Denise Day Spencer

Another children’s object lesson based on the doctrinal summaries in the Disciple’s Study Bible.

SCRIPTURES: Exodus 6:7, Joshua 24:2-3, 5, 8

OBJECTS: an item autographed by a celebrity and a card signed by a close friend or family member

We’ve been looking at God. Who is God, anyway? What kind of God is He? We’ve learned that He is a one-of-a-kind God, and that He is spirit.

Though God is very different from us in many ways, He is also like us in many ways. God is personal. He’s not a thing, or just some kind of force. He’s a Somebody. God thinks, He makes decisions. He feels emotions like anger and happiness. He doesn’t just live alone, either. He created the angels, then He created you and me. He doesn’t need us to keep Him company. But He wants to relate to us, to love us and let us get to know Him. In the book of Exodus, God told His chosen people, “I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God.”

I have here a (state name of autographed item) signed by (state name of celebrity). When someone famous signs his name to something, it’s called an autograph. But all an autograph means is that the famous person spent just a moment with the not-famous person and signed something. I don’t really know him just because he signed something for me. And he certainly doesn’t know me. We don’t have a personal relationship.

But I brought something else to show you. Here is a card signed by my (close friend or family member.) This is not an autograph. I know this person and he knows me! We have a relationship with each other. God’s not like some famous person who drops in to sign autographs every now and then. He loves us and wants us to be His people.

Because God loves us, He gets close to us and works in our lives. He reminded His chosen people that He had picked them, beginning with Abraham. He reminded them that He had delivered them from Egypt, led them to the promised land and helped them claim the land for their own. Because God knew them, He wanted to get involved in their lives.

God knows you, too, and He wants you to know and love Him. And when you do, He’ll work in your life, too.