The World Begins
A long, long time ago, before there were any people, animals, or even trees, there was only darkness. But God had a wonderful plan!
On the very first day, God said, "Let there be light!" And just like that - POOF! - bright, beautiful light appeared!
God looked at the light and smiled. He saw that it was good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." That was just the start of His amazing work!
On the second day, God made something we see every time we look up - the sky! ️ It was like a big, blue blanket stretching across everything.
The third day was super busy! God said, "Let the water come together in one place, and let dry ground appear." Suddenly, there were oceans and land! Then He made all kinds of plants:
Tall trees with yummy fruit
Pretty flowers in every color
Green grass that covered the ground
On day four, God decorated the sky. He hung the sun like a giant lamp for daytime ☀️ and placed the moon and twinkling stars for night time! ✨
Day five was so exciting! God filled the oceans with fish that sparkle and splash and made birds to soar through the air!
On the sixth day, God made all the animals. Lions that roar , rabbits that hop , and giraffes with long necks! But He wasn't done yet. God had saved His most special creation for last.
God made the first people - Adam and Eve! He created them to be like Him in special ways. They could think, love, and make choices. God gave them a beautiful garden called Eden to live in.
"Take care of this garden," God told them. "You can eat from any tree except one - the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil."
Adam and Eve were so happy! They walked with God in the cool evening breeze. They named all the animals and enjoyed the delicious fruit from the garden.
But one day, a sneaky snake came to talk to Eve.
"Did God really say you can't eat from that tree?" the snake asked.
"Yes," Eve replied. "God said we must not eat it or even touch it."
"Oh, but it will make you wise like God!" the snake fibbed.
Eve looked at the fruit. It did look tasty. She took a bite and gave some to Adam too. As soon as they ate it, everything changed. They felt scared and hid from God.
God was sad that Adam and Eve didn't trust Him. They had to leave the beautiful garden. But even though they made a bad choice, God still loved them. He promised to take care of them and their children. ❤️
Now the world was different, but God's love stayed the same. He had a big plan to make everything right again one day. Faith of the Fathers
In a city called Ur, there lived a man named Abram. One day, God spoke to him with an amazing promise!
"Leave your home, Abram," God said. "Go to a new land I will show you. I will make you the father of many people!"
Abram trusted God. He packed up everything and started walking with his wife Sarai. They didn't even know where they were going! That's how much they believed in God. ♂️
"But God," Abram said one night while looking at the stars, "Sarai and I don't have any children. How can I be a father of many people?" ⭐
"Look up at the sky," God told Abram. "Can you count all the stars? That's how many great-great-grandchildren you will have!"
God gave Abram a new name - Abraham. He gave Sarai a new name too - Sarah. But they had to wait a long time for their baby. Sarah was getting very old.
One special day, three visitors came to Abraham's tent. They told Sarah something amazing - she was going to have a baby! Sarah laughed because she thought she was too old.
But God always keeps His promises! Soon, Sarah had a baby boy. They named him Isaac, which means "laughter" because Sarah was so happy she couldn't stop smiling!
Isaac grew up to be a strong boy. Abraham loved him very much. Then God asked Abraham to do something very hard. He asked Abraham to give Isaac back to Him.
Abraham was sad, but he trusted God. He took Isaac to a mountain. Isaac carried the wood for a fire.
"Father," Isaac asked, "where is the lamb for the offering?"
"God will provide the lamb, my son," Abraham answered.
Just when Abraham was ready to give up his son, an angel stopped him! God had seen that Abraham trusted Him completely. A ram was stuck in a bush nearby - God had provided another offering!
Isaac grew up and married a kind woman named Rebekah. They had twin boys - Esau and Jacob. Esau loved hunting , while Jacob liked staying home and cooking .
One day, Esau was very hungry after hunting. Jacob was making soup.
"Please give me some soup!" Esau begged.
"I'll trade you," Jacob said. "Give me your birthright." (A birthright meant Esau would get special gifts from their father.)
Esau was so hungry he didn't care. "Fine! Take it!" he said.
Later, Jacob and his mother tricked Isaac into giving Jacob the special blessing meant for Esau. This made Esau very angry! Jacob had to run away from home. ♂️
But God wasn't finished with Jacob. While he was running away, Jacob had a special dream. He saw angels going up and down a ladder that reached to heaven! God promised to be with Jacob and bring him back home safely.
God changed Jacob's name to Israel. He became the father of twelve sons who would lead the twelve families of God's special people - the Israelites! ⭐
Through Abraham's family, God was keeping His promise. His family grew and grew, just like the stars in the sky! From Slavery to Freedom
Joseph was Jacob's favorite son. His father gave him a beautiful coat with many colors! But this made Joseph's brothers very jealous.
