Today, Tomorrow, Forever - Discipling Through Story

Imagine you are holding a footlong undecorated cardboard-brown tube. Along the length of the cardboard tube you have hand printed in big bold letters: “G O S P E L”. You hold the tube in front of yourself so the group of five year olds can see the word.

“What does that spell?” You ask. 

Glancing to a parent and then back to you, one bright youngster shouts “GOSPEL!” 

“And what is the Gospel?” You ask. 

A moment of silence and then a questioning answer: “The Bible?” You nod and gesture that you want more answers. “Jesus?” another kid hazards. You smile, still holding the tube so they can read the world G O S P E L.

“You are both right,” you say. “The Gospel is the story of Jesus in the Bible. The Gospel is everything that Jesus did for us and will do for us. The Gospel means God loves us and that’s what the Bible is all about.” You pause and look down at the cardboard tube, surprised. “What’s this?” you ask. “Does anyone know what’s in my hand?”

“The GOSPEL!” the kids shout in unison. 

“True,” you laugh. Then you spin the tube in various directions so the kids can see it’s shape. “But, what is this thing that says GOSPEL on it?” 

“It’s a toilet paper roll,” one kid says. “It’s too long for that,” another kid corrects. “It’s a paper-towel roll.” 

“Good answers,” you say, “but let me show you something.” You hold it longways again, the word “GOSPEL” facing the kids. “This way it’s a rectangle,” you draw a rectangle tracing the two dimensional shape facing them. Then you turn it end out, “But this way, it’s a circle, isn’t it?”

The kids all nod. “That’s because it’s a tube!” one future-scientist exclaims. 

“Yes,” you laugh, “it is a tube. But this tube never had paper of any kind wrapped around it. In fact, my GOSPEL tube may look plain and boring but that’s only because you haven’t looked inside it. Who want’s look look into my GOSPEL tube?”

Pandemonium breaks loose in the church as the kids raise their hands and beg for you to call them. “I’m only going to show one of you,” you say. You choose a little boy who comes forward. You stand him side-on to the audience and ask him to close one eye. Resting the tube gently against the open eye, you point it up toward the light, slowly rotating it as he looks through. “What do you see in my GOSPEL tube?” you ask him, holding the mic to his mouth as he looks through the kaleidoscope. 

“It’s, it’s...” Awed by the beautiful fractal patterns of light and colour the boy searches for the right words. He goes quiet for a moment as he stares upward. Finally he whispers, “It’s beautiful!” 

Helpers appear and stand at the edge of the stage, each holding a large box. 

“The Gospel is beautiful and it can only be truly understood when you look for yourself!” you say, “As you go back to your seats, take a GOSPEL tube from one of my friends and enjoy looking through them!” 

How do you tell the Gospel story? Do you tell it differently when telling it the first time to a five year-old and a fifty year-old? Of course you do! Why?

Each of us has had a different experience of discovering the GOSPEL kaleidoscope. Most of us hear the Good News of the Gospel explained early in our faith journey. The first explanation may have seemed as boring as a cardboard tube. Someone held it up, showed you the word GOSPEL, and explained it as a rectangle. Then you met people who held it up and proclaimed its circle nature. And occasionally, some deep thinker who pondered things in three dimensions, proclaimed it was a tube (often to the chagrin of many others in the room). 

Do you remember the day when you picked up the GOSPEL tube and put it to your eye for the first time? How do you explain what you saw? The rectangle, circle, tube thing you had seen so many times, came to life. Colours collided and colluded in patterns of randomly shifting shapes. Perhaps you quickly pulled it away from your eye, wondering if you were doing something wrong. “Why has no-one told me about this before?” You wondered. 

The Gospel is like that. It is something that can only be truly understood when it is encountered personally. The Good News is not a TV show, it’s a friend at a Cafe. It’s not is not web-page, it’s a chat window. The Gospel is something between you and Jesus. And it’s beautiful.

Looking through the GOSPEL kaleidoscope can happen in various ways. It can happen in a conversation with a friend, while you are reading God’s Word, in a song, in something you see, in a sermon, in silence, in nature, in prayer, in a book, or in some other way God chooses to use. The kaleidoscope touches our eye, usually fleetingly, in many wonderful ways. And the Good News becomes richer to us with each kaleidoscopic view we experience. 

