A Memory Bookfor seven- to nine-year olds

GodSpeaksto Me

©1999 Awana® Clubs InternationalOne East Bode Road, Streamwood, Illinois 60107-6658 U.S.A.

Awana Youth Association Canada, 178 Highway 20 W.,Fonthill, Ontario L0S 1E0 Canada

Awana Clubs International Australia, 1000 Old Windsor Road Parklea, N.S.W. 2155 Australia

All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A. Reproduction of any partof this publication, unless pages are marked reproducible, is

prohibited without written permission from the publisher.Translation is also prohibited without permission.

A Memory Bookfor seven- to nine-year-olds

Photographs by Jim Whitmer Photography

GodSpeaksto Me

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CONTENTS

������ ����1. The Bible Is the Word of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

2. The Bible Is All True . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

3. The Bible Is Forever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

4. I Need God’s Word for Salvation . . . . . . . . . . . 8

5. I Need God’s Word for Growth. . . . . . . . . . . 10

6. I Need God’s Word for Victory . . . . . . . . . . . 12

7. The Bible Is My Treasure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

8. The Bible Is My Pleasure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

9. The Bible Is My Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

10. The Bible Shows Me What’s Right . . . . . . . . 20

11. God’s Word Gives Me Comfort . . . . . . . . . . 22

12. God’s Word Gives Me Confidence . . . . . . . 24

13. I Should Memorize God’s Word . . . . . . . . . . 26

14. I Should Obey God’s Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

15. I Should Share God’s Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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The Bible Is theWord of God.

The Bible is no ordinary book. It is God’s ownwords to us. God used men and women to write downwhat He wanted usto know. But theBible is God’swords, not men’s.

The Bible tellsus what pleasesGod and whatdoesn’t. It showsus our sin. Itexplains God’s lovefor us. It tells usGod’s plan ofsalvation. God’s Word contains many promises forpeople who put their trust in God.

Because the Bible is God’s Word, it is veryimportant that we obey it. Read your Bible carefullyevery day. Then, you will discover the neat things thatGod wants you to know!

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2 Timothy 3:16All Scripture is givenby inspiration of God.

2 Peter 1:21For the prophecy came not in oldtime by the will of man: but holymen of God spake as they weremoved by the Holy Ghost.

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The BibleIs All True.

Everything inthe Bible is trueand right. There areno mistakes inGod’s Word. Somepeople try to findwords that aren’ttrue, so they won’thave to believe anyof the Bible. But

the more that scientists study our world, the more wefind out that the Bible is true. It’s the only book in theuniverse that you can always count on.

If any part of the Bible was false or not quite true, wewould wonder if the rest of it could be right. But God istruthful. He never put anything false into His Word. Youcan believe everything God has given us in His Word.It is true from beginning to end, and it was given to youfor your good.

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Psalm 119:160Thy word is true from thebeginning: and every one of Thyrighteous judgments endurethfor ever.

Proverbs 30:5Every word of God is pure: He isa shield unto them that put theirtrust in Him.

John 17:17Sanctify them through Thy truth:Thy word is truth.

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The BibleIs Forever.

For hundreds of years,men have tried to destroythe Bible. People don’t liketo be reminded of their sinand their need for JesusChrist to save them. TheBible reminds them thatthey need to live for God, and not for themselves.Many people don’t want to do that. They want to livetheir own way, not God’s way.

God has protected the Bible for thousands ofyears. God lives forever. So does His Word. No matterwhat happens around us, the Bible will always be herefor us. 1 Peter 1:25 says the word of the Lordendureth for ever. God’s Word will always be availablefor us whenever we need it. We can count on God’sWord.

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Psalm 119:89For ever, O LORD, Thy wordis settled in heaven.

Isaiah 40:8The grass withereth, the flowerfadeth: but the word of our Godshall stand for ever.

Matthew 24:35Heaven and earth shall pass away,but My words shall not pass away.

8

I Need God’s Wordfor Salvation.

God has a wonderful planfor bringing people into Hisfamily. His plan tells us howwe can become Christians.We learn what it means totrust Jesus as our Savior byreading or listening to God’sWord. That’s where we findGod’s plan.

