Teachers Training

( Show the two pencils )  Which of these two pencils do you think is the prize-winner and should receive the Blue Ribbon?  "The long one?"   I thought you would say the long one.  These pencils remind me of Caleb, Joshua's friend.

One day Moses called all the children of Israel together. "All right Men," he said, "Listen carefully!  I want you to go secretly into Palestine and spy out the land and see if it's safe for us to enter."  The twelve chosen men set off, with Caleb and Joshua at the front as they were very keen to enter the land that God had promised them.

When they came back, Caleb and Joshua told all the people "It's flowing with milk and with honey.  See - look at these grapes.  Why, it took two of us just to carry this one bunch!  Let's go in at once and possess it, for we can overcome it!"

The other ten spies were filled with fear.   "Never!  Don't go in!" they cried, "The people are like giants, we were like tiny grasshoppers in their sight".  Unfortunately, all the people listened to these men and jeered at Caleb and Joshua when they tried to convince them that the land was good.  As a result, God punished the people by making them wander in the wilderness for forty years.

When Israel eventually entered Palestine, God rewarded Caleb for his faithfulness.  Caleb had the privilege of choosing the part that he wanted.  What part would you have chosen? ( Let the children respond ).  Well he chose a mountain rather than a fertile valley.  It was a more difficult to conquer the enemies there, and he wanted a hard task!

Now, going back to out pencils, you remember that you thought the long one should get the prize.  Prizes are given when we do something good or difficult.  This long pencil is all new and shiny, and has never done anything.  I think you will agree with me that we will have to give the prize to the short pencil ( Tie the Ribbon to it ).  It has given a long faithful service and has been used a great deal by its master.

Will you be like Caleb and serve Jesus faithfully?  If you do, then one day in Heaven, Jesus will reward you by saying "Well done, you good and faithful servant, enter into your rest."

God bless!