Your salvation-testimony is powerful because it is what you saw when you peered through the GOSPEL kaleidoscope for the first time. And each further gaze into the light of Jesus is another story worth telling. This is why the Bible is full of stories - it is a cafe full of people who each have another telling, their own story, of what God means and who God is to them. The Bible, is a library of personal testimonies. It’s meant to show us fractal images of broken people who the light of God shines through. And that light, shining upon us, shapes us. 

Likewise each personal testimony of friends and family is another fresh and beautifully unique view of the nature, power and presence of God. If we are staring into the light of God’s glory, we are GOSPEL kaleidoscopes to the world around us - to those who are ready to see. People can see the Good News in you and through you. There is phenomenal spiritual power at the table, between friends. Your testimony is a view of Jesus that only you can give. When you tell it, you are His personal GOSPEL kaleidoscope. 

This is why Jesus called us to be disciple makers. He wants us to tell the story — both the story of the ancient faith and the story of today’s faith — to those who are seeking Him. Who are you? Who are we? What is truth? These questions are meant to be asked and answered in conversation. God wants to be viewed by those seeking Him through the kaleidoscope of you. 

When He revealed His character to the Israelites in the desert, God said their primary job was to love Him with all their heart, soul and strength so they would speak of Him and His Law — when at home, when on the road, when resting, when rising — revealing their passionate love for Him. 

You are not the only Jesus some people will ever see but you may be the only window they see Him through. Our view of God, as the kaleidoscope turns, is the view of Himself which He wants others to see. Yes, this is ridiculous and amazing. But it is also true. The way God wants to be seen is through you. 

Because of this amazing desire of God, to be seen through us, we should strive to know Him with as much clarity as possible. We need to know Him with our head, heart, hands and horizon. With our heads we study His Word and consider all that He has taught us. With our hearts we express our love for Him in worship and compassion to others. With our hands we extend His mercy to the world around us in acts of selfless service. And in all this we continue to grow the horizons of His Kingdom by constantly striving to welcome new people and ideas. 

At each step of our journey we tell a new story. It is new because we are reaching new horizons through the work of our head, heart and hands. Each new thought, new deed, new song is a small turn of the kaleidoscope causing the coloured fractal we see of Jesus and His Kingdom to shift, giving us a new story to tell. And it is through these stories, these living moments in the Gospel, that God wants to be seen and known. We are called to revel in and reveal the Good News of all Jesus has done, is doing and will do in us and for us. 

If we want a church today, tomorrow and forever we need a story today, tomorrow and forever. We need to tell the eternally relevant Gospel story of God’s Kingdom now and new every day! This isn't easy. It takes humility. It takes fresh eyes and a heart willing — even longing — for the kaleidoscope to turn. It takes relationships carefully and lovingly cultivated beyond small talk. It takes a personal challenge to our head, heart, hands and horizons. Ultimately, it takes the desire to see each generation become well discipled disciple-makers. and this happens only through shared story. So let us share our faith story — as we sit, walk, rest and rise — one turn of the kaleidoscope at a time.

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Implied Biblical references: Deuteronomy 5:1-6:4-8, Matthew 28:16-20

A Memory of Elephants

Sunday, my 14 year-old son and I went to the Melbourne Zoo to see the baby Elephant born last month. We made a day of it, riding too the zoo on the train and having lunch at Central Station on the way home. We had no idea the amazing scene we were going to witness or the lessons we would learn.

After an hour on the train and a walk through the zoo, we arrived at “The Trail of the Elephants” where we found the baby, his mother and the rest of the herd in the last elephant enclosure.

The baby and two other small elephants were in the middle of the enclosure near an empty concrete wading pool. Three large elephants milled around in the shade near the wall of the large enclosure - quite some distance from the baby who was curiously exploring the area around the dry pool.

As we watched the little guy exploring his terrain, we were in for a surprise. The pool area was fenced with a solitary piece of string tied to tall metal stakes. Normally there is an electrified wire to keep the adult elephants out of the empty pool area. Because of the presence of the little elephant, the electric wire had been replaced with string. The elephants, of course, did not know this.

The baby clumsily climbed up the concrete area bordering the pool and wobbled toward the string. As he got closer to the empty pool his head bumped the string. The baby let out a panicked squeal. He lurched, trying to get away from the string, but ended up rushing underneath it into the roped off area. He clearly knew this was a bad thing. He roared his distress - repeatly calling for help. I was amazed how low his voice was. The lions in the "ROAR" exhibit would have been proud to have this little guy's resonance and depth! 

