This month's Activities section focuses on Job. The Book of Job may be a difficult read for children and teens, but a shortened version can be found in Kids Korner. For children, see: The Story of Job. For other children both versions of The Story of Job by Egermeier and Hurlbut are worth reading. To really understand this story would take much longer than a month of digging. Four themes will be covered in August; identity; friendship; relationship with God; and moving from good to great.

Swap Shop shares an activity on teaching children how to make the lentil stew Esau bought with his birthright.

Teachers and Parents

Helping families encourage their children to read the exciting stories of the Bible is the basis of Caryl Krueger's article, Exciting Reading.

Margie Eddington's article, I Love Who I Am, addresses how to identify ourselves.

Teachers, you might like to suggest to your students' parents that they read and discuss the special Bible stories listed in Kids Korner's Bible Characters. There are stories for all ages.

Below is a sample calendar of activities and ideas to read and discuss each week in August. There is a memorization verse for each week as well. Work with your child and your students to learn each verse. Then, discuss the meaning of the verse and how it can be applied to our everyday lives. On Sundays during class, riding in the car, or at dinner, it's fun to share stories of how the children have used the verse in their lives that week.

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Week of July 26-August 1
Memorization verse: Isa 62:10 Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.

• What does this verse mean to you?
• Why is God our strength?

Sunday, August 1

• Ask the students to recite this week's Bible verse.
• Discuss the meaning of the verse.
• What is a standard?
• How do we prepare the way for others?

All ages:

• Why is it important to study the Bible?
• How has the Bible helped you in your life?
• What is your favorite story in the Bible?
  • Tell the story.
  • Why do you like that story?
  • What does the story teach us about God? Life? Ourselves?

Assignment: Read Job; Listen to the story about Jairus' daughter and complete the puzzle.

August 2 -8
Memorization verse: Ps 42:11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

• What does this verse mean to you?
• What does it say about defeat?

Sunday, August 8
Ask the students to recite this week's Bible Verse.

• How could you use this verse?
• Do you ever feel cast down?
  • What do you do about it?
  • How would you pray if you felt unsettled inside?
• Do you trust God for your health?
• After reading Job - do you think these are words he could have spoken? Why?

Younger Classes and Older Classes (pick and choose from a number of activities appropriate for your age group)

Review the story of Job. Explain this is a drama. It opens with a description of Job's prosperity. He had everything he could ever want. We see that God is pleased and that Job is a good man and he honors God.

• What makes a "good" person?
• Describe someone you know who is good?
• Why is it important to be good?
• How do your parents, teachers, friends, treat you when you are good?
• How do you identify yourself?
• How would you answer the question, "Who am I?"
• What do you know about your nature?
• What does God know about you?

Discuss labels.

• Why do we need labels on cans and packages?
• Do you ever label people?
• Have you ever been labeled?
• What are some of the labels?
  • Are these labels positive or negative?
  • Have you ever been hurt by someone's label?
  • Have you ever been called dumb?
    • How did you feel?
    • Why should we avoid using negative labels?
• How do you remove negative labels?

Talk about the debate between Satan and God. Satan tells God that anyone would praise God when life is good, but what happens if something goes wrong?

• Do you think God would even have a debate with Satan?
• Would God play with someone's life?
• Can you see why this is a drama and not an actual recording of events?
• Why do you think this story is in the Bible?
• What does it teach us about God? Humanity?

Assignments:

Younger Children - read The Story of Job, and complete the online crossword puzzle about Job.

Older Children - read Hot topic on identity, I Love Who I am and Hurlbut's The Story of Job.

Teachers: Read Bible Overview Job and Did You Know - Job.

Week of August 9-15
Memorization verse: Ps 59:1 Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.

• What does this verse mean to you?
• Why can we trust God to defend us?

Sunday, August 15

• Ask the students to recite this week's Bible verse.
• Discuss the meaning of the verse.
• How is this applicable to world events?
• Who or what is an enemy?
• Can something or someone "good" be an enemy?
  • Remember your definition of "good" last week.
• Talk about the difference between trusting God with our lives or trusting friends.
• Do you think Job could have used this verse as a prayer? Why?
  • What was happening with his friends?