The Bible says that we allhave sinned. The punishmentfor sin is death. Death is going

to hell and being separated from God forever. But there’sgood news. Jesus died on the cross to take thepunishment for our sin. If you believe He paid the penaltyfor your sin and trust Jesus as your Savior, the Bible saysyou will be saved from the punishment for sin. God willgive you the greatest gift of all: eternal life with Him inheaven.

This new life starts the very moment you put your trustin Jesus. You start a brand-new life – the Bible calls itbeing born again. That’s great news, isn’t it? If you wantJesus to be your Savior, you can trust Him right now!

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John 5:24Verily, verily, I say unto you,He that heareth My word, andbelieveth on Him that sent Me,hath everlasting life, and shall notcome into condemnation; but ispassed from death unto life.

2 Timothy 3:15And that from a child thou hastknown the holy Scriptures,which are able to make thee wiseunto salvation through faithwhich is in Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 1:23Being born again … by the wordof God, which liveth and abidethfor ever.

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I Need God’s Wordfor Growth.

When you were born into the world, your parentsmade sure you got everything you needed. They gaveyou food, shelter, clothing, and lots of love and care.

Just as people’s bodies need fruits and vegetablesand other healthy food to survive, people needspiritual food from the Bible after they are born again.The food we put in our stomachs helps our bodiesgrow. When we read, study,memorize, and obey God’sWord, we grow intostronger Christians. Thisstrength helps us do whatis right.

God wants you togrow and be strong.“Feed” on the Bible!

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Luke 4:4... man shall not live by bread alone,but by every word of God.

1 Peter 2:2As newborn babes, desirethe sincere milk of the word,that ye may grow thereby.

2 Peter 3:18But grow in grace, and in theknowledge of our Lord and SaviorJesus Christ. ...

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I Need God’s Wordfor Victory.

Everyone is temptedeach day by something orsomeone. Satan enjoysseeing Christians dowrong things. But wedon’t have to do them.God’s Word is our help.

The Bible tells us whatthings are wrong. It alsobecomes part of ourarmor against Satan’sattacks. The Bible callsitself our sword.

When you’re temptedto lie, cheat, steal, or dosomething else that doesn’t please God, remindyourself that you don’t have to do those things. TheBible shows us what’s wrong. Learn what God’s Wordsays and hide it in your heart. You can win battlesagainst temptation by using God’s Word.

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Ephesians 6:17And take the helmet of salvation,and the sword of the Spirit,which is the word of God.

Hebrews 4:12For the word of God is quick,and powerful, and sharperthan any two-edged sword ...

1 John 2:14... I have written unto you, youngmen, because ye are strong, and theword of God abideth in you, and yehave overcome the wicked one.

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The Bible IsMy Treasure.

When you think of a treasure, what comes to mind?Gold? Jewels? Millions of dollars?

Remember King David? He said that his treasure –the most valuable thing he owned – was God’s Word.He said it was greater than thousands of pieces ofgold and silver. He enjoyed just sitting and thinkingabout the things he learned from God.

The Bible is a treasure book. Hundreds ofwonderful promisesare buried in itspages. If you get inthe Bible and dig,you will find manythings that will helpyou live a full life thatpleases the Lord.Start digging!

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Psalm 119:14I have rejoiced in the wayof Thy testimonies, as muchas in all riches.

Psalm 119:72The law of Thy mouth is betterunto me than thousands of goldand silver.

Psalm 119:97O how love I Thy law! it is mymeditation all the day.

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The Bible Is MyPleasure.

Do you love yourBible? Do you readGod’s Word each day?Is it important to you tolearn more about Godand what He wants youto do?

King David wrote inPsalm 1:2, But hisdelight is in the law ofthe Lord ... What doesdelight mean? Delight issomething that gives youlots of pleasure. Some

people get pleasure from eating ice cream, doing afavorite activity, or spending time with their best friendor their mom or dad.

The more you know and love the Lord, the morepleasure God’s Word will give you. The Bible willbecome a valuable treasure that you delight in as youread it every day.

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Psalm 1:2But his delight is in the lawof the Lord; and in His lawdoth he meditate day and night.

Psalm 119:47And I will delight myself inThy commandments,which I have loved.