The other elephants reacted instantly, rushing to the string. It was clear which elephant was the baby’s mother as she waved her trunk under the string and scuffed her feet in the dust. Every other elephant in the enclosure gathered around the mother, clearly wanting to help.

One of the elephant handlers appeared at a gate and hurried into the enclosure. The baby was continuing to call and the adults to answer. The man navigated around the herd of concerned adults cautiously but quickly and reached the empty pool. The handler called the baby elephant and lifted the string up. The baby crossed underneath, rushing to his mother.

Then the rest of the herd did something amazing, they formed a protective huddle around the mother and baby. As one massive group, they quickly shuffled away from the pool area. Once they reached a safe distance, they scuffed their feet and blew their trunks into the dirt creating a dust cloud. The baby disappeared in the protective huddle. In the wild, this would serve as very effective protection and an intimidating display to any would-be-baby-killer!

The elephants stayed huddled around the little baby while the handlers opened a huge gate at the far end of the enclosure. Once the herd could see an exit from this stressful (and dangerous!) environment, one elephant lead the way and the others followed. The entire heard left the scary enclosure behind and journeyed to greener pastures.

What if our church community was as caring as an elephant herd? What if every one of us responded to the stress the world brings our young? What if we gathered around struggling and stressed parents to provide strength in numbers? What if our pastors had stress-reducing strategies ready whenever we feel in danger? What if our church was the safe environment where at risk youth were shepherded?

What if nurture came as naturally to us as it does to elephants? It can! We just need three things: Big ears, quick feet and small groups. We need to be listening carefully - the cries will rarely be as loud as an elephant! We need to react to what we hear, running to support those who are suffering, struggling or stranded. And we need to gather together regularly in groups small enough that we each know, love and care for each other.

Seven years ago, our family left Tasmania. During the two years we lived there my wife was part of a small group that met weekly. Yesterday, a card and a gift arrived from the small group. They had heard that my wife was going through a tough time as she dealt with both her father and myself each having a tumor. Her small group heard, ran to the need and huddled together, signing the card and wrapping the gift. Even after seven years, a small group never forgets.

There are many more stories like this one, of people caring for their friends and family because they listen, gather and care. When we spend time together regularly, nurture comes naturally. You know this already, if you have a small group that you call home. If you don’t, perhaps it’s time to start one!

Your Sabbath School class, or your kid’s Sabbath School class, is a great place to start. Think through the families you know and enjoy. Invite two or three families over for a meal (or to the park or a restaurant) and see how the first “meeting” goes. If you gel well as a group, ask the other adults if they’d like to “do this again sometime”. You’ll be surprised. People are looking for community. Your small group is only a meal away!

It is impossible to quantify the gift you are giving the children in your family or church family by being part of a small group. Their cries will be heard. Their needs for community will be met. You will have a group of people ready to care when a young one encounters his first string barrier or a not-so-young one has a life crisis that takes them beyond their depth. It may seem small to you but rushing to their aid, or just gathering around them, could make all the difference.

Did you know that a group of elephants is called a memory of elephants? Yes, they can also be called a herd or a parade. Both of those make sense, but why a memory? We’ve been told an elephant never forgets. Perhaps this is why a group of elephants is called a memory. Or, perhaps it is because a small group of people is a lot like a memory of elephants - it never forgets it’s own. 

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For more parenting pondering,

see the "Parently" section of this blog.

Oppa Kingdom Style

Yesterday, as I was waiting for the light to change from red to green, two primary-school aged boys walked across the pedestrian crossing directly in front of my car. Well, “walked” might be the wrong word choice. They pranced. With one hand holding imaginary reigns and the other spinning a mock-lasso, they shuffled sideways across the road. If you’ve been alive in the past few months, you’ve heard the hit song, “Oppa Gangnam Style” and probably seen kids, teens and adults doing the dance. 

With amazing energy and a catchy tune, this Korean song has topped the charts in 33 countries. It has swept the world. Kids, particularly, are singing the chorus and doing the horse-riding dance with gusto. Kids live to imitate, and Oppa Gangnam Style is fun, funny and fully engaging. Kids are loving it!

