What do you remember about your earliest faith development? The most prominent memory for me is a very special book called “The Picture Bible.” I don’t remember where I received my first copy but I know that I devoured it. I may or may not have even read it with a flashlight under my covers when I was supposed to be sleeping!
Imagine my surprise when many years later I was able to be involved in an international project related to that same Bible. Now called “The Action Bible,“ this engaging approach to Scripture has been distributed in many places around the world to help children understand who Jesus is and why He came to save us. The publisher, David C. Cook (DCC), has a very clear mission: “To equip the Church with Christ-centered resources for making and teaching disciples who obediently transform today’s generations.” What a wonderful calling!
Another one of DCC’s resources is discipleship curriculum called “Life on Life.” Because of DCC’s generosity, Hope Haven Rwanda has been able to integrate this curriculum into both our primary and secondary school levels and we are witnessing the transformation!
The sacred opportunity to introduce children to God’s Word often has life-defining impact. Of course, some who are exposed to the truths of Scripture will choose to disregard them. They will opt to live a life using human reasoning or their own experience as a guide. But as the book of Proverbs reminds us on so many occasions, that is not the path to wise living. We flourish when we apply life principles given to us by our Creator.
“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints” (Proverbs 2:6-8).
One simple way to think about this is to consider the importance of an Owner’s Manual. If you want to try to figure out a new product all by yourself you are more than welcome to try. However, we usually find that learning about a product is easier when we follow the instructions of someone who has gone before us. It’s even better when we can engage with someone who was involved with designing the product.
The great thing about this journey of life is that we are not alone. We have the testimonies of those who have gone before us, we have a fantastic “Owner’s Manual” for life from our Creator and we have brothers and sisters that we can share the journey with! At Hope Haven Rwanda, we’re sharing that discipleship journey very intentionally with our students and families. I wish I could share all of the incredible reports that I read from our students about their “Life on Life” studies. What a joy!
Thanks to the efforts of DCC team members like Kerry Krycho and Lisa Brock, along with Chaplain Odeke in Rwanda, we are seeing lives transformed on our campus—for now and eternity!
Is there a young person in your life who would benefit from Christian resources like this? Check out DavidCCook.org for countless worthy ideas!