Kid asked last week why learning about Jonah. "He's dead and that story's fake anyway."

Cool. Great way start Sunday morning.

Kids don't care about ancient Israel.

They care if Maddie still their friend. If allowed on trampoline after church. If mom making good mac and cheese for lunch.

Moses parting Red Sea three thousand years ago? Means nothing.

Tried Abraham once. Kid asked if he had cell phone. Another asked how charged his car in desert.

Can't picture life without WiFi. Old Testament might as well be about aliens.

Reading straight from Bible doesn't work.

Did Exodus. Read whole thing out loud. Three kids fell asleep. One asked if almost done. We were chapter two.

Can't throw ancient language at second graders.

Making it history lesson kills it. "In 1446 BC Israelites left Egypt..." Eyes glazed before finished sentence.

They're six. Don't know what 1446 BC means. Half can't remember what year is now.

Connected David Goliath to being smallest kid in class.

"Ever have do something scary and you're only one who has do it?"

Every hand shot up.

Didn't plan that. Just said it. Suddenly listening.

Because they've all been small kid facing something big scary. Different thing. Same feeling.

Moses scared talk to Pharaoh. Kids get that. Scared talking principal. Answering questions front of everyone.

Joseph's brothers jealous. Kids know jealous. Feel it when sibling gets better toy.

Start with their feelings. Show them Bible people felt it too.

"Why God tell Abraham kill Isaac?"

No idea. Mean know Sunday school answer but honestly really hard story.

Told them that. Said it's complicated. We don't understand everything about these stories.

Kid seemed okay with that.

"Why God kill everyone in flood?"

Teaching Noah last month. Kid asked that. Everyone stared.

Told them God sad about how mean violent people became. Hard story. Don't fully understand it. But know God loves people.

Not great answer. Better than making something up.

Let them ask hard questions. Don't pretend have all answers when don't.

Acting it out works way better than talking about it.

Did David Goliath. Kid playing David kept missing with pretend rock. Threw maybe ten times. Everyone cracking up. Finally "hit" Goliath who fell lay there like dead for full minute.

They remembered that. Still bring up weeks later.

Built Tower Babel with blocks once. Let them make really tall. Knocked it over. Understood without me explaining anything.

Had them make sound effects during plagues. Frog croaking. Flies buzzing. Hail sounds. Was chaos. Also remember all ten plagues now so whatever.

Teaching Elijah and fire from heaven. Kid raises hand. "Why doesn't God do that now? Like when we pray for stuff?"

Told him don't know. Sometimes God does obvious miracles. Sometimes works quieter ways. But God's still God whether see fire or not.

Teaching Joseph. Kid asked why brothers so terrible to him. She has brother annoys her but would never sell her.

Told her jealousy makes people do awful things. Joseph's brothers let jealousy grow into hate. Why deal with jealous feelings when small.

Their questions better than my lesson plans.

Stories where they felt something. Fear. Excitement. Anger at unfairness. Something.

When moved around did something active with bodies.

When didn't act like their questions bad or wrong.

When connected to actual life not just history facts.

Forget dates. Names. Specific details. That's okay. Point isn't memorizing facts.

Point knowing these people were real. Knew same God we know. Were scared brave made mistakes trusted God anyway.

Old Testament feels irrelevant because teach it like it's irrelevant.

Treat like old boring stories about people don't matter. Obviously kids tune out.

Teach it like about real people with real feelings. People who knew God. Didn't always trust Him. Messed up tried again.

Then not just about them. About us.

Make it about knowing God not passing Bible quiz. That's how becomes relevant.

To kids eating goldfish crackers Sunday morning who'd rather be literally anywhere else.

For teachers discovering ancient stories need modern feelings, leaders learning acting out beats reading every time, anyone trying make three thousand year old events matter to kids who can't picture life without WiFi.