This success of this song is amazing, not only because it is in Korean, but because the actual words tell the story of an “oppa” (a Korean term of respect for ‘older brother’) who is cool even though he is not muscle-bound, drug taking or time wasting. He is a hard working city dweller. He works in an office all day and enjoys hanging out with his friends at night. And his girlfriend is just like him. They are normal people. The music video starts with in a playground full of children where Psy (the singer) is trying to get some sun, suggesting he’s babysitting his nieces and nephews. This is the kind of guy we all wish we had as an older brother! 

Gangnam is the wealthiest part of Korea. To live there is desirable but requires wealth, which requires hard work and higher education. “Oppa Gangnam Style” means, in effect, “I’m the respectable older brother who lives in Gangnam and I am who you should want to be when you grow up.” In today’s wealth and prestige focused world, Oppa Gangnam Style is presenting a much better message than many other popular songs which promote unhealthy lifestyles and unbalanced relationships. Oppa Psy is family we’d like to have.

In church circles, we hear a lot of talk about family. At a baptism, people say, “Welcome to God’s family, brother.” At church we might hear, “Good morning sister, isn’t it good to be part of the family of God?” And we pray, as Jesus taught us, “Our Father . . . ” 

But, when Jesus talked about the people of God, He called them a kingdom. He said the “kingdom of heaven” belongs to the poor, the persecuted and those who realize they need God. He said we should want the “kingdom of God” above everything else because God gives every need to those who seek His Kingdom. 

So why “kingdom” rather than “family”? What does this mean to you and me? For one thing—a pretty awesome “one thing”—it means our “Father” is the King! And that means we are princes and princesses—we’re royalty! 

But there is so much more to the kingdom of God than making us feel good about being part of the in crowd. As we explore the kingdom Jesus talked about, we find a place where the poor are cared for, the sick are healed, the rich share, children are included, sinners repent, and outsiders are welcomed. 

Jesus said this kingdom—the kingdom of God—is very near. For Jesus, the goal wasn’t so much about getting yourself into the kingdom, but letting the kingdom get into you. And once that happens, the kingdom becomes like a little yeast in a lot of dough. It spreads in you and through you and you rise, as someone new—a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, more commonly known as a Christian. Jesus calls us, in effect, to live “Kingdom Style.”

Another important reason Jesus called His people a kingdom is because a kingdom is built, maintained, beautified, and expanded by the citizens, not the King. The King defines the kingdom, sets the laws and governs the people. Living “Kingdom Style” means each of us is busy bringing the kingdom to life in every word and action. The kingdom of God is created anew each and every day by each and every one of us. 

And we do it together. To put the principles of the kingdom into practice is to become the ‘big brother’ who draws others to live “Oppa Kingdom Style.” This is discipleship. The kingdom of Heaven is all about community. Perhaps this is why we like the family metaphor so much. God’s kingdom feels like a big happy family. We become stronger in our faith and more effective in our mission when we work together. Living “Kingdom Style” cannot be done alone. True kingdom citizens—true Christians—live “Oppa Kingdom Style” recognising that we walk in someone’s footprints as someone else walks in ours. Together, we are the kingdom of God.

As you walk—whether it be across the road at a red light, at the park with your family, or to serve the needs of a suffering world—may you walk, hand in hand, Oppa Kingdom Style.

Parents - Ultimate Disciple-Makers!

Christian parents have the joyful task of studying the Bible with the primary purpose of presenting its realities in simple truth-filled statements. Children need this simplicity and clarity. 

For example, to a child, Jesus at a party has a very beautiful meaning. He's at your party! He’d never miss it! He loves you and always shows up. Jesus is never too busy to be there for you. He never calls to say He will be late. He always shows up early. In fact, He’s always there. Jesus says He will never leave of forsake you. That’s Jesus the partygoer - simply. 

As parents, our Bible study has a children's focus. Children must have things explained to them simply. And so, we strive to do so. This takes effort: to only say something to a child when it is simple enough for them to understand. Especially Jesus. Especially the Gospels. If we present Jesus and His teachings poorly (wrongly, partially, or in words too hard to understand) our children will build on those shaky, often incomplete, foundations we have laid. And what they build will crumble—or support them in wrong views for the rest of their lives. 

Sometimes, in this “child-readying” journey of Biblical exploration, simple raindrops of truth really mess with our doctrinal thunderstorms. “Jesus loved sinners.” And He showed His love by spending time with them. They were at parties. They were homeless. They were at church. And He went to them. 