Jeremiah 15:16Thy words were found, and I dideat them; and Thy word was untome the joy and rejoicing of mineheart ...

18

The BibleIs My Light.

It’s very easy to stumble over something in the dark,isn’t it? But a small flashlight can help you see thethings that might trip you.

God’s Word is the same way. It warns us aboutsins which will keep us from doing our best for theLord. It helps us understand the world around us. Itshows us what can become temptations to us, andhow to avoid them. And it helps us find the things Godwants us to do.

We live in a worldthat’s dark with sin.We need the light ofGod’s Word everyday to help us seewhat is right.

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Psalm 119:105Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,and a light unto my path.

2 Peter 1:19We have also a more sure wordof prophecy; whereunto ye do wellthat ye take heed, as unto a lightthat shineth in a dark place ...

Proverbs 6:23For the commandment is a lamp;and the law is light ...

20

The Bible ShowsMe What’sRight.

People make decisionsevery day. Some decisionsare easy, like what kind ofcereal to eat for breakfast.Others are hard. Thetoughest decisions are theones where we don’tknow which choice is theright thing to do.

That’s where God’sWord can help. The Bibleshows us what is right and what is wrong. The Biblesays, Thou shalt not steal, so we know that stealing isnot right. The Bible says, Honor thy father and thymother, so we know that we should obey our mom anddad.

Other things can be harder to decide. But as weget to know God through His Word, He will help usknow what’s right. He will show us what will pleaseHim in every situation.

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Psalm 119:9Wherewithal shall a young mancleanse his way? by taking heedthereto according to Thy word.

Psalm 119:11Thy word have I hid in mine heart,that I might not sin against Thee.

Matthew 22:29Jesus answered and said unto them,“Ye do err, not knowing theScriptures, nor the power of God.”

22

God’s Word GivesMe Comfort.

Ever have a day whenyou feel like everyone isagainst you? Likeeverything is going wrong?When you’re so sad thatyou feel like crying? Whenyou’ve done something sobad that you think no onecan forgive you?

When you feel that way,the best place to turn to isyour Bible. God’s Wordgives us hope. It containstrue stories of people whowent through terrible

problems but got help from God in a big way. If youtrust in God, the Bible promises He will help you.

Keep learning all you can from your Bible. God’sWord can cheer you up and give you love and comfort.But it can only help you if you study it. Let God comfortyou through His comforting words!

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Psalm 119:52I remembered Thy judgmentsof old, O LORD; and havecomforted myself.

Acts 27:25Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer:for I believe God, that it shall beeven as it was told me.

Romans 15:4For whatsoever things were writtenaforetime were written for ourlearning, that we through patienceand comfort of the Scriptures mighthave hope.

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God’s WordGives MeConfidence.

What is confidence? Itmeans being able to trustor believe. If you haveconfidence that you willget a birthday gift fromyour mom and dad, itmeans you trust or believethat they will give you agift.

The Bible teaches that you can have confidence inGod. He will always do what He says. If you trust Jesusas your Savior, you can trust His promise that you will goto heaven when you die.

When you ask the Lord for something, you can beconfident He will answer. If what you wanted is the bestthing for you and for the people around you, He will giveit to you. What we think is best for us is not always God’sbest for us, so we should pray for God’s will every timewe make a request to Him.

The more time we spend reading the Bible andobeying it, the more confidence we will have in God’spromises.

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Romans 10:17So then faith cometh by hearing,and hearing by the word of God.

1 John 5:13-14These things have I written unto youthat believe on the name of the Son ofGod; that ye may know that ye haveeternal life … And this is theconfidence that we have in Him, that,if we ask any thing according to Hiswill, He heareth us.

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I Should MemorizeGod’s Word.Memorizing God’s Word is like recording it in yourmind. Like a tape recorder, you can “play”a verse back whenever you need it. If you haverecorded in your mind what things are sin, you can stayaway from them. If you have memorized verses that tellyou what pleases God, remembering them will helpyou do what is right.

Your mind is like atape recorder. The Bibleverses you memorizewhen you are youngstay with you the rest ofyour life. When youmemorize God’s Word,it is with you whereveryou go. You can lean onit whenever you needGod’s help and wisdom.It’s like carrying God’sinstruction book in yourhead!