"I had a dream," Joseph told his brothers. "We were tying wheat in the field, and your wheat bowed down to mine!" This made them even more upset.
One day, Joseph's brothers threw him into a deep hole. Then they sold him to some traders going to Egypt! They told their father Jacob that a wild animal had eaten Joseph. Poor Jacob was very sad.
But God had a special plan for Joseph. In Egypt, he worked hard and became helper to a rich man named Potiphar. But Potiphar's wife told lies about Joseph, and he was put in jail!
Even in jail, Joseph didn't give up. He helped other prisoners understand their dreams. God was with him!
One night, the king of Egypt (called Pharaoh) had a strange dream. No one could tell him what it meant. Then someone remembered Joseph!
"Your dream means there will be seven years with lots of food," Joseph told Pharaoh. "Then seven years with no food at all! We should save food now."
Pharaoh was so happy with Joseph's wisdom that he made him second-in-command of all Egypt! Joseph helped save lots of food in big barns.
When the food ran out everywhere else, Joseph's brothers came to Egypt to buy food. They didn't recognize their brother in his fancy Egyptian clothes!
"I am Joseph!" he finally told them. "Don't be afraid. God sent me here to save many people."
Joseph's whole family moved to Egypt. They had plenty of food and lived happily. But many years later, a new Pharaoh forgot about Joseph. He made all the Israelites into slaves!
Then a baby named Moses was born. His mother hid him in a basket on the river to save him from Pharaoh. Pharaoh's daughter found him and raised him as her own!
Moses grew up in the palace, but he knew he was really an Israelite. One day, God spoke to him from a burning bush!
"Go tell Pharaoh to let my people go," God said.
Pharaoh wouldn't listen. So God sent ten big troubles to Egypt - like frogs everywhere and darkness for three days! Finally, Pharaoh said the Israelites could leave.
The people had to leave quickly! They didn't even have time for their bread to rise. That's why they ate flat bread called matzah.
But then Pharaoh changed his mind! He sent his army after the Israelites. They were trapped between the army and the Red Sea!
Moses held up his staff, and God made an amazing thing happen - the sea split in two! The people walked through on dry ground. When Pharaoh's army tried to follow, the water came back!
The Israelites were free at last! They sang and danced with joy. God had saved them, just like He promised. Now they were heading to a special land God had planned for them!Journey to the Promised Land
After leaving Egypt, Joshua became the new leader of God's people. He was brave and strong! Moses had taught him well.
"Be strong and brave," God told Joshua. "I will be with you wherever you go!" These words made Joshua feel ready for anything.
The people came to a big city called Jericho. It had tall walls all around it! But God had a special plan to help them win.
"March around the city once every day for six days," God said. "On the seventh day, march seven times and blow your trumpets!"
The people did exactly what God said. They walked around Jericho quietly. The people in the city thought it was very strange!
On the seventh day, they marched seven times. Then the trumpets made a loud noise - HOOOONK! Everyone shouted as loud as they could. And guess what? The walls fell down!
God helped Joshua and the people win many more battles. They were happy to find their new home - the Promised Land! It was just like God said it would be, with lots of good food growing everywhere.
Joshua split up the land so each family had their own special place to live. Some got hills for growing grapes. Others got flat land for growing wheat.
"Remember to be kind to others," Joshua told the people. "And always thank God for this beautiful land!"
The people built houses and planted gardens. They were no longer walking in the desert - they had a real home!
Joshua gathered all the people together when he was very old. He wanted to tell them something important.
"Choose today who you will follow," he said. "But my family and I will follow God!" The people all agreed. They would follow God too! ⭐
Joshua had been a good leader. He helped the people trust God and be brave. Now they had their very own land, just like God promised Abraham long ago!
The people built a special place to thank God. They put the Ten Commandments there. It reminded them of all the amazing things God had done!
Living in their new home wasn't always easy. Sometimes they had to fight. Sometimes they forgot to follow God's rules. But God never forgot about them.
Joshua taught the people an important lesson: when we trust God and follow His plan, amazing things can happen! Even walls can fall down! The Rise of a Shepherd King
The people needed a new leader! They wanted a king just like other nations had. God chose a tall man named Saul to be the first king.
At first, Saul was a good king. But he started making bad choices and stopped listening to God. This made God very sad.
Far away in a little town, there lived a young shepherd boy named David. He watched over...
[Content restricted to members only]