Jesus served them in their environment: 

He provided the good wine long into the party. Jesus was fully present. 

He slowly washed their feet before redefining every symbol in a cherished memory event. Jesus was thoughtfully intentional. 

He praised a prostitute for wasteful love and rebuked a religious man for selfish thoughts. Jesus saw into hearts. 

He made the church a place of healing on the Sabbath. Jesus put people first.

As parents in the world, let us model this “people first” aspect of Jesus’ character. When relating with people outside our home, may we never turn away because they are “less” than us. May we always seek to care for the people rather than judging the environment. May we always seek the good in the heart rather than accept glaze on the surface.

As parents in the home, may we present spiritual truth through carefully planned action long before we use words. And may our words be laced with Grace. May we speak the Truth in simple statements and stories that are easily remembered and put into practice. May we repeat these truths often.

We must be true to the Living Water and deliver it drop by drop. And hopefully, when the storms come, our children will not be afraid of the rain. And if they are, they will know where the shelter of Home is—and that it is safe.

A Mature Garden

Im sure you know the story of the gardener who was toiling in his beautiful garden when a passerby commented, "Isn't it amazing how God can create such beauty?" to which the gardener replied, "Well, you should have seen it when God had it to Himself!"

I say “I'm sure you know this story” because you are the gardener. God had given each of us gifts, skills and character—all need development. And He trusts you enough to leave the gardening to you. We are His co-creators!

If you’re like my kids, who excel in playing musical instruments, you've had people applaud your talent, saying, "You're a natural!" And you think... “I may be a natural ‘NOW’ but it's taken years of practice to become one!”

As a storyteller, I know the hours I have spent and continue to spend working on my stories and my storytelling. I’ve been committed to telling stories for over 20 years. Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers, suggests 10,000 hours as the magic number needed to become exceptional at your chosen passion. That’s 10 years at about 3 hours a day. And ‘suddenly’ you’re an expert!

Just like a violinist becomes first-chair in the orchestra by practice, performance and persistence — so, a follower of Jesus is shaped by each moment of listening, doing, studying, applying—and repetition. By following Jesus we become like Him, by choice and by tending our garden. You're skill-set within your giftedness is what it is because you have been carefully tending it and God keeps it growing. 

Of all the personal gardening actions (we plant, we reap, we weed, we prune) I think pruning is the hardest. Pruning is saying no to things that are good. Pruning helps good branches grow stronger. Good becomes great. 

There’s nothing wrong with the little branches that get pruned off — except that they were taking sap. We only have so much time, energy and attention. Knowing where you will invest your 10,000 hours is vitally important. And pruning other interests back creates health and maturity — in time. 

So keep gardening!

The Two Dandelions - A Parable

Part 1 

Once upon a time on a small grassy hillside, overlooking a hidden valley, two dandelions grew. 

On the first dandelion, the stalk was training the seeds for the future. 

“One day,” the first stalk said, “a gust of wind will come and you will be torn loose from the me. When this happens you must be ready. So, listen carefully and I will prepare you for what is to come. You must have your arms strong and ready. Lift your arms up high and spread your fingers out as far as you can. When the wind lifts you from the ground you must spin! Spin with all your might. Spin your way up into the sky and go where the wind caries you. Birds will try to eat you while you are in the air. Be ready! You must spin away from the birds. When you come close to the ground and are about to land, spin yourself toward a hole or crevice in the dirt that you can fall into. It's your job to find a nice moist spot where you can take root. When you finally land on the ground, work yourself into a hole or under a clod of dirt. Then grow, grow, grow! And one day you will become a great dandelion, like I am!" 

Just as the stalk had promised, one day, the wind came. 

One of the little seeds did everything he had been taught. He stretched out his fluffy little arms. The wind caught in his fingers and lifted him high into the air. 

The little seed concentrated on spinning. He spun with the wind. He spun away from a bird that dived toward him.

Then the wind began to die down and the seed slowly settled toward the ground. 

He did his best to find a soft moist place to land. He spun himself into a muddy field. 

He had made it. He was safe! 

The sun came out. It grew warmer and warmer. At first the heat of the sun felt good.

Then the pain of the searing heat overwhelmed the little seed. His shell became hot and, finally, the little seed was baked. He was dead. 

But then the rain came. Gently it fell around the little dead seed. Imperceptibly, at first, something amazing began to happen. Small sprouts grew out of the baked seed. The sprouts became roots and reached deep into the ground. 
The seed grew into a strong healthy stalk. 