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Job 22:22Receive, I pray thee, the law fromHis mouth, and lay up His wordsin thine heart.

John 15:7If ye abide in Me, and My wordsabide in you, ye shall ask what yewill, and it shall be done unto you.

Colossians 3:16Let the word of Christ dwell in yourichly in all wisdom ...

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I Should ObeyGod’s Word.

It is important toread and memorizeGod’s Word. But ifwe don’t obey theBible, it doesn’t dous much good, doesit? We can’t growas Christians unlesswe obey what theBible says.

If your mom ordad read a sign on the road that said “Stop,” but didn’tobey it, what might happen? They could get in anaccident. They could get a ticket from a police officer.Or worse – they could hit and injure someone, or getinjured themselves.

God’s Word is the same way. We need to read,study, memorize, and obey God’s instructions. If wedon’t obey God’s Word, we aren’t obeying God. If wedo obey His Word, the Bible promises that we will livehappier lives that please God. God gave us His Wordfor our good. Let’s obey God’s Word each day.

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Joshua 24:24... The LORD our God will we serve,and His voice will we obey.

John 13:17If ye know these things,happy are ye if ye do them.

James 1:22But be ye doers of the word, and nothearers only, deceiving your ownselves.

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I Should ShareGod’s Word.

When you receive good news, what do you do?You share it with others, don’t you? It is too good to

keep to ourselves, isn’t it?

What about the goodnews of Jesus? Do youshare it? We should beexcited about sharing itwith others, becauseJesus can save peoplefrom their sin if they trustHim as their Savior. Thisgood news is found inGod’s Word.

Do you have friends orrelatives who have nevertrusted Jesus as their

Savior? If they haven’t, their sins are not forgiven. Theyhave not received the wonderful gift of living forever inheaven with Jesus. But you can help them! Ask God tohelp you share His good news with them. Pray thatGod will give you the words to speak to them. Jesuswants to be their Savior and Best Friend.

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Acts 22:15For thou shalt be His witness untoall men of what thou hast seen andheard.

Romans 1:16For I am not ashamed of the gospelof Christ: for it is the power of Godunto salvation to every one thatbelieveth ...

1 Peter 3:15... be ready always to give an answerto every man that asketh you areason of the hope that is in youwith meekness and fear.

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AM I A SINNER?

Sin is something in me (badthoughts, lying, stealing, dis-obedience, pride, cheating,etc.). God hates sin. We can’thide it from Him. Sin leads toeternal separation from God inhell.

Gods Word says:

... all have sinned ...ROMANS 3:23

For the wages of sin is death ...ROMANS 6:23

WHAT SHALL I DO

ABOUT MY SIN?

Can I give God something niceto make Him forget it? Howabout going to Sunday School,church, or Awana, or praying,or getting baptized, or othergood deeds? NO!

God says:

Not by [good works] which wehave done ...TITUS 3:5

GOD HAS DONE

EVERYTHING.

God gave His Son to be mySavior. God put Jesus on across to die for my sin in myplace.

But God commendeth Hislove toward us, in that, whilewe were yet sinners, Christdied for us.ROMANS 5:8

IT HAPPENED AT

THE CROSS.

Jesus paid for all my sin by dy-ing, shedding His blood, andthen rising from the grave andgoing back to heaven.

For Christ also hath once suf-fered for sins, the just for theunjust, that He might bring usto God ...1 PETER 3:18

God’s OnlyWay to Heaven

GOD ASKS ME

TO BELIEVE (trust)

HIM TO TAKE

AWAY MY SIN.Believing is trusting what Goddid for me. When I believe thatHis death was for me, He givesme eternal life. Will you believe(trust) now that Jesus died inyour place? Will you acceptHim as your Savior? If youhave, tell Him what you havedone.

... as many as received Him, tothem gave He power to be-come the sons of God, even tothem that believe on His name.JOHN 1:12

I KNOW THIS GIFT

IS MINE ...I want to thank Him for it now.

God says: ... I give unto themeternal life; and they shallnever perish ...JOHN 10:28

For God so loved the world,that He gave His only begottenSon, that whosoever believethin Him should not perish, buthave everlasting life.JOHN 3:16

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