Look, Listen & Live 1: Beginning with GOD

Song: “Don’t you know it’s time to praise the Lord.”

Hi, boys and girls. How are you today? Are you having a nice time? I’m sure today you have come to hear about God’s Word. You know, God’s Word is very important for us to learn, isn’t it true? So I want you boys and girls to sit very quietly and listen very carefully. My name is Uncle Emmanuel, and I’m going to tell you some nice stories. Do you like stories? Yes, I’m very sure. I will ask you some questions during our story time, and every time you hear this sound (beep) I want your teacher to turn the cassette machine off, and you think of the answer to my questions. Your teacher will help you if you have some trouble, okay?

Now, I want you to make sure you have the right book. Do you have it? Book One? Good. I want you to look at Picture number one. Tell me, what do you see in the picture? (beep) Remember, when you hear the beep, you are to turn the cassette machine off, and tell your teacher what you see. Okay?

Did you get all the animals right? Did you see the little lizard that is climbing up the tree? Now, boys and girls, I want you to close your eyes. Do you have your eyes closed? Come on, all of you, close your eyes very tightly. Now I want you to tell me what animal makes this sound. (baa-ing) Did you get it? Right! It was a sheep. Now, boys and girls, what’s this sound? (roaring) What was that? A lion, right! You got it right. How about this sound? (Ooooh, oooh) Hey, do you know what kind of animal that was? That was a hyena. Has anyone seen a real, live hyena? Now, open your eyes. Are you okay?

Boys and girls, did you know that a long, long time ago, there was nothing in this world? There were no trees, no mountains, no rivers, no grass, no sun, moon, and stars? Can you imagine what this world must have been like, without anything? Nothing! But God created everything. And God also created the angels, and they were all good. They loved and obeyed God. Among all the angels, there was one who was their leader. His name was Lucifer. But Lucifer became a very proud angel, and he wanted to make himself greater than God. Do you know what he did? He cheated (tricked?) many angels to follow him, and they went against God. Boys and girls, do you know what happened to them? Ahh, there was a big war in heaven, against (between?) God’s good angels and Lucifer’s bad angels, and Lucifer and his followers were chased out of heaven. Do you know where they went to? To earth! Now, boys and girls, Lucifer is called Satan, and the bad angels are called demons or evil spirits.

And then, on the first day, God created the light. He made the day, and the night. On the second day, God created the skies and the clouds. On the third day, God created the land and the seas. On the fourth day, God created the universe, which includes the sun, moon, and stars. On the fifth day, God created the living creatures of the universe, the fish, the animals, in the sea, the elephants, the giraffes, and all the animals that we see around. Do you know what happened on the sixth day, boys and girls? God created man! And then on the seventh day, God rested.

(woman’s voice) Do you mean God gets tired?

No! God was not tired! God never gets tired. But God wanted to teach us, that we need rest. You know, if your mommy and daddy had to work seven days a week, without any rest, boys and girls, they would be really tired and cranky, wouldn’t they? So when God rested on the seventh day, He was teaching us that we need to have a rest from work. You have a rest from school, don’t you? How would you like to have to go to school every day? I don’t think you would like it. Just think. You could not go to church, or Sunday School, and you could not have time to play, or visit your friends. You wouldn’t like that, would you? After God created everything, God was very proud and happy with everything He had made, because they were all perfect. Just imagine. There was no fighting, no crying, no school!

Now, children, turn to picture two. After God created everything in the world, He saw that everything was perfect. Then God said, “We will make man. They will be like us. They will resemble us.” (use reverb) Then God took some dirt from the ground and He made the shape of a man. Then God breathed life-giving breath (sound of blowing) into the dirt shape. And do you know what happened? The dirt form came alive, and it was man! Boys and girls, wasn’t that a great miracle that God did?

Then, God made a very beautiful garden. Can any of you tell me, what the garden was called? (brief pause) It was called the Garden of Eden. Oh, it was such a beautiful place! It had all the pretty flowers. You like flowers, don’t you? And it had every kind of fruit in it. It was just a very beautiful place. And God put the man to live in this very beautiful garden. The man was to look after the garden and make sure everything was okay. By the way, do you know what the man’s name was? It was Adam. Then God told Adam that he was to rule over everything in the garden, and he even gave names to all the different animals and plants.

But something was missing! God said, “It is not good for man to live alone.” (use reverb) So God looked around for a good friend for Adam. But He could not find one. Can you imagine what it would be like if you were all alone with no one to talk to, to play with? It wouldn’t be very nice, would it? No! You would soon be very lonely! So boys and girls, do you know what God did? He made Adam to have a very deep sleep (deep breathing sounds). Then, God took one of Adam’s ribs. Do you know where your ribs are? Can you show your teacher? (beep)

And God made a woman from Adam’s rib! Then God brought the woman to Adam. Boys and girls, do you know what the woman’s name was? Yeah! she was called Eve, because she was the mother of all people. Aha, Adam and Eve were very happy in the Garden of Eden. They had everything they wanted or needed.

Children, I want to tell you something very, very important. God created man and woman differently from any animal or plant. God said, “Let us make man the same as Us.” (use reverb) Do you know what that means? That means people were created to be like God, not like animals. Some of our schoolteachers are telling you that we came from a monkey. Don’t believe them! Do you think God is a monkey? No! So, if we were made like God, we cannot come from a monkey.

