Basics

It seems appropriate that Pirate Pete would introduce us to a new word: “Canon.” But wait Captain Pete, I think that your cannon has two many n’s. What’s a canon (with just one n) and what does it have to do with the Bible?

Ask this sort of question at your family dinner table. (Or wherever your family is gathered together.) Ask these questions even if you missed our video showing last weekend. Join us for another movie adventure on August 10th!

Note: To print out this particular family discussion guide, click here.
For other sets of discussion questions view here.
In the meantime…

HAVE SOME FAMILY DISCUSSION!

• The word “canon” comes from a Hebrew word which means “measuring rod.” Over time, the word canon came to refer to a norm or a standard. “Later it came to mean a rule of faith, and eventually a catalogue or list. In present usage it signifies a collection of religious writings.” [1] We came to talk about canons (not cannons!) because our big question with Buck Denver was:
  

  Who picked the books to be in the Bible?

  We got a little bit of church history in our video when we heard about how the church leaders in the 4th century picked or canonized, the books to be in the New Testament of the Bible.

• All of the books in the Bible tell us one big story. What would you say is that one big story? (Lots of answers, but the one we are focused on is that the Bible is the story of God and what he’s done for us.)
• What do you suppose God has done for us? (Lots of answers, including promising to always love us, to have a special relationship with us, and to give us second chances – i.e., grace – when we mess up.)

• God has made promises to people in the Bible. Who remembers the promises God made to Abraham? (many off-spring, & land to live on, & to be a blessing to the whole world.)

• Why do you suppose we can trust God’s promises to us? (It’s okay if we’re not sure why! It is hard, but it takes having what we call faith — believing that God will do what he says he’ll do.)
• Do: Play a rhyming game (start with “after a while crocodile… In a blizzard little lizard…”) After a bit tell everyone that in a sense, what you’ve been doing is creating poetry – a way of expressing ideas in rhyme. Did you know that the Bible has poetry in it? (Though not the rhyming type of poetry.) There is a whole book of poems; do you know which book it is? (Psalms!)
• Psalms are poems written by people expressing their feelings to God. Go on a Psalm Hunt! Open the Bible to Psalms. (Ask your 3rd grade and up child to tell you the quick way to find Psalms.) Read each Psalm and see if you can figure out which category it belongs in. (Read one a night?)

Psalm	Possible Categories
Psalm 8	Thanksgiving
Psalm 9:1-2	A complaint!
Psalm 22:1-5	Praise
Psalm 37:1-4	Words of Wisdom
Psalm 38:6-11	Journey Psalms – sung while traveling to Jerusalem
Psalm 100
Psalm 122:1-4
Psalm 133:1
Psalm 136

How did you do on this quiz? Check out some answers here.
It’s amazing to realize that we can tell God exactly how we are feeling!

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[1] From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Other photos from the producer of our video What’s in the Bible, under a fair usage category.

Chuck Waggin says:  Yep. There are at least ten questions every family should be talkin ’bout. Come on down and join us at our weekly movie adventure. Y’all, it’s the purrrfect excuse to bring up topics for discussion at home – on account of y’all watched the video. See ya there?

Last week we watched a video about the Gospels. Here is a short bit from our video… (if you are reading this in an email click here to view the video).
 
 

Here are some questions to talk about at the family dinner table. (Or wherever your family is gathered together.)

You can ask these questions even if you missed the video showing last weekend! For other sets of discussion questions view here. If desired, print out this family discussion guide here. (You can spread this out over several days.)

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HAVE SOME FAMILY DISCUSSION…

• Pass around a Bible. The person holding the Bible gets to be the one who shares their glads and sads for the day. (Or perhaps you call them peaks and pits?)
• Open up the Bible and point out (or ask your child to find) the Gospels.
• What does the word “gospel” mean? (good news) Talk about what is this “good news.” How has it made a difference in your life?
• What are the names of the four gospels? Who wrote each one? (Watch the video above to find some answers). Why do you suppose that there are different gospels?
• Chuck Waggin is a country western, singing member of the What’s in the Bible? movie. See if your family can come up with a country western tune that teaches the names of the four gospels. ♩♫  (Bonus: Add the rest of the books of the New Testament!)
• Find the first book of the New Testament – Matthew. Note how chapter one starts off — with the genealogy of Jesus. What is a genealogy? What do you know about your family genealogy? (Draw a family tree!) Why do you suppose Matthew included a genealogy? (it connects the OT to the NT)
• What important things did Jesus do? (review some of Jesus’ miracles & teachings) If someone asked you to summarize the gospels, what would you say?
• Make a list of words that summarize what the gospels teach. Play a game of “How Few Can You Do.” In this game you take the list you created and try to reduce it to as few key words as possible. How did you do? Share your words with the community!

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Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Other photos from the producer of our video What’s in the Bible, under a fair usage category.

Adults! Join your 1st – 6th graders on our movie adventure. (It gives you an “easy in” for continuing the learning at home!)

