Bible Sword
03/10/18 07:02 Filed in: Jesus Time
with a twist…
Bible Sword is probably a very well known game in church / religious circles - but we have adapted it slightly to be more challenging, fun and foundational…
In the way we have seen it played, someone will call out a scripture reference and it is a race to find that reference in the Bible first. But I have often wondered: is this learning to use a ‘sword’ - is this good training or just learning about the sword.
How can we make it more fun, engaging, relevant and useful?
Read on to find out how we do it...
First off, it is very well known that the Bible calls itself a sword:
Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:17
But less known is that this verse refers to a short sword, vital for use in close combat. It is something that attacks and defends at close quarters. It is a personal defence and attack tool.
Also, it is only sharp due to the Spirit of God. Knowing the words of the Bible, having the best translation, even knowing the original languages, is not what makes it ‘sharp’ (effective).
Also, the word ‘word’ refers to something very specific: it is not just reciting Bible verses, or even knowing in depth theology for that matter. It is knowing and sharing the only truth that has the power for people to be saved - it is the message of the Gospel, the Good News of salvation.
Spoken or written, this ‘word’ has the ability to awaken the dead and evoke faith in even the hardest heart, let alone our children who are often open and eager to learn / receive.
Having both had some type of religious input while young, and both never seeming to benefit from that input, we want our input to be useful and at least foundation for our children.
As a side note, we recognise that there is no perfect method or parenting ‘ideal’ that will ensure our children come to know or serve God, but believe that we can lay a foundation and encourage them to be open to Him should He decide to open their eyes. We can do things that give God opportunity to open their eyes and work on their hearts, but also prepare them mentally and emotionally to respond to Him.
We believe that sharing the Gospel over and over in different ways gives them the very best chance of having their eyes opened as ‘faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ’ (Romans 10:17)
But outside of that, we want to train our children to be able to go to the only true source of wisdom - the Bible - for themselves and find truth, guidance, direction and comfort. And from that new gained wisdom, be able to share with others what they have learned.
So our Bible Sword is a little different.
The Game:
I will ask them a question and they must find an answer from the Bible, reading out the verse and then explaining what it says to us, how it answers the question.
I will often (especially to start with) offer a prize or points for each answer that is accurate or a good attempt for that child’s ability.
The questions could be anything from ‘what does God call sin’, to ‘who is Jesus’, to ‘what happens when we die’, to ‘what did Jesus do’, to ‘what does God think about money’ or ‘what does the Holy Spirit do’ - the list is endless and the opportunity infinite.
With many of the questions there is no right or wrong and children of different ages can participate at the same time. Young children can share what they know or find, while the opportunity still exists for older children to ‘dig deeper’ and deduce further revelation even from the same verses.
For instance if I ask ‘what did Jesus do’ a younger child might find any place in the Bible where it describes Jesus walking, healing, raising the dead, doing miracles or even ‘just’ talking to someone - pretty much any page in any of the 4 Gospels. Very easy to find and describe for any child who can / does read the Bible.
For older children they can find much more meaning and relevance in what Jesus accomplished by His life, death and resurrection.
You can encourage them to focus on something deeper - or even change the question for them to something like ‘what did Jesus accomplish’ or ‘find a reference to Jesus in the Old Testament’.
This is often not needed as children often want to push themselves in the right environment.
Again, the questions and answers can be as varied as you like - but I try to stick to either a topic that we have been studying, reading about, heard at church or something we sense God is challenging us on (ie stewardship or wasting money) and always come back to Gospel ‘elements’. Things that are foundational to salvation and vital to be able to share the gospel with others (sin, hell, what Jesus accomplished, the rewards of salvation, adoption, God’s love etc).
As a bonus, parenting goals or challenges will often get backed up too! The children will often see and read out, from the families source of authority, what God requires of them (‘obedience to parents’, ‘following the Spirit’, ‘serving others’, ‘kindness’ etc etc) - Wahoo!
A vital key comes back to what we read earlier:
“the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”
The Spirit of God is what enlightens and sharpens the Bible - I have often shared the first couple of times I picked up a Bible of my own free will I turned it open and read ‘bastards shall not enter the house of the Lord’. In a dark, drug infested valley of depression and rejection I thought ‘see even the Bible / ‘god’ hates me’. But when His Spirit opened my eyes - oh boy the joy of salvation! Knowing His unconditional love and adoption of me despite my actions was (and is) intense.
So we pray first and then encourage the children to do what we all should when we approach the Bible: ask God through His Spirit to guide us and enlighten what we read. Not only generally, but specifically as we read. ‘God lead me to what You want me to read’. He does!
This game and the questions can be adapted to suit to the family or what you as parents believe God wants for or from your children. This morning for instance, I said I would give bonus points if the person sharing explained a forth part - a personal part of the answer. For example, If I asked ‘what does God want from us’, they could give a verse that said ‘children obey your parents’ and explain how they think they do or don’t do, and what helps them.
They could also share what they think helps them in this area of their walk with God - an amazing way to be able to share where they are at and what they are learning.
The whole time they are playing this game, they are sharing what they have picked up from their own reading, church, friends, movies or even you! The opportunity exists to correct false theology or beliefs in a healthy environment. They are also learning from the others who are playing, hearing the answers from the Bible to the questions you have asked. They are also practising talking publicly - deducing truth then sharing with others - a skill that is very beneficial in many settings.
More importantly, they are practising a skill that will be vital their whole life - finding answers from the scriptures, being led by God.
The children find this game fun and look forward to it. The sense of accomplishment when they can answer something is great and the things they find and read stay in their minds.
I have been amazed at some of the things that have come out of these times and look forward to hearing what the Lord leads us all to through it.
Conclusion: The Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, is a weapon that requires training - but training that can be fun…and fruitful!
PRAYER: Lord, may we never neglect Your Word. May we always be reading, digging and deducing what You want us to know. And may we be ready to use the weapon of the Gospel You have given us for our good and the good of others. Use us and empower us to help our children come to know You and use the sword of the Spirit.
NOTES: I
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