A Fresh Look at Old Stories
Image: Pixabay Charlotte
Old Testament Contents
These amazing stories are so relevant to modern issues, once we look beneath the surface.
Background on the Ancient World
Abraham: Ishmael - Unwanted Child?!
Joseph: It wasn't all dreams come true
Gutter to Gold
Moses: Birth
Burning Bush
David
Elijah: Making Spiritual Connections
Abraham and Ishmael
Was Ishmael just one of Abraham’s mistakes or did God have a plan for him too?! Is any child unwanted in God’s eyes? Surely not!
This session takes a wider view of the ‘Abraham and Ishmael’ story, looking at its’ complexities and seeing Ishmael as a valuable human being, not just the result of Abraham’s lapse of faith.
Ishmael - Unwanted Child?! - Plan
Ishmael - Unwanted Child? - Leaders' Notes
Activity Ideas for Family Themes
Image: Pixabay – L Gesell
Joseph
Joseph - It wasn’t all dreams come true - Plan
Gutter to Gold - Joseph's Story
More coming soon
Elijah
The challenge was clear. Baal, the Canaanite god of winter rains and fertility, introduced by King Ahab himself, had become the people’s new favourite. The true God of Israel, having been relegated to a Sabbath day only, position, was seen as being no greater than the local pagan gods. Yahweh’s response, ‘Okay. Let this ‘Baal’ meet your needs then. Let him provide you with the rain you need for your crops to grow. Then we’ll see who is God!’
It is easy to see the prophets of Baal as a joke. But they were accustomed to connecting with the spirit world. What should we avoid in today's world in the spiritual realm? How does Elijah contrast with them?
Elijah - Making Spiritual Connections - Plan
Elijah - Making Spiritual Connections - Leaders' Notes
Angels Quiz part 2 Fallen Angels - PowerPoint
Spot the Scam - occult quiz - for older ones