Read 

Charlie Peace was a criminal. Laws of God or man curbed him not. Finally the law caught up with him and he was condemned to death. On the fatal morning in Armley Jail, Leeds, England, he was taken on the death-walk. Before him went the prison chaplain, routinely and sleepily reading some Bible verses. The criminal touched the preacher and asked what he was reading. “The Consolations of Religion,” was the reply. Charlie Peace was shocked at the way he professionally read about hell. Could a man be so unmoved under the very shadow of the scaffold as to lead a fellow-human there and yet, dry-eyed, read of a pit that has no bottom into which this fellow must fall? Could this preacher believe the words that there is an eternal fire that never consumes its victims, and yet slide over the phrase without a tremor? Is a man human at all who can say with no tears, “You will be eternally dying and yet never know the relief that death brings”? All this was too much for Charlie Peace. So he preached. Listen to his on-the-eve-of-hell sermon. 

“Sir,” addressing the preacher, “if I believed what you and the church of God say that you believe, even if England were covered with broken glass from coast to coast, I would walk over it, if need be, on hands and knees and think it worth while living, just to save one soul from an eternal hell like that!”¹ 

Reflect 

And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’ s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15) 

Respond 

Your thoughts?

Remember 

“I still, from my armchair, preach in great revivals. I still vision hundreds walking the aisles to accept Christ. I still feel hot tears for the lost . . . . I want no Christmas without a burden for lost souls, a message for sinners, a heart to bring in the lost. May food be tasteless, music a discord, Christmas a farce if I forget the dying millions; if this fire in my bones does not still flame. Not till I die or not till Jesus comes will I ever be eased from this burden, these tears, this toil to save souls.” 

—John R. Rice, age 85

(Part of a 1980 Christmas letter dictated few days before his death)² 

Vision: To inspire a passion for lost souls

The next eleven weeks will challenge you to deepen your desire to see lost people come to Christ. As you read this section, spend time examining your heart to see what the Lord desires to do in you and through you. 

_______________________

Read 

From a sermon by R. A. Torrey: 

I never think of our responsibility for being soul winners without thinking of an incident that occurred many years ago in Evanston, Illinois. There Northwestern University is located. Years ago, before it had attained to the dignity of a university, two strong, husky farmer boys came to the college to study—Ed and Will Spencer. Ed was a famous swimmer. Early one morning word came to the college that north of Evanston, between Evanston and Winnetka, there was a wreck a little way off the shore of Lake Michigan. Ed, with the other students and people of the town, hurried northward along the shore toward the wreck. As he ran along a low bluff, he saw a man clinging to the wreckage trying to make the shore. He threw off his superfluous garments, sprang into the lake and swam out, caught hold of the man and the wreckage and made toward shore. He was struck in the head by wreckage, and the blood from the wound filled his eyes so he could not see, but he succeeded in bringing the man to shore. 

Going on a little further, he saw another man clinging to wreckage trying to make the shore. This time he took the precaution to tie a rope around his waist and throw the end to the fellow-students on the shore, and sprang into the lake and swam out, grasped the drowning man, gave the signal, and was pulled ashore. Again and again he sprang into the lake and swam out to rescue some who were drowning, until he had succeeded in bringing a fifth, a sixth, a seventh, an eighth, a ninth and a tenth safe to shore. 

By now he was completely exhausted. His companions had made a fire of logs upon the shore, for the morning was cold and raw. He walked over to the fire, so weak that he could hardly stand and stood trying to get a little warmth into his shivering body. 

After standing there a few moments he turned, looked out over the lake again and saw another man trying to make the shore. He cried to his companions, “Boys, I am going in again.” “No, no, Ed,” they cried, “Your strength is all gone. You cannot save him. You will only be throwing your own life away. It will be suicide.” “I will try, anyway,” he cried. 

Again he sprang into the lake and swam out and grasped a drowning man and was pulled to shore. And again and again and again and again, until he had brought an eleventh, a twelfth, a thirteenth, a fourteenth and a fifteenth safe to shore. 