Now turn to picture three. Aha, Adam and Eve were very happy in the Garden of Eden. Can you imagine, they had everything they needed. They did not even have to work hard. God told them that they could eat any fruit in the garden, but they were not to eat the fruit from the tree that was in the middle of the garden. That was the only condition they had. God said, “If you eat the fruit, you will die.” (use reverb) Boys and girls, do you remember I told you about Satan? Who was he? (beep)

Did you tell your teacher who Satan is? Satan was an angel that God created, and at first his name was Lucifer. But he turned to be bad because he wanted to be like God. And he cheated (tricked?) the other angels to follow him, as I told you. And God had to chase him and the bad angels out of heaven. Boys and girls, do you know why God had to chase them out of heaven? Well, God did it because He could not allow sin and bad things into heaven. And Lucifer, or Satan, and his bad angels, were chased to our world.

Well, one day Satan was in the Garden of Eden, and he thought to himself, “Aha! Here’s my chance to cheat (trick) this woman!” (use high, weird-sounding voice) So Satan made himself look like a very beautiful snake, and he came to Eve and said to her, “If you eat from the forbidden tree, you will not die! In fact, you will become wise and be like God Himself!” (use high, weird-sounding voice)

Boys and girls, do you like snakes? No, I know you do not. In fact, I do not like them, myself. They make me shiver. But you know, when God created all the different animals, they were good and beautiful. So even when the snake was created, they were beautiful, and that is why Eve was not afraid of the snake. She listened to Satan, and she looked at the fruit. Oh! It looked very tasty. She took the fruit. She smelled it. Mmmm! It smelled so sweet! And then, do you know what she did? She took the fruit, and ate it! (biting, chewing sounds) “MMMM!” It was so sweet and tasty! Children, do you know what fruit it was? The Bible doesn’t tell us. But maybe it was something like a NICE, ripe mango! Yummy! Well, after Eve ate the fruit, she went to find Adam, and she gave him a bite of the fruit. And do you know what happened when he ate it? Immediately, their eyes were opened, and they knew they had disobeyed God.

Now, when I say that their eyes were opened, I do not mean that it was their physical eyes. They were not blind, but in their hearts they knew that they had sinned and disobeyed God. Then, they heard God coming, and they were scared, and they tried to hide themselves, because they were ashamed. God called out, “Adam, Eve, where are you?” (use reverb)

(Music for about 15 seconds)

Tell me, boys and girls, when you disobey your parents, do you feel good? I remember one time, Mommy told me to go to the market, and buy some tomatoes and to return right away, because she wanted to cook. I was SO hungry that day. But when I got to the duka, I saw all the nice sweets hanging in those bags, and before I knew what was happening, my mouth was full of those delicious sweets, tamul tamul, and I was yumming away. Mmmm! It was so nice! I spent the money on sweets instead of buying the tomatoes. After I had eaten all the sweets, I remembered. Oh, no! I was supposed to buy tomatoes. I did not want to go home because I knew Mommy would be very angry with me. So do you know what I did? I went and hid myself. I knew I had disobeyed Mom and I knew she would be very angry with me. I thought if I went to hide, everything would be okay.

Well, boys and girls, as soon as Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they knew that they had sinned against God, and they were ashamed to face Him. So they thought that if they were to hide themselves, God would not find them. But do you think anyone can hide from God? No way! Boys and girls, there is no place where we can go and hide from God. And God is not happy when we sin against Him.

Now, boys and girls. Look at picture four. When Adam and Eve sinned, it was like their spirits died. This means that they now did not have the nice fellowship with God. When God created man and woman, they were perfect. That means, they did not have any sin. But when they disobeyed God, and ate the fruit that God told them not to, they sinned. Children, do you know what that means? That means, God no longer controlled their lives, and they began to do many bad things, like lying, stealing, thinking bad thoughts. Boys and girls, can you tell your teacher what you think are some bad things that we do? (beep)

You know, when you do not obey your Mom and Dad, you get punished for it, don’t you? I can remember when I spent the money on the sweets instead of buying the tomatoes, my mom made me find a big stick , and I got very hard spankings with it. Oh, it was SO painful! That was my punishment for not obeying Mom. Well, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, God had to punish them, too. God told Adam that he would have to sweat and work very hard to get food. Before, everything in the Garden of Eden was provided for them, but not anymore. Can you see in the picture how Adam is working and sweating very hard? And Eve’s punishment was that she would have much pain when she had babies. Before Adam and Eve disobeyed God, all of the animals were friendly with each other. Can you imagine a fierce lion sitting close to a gazelle and not wanting to eat it? Now, the animals were wild, and frightened, and they started to fight with each other, and there was no peace in this world. Another punishment was that all children born to Adam and Eve, were born with a sinful nature. And the punishment for the snake was that he would have to crawl on his stomach. The Bible does not tell us, but probably the snake had legs before it was punished.

Now, boys and girls, look at picture 5. Many, many years passed, and the children of Adam and Eve were very many, and all of them were born with a sinful nature. Do you remember I told you that in the last picture? Yes. When I say they were born with a sinful nature, that means, they were born with sin, and the children of Adam and Eve were born with sin and did bad things. In fact, they were so bad that they made God very sad when He saw the things that they were doing. God said, “I see that all these people are wicked. I will destroy them all. I will destroy everything in this world.” (use reverb)

Oh, this was so serious! But there was one man who loved and obeyed God. Do you know who he was? I think you can tell by the picture. His name was Noah. God said to Noah, “I will destroy all the people because they are all bad. Make yourself an Ark, and I will send a flood to destroy all living things. Bit I will make My covenant with you. You will enter the Ark with your wife, your three sons, and your (their) wives, and you are to bring two of every kind of animal, male and female.” (use reverb).

