If we don't teach our children to follow Christ, the world will teach them not to.
GOD IS TOTALLY TRUTHFUL (Day 26)

Because GOD IS TOTALLY TRUTHFUL, I can live by His Word.

Preparation: If you want to get a head start on the Activity for today, skip down below. Today you will be creating a treasure map for your child to have a treasure hunt!

Pull out a compass and note what direction is North. If you don't have a compass, most smartphones have an app with a compass on it, or just take your best guess - it's only an illustration. Ask your child to point in a direction that they think is North. Followup with these questions.
  • Did you point in the right direction?
  • How can someone know where North is? (by using a compass)
  • Will the compass always point North? (yes)
  • Do we have something like a compass that will always point us in the right direction? (yes, God's Word)

Read the Bible Memory Verse below.

BIBLE MEMORY VERSE
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
(Proverbs 30:5)
How much of God's Word proves to be true? 50%, 99%, 100%? ( 100%)

Read the following quotes from Jesus. Fill-in the blanks below:
  • John 14:31 - "As the Father gave me commandment, even so I ____"
  • John 15:10 - "I have _____ my Father's commandments"
  • John 17:17 - "Thy Word _____ truth."
  • Matthew 4:4 - "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by _______ word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

How would you describe Jesus' attitude about God's Word? ( God's Word is true in every way and worthy to live your life by it)

In Matthew 4:3-10 when Jesus was facing Satan's temptations, Jesus even used God's Word as a weapon against temptation to sin. How many times did Jesus say, "It is written ...?" ( three times Jesus quoted the Bible as a weapon against the temptation to sin)

Jesus used the Bible as a compass to guide His life and decisions. He also used the Bible when facing temptation! It was His compass, and it is our compass too! The best way to know what truth is, is to know God's Word, the Bible. What can you do to know the Bible better?( Read it, Study it, Listen to it taught, Memorize it. Share it with others)

WHY DOES THIS MATTER:
Because God is Totally Truthful, you can be confident that His Word, the Bible, is Totally Truthful. It is your compass when you are lost, your encouragement when you are sad or discouraged, and your source of advice when you don't know what to do.

TAKING ACTION:
Thank God for His Word, the Bible. Ask Him to help you see the lies of the enemy and use the truth of God's Word as your compass.

Instructions are provided below for a TREASURE HUNT !!. The template saves you some time but feel free to be as creative as you want, even if you want to make your own! The goal is to show how important it is that God is Totally Truthful.

Give your child a treasure map showing them where to start and how to find the treasure. After they have found the treasure, complete this application with the following questions.
  1. What if the instructions for the treasure hunt were wrong? Would you find the treasure? (No)
  2. What if the treasure wasn't there after you spent all this time trying to hunt for it?
  3. What is the Greatest Treasure that anyone could ever have? (friendship with God)
  4. What map do we have to guide us to being a friend of God? (the Bible)

A friendship with God is the greatest of all treasures and He wants us to find it!! You can count on God's Word to be totally Truthful because God is Totally Truthful. If you follow it's instructions you will always find the treasure!!! What are God's instructions for us in order to receive this treasure? ( We must each accept Jesus as Lord and Savior ).

If you or your child have any questions about finding the Greatest Treasure, reach out to Florence Baptist Temple and someone will help answer your questions.

adapted from Discover God 4 Kids
Print this and follow the "How to" instructions to create a Treasure Map.
Follow these instructions to make your
own personalized Treasure Map.
A Sample Prayer to Conclude Your Time
Dear God,
We praise You for being Truth in our lives. In a world of half-truths and lies, we thank You that Your Word can always be trusted. Forgive us when we fail to read Your Word and hear Your Truth. Help us to live Your truth and be truthful people. Give us courage to stand up for Your Word or stand up for what is True. Most importantly, open our eyes to see opportunities to share the Truth of the Gospel with others.
In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen.