My ABC Bible Verses from the Psalms

THAN LIFE, MY LIPS WILL PRAISE YOU. Psalm 63:3 The Psalms teach us to praise God as they talk about how great God really is!

This colorfully illustrated children’s book presents a verse from Psalms alongside each letter of the alphabet with an engaging story—helping kids to memorize verses from the Psalms, learn their ABCs, grow in their relationship with God, and understand why God is worthy of our worship.

My ABC Bible Verses from the Psalms

BECAUSE YOUR STEADFAST LOVE IS BET TER

,, As you reinforce these concepts, you will lay a foundation for your children to develop a biblical framework for thinking and living. While the stories are primarily geared to children who are learning the alphabet and learning to read, we write them for families to use when there is a wider age range.,, -Susan & Richie HUNT & HUNT

SUSAN HUNT is a mother, grandmother, pastor’s wife, author, and the former director of women’s ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America. Her books emphasize the gospel of grace over works-based moralism, helping kids and parents alike to see more of Jesus’s role in their lives!

RICHIE HUNT is the children’s and youth minister at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Georgia. He has served in children’s and youth ministry for almost 20 years and is a husband and father.

U.S. $15.99

CHILDREN AGES 3–8

Dear Parent, Grandparent, Teacher, Thank you for selecting this book to read to the children you love. Jesus told us to make disciples, and that is what you are doing.

In the first My ABC Bible Verses book, most of the verses used are practical application of the gospel. In this book, the verses from Psalms focus primarily on the character of God. Thus the two books work together to disciple children in understanding and living the gospel.

Because we are partners with you in this endeavor to disciple children, we think it will be helpful for you to know the themes that are woven throughout this book that determined our selection of verses and the crafting of the stories.

First, our passion is to help children discover Jesus in all of Scripture. The Bible is not simply a collection of disconnected stories; it is the one big story of the Triune God redeeming His people. It is the story of Jesus. Each story concludes with a Scripture that points to Jesus.

Second, Psalms is basically a hymn book that teaches God’s people to praise Him. The lofty language lifts our children’s minds above the noise and clutter of the world to the majestic glory of our Sovereign King. Our prayer is that as children memorize these verses they will begin to have a sense of wonder at the majesty and glory of God. Even young children can be inspired by the language of faith. Their understanding will continue to grow, as will ours.

Third, children need to know they were created to glorify God. This gives a sense of purpose and destiny. They need to understand that the gospel of grace is the power of God to save us and to change us so that we reflect His glory.

Fourth, we want children to love the church and to know that when we belong to Jesus, we belong to His covenant family. The stories intentionally show a family participating in and serving the family of God.

As you reinforce these concepts in the context of your life, you will lay a foundation for your children to develop a biblical framework for thinking and living. While the stories are primarily geared to children who are learning the alphabet and learning to read, we write them for families to use when there is a wider age range.

Finally, Psalm 23 and Psalm 100 are among the most beloved passages of Scripture. By being a little creative with the verse for J, we included all of the verses from Psalm 100 (see E, F, J, K, and S). They are not in order, but if you read the entire psalm each time, your child will see the sequence. We did not include verses from Psalm 23 because that has been covered in Susans’s book, Sammy and His Shepherd: Seeing Jesus in Psalm 23.

It is a profound privilege to teach God’s Word to the next generation. Moses said to the Israelites: Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law.

For it is no empty word for you, but your very life. (Deuteronomy 32:46–47) Continually reflect on the grand reality that you are giving children the words of life. Pray that your children will have the testimony and the passion of the psalmist: O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come. (Psalm 71:17–18) For God’s Glory, Susan & Richie

ASCRIBE TO THE LORD THE GLORY DUE HIS NAME. Psalm 29:2

“Missy and Bill, here’s our Sunday question,” Dad said as the family drove home.

“What was your favorite time at church today?”

“Snack time!” said Bill.

“I could have guessed that one,” Mom laughed. “What about you Missy?”

“I’m thinking,” Missy said slowly. “I love being with my friends, but I think my favorite time is when church starts and Pastor Wilson stands at the pulpit and smiles at us. He looks like he loves us so much.”

“That is a special time,” Mom agreed. “Do you remember what he says every Sunday?”

“It’s something about glory,” Missy said. “I love that word. Glory, glory, glory!”

Mom smiled. “It’s a good word. Each Sunday Pastor Wilson begins the worship service by saying: ‘Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name.’ Do you know where those words come from?”

“The Bible!” Bill shouted.

Missy rolled her eyes just a bit. “I think she means which part of the Bible.”

“Oh . . . the front part?”