(Music for ten seconds)

Noah and his three sons worked very hard for three years to build the huge Ark. You know, an Ark is like a boat. Can you imagine how big it must have been to put all the animals and enough food for them? It was huge! And Noah and his sons worked for 120 years to build this Ark. (sound effect of sawing and hammering) And all the time, Noah told the people, “If you do not obey God, He will send a big flood to destroy you all.” But the people just laughed at Noah (laughing sound effect). They thought he was crazy in his head. And the people kept on sinning against God. When the Ark was finished, God brought all the animals. (animals sound effect) Oh, can you imagine how noisy it must have been? Tell me, what animals can you see in the picture? (beep)

Boys and girls, can you see that tiny little mouse there, the two white ones? When all the animals and Noah’s family was (were) inside the Ark, God shut the door. (sound of door shutting).

Now, look at picture six. When everyone was in the Ark, God opened the heavens, and the rain came. (sound effect of storm) Oh, no one had seen such things before. All the people outside the Ark, they became worried. “Was Noah really telling us the truth?” For forty days and nights the rain rained without stopping, and the people came to the Ark and they started knocking on the door. (sound effect of people and children – “Noah, Noah, open the door! Noah, Noah, open the door!”; wind sound effect continues) But Noah shouted at them, “I cannot open the door because God has shut it! Now, you are too late!” (storm sound effect continues) The rains continued to fall until the tallest trees were covered with water. Even the tallest mountains. And all the people and animals who were outside the Ark, died.

(Music for ten seconds0

Boys and girls, the people did not listen to Noah’s warning, and they did not want to follow God’s ways. Instead, they wanted to do just what they pleased. They did not care about God. Noah told them that they were to stop sinning against God, but they just laughed at Noah and probably called him names. But when they were in trouble, they came to Noah, and they wanted to be safe from the flood. Noah said that they were too late. They had the chance to follow God, but they did not want to. Boys and girls, God wants you and I to follow His ways, and to love and obey Him. He wants each one of us to give our lives to Him. Will you do that?

Now, look at picture seven. Noah and his family and all the animals stayed in the Ark for one year. Can you imagine being in the Ark for one year? After one year, the water went down and everyone was able to come out of the Ark. Noah was very thankful to God, because God cared for all of them, all this time. So when they came out of the Ark, Noah built an altar and made a sacrifice to God to show how thankful he was. Can you see in the picture how Noah is making the sacrifice to God? God said to him, “I will make a covenant with you and your descendants. I will never send another flood like this to destroy everything. Whenever you see a rainbow in the sky, it will be a sign of My promise to you.” (use reverb) Boys and girls, do you know what a covenant is? It is like a promise or an agreement. When God makes a promise, He never breaks that promise. Many times our friends promise us something, but they do not keep their promises. Or, maybe you make a promise, and you do not keep your promise. Well, sometimes we cannot keep the promises that we make, but God never breaks His promise to us.

(Music for ten seconds)

Boys and girls, do you remember God’s promise to Noah? Tell your teacher what God’s promise was. (beep)

Did you get it right? The promise was that He was never to send another flood to destroy everything. And as a sign, God gave the rainbow. Do you know what a rainbow is? After it has rained, have you seen a big rainbow in the sky that has many colours? You can see it in the picture. Well, every time you see the rainbow, that is God’s sign that He will never send any flood like that. Boys and girls, when you make a promise, you must do what you promised. Remember, God keeps His promises, and He wants you and me to keep our promises, too. So before you make a promise, make sure you are able to keep the promise, and do the promise, okay?

Now, look at picture eight.

After the Flood, the descendants of Noah were very many, and they all spoke in one language. These people did not love and obey God. They decided that they would be smart and build a very big city, a tall tower. You know what? They wanted to try and reach heaven on their own. They thought that they did not need God in order to reach heaven. Is that true? No!

One day, God came down to see what the people were doing. When, He saw how determined they were, He said, “Come, let Us confuse their language, so they will not understand each other.” So God made man speak different languages (sound effect of people yelling) and this made it impossible for them to work together, because they could not understand each other. Can you see how everybody in the picture looks very confused? Just think, if somebody told you, “Bok wi nyun deyu,” did you understand what that means, boys and girls? No. What that means, is, “Pass me the hammer!” So people began to gather into their own language groups, and they went to different parts of the earth to live. The city where they were doing this was called Babel, and that means, “Confusion,” because that’s where God confused the people’s language.

(Music for ten seconds)

The people of Babel were very proud and they did not want to follow God’s way. They thought that by building this tall tower, they could reach heaven on their own. Boys and girls, do you think anyone can reach heaven, God’s place, without obeying God? No! But today, many people are trying to. They think that if they are good, and do not do many bad things, they will get into heaven. Or they think that by going to Sunday School and church, they will get to heaven. But children, we can do many good things, but we will not get to heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Me.” This is found in the book of John, chapter 14, verse six. Now I want you all to learn this verse from memory. Now, get your Bibles and find John 14:6. (beep)

Did you find it? Maybe your teacher will have to help you. Okay, now, I want you to repeat it after me. “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Let’s do this, boys and girls, again. “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Good! Now let us finish the verse. “No man comes to the Father except through Me.” Good! Now turn the machine off and say it with your teacher, and when everyone knows the verse, turn the machine on again. Your teacher will make sure you know the verse. (beep)

Boys and girls, this verse means that Jesus came into the world as a baby, and He came so that He could make a way for us to go to heaven. Do you know how Jesus did this? He died on the cross for our sins. You see, children, God hates sin. He can never, never allow sin to get into heaven. And so when Jesus died on the cross, His blood washed away all our sins. And do you know what we have to do? All we have to do is to thank
Jesus for dying on the cross for us and for making His blood to wash away all our sins. And then we have to ask Jesus to come into our hearts to stay. It is like we are inviting Jesus into our lives. Boys and girls, do you know this chorus, “What can wash away our sins”? Do you want to learn it? Come on, let’s sing it together.