Then his strength seemed entirely gone. He tottered across the beach to the fire and stood beside it so pale and haggard and emaciated that it seemed as if the hand of death was already upon him. After standing by the fire a few moments he turned and looked out over the lake. In the distance he saw a spar drifting toward a point. To drift around meant certain death. Looking again and seeing a man’s head above the spar, he cried, “There is a 

man trying to save his life!” He looked again and saw a woman’s head beside the man’s. “Boys,” he cried, “there is a man trying to save his wife. I’ll help him.” “No, no!” they cried; “your strength is all gone. It will be suicide. You cannot help him.” “I’ll try,” he cried. 

He sprang again into Lake Michigan and swam out to the spar. Summoning all his fast-dying strength, he put his hands upon it and brought it around the right side of the point to safety.Then they pulled him in through the breakers; tender hands lifted him from the shore, carried him to his room in the college, and laid him upon his bed apparently unconscious. A fire was built in the grate, and his brother sat in front of the grate to watch developments. 

He had been sitting there awhile, looking into the fire and thinking of his brother’s bravery, when suddenly he heard a footfall behind him and felt a touch upon his shoulder. Looking up, he saw his brother looking down wistfully into his eyes. “Will,” he said, “did I do my best?” 

“Why, Ed,” Will replied, “you saved seventeen.” 

He said, “I know it; I know it; but I was afraid I did not do my very best. Will, do you think that I did my very best?” 

His brother took him back to bed. During the night he tossed in a semi-delirium. His thought was not about the seventeen whom he had saved, but on the many who went down that day to an early grave. For in spite of his bravery and that of others, many perished that day. 

His brother Will, as he sat by the bed, held his hand and tried to calm him. He said, “Ed, you saved seventeen.” 

“I know it; I know it,” he cried, “but, oh, if I could only have saved just one more!” 

We all stand beside a stormy sea today—the sea of life. There are wrecks everywhere. Young men, young women, older men, older women are going down, not to a watery grave but to a hopeless eternity. They are going down all over America. They are going down all over England. They are going down in China and Japan and India. Oh, let us jump in again and again and again and rescue the perishing! And when at last every ounce of strength is gone and we sink utterly exhausted on the shore, let us cry in the earnestness of our desire to save the perishing, “Oh, if I could only have saved just one more!”¹ 

Reflect 

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:18-20) 

Respond 

If you were to die today, what would you take to heaven with you? Money can’t go; social status can’t go; houses and cars can’t go, but the people you’ve led to Christ can. When was the last time you personally, one-on-one, led someone to Christ. Opportunities surround us if only we open our eyes and say, “I am willing.” 

Your thoughts?

Remember 

Charles T. Studd was a famous sportsman in England, captain of the Cambridge XI cricket team. A century ago he gave away his vast wealth to needy causes and led the “Cambridge Seven” to China. His slogan was, “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” ² 

NOTE: If you feel unable or inadequate to lead someone to a personal saving, faith in Jesus Christ, then take a look at the “How to Lead a Child to Christ” information posted on this website. It’s an easy and simple method of presenting the Gospel to people of all ages. 

Read 

In 1997 the journal of the American Heart Association reported on a remarkable study. Researchers found that people who experienced high levels of despair had a 20% greater occurrence of arterial sclerosis, the narrowing of the arteries, than did optimistic people. This is the same magnitude of increased risk that one sees in comparing a pack- a-day smoker to a non-smoker says researcher Steven Everson. In other words, despair can be as bad for you as smoking a pack a day. Hope is essential not only for physical health but far more important for spiritual health. ¹ 

Reflect 

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you. (1 Peter 5:7 NLT) 

Respond 

Optimism is related to faith. You have optimism not because of how much faith you have, but who your faith is in. God reminds us that He has a plan for us. Plans to prosper us and not to harm us. Plans to give us a future filled with hope. Realize that despair not only effects our minds but our hearts and, by the story above from the American Heart Association, despair even erodes our bodies physically. How can you be optimistic this week? If despair has come into your life, how can you cast these cares on God? Write a prayer below giving all your worries to Him. 

Your thoughts?

