He glared at me, his stance defiant, insisting that I was wrong. We were role-playing, but Matt’s ten-year-old eyes dared me to contradict him. I was home from Bible college, and the elders had asked me to teach a VBS class that summer.
“That’s not the way it was in the movie,” Matt had just informed me. Several of the other students sidled up to him, agreeing with him, apparently having seen the same movie.
Silently I prayed, “Lord, help me teach these juniors correctly.”
To Matt I said, “Let’s see what the Bible says.” Quickly, I turned to I Samuel, noting chapter headings until I found chapter 17. Having everyone’s attention now, I began to read of David’s battle with Goliath. As the story ended with David cutting off Goliath’s head and carrying it to Jerusalem and then to King Saul, the students realized that the directions I had given them were correct.
While they were absorbing that, I took advantage of the moment. “You see,” I said, “that is why we are always encouraging you to read your Bible every day. That way, you’ll know what the Bible says, and you’ll recognize things that are wrong in movies or books about Bible heroes.”
I remember that a banker friend once told me, “We don’t teach our tellers about counterfeit bills. We train them to know real legal tender or bank notes so well that they will recognize anything that is not real.” It should be the same way with our church family. We should know Jesus and the Word of God so well that we could recognize any false teachings.
Trusting our children’s Bible education to Hollywood’s movie versions is not a sure thing. Producers and directors may not know the truth themselves, or they may add their own interpretations or embellishments to make the movie more attractive.
At home, we can read the stories to our children and then adapt life lessons for present-day situations. Character development can be enhanced that way.
In Bible class, it is extremely important for the teacher to know what the Bible says. Holding the open Bible in hand lets the students know where the story comes from. If questions come up, the teacher can quickly go to the source for the correct answers.
School children left on their own know only rumors, anecdotes, or legends they hear by word of mouth. A great mission field can be found on every school playground!
“Lord, help us to love Your Word so much that we will long to read it every day, and to learn that old sweet story so well that we will recognize anything that would lead us to err. Amen.”
Joyce Broyles is a retired Library teacher and lives in Jennings, LA.