Dad grinned. “It’s Psalm 29:2. Here’s another question— what does the word ascribe mean?”

“I have no idea,” Bill said.

Dad explained, “Ascribe means to recognize God’s glory. We are to give Him the honor He deserves because He’s our King.”

“When do you think we should ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name?” Mom asked.

“At church,” Bill said. You may have noticed that Bill is always quick to answer, but Missy usually takes a little time to think first. Finally she said, “I think we should do it all the time.”

“Me too!” Bill exclaimed. “I like Missy’s answer.”

“You’re absolutely right kids,” Dad chuckled. “We’re to recognize God’s glory every minute of every day.”

“Can we see God’s glory?” Bill asked.

“That’s a great question,” Dad replied. “Everything God made tells us about the greatness of His glory, but when Jesus came, He showed us the goodness and grace of God’s glory. When we read the Bible, we see God’s glory with our spiritual eyes. When we read the Bible, we see Jesus.”

There was a sweet silence, then Missy said, “One of my favorite times is riding home from church with my family.”

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14

L E T ’ S TA L K • What did Dad ask Missy and Bill as they drove home from church?

• What was their favorite time?

• What does ascribe mean?

• Where do we see God’s glory?

L E T ’ S P R AY • Thank God that Jesus became a man and showed us God’s glory.

BECAUSE YOUR STEADFAST LOVE IS BET TER THAN LIFE, MY LIPS WILL PRAISE YOU. Psalm 63:3

“Let’s go, Missy and Bill. We don’t want to be late for pizza day with G-G. What are you taking her today?”

G-G is Missy and Bill’s Great-Grandmother.

“I drew a picture of flowers,” Missy said. “She loves flowers.”

“I’m taking my new race car to show her,” Bill said. “I’m going to let her keep it until we see her next week.”

“What do you think G-G will say when she sees these treasures?” Mom asked.

“Praise the Lord!” Missy and Bill said at the same time.

“What are you taking, Mom?” Bill asked.

“Chocolate chip cookies.”

“Praise the Lord!” Missy and Bill shouted together.

“Mom, why do you think G-G says ‘Praise the Lord’ so often?” Missy asked.

“That’s a good question. I think you should ask her.”

They picked up the pizza and met Dad in the parking lot. G-G was waiting for them in the lobby of the assisted living home.

“G-G, you look so pretty in that pink sweater,” Missy said.

“Thank you, Missy. I’ve been praising the Lord for this beautiful day. Let’s eat outside.”

“That would be fun! May I push your wheelchair?” Bill asked.

“Sure—maybe we can find someone to race,” G-G laughed.

“Speaking of racing—I brought my new race car for you to see.”

“Praise the Lord! Do you think I could keep it until next week so I can show it to my friends?”

Soon they were settled around a table enjoying pizza and each other.

“G-G, I have a question. Why do you say ‘Praise the Lord’ so much?” Missy asked.

“Praise the Lord for a great-granddaughter who asks such a thoughtful question,” G-G said as she reached over and patted Missy’s hand. “I have lived for ninety years. As I think about my life, I remember many happy times, some hard times, and some sad times, but Jesus is my Savior. He loves me so much that He died for my sin so that I can live with Him forever. There were times when I didn’t love Him as much as I loved other things, but He still loved me. I’ve learned that His love is better than anything this world can give me. His love is better than life, so every day I ask Him for grace to let my lips and my life praise Him.” “I love you G-G,” Missy said. “And I praise the Lord for you.”

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16

L E T ’ S TA L K • What did Missy and Bill take to G-G? • What did they think G-G would say?

L E T ’ S P R AY • Thank God for loving us and giving Jesus to be our Savior. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you praise Him with your lips and your life.

C R E AT E I N M E A C L E A N H E A R T, O G O D, A N D RENEW A RIGHT SPIRIT WITHIN ME. Psalm 51:10

“Bored! B-O-R-E-D!” Chris said as he lay in the grass.

“Me too,” his brother Justin said. Then they saw Bill walking up the street.

“Bill,” Justin called, “come play with us.”

Bill loves to play with Chris and Justin, but there is a problem. They are usually just a little too much fun, and it always ends the same way—all of them in a little bit of trouble. “I don’t know. You guys always get me in trouble.”

“Who? Us? You must be thinking of someone else.”

Bill thought about it and then agreed to stay because he was B-O-R-E-D too.

The boys threw a ball for a while, then Chris had an idea. “This is how it’s going to work . . . ” After a quick huddle, they were off. First stop—the kitchen. Justin grabbed all the butter from the refrigerator. The second part of the plan—rub the butter on the front porch floor. Third, of course, was to call their older sister Heather outside and watch her slip and slide. It was sure to be the funniest thing they would see all day.

