Children’s Story for November 14th, 2004

Bible Road Signs

By Joanne Peters, Bergthal Mennonite Church, Didsbury, AB

Bible Passage

• Luke 21:5-19 (signs of the end of the age)

Advance preparation needed

• Draw a few different road signs on large paper (make sure one of the road signs is “watch for falling rocks”).
• Choose signs that most children would easily recognize such as: stop, yield, playground zone, railway crossing, school zone, speed limit, etc.

To introduce the Story

• begin by greeting the children
• ask them if any of them have possibly . . . ever . . . by any chance . . . ridden in a vehicle?
• ask them what signs they have seen along the roads that help drivers stay safe (road signs)
• hold up one road sign at a time and ask a child to tell you what the sign is and what it means (make sure to keep the “falling rocks” sign as the last one you show)

Story: Bible Road Signs

Hold up the “falling rocks” sign and ask what this sign is and what it means. If falling rocks are not dangers in your area hold up another sign of possible danger.

Ask the children: Are we very afraid; do we panic when we see this sign? (No – the sign is to make sure that we are paying careful attention – there is a possibility of something being on the road and the driver needs to be extra alert).

Ask the children: What if someone didn’t see the sign or didn’t know what it meant? How could we help that person understand what the “watch out for falling rocks” sign meant?

Ask the children: Can you think of “road signs” in the Bible?

That might sound kind of odd, because they didn’t have cars in Bible times! But there are things in the Bible to help guide us and keep us on the right path in our lives. Let’s think about some of those together. There are stories and verses in the Bible that are like a “stop” sign (hold up appropriate sign). Sometimes we need to stop all the rushing around and take a good look around to see what else is going on around us. The Bible verse “Be still and know that I am God” is like that.

Other stories and verses in the Bible that can act like a “yield” sign – they remind us to slow down and see if someone else is there. Can you think of a story? (The Good Samaritan slowed down to help a neighbour.) I think Jesus advice to love your neighbour as yourself is like that also a bit like the “playground” zone sign. These ‘road signs’ help us remember that we are God’s children and to watch out for each other.

Sometimes, there are even “watch out for falling rocks” stories and verses in the Bible. Today’s verses from Luke are like that. Jesus wants us to pay extra attention to where we are going and to be extra careful about dangers that may lie ahead of us on our path. There are some things that we need to avoid and to warn others about. These stories and verses are not meant to frighten us. They are a way of saying, “Hey you! Pay attention to what is happening around you; be ready for what may lie ahead. Help other people understand it and get ready for it too.”

Copy enough of the “falling rocks” road signs to give one to each of the children to colour.