Rhyme Times are reinforcers that I use with most of my lessons. They are sometimes easier for the kids to remember than the points of the lesson.
I usually put an incentive out for those who will memorize and recite the Rhyme Times (a piece of candy or an inexpensive toy from a place like Oriental Trading Company). While I have some serious reservations about the negative impact of incentives, I feel that it’s worth the risk to get the teaching concepts ingrained in the kids’ minds.
Here are the Rhyme Times I’ve come up with so far (organized by topic). Hope you can use some of them. I’ll add to this list occasionally. (And if you need a Rhyme Time for a topic, leave a comment. I’ll put several together for you.)
Forgiveness
Jesus helps me to forgive.
Holding a grudge is no way to live.
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When we stay angry and resent
More of our energy than theirs is spent.
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God forgives us with the measure we use;
Be careful when angry of which one you choose.
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God forgave us of more than we could pay;
We should treat others in just the same way.
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God’s Covering & Protection
God loves me; I’m under His care.
Wherever I go, He’s always there.
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Jesus told us He is God,
And said that He would never leave.
He sent His Holy Spirit
‘Cause He keeps His promises to me!
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God’s out in front and watching my back.
He always protects me from Satan’s attack.
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God’s Love & Forgiveness
Even when others’ patience is spent,
God still loves me one hundred percent!
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I may not be the best,
I may not be a dream.
But even when I’m messing up
Jesus wants me on His team!
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He loves me like I am today,
And sees what others cannot see;
While others only see my faults,
Jesus sees the best in me!
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Stealing, cheating, lying, doubting,
Bragging about all the things I’ve got…
Even when I’m doing wrong
Jesus loves me no matter what!
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God’s Purposes
What God’s doing can be hard to see,
But I know He has a plan for me.
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Often what’s hard is a tool and a test.
God will help me to do what’s best.
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God has a purpose, a plan and a dream.
My present struggles are more than they seem.
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Heaven
When I get to heaven, I’ll be richly blessed.
God is waiting to give me His best.
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One day we’ll join Jesus in His glory,
And then we’ll begin the rest of our story.
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This life is a Dot;
Eternity is a Line;
Living for God in my Dot
Will make my Line shine!
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This life is a Dot;
Eternity is a Line;
Loving a lot in my Dot
Will make my Line shine!
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Obedience & Purity
Not everything that others do
Is what God wants to see from you!
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Those who listen and obey
Don’t have to learn the harder way!
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Those with courage do what’s right
Even when they’re filled with fright!
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Just like Daniel in his story,
God wants me to bring Him glory!
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He’s not satisfied with just a part;
Jesus wants my entire heart.
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My heart is the soil where God plants His seeds;
When I obey Him, I don’t get weeds.
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Prayer
Talking to God is a very good way
To show Him I love Him every day.
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“I love you!” “I’m sorry!” “Thank you!” “Please!”
Remember these phrases, and pray with ease!
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Lift up your friends and family in prayer,
Because God will help even when you’re not there.
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“Yes” “No” “What’s Your Hurry?”
Three answers to prayer that take away worry.
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Worry, Fear, Stress and Challenges
When you’re afraid of fighting sin,
Trust in God; He’ll help you win!
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When the storms of life are really scary
And my problems seem to double,
I pray to God and trust in Him;
And Jesus helps me with my trouble!
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When the Enemy turns up the heat,
Remember Jesus has him beat!
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Even when life seems so unfair,
God won’t allow more than I can bear.
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If we trust Him and obey,
God makes bad things go our way.
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When my life is built on the Rock,
It will withstand each and every shock.
2 Comments
September 27, 2009 at 2:55 am
hello! God Bless you in your ongoing work. I was just wondering why you don’t use memory verses instead of rhymes. Also do you have lessons on the Bible stories or do you mostly do topical lessons? I love your work. You are gifted in making spiritual truths relevant and understandable to children. I am just finding that the children do not know the Bible very well.
September 29, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Hi, Deena. Thank you for your comment! I love memory verses and should use them more. I think I’m just not in the habit of incorporating them. It’s a good area for me to start improving, and I’ll start adding those to the lessons I post. In the meantime, I think some of the Scriptures used in the lessons might turn out to be good verses to memorize.
I also love teaching on Bible stories. I haven’t been as disciplined about writing those down over the years, so I need to go back and start putting them to paper. I taught a series on David this year at summer camp, and I’ve posted two of the four-lesson series. You can find them here and here.
This week, I promise to post lessons 3 and 4 from that series. I’ve also got a series on Peter and one on Joseph that I’ve taught in previous years at camp. I’ll see if those can be polished up and posted, too.
Hope these will be helpful for your ministry! Thank you for the great suggestions!
Michael