One Key Point

Making stories stick requires intentionality on the part of the storyteller. When prepping to tell a children’s Bible story, you must be willing to think through comprehension and life application acquisition skills. In other words, consider what helps students grasp knowledge and be able to readily use it. My primary default plan is always to use one key point.

This means I must begin with the end in mind. I must decide on the one thing I want children or students to walk away knowing and be able to apply.

A great key point is memorable, simple and clear.

In telling the story of Noah, it is easy to see that Noah did exactly what God asked him to do every step of the way. He was told to build an ark with precise dimensions and use specific materials. He was to gather a definite number of birds and animals paying particular attention to the gender of each. He was to store up food and gather his family. As the story unfolds, a good key point, such as …and Noah did exactly what God asked him to do is easy for a storyteller to insert and repeat with frequency.

The phrase is also easy to apply. Children can understand its meaning and can readily enter into a discussion.

For example:

Tell me something God asked Noah to do.
How did Noah respond.
What else did God ask? How did Noah respond.
What was the easiest/hardest thing God asked Noah to do?
How did Noah respond?

If God asked you to do something would you do it?
Would you do all of it or just a part?
What it if was hard?
What if you couldn’t find the materials you needed?

Has God ever asked you to do anything?
Has God asked you to obey your parents?
Does God want you to do your homework and your chores?
How does God want you to treat others?
How should you respond when God asks you to do something?
How should you respond when the Bible tells you how to do something?

If done well, the answer to most of the questions you ask will be some form of your key point. The first 6 questions above are from the story itself and ask about Noah. The next 4 put the student in the place of Noah and make the story personal. The final 6 give similar real-life scenarios that require the student to apply the story to their own life.

Asking questions that require some version of your key point as the answer will verify that students have understood the story and can apply the key point to their own lives.

This, of course, does not guarantee obedience, but it does make the story stick so that listeners are aware of the choices they are making each day.