(Sings) What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow, that washes (makes me) white as snow! No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is that (the) flow, that washes (makes me) white as snow! No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

Now, turn to picture nine. A long time ago, there lived a man called Job. Boys and girls, do you know about Job? Well, Job was a very good man, who loved God very much. Job had seven sons and three daughters, and he was rich! He had many servants, lots and lots of cows, goats, camels, and sheep, and all that you think of. Job was a very big man in that country, and everyone respected him very much. Job and his family had everything that they wanted. If Job was living today, his children would have the most expensive bikes, motorbikes, clogs , Reboks - all the nice things that we want. And Job was thankful to God for the many things that he had. He was not proud because he was rich. You know how many times the rich people are very proud? Well, Job was not like that. In fact, he would pray for his family and he would make sacrifice to God on their behalf. Can you see Job doing that in the picture?

One day, there was a meeting in heaven, and Satan was allowed to be there. God said to Satan, “What have you been doing?” (use reverb)

Satan said, “Oh, I have been walking here and there.” (use high, weird voice)

God said, “Did you see My servant, Job? There is no one on earth as good as he.” (use reverb)

Satan said to God, “He is good only because You bless him with so many things. You always protect him and his family. If You take everything away from him, oooh, he will curse You.”

Then God said to Satan, “Okay, you can do anything you want to him, except you must not harm him.” (use reverb)

Now, boys and girls, Job did not know anything about this meeting.

(Music for ten seconds)

Boys and girls, do you think Job loved God because God let him have many things and be very rich? Job had a nice life, with many riches, but all of these riches were not the reason that Job loved God. You know, sometimes people love God only because of the nice things in life they can have. But when they have hardships, they begin to complain and blame God. Do you know some people like that? Maybe you are thinking, “Oh, I wish I was rich. I wish I could have lots of nice clothes, lots of toys, lots of good shoes, good food,” and all the nice things that you may want. But children, those things do not make us happy. Sure, maybe for a short time, but they do not give us true happiness. I know some children who have lots and lots of toys, nice clothes, good food, but they are not really happy. Boys and girls, remember, things do not make us happy.

Now, look at picture 10.

One day, a messenger came running to Job. (breathing hard) “Bwana! Some people came, and took all you oxen and donkeys, and they killed all your herdsmen. I am the only one who has escaped to come and tell you.” Just then, another messenger came running, and said, (breathing hard) “Oh! Lightning came down from heaven, and burned up all your sheep. The shepherds are all dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to come and tell you.” Before he had finished talking, another messenger came running, (breathing hard) “Oh! Oh, some thieves came and took all your camels. They killed all your servants, and I was the only one who escaped.” Lo! Things were bad for Job. But another messenger came running. “Oh! Your sons and your daughters are all dead. They were eating together and a strong wind came and blew their house down. They are all dead. I’m the only one who lived to come and tell you.”

(Music for ten seconds)

Ahh! How do you think Job was feeling, boys and girls? Do you think he was happy? Job had lost all his animals, and now all his children. Can you see how sad he is? He shaved off all his hair and he’s on the ground, very, very sad. But children, do you know what Job said? He said, “I was born with nothing. I will die with nothing. God gave, and now He has taken them away. May His name be praised.” Even though all of these bad things happened to him, he was not annoyed with God. No, he said that he was born with nothing, and it is true, isn’t it? When a baby comes into the world, does it have lots of things? No, he has nothing! It is God Who gives us everything that we have, isn’t it? Well, Job said that he could not get angry with God, if God decided to take them away.

Now, children, turn to picture 11. With God’s permission, Satan had taken everything away from Job. Now there was another meeting in heaven, and Satan was allowed to be there. God talked to Satan again, and this time Satan told God that if Job had some suffering to his body, he would surely curse God. So God gives Satan permission to bring some suffering to Job’s body. And do you know what kind of suffering it was? Who can tell me? Yes, it was boils. Now, boys and girls, have any of you ever had boils? If you have, you would never forget it, because it is very, very painful. Job’s wife was not happy, and she told Job to curse God and die. Job said to her, “You are talking foolishness. When God gives us something good, we are happy, isn’t it (aren’t we?) How can we complain when God allows some troubles?” And Job would not curse God.

Three of Job’s friends came to comfort him. Do you see them in the picture? Do you see Job’s wife telling Job to curse God and die? Look at all of those flies that are bothering Job. Do you see them?

(Music for ten seconds)

Job’s friends thought that the reason why Job was having this problem was because Job had sinned against God. They thought that God was punishing Job for not obeying Him. But, boys and girls, you and I know why Job had these sufferings, don’t we? You tell your teacher right not. Tell your teacher why you think Job was having all these problems. (beep)

Children, the reason Job was having these problems was not because he disobeyed God. No! But God was showing Satan that there are people who love and obey God because they want to, not because God blessed them with many nice things. Boys and girls, if we love and obey God only because of these things He gives us, then we do not really or truly love God.

Now, look at picture twelve.
You know, Job did pray, and ask God why all these bad things were happening to him, but God did not tell Job, or let Job know about the meeting between Him and Satan. Instead, God wanted Job just to trust Him, and to continue to obey. But even though all these terrible things happened to Job, Job did not curse or blame God. And boys and girls, do you know what happened? Afterwards, God let Job have seven more sons and three more daughters, and God gave Job double the riches he had before.

Children, I want you to remember this one thing. Job did not love God because of the nice things God gave him. But Job really loved God with a true heart. You love your mommy and daddy, don’t you? You love them even though they cannot give you everything you ask for, isn’t that right? So – Job loved God not because of the riches, but he loved God with a true heart. And you know what? He wants you and me to do the same things. God wants us to love and obey Him. Will you remember to do that?

