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Parent Guide Why is this study so important? What we teach our children by word of mouth and by example stays with them all of their lives. The values and morals we teach will help to establish the ethical behavior of our children as adults. That is why it is so important that children are well grounded in Biblical truth and know how to apply that truth to their daily life. Therefore, we must be an example to them always. Learning about the birth of our Lord and understanding how God works in the lives of his people can have a tremendous impact on your child's personal behavior. That is why it is so important that the facts presented in this Biblical story be remembered and applied. That is why the story of Balaam is important because in it we see how God used a little Donkey to fulfill His purpose. As the Donkey tells us what God did in that Bethlehem stable, we as parents and teachers can emphasize the main points of this Biblical account of the birth of our Lord and the importance of the fact He has prepared an Eternal home in heaven for each of us who believe in Him. As this story is repeated, the learning experience will be retained and your child will remember these life-changing Biblical truths so that they will become an integral and vital part of your child's daily life. How to use this study As you read this Story to or with your children, point to the pictures that illustrate the story so your children begin to associate the words with the actions. By reviewing the Video with your child and by asking questions and reinforcing the truths and values in the film as detailed in this guide, you will be placing these concepts into your child's mind so that they are reinforced each and every time your child watches and enjoys this film. The Audio can be copied to your computer where you can then transfer it to a CD or a portable media device such as an MP3 player. Then you can take the story with you. Remember to make this learning experience fun for you and your child. The Coloring Book and the activities in the Student Guide are also designed to teach and reinforce those same Biblical truths. The Quiz will allow you the opportunity to see what your child has learned from experience, so that you will be able to apply these truths to your child's daily walk with God. These questions can be asked in a conversational manner rather then like a test if you so desire. Talk with your child about this Biblical story and what it means to them in order to reinforce these truths. This will lead to a proper understaning and application of this story to your children's daily walk with the Lord. What are we learning? The Donkey tells us about the birth of our Lord in a Bethlehem stable, about a Donkey who spoke to a man of God and his reaction to a talking donkey, and of the coming again of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The importance of these events cannot be overemphasized. It is imperative that we understand these facts. The Donkey tells us of the birth of our Lord as God sent His only begotten Son to live on this earth and eventually to die on the cross for the sins of mankind. Although the death and resurrection of our Lord are not specifically mentioned in this study, parents should discuss the importance of these events with their children. The opportunity for such a discussion is surely provided as a logical progression of this story, especially when the last Donkey tells us of Eternal Life in Heaven. The significance of the story of Balaam and his willingness to disregaurd God's specific commands has special appeal to children especially in the light of the "Donkey That Talked". Now, think about your reaction to an animal that speaks to you. What would you do? How would you respond? These are good questions to ask your child. Balaam did not even notice that it was his Donkey that was talking to him. So perfect was the Donkey's speech that Balaam responded without any surprise or notice of this unusual and miraculous event. But, notice the response of the Donkey. Without excuse or wavering the Donkey did what God required of him. No practice, no training, no fore-thought, just a willingness to be of service. Now, how would we have reacted to this task if God had asked us to speak to Balaam. Well, first of all we would want to brush up on our Hebrew or even to learn Hebrew. It would never occur to us that God could speak through us perfectly without training or practice, and yet that is what happened in the case of the Donkey. He was available and God used him where he was and how he was. We must learn to trust God in this same way and let Him do it. Only then, will we experience the joy of eternal life right here, on earth. Learning Objective To understand the foolishness of disobedience to God, for God sent His Son as the only possible remedy for sin. As the Donkey shows us, we need to be available to serve God, ready and willing to do His Will daily. Scripture References: Luke 2: 1 - 20 The Application If the Lord had not come, what would the world be like today? As we accept the Lord as our personal Savior, we begin a new life. Old things are passed away and, behold, all things are become new. Our life is changed. We must learn therefore, to do what God wants us to do, to obey God each day. We must learn to apply this truth always. It begins as a child, as we learn from this film and this study, and it is demonstrated each day as we live our life in obedience to God's word. We must realize the importance of going to Heaven to live with Him forever, and begin living our life as God wants, now, with Eternal Values a real part of our daily lives. Learning Activities Whenever we visit the zoo, see a Donkey or even watch a TV program with Donkey in it, this is another opportunity to talk about the Biblical account of Balaam and the Donkey That Talked. As we remember this story we can reinforce and apply these great Biblical Truths of Eternal Value so that our children live them each day. Performance Objective To see any truth live in our children we must teach by both word and example. We need to remind them of these Donkeys and what happened to them and what happens in our own lives when we sin. To see a true change in our children's actions we must make these stories real in our own lives. We must also keep the application alive by constantly reinforcing this concept whenever and wherever the opportunity arises. Then we will achieve our goal of a life-changing attitude geared toward eternal values for which we will all be held accountable when we stand before God. Spiritual Application Our purpose of making the Scriptures come alive can only be accomplished if the application is kept simple and these truths are understood. Thus we accomplish our spiritual objective by explaining the eternal consequences of our daily actions. Balaam's disobedience is very seldom discussed and yet the story of an obedient donkey is an excellent example of God's miraculous intervention into the lives of His poeple. We must teach the consequences of sin and apply the results to our own lives so that our children will know importance of obeying God and the dangers of sin in their lives. But we must also emphasize how much God cares for us. By watching this film and using the Student Guide children will learn by repetition and reinforcement. You will have the opportunity to explain, discuss and apply these spiritual truths in a real and meaningful manner that will truly have an eternal effect on your child's life. Vocabulary Words As an added learning objective, a vocabulary test or quiz can be created from the story. Such a test could be difficult using words like "prophet" and "mission" or very simple using words like "king" and "angel", depending on your child's age. The "words to live by" section of the Student Guide provides an excellent beginning point for a vocabulary test as well as a way to test your child's comprehension of the subject at hand. Spelling Words A similar test or quiz could be given on the vocabulary words mentioned above or on different words to challenge your child's spelling ability and to enhance the learning process. The level of difficulty and the number of words selected is up to you, but the more you utilize the tools provided in this series and reinforce these truths, the more you can expect living results in your child's actions and attitudes. It is not necessary to force these activities on your child as tests in the formal sense, but you can make a game of it as somthing new to learn or a special fun time. These tests on vocabulary words or spelling do not need to be given at the same time or all at once. A few words each day while riding in the car or even while waiting in a line at some event, not only provides your child with an additional learning experience, but also opens the door to further discussion and allows you to emphasize again the important Biblical truths related to us by the story "The Donkey that Talked". Some things to remember The following questions are given to help your chilren understand the truths that are presented in "The Donkey that Talked" and why it is so important that we remember these truths and obey God each day. Discuss these questions with your children and have them write down their answers on a separate piece of paper or talk about them with you. Be sure that they understand how to apply these truths. What happened in the Bethlehem stable? Why is this event so important? How does the birth of baby Jesus affect you? What can you do to serve God each day? Why did God send His Son to die on the cross? What did Jesus do for us? Since Jesus did so much for us and gave us Eternal Life, shouldn't we obey God like the little Donkey did? How should we live in the light of this event? Since God can make a Donkey talk, will He lead us each day? How? Be specific. What did you learn from "The Donkey that Talked" about serving God and being available to do His Will? How will this help you each day as you live for Him? |