A Signpost

How do we live our lives?

by Rebecca Parkinson (revised, originally published in 2016)

Suitable for Whole School (Pri)

Aims

To consider how Christians and others believe that the Bible is a signpost showing them a path through life.

Preparation and materials

• You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (A Signpost) and the means to display them.
• You will also need a Bible.

Assembly

1. Show Slides 1 to 4 in turn.
   
   For each one, ask the children what the sign means and what action it should cause a driver to take.
   
   - Slide 1 means ‘no entry’.
   - Slide 2 means ‘stop and give way’.
   - Slide 3 means ‘one-way traffic’.
   - Slide 4 means ‘danger’.
   
   
2. Show the Bible to the children.
   
   Point out that Christians and others believe that the Bible contains much wisdom that can help us to live a better life.
   
   
3. Show Slide 1 again.
   
   Tell the children that there are some passages in the Bible that advise against certain ways of living, such as being selfish and holding on to our possessions. (You may wish to draw attention to the Ten Commandments.)
   
   Christians believe that this is not because God is a spoilsport, but because he loves and cares for us.
   
   
4. Show Slide 2 again.
   
   Explain that there are some stories and laws in the Bible that tell us to stop doing something. It may be that we are hurting other people or doing something that we know is wrong. The Bible shows us that we should stop doing wrong and follow a life that is good and involves helping and caring for others.
   
   
5. Show Slide 3 again.
   
   The Bible shows us a way to live that encourages us to think of others before ourselves. It asks us not to put ourselves first and make demands, but to consider other people’s ideas and preferences. We will be happier when we live like this.
   
   
6. Show Slide 4 again.
   
   Explain that Christians believe that the Bible is not there to make our lives boring or miserable, but to show us a good way to live that makes those around us happy. It shows us that there is a danger of being so caught up with ourselves that we end up making ourselves and those around us unhappy.
   
   
7. Recap that the Bible is not just a rulebook for Christians to follow; it is full of examples of how we can live our lives for others.
   
   Many people find that the Bible gives them direction and provides them with peace and comfort. Some people believe that God speaks directly to them through the Bible, and others find it a good source of interesting stories and wisdom from the earliest civilizations. It tells the stories of Jesus and his followers in the New Testament, and of the Jewish people in the Old Testament.

Time for reflection

Let’s think for a moment about the road signs that help us to be safe on the roads.

Let’s take the time to think about where we get our directions for life from.

- Do we know any stories from the Bible?
- Do they help us to think about how to live?
- Do we know stories from other religions that help us as we move through life?

Listen to a range of responses.

Remind the children of people in school who are available if they need some help in their lives right now.

Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you that you want to help us throughout our lives.
Thank you that you gave us the Bible, which encourages us to care for other people.
Please help us to think about how our lives affect those around us.
Amen.

Song/music

‘Ask, seek, knock’ by Hillsong Kids, available at: https://youtu.be/J3vXskhI1ig (3.23 minutes long)