Boys and girls, sing along with this song. (Song, professional, with a child’s voice: “I love You, Lord, and I lift my voice, to worship You, oh my soul, rejoice. Take joy, my King, in what You hear, Let it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear.” (chorus, several children singing) “I love you Lord… “ (fade out)
(several beeps because Side A of the cassette has come to an end)

Turn to picture thirteen.
Many, many years passed, and Noah’s descendants were many. Boys and girls, do you know what ‘descendants’ means? You can tell your teacher now. (beep)
The descendants of Noah went to different parts of the world. Some came to Africa, some went to Asia, some went to Europe, and other parts of the world. There was one man called Abraham, who loved God very much. One day, God said to Abraham, “I want you to leave your country and relatives and friends. I want you to go to another country, which I will show you.” (use reverb) So Abraham believed God, and he packed up all his things. He took his wife, Sarah, his nephew Lot with him, and he took all of his animals with him. (sound of cows lowing) And of course, he took all of his workers with him, too. Abraham didn’t know where he was going. Boys and girls, have you ever gone on a safari and did not know where you were going? Well, Abraham trusted God, and he knew that God would not take them to a bad place. In those days, they did not have lorries, or trains, to carry their luggages (luggage). Do you know what they used? Can you see in the picture what Abraham used to carry his things? Yes, they used camels. Well, they traveled for many, many days, and finally they came to a land called Canaan. Then God said to him, “This is the land I will give to you, and your descendants.” (use reverb)

(Music for ten seconds)

Children, do you think you would like to make a safari like Abraham did? At first, it might have been exciting to pack up everything and to go to a new place. But, after walking for many, many days, I’m sure Abraham and Sarah must have begun to wonder, “Where are we going? Will we ever come to that place? How will we know that (is) the place God wants us to go?” Boys and girls, I do not think God will ask you to make a safari like this while you are young, but maybe someday when you get bigger, God may ask you to leave your home and to go to a different, foreign place to tell others about Jesus. Will you do this? We need to love and trust God, just as Abraham and Sarah did.

Now, look at picture fourteen.
Boys and girls, do you remember who Abraham and Sarah took with them on their safari? (beep)
Yes, they took Lot. Well, after a few years, both Lot and Abraham had many, many cows, goats, sheep, and camels. In fact, they were both very rich. Soon, the herdsmen of Abraham and Lot began quarreling because there was not enough food for all of the animals. Ooohh, Abraham did not like it when they were quarreling. Tell me, children. Do you like to hear people quarreling? No! So do you know what Abraham did? Ahh. Abraham was a very wise man, and so he asked Lot to come with him, and they climbed a hill. Just imagine that. Then, they looked all around them, and Abraham said to Lot, “You choose what part of this land you want to live in. If you choose the part over there, I will move to the other side. In this way, our herdsmen will not fight. There will be enough grass for all of our animals.” Lot could see that over there, there was nice tall, green grass. Oh, how his animals would like that grass. And so, he told his uncle Abraham that he wanted that part of the land. Do you know what that place was called? It was called, the Jordan Valley. Have some of you heard of the Jordan Valley? Well, we’ll hear more about it as we listen to more of this tape and picture books.

So Lot gathered all of his family and animals, and they went to live in a city called Sodom. How many of you have heard about Sodom? Well, Sodom was a big city, maybe something like Nairobi. And it had all the nice shops there, but the people there were very wicked, and they did not love God.

(Music for ten seconds)

Boys and girls, do you think it was good for Lot to choose the best land for himself and his animals? I do not think so. He was selfish, wasn’t he? He was the youngest, and he should have let Abraham, his uncle, have the first choice. Don’t you think that that would have been good? What if you were sitting on a nice, big chair at home, and your grandfather came to visit you. Now, if he wants to sit down, do you think he should sit in (on) a small, hard chair while you sit in that big, nice chair? No! So, you should move, and let Babo sit there! Don’t you think? We should always think about other people, and give them the best, especially if they are older than we are. Boys and girls, when a visitor comes home, or somebody that is older than you, comes home, you should not be selfish by just sitting in that big comfy chair. You should stand up and welcome them and give them the best chair in the room. Don’t you think so? I do.

Now, boys and girls, turn to picture 15.
There were many cities around Sodom. They were always fighting each other. One time, another city attacked Sodom, and they took everyone in Sodom as prisoners. But one of Lot’s servants was able to escape, and he ran to tell Abraham. When Abraham got this message, he was feeling badly because he did not like his nephew, Lot, to be in prison. So, Abraham gathered some of his servants, who were good fighters, and he told them that they were going to go free Lot and his family. So they marched to where Lot was in prison. And do you know what, boys and girls? God helped Abraham and his men to win, and Lot and the people of Sodom were free! As Abraham and his men were returning home, they passed the city called Salem. Children, do you know what Salem means? It means, ‘peace.’ In Swahili, we say, “Salamu,” which means, peace to you. Do you think Abraham wanted peace? Yes! Abraham was a man of peace, and he did not like fighting and quarreling. As they were passing the city of Salem, the king came out to greet them. Now, children, his name is a little bit difficult to pronounce, so I will say it once, and then you repeat it, okay? The king’s name was Melchizedek. Now, you say it. Mel-chi-ze-dek. Melchizedek loved God very much, and he said to Abraham, “May the blessings of God the Creator of heaven and earth be upon you. Abraham, let us praise God because He has helped you defeat your enemies.”

(Music for 10 seconds)

Boys and girls, it is good when you give God praise, isn’t it? Abraham could have been very proud, and said, “Oh, look at what I did! My men are very strong and brave! Why, in fact, we can defeat this army that attacked Sodom.” But, did Abraham do this? No, instead, he gave God praise for helping him. Children, we need to do the same. When we do something good, we should thank God for helping us to do it, instead of being proud and thinking we did it by ourselves. Why don’t we sing a song of praise to God? Do you know this chorus? “Praise Him, praise Him, all you little children! God is love, God is love; Praise Him, praise Him, all you little children! God is love, God is love.” Do you know it? Sing along with me. “Praise Him, praise Him, all you little children! God is love, God is love; Praise Him, praise Him, all you little children! God is love, God is love.”

Now, turn to picture 16.
Abraham and Sarah were now very old, and they did not have any children. Boys and girls, the Bible tells us that Abraham was a hundred years old. Can you imagine? They were old! In fact, they were older than your grandmother, or grandfather! You know, children, Abraham and Sarah were so sad because they did not have any children who would inherit their riches. You remember I told you, they were very rich. Do you know what the word ‘inherit’ means? Why not tell your teacher right now. (beep)

One night, God said to Abraham, “Do not be afraid, Abraham, because I will protect you from all danger, and I will make you a father over great nations.” (use reverb)

Oh, Abraham was now very happy, and he said to God, “B-b-b-b-but I have no children! You have not let me have any children!”

So one night, God told Abraham to go outside and look at the stars. Children, have you ever gone outside at night when there were no clouds, and looked at the stars? Oh, there are so many of them! And once, I tried to count them, but I was defeated after counting ten of them. Well, God said to Abraham, “Look at the stars. Can you count them all? Your descendants will be like that. They will be more than you can count.” (use reverb)

Can you see God talking to Abraham in the picture? And do you know what? Abraham believed God and did not complain any more. He believed God would give him children.

(Music)

Abraham and Sarah were old. Do you remember how old Abraham was? I told you. Yes, he was a hundred years old. You know, people in Abraham’s days lived many, many years. Today, when someone is a hundred years old, they are OLD. But in Abraham’s time, that was not so old. And do you know something else? God tells us that we should not be afraid. God will protect us. So when you are afraid, remember, God is there with you, and He is watching over you. Boys and girls, are you afraid of going to sleep at night? Remember, God is there with you. He is going to protect you. You don’t have to fear, because God is right there with you, just as He was with Abraham. God is with you. Do not worry.

Now, turn to picture seventeen.
You know, children, Sarah did not trust God as much as Abraham. She did not believe God’s promise that she would have a child. In fact, she made a plan. Don’t we have some of these plans, when we do not trust God? Yes. Do you know what she did? She went to Abraham, and said,

(woman’s voice) “Oh, my husband, now since that we don’t have any children, would it be okay with you, if you have a baby with my servant girl?”

You know, boys and girls, it was the culture in those days, that when a lady could not have children, she would let one of her servants have a baby with her husband. In fact, some of our African tribes today have this same custom. So, Abraham thought about it for a while, and he thought… “Well, that is not a bad idea,” he said. So Sarah gave her servant girl, called Hagar, to have a baby. When Hagar found out that she was going to have a baby, and Sarah could not have a baby, she became very rude to Sarah. So Sarah went crying to Abraham, and said,

(woman’s voice) “Oh, it’s your fault that Hagar is rude to me! What shall I do?!”

So, boys and girls, do you know what Sarah did? She treated Hagar very badly. She made her work very hard and made her work long hours, and probably, she said many bad words to Hagar, too. Hagar felt very sad, and she decided that she would run away. So one day, when Sarah was not around, Hagar ran away. An angel of God found her on the road, and he said to her, “Hagar, where are you going?” (use lighter reverb)

Hagar said to the angel, (woman’s voice) “Ooooh, I am running away from Sarah. She is treating me very badly.”

But the angel of the Lord said, “You go back to Sarah and work for her. You will have a son, and you will call him Ishmael. Hagar, don’t worry. God knows about your problems.” So, Hagar went back, and when it was time, she had a son. And Abraham called him, Ishmael.

(Music)

Boys and girls, I want you to remember something very, very important, okay? If God promises to do something, He will do it. Sarah did not trust God to give them a son, so she made her own plans to have children. But her plans were not good, and she made a mess of things. For example, if God promises that He will look after you, He will!

Now, children, down to picture eighteen.
One very hot afternoon, Abraham was sitting near his tent. Could you see him in the picture? Boy, it was really hot that day, and all he could do was to sit there, and maybe drink some nice cold water. Anyway, he saw three men coming down the road, and he quickly ran to meet them. He invited them to come and rest, because he knew that they would be very, very hot and tired. Boys and girls, have you ever been walking outside on a very hot day, with no umbrella for shade? If you have, you can imagine how these men were feeling. Anyway, Abraham went and brought clean water for them to wash their feet. (sound effect of splashing water) In their culture, this was a very polite thing to do. Then, Abraham told his wife Sarah to prepare some good food. Abraham knew that these men were very important men. In fact, one of them was God Himself! You know, God is spirit, and we can not see Him with out eyes. So God came to Abraham in the form of a man. After the men had eaten the food, God said to Abraham, “Where is your wife?” (use reverb)

Abraham said, “Oh, she is in her tent!”

Then, God told him that Sarah would have a son in about a year’s time. Sarah was listening, and when she heard this, she began to laugh (mix in woman laughing sounds) because she knew that she was too old to give birth. Then God said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Is there anything too hard for God to do? You will see that My words are true.” (use reverb)

(Music)

Boys and girls, do you believe that God can do anything? I mean, anything? Yes, God can do anything, because He is God. Yes, it is true that Sarah was very, very old, and naturally, she would not be able to give birth. But, with God, anything is possible. Children, don’t forget it. Nothing is impossible with God.

