Here's a review from The Old Schoolhouse. Thanks, Kelly B.! https://www.theoldschoolhouse.com/product-reviews/?rid=7346

Natasha from Educational Roots posted this excellent, extensive review of the Old Testament kit from Bible Quest! Thanks, Natasha! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxL4SlLgaK0&feature=youtu.be

While we're currently working on our new beginner video series, this old set (for second edition - from our old website) can still be quite helpful.

Thanks to Karen Rodgriguez and her channel Our House for her unboxing of Bible Quest. Her review is forthcoming, and we can't wait!

I used these resources for some fun reiteration of the memory verse for our little ones in Sunday school for this week... enjoy!

Here's the story we used for this week's interactive story. http://growingkidsingrace.blogspot.com/2011/03/jesus-calls-fishermen-to-be-his.html One day, Jesus went to the Sea of Galilee. People crowded around Him and listened to the word of God. There were two fishing boats at the shore, one belonging to a fisherman named Simon. Jesus got into Simon’s boat and asked him to put the boat a bit further from the shore. Then Jesus sat down and taught the people from the boat. After he taught the people, he told Simon, “Go to the deep water and put down the nets for a catch.” Simon wasn’t so sure. After all, he was the fisherman. “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.” Simon was tired from being out all night. He didn’t want to try to catch fish again. Yet, somehow, Jesus seemed to know something he didn’t. So Peter said, “But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” So Peter and his friends cast the net into the water. And guess what happened?! Suddenly the whole net was full of fishes! There were so many, that the nets began to break! So they called their partners, James and John, to help them! And both boats were soooo full that they began to sink! Suddenly Simon fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” Jesus told Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on, you will fish for people.” So Simon, James and John pulled their boats up on the shore, left everything and followed Jesus. (We wrote the rest, modified from the WEB.) Jesus went from there and he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father, fixing their nets. Jesus called them and they followed him! Later, Jesus saw Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. Jesus told him to follow him, and Matthew got up and followed Jesus. But, as Jesus sat in Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. Some Pharisees saw this and asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a doctor, but sick people do. Learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous to repentance. I came to call sinners to repentance.”

This is a REACTIVE DRAWING script for a Hands-on Story, meaning that the students each have a paper and are drawing the scene themselves based on the teacher's instructions. I find it's good to have one drawing ready to go for EACH phase of the story (meaning you'll be drawing the same thing several times over to get all of the pages you'll need!). Alternatively, another artist-ish person could be drawing so that the kids can watch and mimic what they see (most will want to). There are also a few of our discussion questions inserted. One note: While Explorations through story are useful for a wide variety of age ranges, this particular story-telling methodology works best with kids that are approximately 7 or 8 years old and up - children younger than that may need extra help or extra time with their focus just on the drawing side of things. Enjoy! Walking on the Water As soon as the meal of bread and fish for the 5,000 was finished, Jesus insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he told the people that it was time to go. With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night. Draw a boat to one side (left?) with the disciples in it, with waves all around. Meanwhile, the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves. At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. They were scared out of their wits. “A ghost!” they said, crying out in terror. Draw Jesus walking on the water on the other side (right?) of the paper. Why do you think that they thought Jesus was a ghost? But Jesus was quick to comfort them. “Courage, it’s me. Don’t be afraid.” Peter had an idea. He said, “Master, if it’s really you, call me to come to you on the water.” Jesus said, “Come ahead.” Draw Peter walking toward Jesus on the water. Ask: what would you have done if you saw Jesus walking on the water? Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves moving like crazy beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, “Master, save me!” Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached down and grabbed Peter’s hand. Then Jesus said, “You of little faith! Why did you doubt?” Draw storm clouds and big waves around the boat, Jesus, and Peter. Ask: When Peter got in the water, he was looking at Jesus! What made him start to sink? Who do we need to look at when we have times of trouble? Jesus and Peter climbed into the boat, and the wind died down. The disciples in the boat, having watched the whole thing, worshiped Jesus, saying, “This is it! You are God’s Son for sure!”