My Testimony (My story as of 2025)

Marlon Walters recently interviewed me on Upward Way, an interview-style show aired on Adventist World Radio. In this video, I’ve excerpted my testimony from the hour-long podcast.

 

During life’s journey, our story grows with us. This is mine, as it is today!

Empowering God's Kids (1/2)

 Have you ever seen a child’s eyes light up as you tell them a story? It’s magical! Stories have a special way of reaching deep into the heart. And when those stories come from the Bible they carry eternal purpose.

There are many storytelling opportunities in every Seventh-day Adventist Church. Offer to tell the children’s story during a worship service. Volunteer to help in a Sabbath School class. Share stories with your children or grandchildren at home. Telling stories to children regularly makes a huge difference in their spiritual journey and your storytelling skills!

Why Do Bible Stories Matter So Much?

Jesus taught using stories, parables and illustrations. He knew that stories make big ideas easier to understand and remember. When we share Bible stories with children:

Children connect to stories emotionally. Kids don’t just hear the facts, they feel the story. They imagine being David while facing Goliath or Daniel in the lion's den. This emotional connection helps them remember the lessons better than just being told what to do. For example, a child will understand obedience and faith more deeply through the story of Moses receiving the 10 Commandments than by just memorising 10 rules.

Stories teach big truths in simple ways. Bible stories show God’s love, kindness and care in action. Stories teach children important values like honesty, forgiveness, courage and compassion in a way that makes sense to them. A child who hears about the Good Samaritan is inspired to be kinder to their classmates.

Stories build a strong faith foundation. Bible stories are the building blocks of your children’s spiritual lives. They learn who God is, how much He loves us, and how He designed us to live.

Children learn to apply the Bible to their lives. Bible Stories help bridge the gap between the ancient words of the Bible and your children's everyday world. Hearing about characters who faced challenges and trusted God helps them courageously face their own fears.

God’s Storytelling Family

You have a unique and powerful role to play. You know the children in your life better than anyone. When you tell them stories, they stick. Storytelling is a time of connection, love, and shared faith. Your stories combined with Bible stories speak into your children’s lives - giving them stories to live by.

Storytime is a time to create precious moments. Sharing your stories creates warm, lasting memories. Imagine your grandchild snuggled beside you, listening intently as you tell them about baby Moses in the basket or Jesus calming the storm. These are moments that build not just faith but also strong family bonds.

Storytime is a time to pass on your faith. This is how faith has been passed down for generations. When you share sacred stories, you are giving a precious gift – the story of God’s love and the stories of His people.

Storytime reinforces what they are learning at church. What children hear from you at home or in a quiet moment at church can beautifully reinforce what they learn in Sabbath School or during the children’s story time in the main service.

Storytime is a time for you to be a living example! When children see these stories are important to you they take them to heart more naturally. You are modelling a life of faith.

A Legacy of Faith

You can help your children and the children in your church connect with God by being involved in storytelling. Telling Bible stories is one of the most wonderful things you can do for your own faith and the faith development of those who listen. Telling a story for worship at home, the Children’s story in the church service or teaching in one of the children’s Sabbath School classes plants seeds of faith that will grow for a lifetime.

When family members like you step up to share Bible stories, it does more than just bless the children. It strengthens the whole church community. Children feel seen, valued, and truly part of the church family when adults take the time to share God’s Word with them in a way they understand. Telling Bible stories to children is a beautiful act of discipleship, following Jesus’ example when He said, "Let the little children come to me".

So, take a deep breath, say a little prayer, and start your storytelling adventure today! You have a wonderful gift to give. Fill the hearts of children with the timeless, life-changing stories of faith in God’s Word. Then, as they grow up, watch the church blossom with new life as your well-storied children step into faithful leadership in God’s Kingdom!

Kids Story: The Wise and Foolish Builders (Matthew 7:24-27)

Performed at Lilydale Adventist Church - May 3, 2025

To prepare for this children’s story I had a chat with Gemini Deep Research about wisdom in the Bible for Children. Then, when considering a way to illustrate the point, an illustration of Tom Wright’s came to mind.

Angled Mirrors

Tom Wright’s mirror illustration can be found here:

Gemini Deep Research

Context: This well-known parable serves as the powerful conclusion to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5-7), His most extensive recorded teaching. Having laid out the principles of life in God's kingdom, Jesus uses this story to emphasize the critical importance of not just hearing His words, but actively putting them into practice.

Wisdom Demonstrated: Obedience to God's Word: The core of wisdom, as taught here, is active obedience. It's not enough to simply hear or agree with Jesus; true wisdom is demonstrated by doing what He says.


Building on a Solid Foundation: Wisdom involves choosing the right basis for one's life. Building on the "rock" of Christ's teachings provides enduring stability and security against life's inevitable challenges.


Foresight/Long-Term Perspective: The wise builder anticipates future difficulties (storms) and prepares by choosing a solid foundation, demonstrating prudence. The foolish builder likely chooses the easier, quicker path (sand) without considering the potential consequences.


Suitability for Children: The house-building analogy is simple, visual, and easily understood by children. It creates a clear distinction between the wise choice (hearing and doing) and the foolish choice (hearing but not doing). It practically illustrates the importance of obedience and grounding one's life in Jesus' teachings for strength and stability. The existence of a popular children's song based on this parable also aids familiarity and recall.


Further Considerations: The crucial difference between the two builders lies in their actions – doing versus not doing what they heard. This emphasizes that biblical wisdom is fundamentally active, requiring participation and application, not just passive reception of information. This has direct implications for teaching, suggesting that lessons should always aim for practical life application. Furthermore, the consequence for the foolish builder is severe – a "great fall," signifying complete destruction. Within the context of Matthew's Gospel, this points strongly towards the irreversible consequences of the final judgment. This highlights that the choice between the wisdom of obedience and the folly of disobedience is not trivial but carries ultimate, eternal weight.