Elementary Level, Block 10—Apostles / Paul
Week 97
Timothy—Growing up Learning God’s Word
Point to Emphasize: We can grow up learning God’s Word.
Reading Reference: Acts 16:1-2; Ephesians 6:4; 2 Timothy 1:5; 3:15
Memory Verse: And that from a babe you have known the sacred writings… (2 Timothy 3:15a)
Story Sample
As children, you learn so many things from your parents and from your grandparents. What are the things you want to learn from your mother or from your grandmother? Maybe you want to learn how to bake yummy brownies. I simply wanted to learn how to make rice. My mom is the best at making rice. Since I was a little girl, I would watch her whenever she was cooking. When I was tall enough, my mom would let me help her, and then as I kept growing, I kept practicing. Now I can make rice just like hers! [Storyteller, insert your personal example.] Little by little your parents can teach you all the things they know. You just have to be patient to be an observer and a good learner.
The Bible talks about a young man named Timothy who grew up with his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois. I’m sure Timothy’s mother and grandmother taught him many things. But the Bible tells us of the one thing that they taught him. They taught him the sacred writings. What are the sacred writings? When Timothy was a child, all they had was the Old Testament, and it was considered the sacred writings. From the time Timothy was a young child, he was taught God’s Word. He grew up learning God’s Word from his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois. It may be that Timothy and his mom and grandmother had times together in God’s Word. Maybe they prayed and sang songs to God together. Because Timothy grew up knowing God’s Word, as a young man, he became very useful to God.
One family might read a verse together before they eat dinner. Another family might sing songs like, “Our God is so big” as they drive in the car. One mom or dad might wake up his children every morning by going to sing to them in their rooms. [Storyteller, insert your own example of how your family does something related to God together.]
Even as young children we can sing songs with our family and with our hearts to God. We can also be in God’s Word together. With our own family there are many ways that, like Timothy, we can grow up knowing God’s Word and loving God. Can anyone share about a time when your family prayed or sang or said a verse together? Maybe we can even do it today. Let’s all think about which verse we want to say or song we want to sing with our family today. [Have children share.]
At age five or six it is the perfect time to learn many things from your parents, uncles, aunts, and grandparents! I would like you all to look and see what kinds of things you can learn from your parents. [Let the children discuss.] But more importantly, I would like you to learn from them what you can about God’s Word, so as you grow older you can be as useful as Timothy, because you know God’s Word.