Remember 

An optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity; a pessimist sees a calamity in every opportunity. ² 

During World War II, a plant of parachute packers achieved notoriety because their parachutes only opened 19 out of 20 times. That’s an average of 95%, and although that will get you an ‘A’ in school, when you’re jumping out of a plane, it’s just not good enough. The manager of the plant developed a strategy to increase reliability. He required the packer to test the parachutes themselves. It wasn’t long until quality rose to 100%. That’s the principle of accountability at work.¹ 

Reflect 

But the people answered Joshua, saying, “No, we are determined to serve the LORD!” “You are accountable for this decision,” Joshua said. “You have chosen to serve the LORD.” “Yes,” they replied, “We are accountable.” (Joshua 24:21-22 NLT) 

Respond 

Parachute packers need accountability and so do the leaders of children. To whom are you accountable and why do you think it’s important? 

Your thoughts?

Remember 

The value of accountability is that it “pressures” us into right living. Try asking one or two of the following questions to those with whom you are serving this week. 

Quiet Time 

What are you reading this week in your daily time with God? 

Scripture Memory 

What verse have you been focusing on lately? 

Prayer 

How have you seen God at work in your prayer-life recently? 

Attending Worship Service 

What did you get out of the worship service today? 

Overall 

What is God doing in your life right now? 

Read 

Two men were riding a bicycle built for two when they came to a steep hill. It took a great deal of struggle for the men to complete what proved to be a very steep climb. When they got to the top the man in front said to the other, “Man, that was a hard climb!” The guy in back said, “Yes, it was. And if I hadn’t kept the brakes on all the way we would have rolled down backwards.”¹ 

Reflect 

Two people are better than one. They get more done by working together. (12b) A rope that has three parts wrapped together is hard to break. (Ecclesiastes 4:9, 12 ICB) 

Respond 

Have you ever felt like that guy on the front of the bike? Pedaling your way to the top, huffing and puffing, exerting energy and giving it your all to later learn that the person behind you was keeping the brakes on the entire time? What do you think about the above verse that says “Two people are better than one?” What are the benefits of serving on a team? What are some ways you can encourage those who serve alongside you? 

Your thoughts?

Remember 

God has given us each other for a purpose. 

Read 

Sometimes an idea has to slap you in the face; it’s the only way providence can get your undivided attention. “It was a beautiful Lake Michigan day–puffy white clouds, light breeze, not too hot,” recalls 23-year-old Joanne Marlowe. “I was pretty depressed about my business, and decided to walk across the street to the beach, something I had never had time for. I laid out my towel. To pamper myself, I spent a lot of time putting on suntan oil. Just as I stretched out, a gust of wind picked up the towel and covered me in sand. I hit the roof. A friend said, ‘Joanne, instead of getting angry, why don’t you figure out a fix?’ So instead of relaxing on the beach, I spent the day coming up with prototypes in my mind.” Eight weeks later she introduced a line of weighted beach towels and sold 4.5 million dollars worth of them, out of her house, within the first year.¹ 

Reflect 

Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. (James 1:2 NLT) 

Respond 

What do you do when life throws you a lemon? Why not make lemonade? What do you do when winds of trouble blow your towel away? Make a weighted towel. Have you had any wind or lemons in your life lately? How can this week’s verse make a difference in your life? When discipline problems arise in your class, how do you view them? Is it a burden or is it an opportunity? Discipline problems are never just “problems” to be overcome or set aside but opportunities to meet a child’s need individually and to make a difference in his life. 

Your thoughts?

Remember 

When the ice cream melts, make a malt. 

Read 

There was a blurb in the Los Angeles Times several years ago which related a story about a guy who returned to the house where he grew up as a young man. He had been away for 20 years before returning to his former home. He found his way up into the attic and found a jacket that had not gone with him in the move. It had been had left there for 20 years. He put it on and put his hands in the pockets. He felt a piece of paper and he pulled it out. It was a receipt for a pair of shoes that he had taken in to be repaired some 20 years ago and had forgotten to pick up. So on a whim he went to the shoe repair shop that used to be in his neighborhood and sure enough, it was still there with the same guy still working behind the counter that worked there 20 years ago. So he reached into his jacket, pulled out the receipt and handed it to the man behind the counter. The man went back to the work area, returned to the counter and said to the guy in the jacket, they’ll be ready Friday.¹ 

Reflect 

Always be ready to defend your confidence in God when anyone asks you to explain it. However, make your defense with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15 GWT) 

Respond 

How important is it to be prepared? It’s not that critical in the eternity of things if your shoes aren’t done on time, but it is essential that you are prepared spiritually for the kids and parents to whom you minister each week. What steps can you take this week to be better prepared spiritually for those to whom you minister? 

Your thoughts?

Remember 

Everything that has happened in your life thus far works in you to prepare you to share Christ with those who surround you. 

Read 

One man challenged another to an all-day wood chopping contest. The challenger worked very hard, stopping only for a brief lunch break. The other man had a leisurely lunch and took several breaks during the day. At the end of the day, the challenger was surprised and annoyed to find that the other fellow had chopped substantially more wood than he had. “I don’t get it,” he said. “Every time I checked, you were taking a rest, yet you chopped more wood than I did.” “But you didn’t notice,” said the winning woodsman, “that I was sharpening my ax when I sat down to rest.”¹ 

Reflect 

Cutting logs with a dull ax makes you work harder. A wise man will sharpen his ax. In the same way, wisdom can make any job easier. (Ecclesiastes 10:10 ICB) 

Respond 

Are you being efficient and effective in your ministry? I would hope the answer is yes to both, but first we need to understand what each word means. Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness comes by doing right things. When it comes to reaching and teaching the children of our community, how efficient and effective do you feel? Are you taking time to stop during the week to spend time with God and let Him sharpen your axe? Do you feel like your axe is sharp or dull? What can you do this week to sharpen your axe for the ministry to which God has called you? What are your thoughts about the verse for this week? 

Your thoughts?

Remember 

Don’t work harder; work smarter. 

Read

Three sons left home, went out on their own and prospered. Getting back together, they discussed the gifts that they were able to give to their elderly mother. 

The first said, “I built a big house for our mother.” The second said, “I sent her a Mercedes with a driver.” The third smiled and said, “I’ve got you both beat. You know how mom enjoys the Bible and you know she can’t see very well. I sent her a brown parrot that can recite the entire Bible. It took 20 monks in the monastery 12 years to teach him. I had to pledge to contribute $100,000 a year for 10 years, but it was worth it. Mom just has to name the chapter and verse and the parrot will recite it.” 

Soon thereafter, mom sent out her letters of thanks. She wrote the first son, “Milton, the house you built is so huge I live in only one room, but I have to clean the whole house.” She wrote the second son, “Marvin, I am too old to travel. I stay home all the time, so I never use the Mercedes. And the driver is so rude!” She wrote the third son, “Dearest Melvin, you were the only son to have the good sense to know what your mother likes. The chicken was delicious.”¹ 

Reflect 

When I am with those who are oppressed, I share their oppression so that I might bring them to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ. I do all this to spread the Good News, and in doing so I enjoy its blessings. (1 Corinthians 9:22-23 NLT) 

Respond 

In the above story poor Melvin made a pretty large mistake by not asking what his mom liked or wanted. He didn’t understand his mother’s needs. What are some need of the students in your class? How can you meet those needs? (For example, if the need is special attention from you, when can you go and watch a ball game; if the need is encouragement, why not send him a short note telling him how special he is to you, etc.) God knows each of our needs? What are some ways He has met your needs in the past? What are some ways He can use you to meet others people’s needs this week? 

Your thoughts?

Read 

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, age 5 and Ryan, age 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. “If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait.’” Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus.” ¹ 

Reflect 

But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’ s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and–day difference he made for you. (1 Peter 2:9 Msg.) 

Respond 

A preschooler was getting in the car after church when she spotted her teacher walking across the parking lot.
“Look, mom,” she said excitedly. “There goes Jesus!” ²
Leading children is an incredible privilege as you represent to them what Jesus is like. What character trait does the Lord want you to work on this week to help you be more like Him? 

Your thoughts? 

Remember 

You have been chosen for God’s work serving in children’s ministry. Be Jesus this week! “I will model Jesus this week to the students in my class by _______________ (fill in the blank)