For our Bible curriculum, for first grade, we use Studying God's Word - Book B - by Michael McHugh. This is a great series - we started Jessica off with the 4th grade level when we took her out of public school, so by the time the little ones were ready for school, she'd already done several of these books. We knew we wanted the whole series for all the kids, and we have been incredibly blessed by them so far.

For first grade, the weekly units are seperated into 5 parts. Monday's lesson starts with questions about the Christian faith, and each lesson afterward builds on the answer.

Monday - Lesson 1: questions and answers
Tuesday - Lesson 2: Scripture reading, words you need to know from the Bible - and discussion.
Wednesday - Lesson 3: Bible story & discussion
Thursday - Lesson 4: Written Exercises
Friday - Lesson 5: Activity

It was yesterday's activity that really impressed me. Before I share that, let me back up to Monday. This week we started off with 3 questions & answers:

1. Q:Can you go to heaven with a sinful nature?
A: No, my heart must be changed before I can be fit for heaven.

2. Q:What is this change of heart called?
A:The new birth, or regeneration

3. Q:Who is able to change your heart?
A: The Holy Spirit alone.

All of this weeks lessons were, obviously, learning what the Bible has to say about being regenerated.

So now for Friday's activity:

With your teacher's help, purchase or borrow a battery operated flashlight. After you get the flashlight, turn it on and leave it on until the batteries are dead. Ask your teacher to "replace" the batteries so that the flashlight has "new life" and can be useful again. After the new batteries are in, turn the flashlight on again, so that you can see the new life it has.

This activity will help you to see a simple example of what spiritual regeneration is like. When Adam sinned, he lost all power to obey God rightly. He no longer had the light of God burning in his soul. He became useless to serve a holy God. It is only after God powerfully changes or regenerates a person's heart, that good works will shine forth. Jesus Christ is the power of God and the light of the world. No one can enjoy new life unless Christ first raises him from spiritual death by the power of the Holy Spirit.

This was a great little activity. We don't use flashlights (we use kerosene lamps) so we used the girls' LeapPads as our example. They know all too well how useless those are, when the batteries are dead. I just loved this lesson - seeing them understand what it means when we have no inner ability to serve God rightly, and where that ability comes from.

After doing this week's lessons I so wished that I had been under this kind of teaching from the time I was their age. I had never so much as heard one peep about this, until I was past 30.

Anyway...

For those of you that also use this same book, please ignore the minor detail that you know we're only on Unit 25 when we should be on Unit 34. This past winter has been the alltime record winter season for colds, flus, viruses and general malaise around this house. We've missed alot of "school days" and I plan to keep working through this book with them, through the summer. One lesson only takes about 20 minutes - so each morning after breakfast & before play time, we'll have our Bible lesson and finish this book off.

For those of that have a child ready for first grade - I cannot recommend this book (or the whole series, for that matter) more.

SDG