Younger and Older Classes (pick and choose questions and activities appropriate for your age group)

Discuss the story of Job starting with the visit of his three friends - Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar.

• Why are his friends visiting him?
• What do they recommend that Job should do? [Job 4:1-14:22 First cycle of speeches]
• What kind of comfort did they offer Job?
• Would you want them as your friends?
  • Why or why not?
• Describe the perfect friend.
  • Do you have a friend like that?
  • Are you a friend like your description?
• Would any of Job's friends fit the description of a perfect friend?
  • Why? Or Why not?
• If you had been Job's friend, what would you have done to help him?
• After reading about Job's friends what do you learn about advice?
• Should we ever pay attention to what our friends say?
• What if we like our friends a lot and they recommend we do something that is bad, what do you do?
• How do you stand up to your friends when they are asking you to do something wrong?
• Do you feel insecure about breaking a friendship over standing for Principle?
• How did Job respond to his friends?
  • Did he cave in and do as they advised?
  • How did Job defend himself?
  • Are you willing to defend yourself?

Assignments:

Younger Children: Create a Picture of Job and his friends.

Older Children: Read Egermeir's The Story of Job and Make a Difference on Job.

Week of August 16-22
Memorization verse: Job 42:2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.

• What does this verse mean to you?
• Who can do every thing?

Sunday, August 23

• Ask the students to recite this week's Bible verse.
• Discuss the meaning of the verse.
• Who is speaking? [Job]
• To whom is he speaking? [God]

Younger and Older Classes (pick and choose questions and activities appropriate for your age group).

Read Job 38:1-42:6

After Job goes through three cycles of speeches from his friends, and Elihu's angry response, to whom does Job speak next? [God]

• What does God say to Job?
• What does God say about the creation of the universe?
• Why does God mention He created the universe?
• When God asks Job to speak, what do you notice about his answers?
• How would you respond to God?
• Who or what are Behemoth and Leviathan? [Behemoth could be either a gigantic species of hippopotamus or water buffalo. Leviathan, according to some researchers, could be a crocodile or a sea monster.]
• Why are these creatures mentioned? [If Job wants to play God, he must rule these beasts.]
• What is Job's response to God? [Absolute awe of God's power.]
• When did you talk with God last?
• Why is prayer a form of talking with God?
• How often do you pray?
• Give an example of how you pray.
• List some of the Bible figures you have studied who had conversations with God.
• Why is it important to talk with God?
• Do you hold God in complete reverence?
• Would you argue with God or listen?

Younger Classes: Unscramble the Old Testament figures that talked with God.

Older Classes: Discuss the Make a Difference article about Job.

Assignment:

Younger Children and Older Children: Interview your parents and relatives. Ask them what is the enemy of the great? Bring your responses to class next week. Think about your own responses.

Older Children: Read Guest of the Month.

Week of August 23-29
Memorization verse: III John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

• What does this verse mean to you?
• What does it mean to prosper?

Sunday, August 29

• Ask the students to recite this week's Bible verse.
• Discuss the meaning of the verse.
• Why does God want us to prosper?
• Is this what God intended for Job?

Review the story of Job.

• List all the lessons you've learned about Job?
• How can you apply those lessons to your life?
• August 8 we discussed what is "goodness."
  • After studying the story of Job, describe "goodness" now.
• Discuss your assignment to find the enemy of the great.
  • What is the enemy of the great? [good]
  • How can good be the enemy of the great?
    • Just think of doing something great - like praying - anything good come along to stop you.
      • List the good things that interrupt Bible study or prayer.

Teachers:

In Jim Collins' recent best seller Good to Great, he distinguishes between good businesses and great businesses. Collins explains that "good" is the enemy of the "great." We don't have great schools because we have good schools. Few people achieve greatness because they are content with goodness. Collins discovered a few principles that moved businesses and people from good to great.

• Good to great companies don't focus on how to be great but on what not to do and what to stop doing. Doesn't this sound like God giving us the Ten Commandments?
• Collins found great leaders are:
  • Modest
  • Quiet
  • Reserved
  • Humble
    • Definitely not a Julius Caesar or General Patton.
    • Great leaders first get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus. Isn't that what God had Moses do with the 12 spies? The ten who didn't get it had to get off the bus. They didn't get into the Promised Land. The two who got it right, Joshua and Caleb, got to move with God.

