14 The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. --Mark 4:14, NLT

We must be more aggressive in planting God's Gospel in others--especially children!--than the enemy is to plant seeds of evil in them!

When my online student, a second-grader, declared during a silly story we were doing (to teach her more about the parts of speech) that she "could not live without (her certain) online game," I just flatlly and gently corrected her. I said, "God gives us every breath. You can live without (that game), but you cannot live without God and His Word."

Then, we went on with the lesson.

First, we plant those godly seeds by living according to God's Word to the best of our ability and knowledge, every day, while reading the Bible and praying and worshiping, and repenting as He reveals things to us that have been hindering our lives.

Then, we ask Him to put His words in our mouths, and also to give us wisdom on how to otherwise purposely plant His Word--His ways!--into the lives of our precious students. 

He always has a way to promote His Word, and help us sow it, and water it into the fertile soil of our students' hearts!

It may take years for these seeds to start bearing fruit, but that's God's job. Our job is to plant the seeds!

6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God [all the while] was making it grow and [He] gave the increase. 7 So neither he who plants is anything nor he who waters, but [only] God Who makes it grow and become greater. 8 He who plants and he who waters are equal (one in aim, of the same importance and esteem), yet each shall receive his own reward (wages), according to his own labor. 9 For we are fellow workmen (joint promoters, laborers together) with and for God;--I Corinthians 3:6-9a, AMPC

I taught in public school for years, and would share books about God in the class library (I remember one sweet fourth grader being amazed and delighted when she discovered a book to check out that I had recently bought and put in the library with others--some blatantly about God.), and also tie in whatever subject we were talking about on certain days to the LORD. The kids asked a lot of questions, and, before the end of that year, two of my female students excitedly told me they had received Christ as Savior, and were going to be baptized! Hallelujah!

For the past four years, I have taught online, and the LORD has blessed me to teach kids and adults in eight other countries, and more recently, online in public school classes with small pull-out groups of "high needs/struggling learners", in three time zones across the nation.  I now often have them read directly from the Word (BibleGateway.com), and from other texts that are God-based. I have also shared with them "10 Legal Rights of Students on Public School Campuses" which I received from a well-known ministry, and other documents as the LORD leads. 

They soak it up! We talk about concepts, new vocabulary words, and more. Using the Word of God accomplishes many positive things at once for my students, and I don't remember one balking at it through the years--no matter what the background, faith, or lack of faith.  One student did ask if I was a Christian, and I said yes, I believe in Jesus Christ. She told me she was a Muslim. That did not stop me from talking about God.

I've also had a few students said OMG a few times--a habit I'm sure they picked up from their surroundings--and asked the LORD for a strategy to discourage this effectively, because when other say OMG, it's used as a curse word, in my opinion.  Anyway, He showed me to say, "God is good all the times, and Jesus Christ is LORD!" every time I had a student say OMG. 

It didn't take long for any of them to stop saying that in my class! Hallelujah!  I also had one older male Chinese student who was fluent in Mandarin and English laugh and start agreeing when I'd say my proclamation in answer to his. He'd say OMG, and I'd say, "God is good all the time, and JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!" and he'd laugh and say, "Yes!" then we'd continue with our lesson.

GOD-SEEDS!

By the way, he was delighted to tell me that he had a children's Bible "somewhere"....Hallelujah! May he fall in love with the LORD, the Living Word, and be used mightily by Him!

The LORD, the Master Strategist Who created and knows all people, will give you creative ideas to reach your students with His Word of Life!

Like the Apostle Paul, we can continue "Preaching to them the kingdom of God and teaching them about the Lord Jesus Christ with boldness and quite openly, and without being molested or hindered.--Acts 28:31, AMPC

Hallelujah, amen!

Through books, courses, presentations, service, prayer, worship, and more, Tonja and her husband live to exalt God. Her series for girls, P.O.W.E.R. GIRL ADVENTURES, is now out (books I-V), along with LEGACY; YOUR HOLY HEALTH: VISIONS OF THE KING, and more. See the "River Rain Creative" YT channel.