Here are some questions for the family dinner table. (Or wherever your family is gathered together.) You can ask these questions even if you missed the video showings. (For other sets of discussion questions on our summer movie series, view here.)

If desired, print out this family discussion guide here. (Spread this out over several days.)

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HAVE SOME FAMILY DISCUSSION…

• Pass around a Bible. The person holding the Bible gets to be the one who shares their glads and sads for the day. (Or perhaps you call them peaks and pits?)
• Usually when you open a book one of the first things you notice is the author. Does it say anywhere, who is the author of the Bible?
• Our most recent “BIG QUESTION with Buck Denver” was: Who wrote the books of the Bible?
  Does anyone know the answer?
  Is this one of those questions where it’s important that we know the absolute answer? OR is it more critical that we trust these writings because they are in the Bible, not because of who wrote them?
  [Read here for more info on the Methodist view of the Bible.]
• Let’s dig into the Bible! What is the name of the first book of the Bible? Why is it appropriately named? (Watch a short video of a song about the meaning of the word “Genesis.”)
• Read together Genesis 1:1-31. Do we know for sure when all this happened? Some say 6000 years ago, others say 4.5 billion years ago? Who is right?
  Phil Vischer (the producer of our video series) tells us: Not all Christians agree about everything. Some believe the 
word day in the Bible means a “24 hour period” and some believe “God days” can cover 
millions of years.
  How does living with mystery often define our faith?
• Read together Genesis 3:1-21.

Between Popsicle Stick theater and Chuck Waggin’s singing we were introduced to the concept of sin and God’s rescue plan.

What is sin?

Why do we need rescuing?

Note: These are heady concepts! Work at them slowly. Ask questions.

A simple definition of sin: anything we do that separates us from God.

Why do we need a rescue plan from God? Watch this short video…

Stay tuned for more each week. See you in church.

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Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Other photos from the producer of our video What’s in the Bible, under a fair usage category.

We’re off to the movies! This summer, we hope you’ll join us on our movie adventure and also, continue the learning at home.

Summer school! (But don’t tell the kids!) Really! This is to help you pass along your faith to your child(ren)! Here are some questions to talk about at the family dinner table. (Or wherever your family is gathered together.)

You can ask these questions even if you missed the first video showing last weekend!

Parents and caregivers: want to get a feel for the video? Click below to watch the first five minutes of our first video. (Or click here if you are reading this in an email.)

Don’t you agree that this is for adults and their kids? Join us!

You’ll both be learning together at the movies!

And, by using the questions below, you’ll both be learning together at home!

If desired, print out this family discussion guide here. (You can spread this out over several days.)

HAVE SOME FAMILY DISCUSSION…

• What is a favorite book that you have recently read?
• What if a friend told you that the Bible was their favorite book, what would you say?
• Why do you suppose we should read the Bible? (No right or wrong answers!)
• Buck Denver, one of the main characters in our video series, asks a BIG question in the first video: What is the Bible? How would you answer that question? (To watch a one minute video of some kids with their answers to this question, view here.)
• Tell your kids that you’ve learned how to carry 66 books with one hand! Then show them how you do it, by picking up a Bible! Yep, the Bible is like a library; there are 66 books in the Protestant Bible! [1]
• All of the books in the Bible tell us one big story. What would you say is that one big story? (Lots of answers, but the one we are focused on is that the Bible is the story of God and what he’s done for us; something that we like to call “God’s Rescue Plan”).
• Take turns remembering stories in the Bible. Then take turns naming what that story tells us about God and what he’s done for us. (For example, our last Rotation, the Walk to Emmaus: Jesus is always with us.)
• Sunday School Lady (a professional Sunday school teacher) tells us about the Old and the New Testament, and their different sections. [You can watch this part on-line in a new window.] [2].
• First off, what is a “testament? (The word “testament” comes from the Latin word testamentum, which means “oath” or “covenant.” A covenant and an oath are promises with conditions, so the word testament essentially means a “promise.”)
• Promises! More about what God has done for us! (His Rescue Plan!) Why do you suppose God made promises? (Hint: it has something to do with love!)

Stay tuned for more each week. See you in church.

[1] For older kids, add in discussion about how the number of books in the Bible is different in Catholic and Protestant Bibles. Do some research starting here and here.

[2] If your child asks about the “end of the world” (mentioned in Sunday school lady’s description of the book of Revelation), admittedly the end of the world sounds kind of scary! Some people use the words “the end of the world” to describe the time when all people will love and care for each other and obey God. (That doesn’t sound bad!) In the early days of the church some followers of Jesus (for example, Paul) thought that this would happen soon! Some even stopped working because they figured, why bother! (Read about it here.) Of course it hasn’t happened yet, so nothing to worry about! Besides it gives us plenty of time to, as John Wesley says, go on to perfection.” (Which means we’re working on Matthew 22:37-39).

Photo credits:
Photos from the producer of our video What’s in the Bible, under a fair usage category.