There are five levels to this hierarchy of service. I'm going to use Joshua as an example for each level. Then you might want to ask your class to use Job in each level to see how he may have moved from a "good man" to a "great man."

• Level 1 - Highly Capable Individual - makes productive contributions through talent, knowledge, skills, and good work habits. Joshua certainly seems to start his career here. Highly capable. In the movie, the Ten Commandments, he is an integral part of the process of the Exodus. Biblically, however, we aren't introduced to him until Moses gives him the order to choose out men to defeat Amalek. In Ex. 17. This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. You remember that during the battle Joshua's men are successful as long as Moses keeps his hands in the air. You know how difficult that is. When he put his hands down, the Amalekites would rally and take over. Aaron and Hur solved this problem by getting a rock and seating Moses on the rock and standing on either side of him holding up his arms until Joshua and the army won.
  
  
• Level 2 - Contributing Team member - contributes to the achievement of group objectives and works effectively with others in a group setting. After the battle, we learn Joshua is probably promoted to Moses' minister (Ex. 24:12-18). When Moses goes up mount Sinai to speak with God (getting tablets of stone with the law written on them as well as instructions on building the tent of meeting), he takes Joshua. Aaron and Hur are left to tend to the needs of the people. Joshua presumably remained on the lower slopes in order to prevent any person from trying to follow Moses or interfere with Moses' mission. The new IB contends that this is similar to foreshadowing in literature. It is establishing a visual image of Joshua as successor. He is obviously not afraid to follow Moses up the mountain.
  
  
• Level 3 - Competent Manager - organizes people and resources toward the effective and efficient pursuit of predetermined objectives. While not specifically written in the Bible, no doubt if Joshua is Moses' minister (lieutenant), he is intricately involved in the building of the tent of meeting. In verse Ex 33:11 we are told he is serving in the tent of meeting.
  
  
• Level 4 - Effective leader - catalyzes commitment to and vigorous pursuit of clear and compelling vision, stimulating higher performance standards. This is a shining moment for Joshua. He is selected as one of the twelve spies to "examine" the land. His ability to see the good in the land and their ability to conquer the land with God's help outweighs any negativity. It is going to require trust in God. So what else is new. Caleb knows that with God they can do this. The people, however, see the glass half empty and are prepared to stone Joshua and Caleb.
  
  
• Level 5 - Executive - builds enduring greatness through a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will. The IB dictionary states that Joshua was almost a second Moses.
  • He has the presence of God as Moses did;
  • He is obeyed as Moses was;
  • He sanctifies Israel before God's wonders, as Moses did;
  • He is exalted before Israel as Moses was.
  • The crossing of the Jordan on dry ground corresponds to the Red Sea crossing.
  • When the angel speaks to Joshua before Jericho, he speaks to him the same way God
  • poke to Moses at the burning bush.
  • Joshua like Moses, wrote the law on stones.
  • God hearkens to Joshua's voice as he had with Moses.
  • When Joshua brings the tribes to Shechem for the covenant ceremony, he summarizes Israel's history similar to Moses' summary in Deuteronomy.
    • Both distribute land;
    • Both speak as prophets;
    • Both have God's promise that God will be with them.
  • We have seen how Joshua has advanced through the five steps of leadership. Collins contends humility is essential to be a great leader.

Humility, as we see it in the Bible, is an act of surrendering human will and ego and blending it with the ability to listen and obey God.

• Collins further defines greatness as a matter of conscious choice. Let's define "conscious choice" as a desire to let the divine will govern all our actions.
• Joshua showed all the elements of greatness - humility and the ability to make conscious choices.
  

Assignments:

All grade levels, take the Bible Quiz on Kids Korner and Match the Rhyming Statements. Create rhymes for 3-5 more Bible characters to share with your class next Sunday. See if they can guess your Bible figure from the clues you write in your rhyme. Send your rhyming clues to BibleWise.com.

Week of August 30-Sept. 5
Memorization verse: Phil 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

• What does this verse mean to you?
• What is a good report?