{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast","title":"Teaching kids the Old Testament through emotion","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":267,"description":"Kid asked last week why learning about Jonah. \"He's dead and that story's fake anyway.\"Cool. Great way start Sunday morning.Kids don't care about ancient Israel.They care if Maddie still their friend. If allowed on trampoline after church. If mom making good mac and cheese for lunch.Moses parting Red Sea three thousand years ago? Means nothing.Tried Abraham once. Kid asked if he had cell phone. Another asked how charged his car in desert.Can't picture life without WiFi. Old Testament might as well be about aliens.Reading straight from Bible doesn't work.Did Exodus. Read whole thing out loud. Three kids fell asleep. One asked if almost done. We were chapter two.Can't throw ancient language at second graders.Making it history lesson kills it. \"In 1446 BC Israelites left Egypt...\" Eyes glazed before finished sentence.They're six. Don't know what 1446 BC means. Half can't remember what year is now.Connected David Goliath to being smallest kid in class.\"Ever have do something scary and you're only one who has do it?\"Every hand shot up.Didn't plan that. Just said it. Suddenly listening.Because they've all been small kid facing something big scary. Different thing. Same feeling.Moses scared talk to Pharaoh. Kids get that. Scared talking principal. Answering questions front of everyone.Joseph's brothers jealous. Kids know jealous. Feel it when sibling gets better toy.Start with their feelings. Show them Bible people felt it too.\"Why God tell Abraham kill Isaac?\"No idea. Mean know Sunday school answer but honestly really hard story.Told them that. Said it's complicated. We don't understand everything about these stories.Kid seemed okay with that.\"Why God kill everyone in flood?\"Teaching Noah last month. Kid asked that. Everyone stared.Told them God sad about how mean violent people became. Hard story. Don't fully understand it. But know God loves people.Not great answer. Better than making something up.Let them ask hard questions. Don't pretend have all answers when...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/xu8CrUD0jOYW3q-sNtnfx2IPiu3EBLp3zZLXQnYwa-8/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80M2I1/Y2MzODE4MmIwYmRi/NTNkZmEyZmFiYTQ4/M2JjYi5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}