Bill and Justin hid behind the big tree in the front yard, peering around to get a good view. Chris opened the front door and yelled, “EMERGENCY! Come quick!”

The boys stifled their laughter as they imagined what would happen next, but their expressions changed to horror the instant they realized that Heather wasn’t the one who came to check on their emergency. It was Chris and Justin’s mother!

“AHH!” she shrieked as she slid, arms flailing, across the front porch, grabbing the railing just in the nick of time.

Bill didn’t know what to do, so he turned and ran as fast as he could.

All the way home he kept thinking about the verse he had learned. His dad had told him it was a prayer, so he started praying: “Create in me a clean heart.

Give me a right spirit to do the right thing. Forgive me for being foolish.”

He walked into the kitchen. Mom gave him “the look,” and he knew she had already had a phone call. Without a word of explanation he said, “I know what I have to do.” He walked slowly back to Chris and Justin’s house to apologize to their mom and to clean her porch. As he walked, he thanked the Holy Spirit for reminding him of Psalm 51:10.

“In [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.”

Ephesians 1:7

L E T ’ S TA L K • What should Bill have done when he heard Chris’s plan?

• How did the Holy Spirit help Bill?

L E T ’ S P R AY • Thank God that Jesus died to forgive our sin. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a clean heart and a right spirit to do the right thing.

My ABC Bible Verses from Psalms Copyright © 2013 by Susan Hunt and Richard Eugene Hunt Jr. (text) and Connie Gabbert (illustrations) Published by Crossway

1300 Crescent Street

Wheaton, Illinois 60187 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

Cover design and illustration: Connie Gabbert First printing 2013 Printed in Malaysia Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4335-3107-1 PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-3108-8 Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-3109-5 ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-3110-1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hunt, Susan, 1940– My ABC Bible verses from Psalms / Susan Hunt, Richie Hunt. p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-4335-3107-1 1. Bible. O.T. Psalms—Devotional literature. 2. Christian education—Home training. I. Hunt, Richie, 1967– II. Title.

BS1430.54.H86 2013 223’.209505—dc23 2012017949 Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

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My ABC Bible Verses Curriculum

By Susan Hunt This is a revised and updated edition of My ABC Bible Verses Curriculum.

Ideal for: Sunday School Children’s Church After-School Programs Homeschool Groups Join Bill and Missy on their journey as they make their way through the alphabet and God’s Word. In this comprehensive, revised, and expanded edition of My ABC Bible Verses Curriculum, Bill and Missy grow as they struggle with how to apply the Scriptures to their daily lives. Each of the 26 lessons presents a puppet skit in which Bill and Missy encounter situations in which they are challenged to live by God’s Word. Each lesson includes: — A lesson based on a puppet skit dialogue (stick puppets included) — A gospel section that uses the verse to teach children about Jesus — Small group ideas — Activity ideas — A worksheet for both readers (word search) and nonreaders (dot-to-dot) — A PowerPoint slide with a colored letter and the corresponding verse.

In addition, the curriculum includes ideas for review games as well as a set of cards for an ABC Bible Verse Memory Game that will aid children in learning the Scripture references. It also includes a CD with all the material included as PDF files for easy printing and copying, so that you can use this curriculum year after year!

Now available! This item is for the teacher to use. Ideal for kids ages 3–7. Available from CEP Bookstore 1-800-283-1357 or www.cepbookstore.com.

THAN LIFE, MY LIPS WILL PRAISE YOU. Psalm 63:3 The Psalms teach us to praise God as they talk about how great God really is!

This colorfully illustrated children’s book presents a verse from Psalms alongside each letter of the alphabet with an engaging story—helping kids to memorize verses from the Psalms, learn their ABCs, grow in their relationship with God, and understand why God is worthy of our worship.

My ABC Bible Verses from the Psalms

BECAUSE YOUR STEADFAST LOVE IS BET TER

,, As you reinforce these concepts, you will lay a foundation for your children to develop a biblical framework for thinking and living. While the stories are primarily geared to children who are learning the alphabet and learning to read, we write them for families to use when there is a wider age range.,, -Susan & Richie HUNT & HUNT

SUSAN HUNT is a mother, grandmother, pastor’s wife, author, and the former director of women’s ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America. Her books emphasize the gospel of grace over works-based moralism, helping kids and parents alike to see more of Jesus’s role in their lives!

RICHIE HUNT is the children’s and youth minister at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Georgia. He has served in children’s and youth ministry for almost 20 years and is a husband and father.

U.S. $15.99

CHILDREN AGES 3–8