Now, turn to picture nineteen.
After this, the three men were getting ready to leave. They were going to go to the city of Sodom. Who of you can tell me who lived in Sodom? (beep)

Yes, Lot and his family lived in Sodom. When Abraham heard that these men were going to Sodom, he got worried. He knew that God was not happy with the people there because they were very bad people, and did things that God was not happy with. So God was going there to destroy the city, to punish the people for their wickedness. But when Abraham heard this, he was worried, because he was concerned about Lot and his family. So Abraham got some courage, and asked God, “I-i-if there are fifty righteous people in Sodom, will You destroy the city?”

God said, “No.” (use reverb) Boys and girls, do you know what the word “righteous” means? Righteous means, being good. And then, Abraham thought, oh, maybe there are not that many good people in Sodom.

So he asked God, “If there are only forty-five righteous people in Sodom, will you destroy the city?”

God said, “No.” (use reverb)

And then Abraham kept on asking God until finally he asked, “If there are ten righteous people in the whole city of Sodom, will You destroy the city?”

Boys and girls, do you know what God said? He said, “No. If I can find ten righteous people in Sodom, I will not destroy the city.” (use reverb)

Oh, Abraham was happy. He thought to himself, for sure, there must be at least ten good people in Sodom. After this, the three men left.

Early the next morning, Abraham ran to see if the city of Sodom was still there. And children, do you know what? All Abraham could see was smoke, and fire. (sound effect of fire burning) Do you know what that meant? That meant that God could not find even ten righteous, good people in that big city of Sodom. Oh, that was not good news. But God remembered Lot, and He sent two angels to warn them to leave the city before it was destroyed. But the angels told Lot and his family that when they left, they were not to look back at the city. But do you know what happened? Lot’s wife disobeyed, and she looked back to see the city burning. But the minute she did that, do you know what happened? Immediately, she turned into a pillar of salt! Yes, salt!

(Music)

Children, Abraham was a good man, wasn’t he? He was concerned for his nephew, Lot. He could have said, oh, Lot is a big man, now, and he can look after himself. But Abraham was not like that. He was worried about what would happen to Lot and his family if God burned down the city of Sodom. And do you know what? God knew that Abraham was concerned about Lot, and that is why He sent the angels to warn Lot and his family to leave the city. But I think Lot’s wife really did not want to leave the city life, and she was sad to go. Probably, she thought, “Oh, I will miss Sodom, and I will have to look one more time at the city.” But, what happened when she did? Yes, she turned into a pillar of salt.

Boys and girls, when God tells us to do something, we must obey Him right away. One time, my daddy told me to go wash my hands immediately because we were going to have a nice supper. But do you know what? I was outside, playing with my friends, and I did not want to obey my dad and go wash my hands. Do you know what happened? Well, I still played with my friends and then after one hour I decided I was hungry, and I remembered Dad told me to wash my hands so we could have supper. So, I quickly went into the house and washed my hands and went and got to the table. Do you know what I found? There was no food. The table was empty. I asked Mom where the food was, and she told me that everything was eaten and there was nothing left for me. Then my dad came, and said, “Son, you did not obey me. When I told you to come and wash your hands, you did not. And now, there is no food left for you.” Oh, I was so hungry! My stomach was growling, and I had to go to bed without any food. You know, children, every time my dad called me to wash my hands for supper, I made sure I obeyed him, and ran quickly. Boys and girls, God wants us to obey Him, too. Will you do that?

Now, look at picture twenty.
Do you remember in picture eighteen, that God promised Abraham that Sarah would have a child? Well, it happened! Sarah gave birth to a son just like God promised. See, God keeps all His promises. Then, Abraham called the baby, Isaac. Oh, there was a big celebration when Isaac was born.

Many years passed, and Isaac was now a young boy. They God said to Abraham, “Abraham, take your son Isaac, whom you love very much, and I want you to go to the land of Moriah. There on the mountain I want you to offer Isaac as a sacrifice to Me.” Boys and girls, do you know what a sacrifice is? Why not tell your teacher what you think a sacrifice is. (beep)

A sacrifice is an offering that we give back to God for what He has blessed us with. In this case, Isaac was the offering being given back to God. Early the next morning, Abraham cut some wood for the sacrifice, and then he put the wood on the donkey. Then he told Isaac and two of his servants to come with him. When they reached the land of Moriah, Abraham told his servants to remain behind with the donkeys, and he took Isaac with him and they climbed the mountain. Oh, it was hard work climbing! Abraham was carrying the knife and the fire, but Isaac was carrying the wood because he was stronger and younger than Dad. As they were climbing, Isaac said, “Father, I can see you have the wood and the fire, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?

Abraham said, “Son, God will provide.” And so, they continued climbing. When they reached the top of the mountain, Abraham built an altar and then he carefully arranged the wood on it. Then he tied up Isaac and put him on the altar. Boys and girls, I’m sure Isaac was confused and wondering why his father was doing this. But you know what? Isaac loved his father very much, and he trusted him, so he obeyed and did as his father said. Then Abraham took the knife and he was ready to kill Isaac. Oh, I know Abraham’s heart was very sad. Just then, the angel of God called out, “Abraham, Abraham, do not harm the boy. Now I know you honor and obey God, because you have not refused to sacrifice your only son.” (use reverb) Oh, I bet Abraham was very, very happy to hear that! Just then, Abraham saw a ram. (sound effect) Boys and girls, do you know what a ram is? It is a male sheep. This poor ram was caught in the bushes by its horns. Can you see it in the picture? Abraham went to get it, and he untied Isaac and let him go free, and instead, Abraham sacrificed the ram.

