic conversations and enjoy purposeful play with your children at their level of development and interest. Have fun with it!
For this lesson (stay tuned for others!) you will read what God has to say about feelings, relationships, and having fun. We will use the classic Maurice Sendak book, “Where the Wild Things Are”.
Are you ready for a wild ride?
Read Psalm 139:1-6, 13-14 (NLT)
O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!…You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous - how well I know it.
As your Creator, God knows everything about you - your makeup, interests, strengths, weaknesses, desires, and fears. Being wonderfully made, He has uniquely designed you to be a blessing to others. Inclining your heart to Him will bring many blessings to your life.
The Lord knows your sins and secret thoughts. Before you're self-aware, God knows what you will say and do. Better than you know yourself, He knows you!
Out of love, He goes before and behind you to encourage and guide you. If you ask, He will reveal anything harmful in your mind and heart; and, through Jesus, forgive all sinful thoughts and attitudes.
God will never leave you and He will always love you.
Spend some time asking God to help you connect deeply with Him, reveal destructive things in your inner being, forgive you, and lead you in His good ways.
“Where the Wild Things Are” can evoke a myriad of feelings, including fear, sadness, curiosity, excitement, comfort, reassurance, acceptance, and love. It is a deep and dynamic story that explores the multifaceted nature of people, relationships, and choices.
In this lesson, the storybook's plot combined with the Bible passage will help you communicate:
God knows everything about you. He knows all the good things you do and all the bad things you do. And, He loves you more than you can imagine. He will never stop loving you. God’s love is unconditional.
“Where the Wild Things Are” covers a few concepts: mischief, separation, loneliness, and home.
Before storytime, ask God for guidance in responding to your child’s questions or comments about naughtiness. Remember that God loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to take on the penalty for our sins so we can be forgiven when we confess.
You are now ready to enjoy a meaningful storytime and Bible lesson with your child!
Before opening “Where the Wild Things Are” consider asking your child (in your own words):
Does God love you when you're doing naughty things?
After reading the book together, talk about what happened. It will be more impactful and personalized if you help your child recount the story rather than for you to do it.
Use the example of Max's naughtiness to acknowledge that everyone (you included) does wrong. Then, explain that God made and knows everything about us...and that His love is unconditional.
Show your child where to find this core Truth in the Bible by reading this lesson's Bible passage which I have included again below.
Read Psalm 139:1-6, 13-14 (NLT)
O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!…You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous - how well I know it.
Consider sharing what this passage means to you; and sense whether it would be beneficial to inquire about what it means to him or her.
As you discuss the storybook and Bible passage now or in future conversations, here are some good principles to understand and convey, as well as ways to validate your child's natural self-expression:
(Remember that these are intended for you to pick-and-choose from and to be used over time, not all in one sitting.)
Children are a gift from the Lord (Psalm 127:3). Jesus wants all children to come to Him (Matthew 19:14). You have the amazing opportunity and responsibility to share Jesus' love with them.
The Lord designed children to be active, adventurous, and curious; and He wants them to freely express themselves as long as it is respectful to others. By remembering that part of child development involves testing the limits and making bad choices, you can be better able to provide gentle and effective correction. And by appreciating the forgiveness you receive through Jesus' atonement on the cross, you can help your child understand God's great love and teach him or her how to receive forgiveness and restoration through Jesus.
Comment below. I'd love to hear how your storytime devotional experience has been!
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