Some time went by and the stalk waited for his seeds to grow—the seeds he would teach all that he had been taught by the stalk of his childhood. But they never came. The stalk stood alone—seedless—and naked. 

Part 2 

Once upon a time on a small grassy hillside, overlooking a hidden valley, two dandelions grew. 

On the second dandelion, the stalk was training the seeds for the future. 

“One day,” the second stalk said, “a little boy will come and pick us. He will blow his sweet breath through you and you will soar into the air. His sweet breath will reach under your arms and will lift you from the stalk and will cause you to spin through the air. Birds will try to eat you while you are in the air. Be patient. The boy's sweet breath will come, to guide and protect you. When you come close to the ground and are about to land, fear not. The sweet breath of the boy will guide you to a moist spot where you can take root. When you land on the ground there will be just enough power from the boy’s sweet breath to work you into the ground and then you will grow, grow, grow! And one day you will become a great dandelion, like I am!" 

Just as the stalk had promised, one day, they heard footsteps in the valley. A boy ran on the hillside yelling, “Mum! I found a dandelion!” And just as the stalk had promised the boy plucked the dandelion up and held it to his pursed lips. 

One little seed heard a huge intake of air and then felt a mighty gust of warm sweet breath burst through his world. He felt his arms as they fluffed up and lifted him into the air. Amazingly he began to spin. 

He spun and spun for what seemed like an eternity. 

He saw a bird swooping toward him and felt a warm burst of air blow him aside. The bird flew past. Then he felt the sweet breath guiding him to a beautiful muddy spot where he landed. 

He had made it. He was safe! 

The sun came out. It grew warmer and warmer. At first the heat of the sun felt good. 

Then the pain of the searing heat overwhelmed the little seed. His shell became hot and, finally, the little seed baked. He was dead.

But then the rain came. Gently the rain fell around the little dead seed. Imperceptibly, at first, something amazing began to happen. Small sprouts grew out of the baked seed. The sprouts became roots and reached deep into the ground. 

The seed grew into a strong healthy stalk. 

Some time went by and the stalk matured, strong and healthy. When the season was right, seeds began to grow on the mature stock—seeds to whom he would tell the story—seeds who would wait for the boy to come. The boy with the sweet, sweet breath. 

Story Building

My story building strategy is simple. 

There are two core principles I operate from when building a new storytelling presentation. 

First: Choose one value to teach. 

Build the story or stories (in a presentation) around one value. You can put the value in the mouth of a character. You can imbed the value in the way the character does what they do. You can even play around the edges of the value and have the kids guess what it is. Just don't muddy the water by stomping from one point to another. Choose a value. Teach it once, twice, three times. Use a variety of approaches. But stay on value. There are other times for other talks - one talk, one value.

Some compare it to a bullet and buckshot. One value, well aimed, will get a bullseye. But fire a shotgun, full of all your favourite buckshot one-liners, at the same target and you'll hit everything and nothing. As Steve Martin’s “serious business” character says to John Candy’s “mile-a-minute storytelling” character, in Planes, Trains and Automobiles: “By the way, when you're telling these little stories, here's a good idea. Have a point. It makes it more interesting for the listener.”

Second: Stories from our ancient faith are of ultimate importance. 

If they weren’t valuable teaching stories they wouldn’t have been told, told and retold until they were anthologized in the Bible. Because these stories are recorded in the Bible they are core material — for Christians, Muslims, Jews (Old Testament), and western listeners (most of us) — and are very important source material that our kids need. The world around our children will make more sense, their faith will have more relevence to them and their personal character will be built on higher ground if they know the core Bible stories. These stories have been the building blocks of little minds for millennia and led to the development of many great minds in adulthood. Even atheists in Western Society would not be who they are if they did not come from a culture founded on the Biblical narrative. So, I must tell Bible stories and tell them in a captivating fashion that leads to a love for the Bible.

My typical approach is to search for a key verse or story that states the value as clearly as possible. Once I have that story/verse, I build the other stories around it. If I have a personal story that fits - and I mean REALLY fits well, then I will include it. I used to tell a lot more personal stories but found I was telling stories from the ancient faith less and less. And that bothered me. So, now I focus, nearly entirely, on Biblical stories.

So, there you have it!

Choose one value. Then teach that value through core-faith stories.