(Music)

Boys and girls, why do you think God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac? (beep)
Did you tell your teacher why you think God would ask Abraham to sacrifice Isaac? God wanted to know how much Abraham really loved and obeyed Him. Abraham and Sarah loved Isaac very, very much. In fact, I’m sure Abraham loved Isaac more than all the riches he had. And God wanted to know if Abraham loved Him more than Isaac. Boys and girls, tell your teacher what is the most important thing to you. (beep)

You know, when I was your age, the most important thing to me was my new bicycle that I got for Christmas. Oh, it was the best thing that I ever had in my life. It was a bright red one, and at night I would bring it inside and put it right next to my bed. I didn’t want anyone to steal it. But one day, my daddy asked me if he could borrow the bike. Oh, I didn’t want him to, and I said, “No way! It is mine!” But after a while, I began to feel badly and selfish, so I went to my daddy and said that he could ride my new red bike. You know, boys and girls, my daddy didn’t really want to ride the bike, but he was testing me to see if I loved him more than the bike. And you know, I do love my daddy more than anything else in the world. Abraham loved Isaac very, very much, but he loved God more, and he was willing to obey God when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac, his only son. Children, God wants you and me to love and obey Him completely, even when He asks us to do something very hard.

Now, turn to picture twenty-one.
Many years had passed, and now Isaac was a big man. In fact, he was old enough to get married. How many of you boys and girls want to get married? Well, you do not want to get married right now, but when you get older, then you will want to. Well, Abraham knew that he had to find a good wife for his son. He did not want Isaac to marry just any girl. He wanted Isaac to marry a good girl who loved and obeyed God. So he called one of his servants and said to him, “You must promise me that you will not let my son marry one of these Canaanite ladies. I want you to go to my country and find a good wife for him.” And so the servant promised, and agreed to find a good wife for Isaac.

The servant got ready for the safari. I’m sure he was excited. He loaded up ten camels with lots of nice gifts to give to the lady’s family. And of course, he made sure he had enough food for the safari. After some time, he reached Abraham’s home country, but then he thought, “Oh, no! How will I know which lady to choose?” So, boys and girls, do you know what he did? What would you do? (beep)

Did you have a chance to tell your teacher what you would do to find Isaac’s wife? Well, this servant knelt down and prayed to God. He prayed, “God, I am at the well where lots of ladies come to get water. I will say to one of them, ‘Please give me a drink,’ and if she says, ‘Drink, and I will bring water for your camels,’ I will believe that she is the one You have chosen to be the wife for Isaac. Amen.”

And do you know what, children? When the servant prayed and opened his eyes, there was a very pretty lady coming to the well with her pot. He ran to her and said, “Oh, please, give me a drink of water from your pot.”

She said, “Please, drink. You must be very thirsty. And I will even bring water for your camels. They look thirsty to me.” When the lady said this, Abraham’s servant knew that she was to be the wife of Isaac. He was excited. He asked her what her name was, and she said that it was Rebecca. Isn’t that a pretty name, children? Then Abraham’s servant went to meet Rebecca’s family, and he gave them all the beautiful gifts he had carried. Rebecca and her family agreed that she would marry Isaac.

(Music)

Children, it is very important for us to pray to God and ask God to help us before we make any important decision. What if Abraham’s servant did not pray and ask God for help? He would not know which lady to choose to be Isaac’s wife, and he would be confused when he saw so many ladies at the well. Boys and girls, can you think of some important decision you need to make? If you do, why not tell your teacher right now? (beep)
Remember, children, ask God to help you decide what to do. God loves us, and He is concerned about everything in our life.

Now look at picture 22.
Children, do you know what this picture is about? Yes! It’s about the time when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. I want to tell you that there is a very important reason we celebrate Christmas. It is Jesus’ birthday. Why don’t you sing this chorus with me?

(man and woman sing to tune of Frère Jacques) “Baby Jesus, baby Jesus, I love You, I love You! You are my Saviour, You are my Saviour, every day, every day.”

(woman’s voice) Okay, boys and girls, I think it’s a nice song. Can we sing it again? “Baby Jesus, baby Jesus, I love You, I love You! You are my Saviour, You are my Saviour, every day, every day.”

Did any of you have a birthday today? Boys and girls, do you know why Jesus came into the world? Jesus is the Son of God, and He could have stayed in heaven, but He was willing to come to this world of ours to show us the way to God.

Now, look at picture 23.
Boys and girls, Jesus came to this world as a baby for a special reason. Do you know why Jesus came? (beep)

Jesus came to die for our sins. This is a sad picture, isn’t it? It must have hurt Jesus very much to have big nails put in His hands and feet. Can you see the nails in Jesus’ hands and feet? But you know, Jesus had to die on the cross because of our sins. God will not let us into heaven if we have sin, but Jesus wants us to go to heaven after we die, and the only way God will let us into heaven is if we have Jesus in our heart. Do you want to go to heaven, children? If you do, ask Jesus to forgive your sins. Then you need to thank Jesus for dying on the cross for your sins. Then you need to ask Him to come into your heart. Will you do that, boys and girls? If you will do this, Jesus promises to come and live in you. Do you remember I told you Jesus always keeps His promises? Why not tell Jesus that you want Him to come into your heart? (beep)

Now look at picture 24.
After Jesus died on the cross, He came alive again! Remember, Jesus is the Son of God! Boys and girls, do you know what Jesus did after He rose from the dead? He went to visit His disciples. One of his disciples was called Thomas, and he did not believe that Jesus was really alive. So Jesus went to him and He showed Thomas the holes where the nails had pierced His hands and feet. When Thomas saw them, he believed that Jesus really was alive. Boys and girls, Jesus is alive today, and He wants you, and you, and you to love and obey Him. Jesus loves you, and He has a wonderful plan for your life. Trust and obey Him, children, for He is the Son of God. (three beeps for end of the program)