The central teaching of a lesson, whether it be generosity, charity, forgiveness, or some other virtue, is brought home most effectively by illustration and example. As an educative force, emulation far surpasses exhortation.
From Foundation Stones, page [33] of this volume, may be selected the stories of all those men and women of the Bible who wrought out in their lives whatever quality of character may be central in the lesson. Here also such words of Jesus, of the prophets, or of the Psalms as emphasize and enforce the teaching, are grouped and may readily be found.
Historical Connections
A great deal of Bible School teaching touches only the mountain peaks of history without traversing the connecting valleys. Study of lesson after lesson with no attention to their connections leaves but a series of detached thoughts.
Often lessons, which have become an old story to boys and girls, become interesting and fascinating when linked up with the history of the world in Bible times, or when the Bible events themselves are joined in connected narrative.
THE BIBLE STORY presents an unusual opportunity to a teacher for establishing these connections.
(A) The [Table of Contents of "Hero Tales"] suggests the chronology of Hebrew history as far as the minor kings.
(B) The chart on page [236 T.J.] links up the minor kings with the prophets in point of time.
(C) The life of Jesus may be traced out chronologically from the sequence of places given on pages [109] and [110] of this volume.