Names: God has many names, and each of his names describes him. Some examples are YHWH means loving relationable God and El means creator and powerful God. My Visual for this theme was candles lighting each other because my name (Luke) means light-giving. I did this visual also because it looks like one candle is giving light to the other candle and I think that this visual represents the meaning of my name. I think it is really cool how every name in the old testament has a meaning. One of my favorite names of God is Yahweh Ro’i because it reminds me that God is always looking over me and that he always is with me.

Conflict/Doubt: It’s good to ask questions and look for answers when you are confused about something in the Bible. Bring your questions and doubts to God or share them with someone you trust. The visual that I chose for this theme is the logo for Camp Geneva. I chose this because I used to go to Camp Geneva for overnight camps, and it was fun but I would get homesick. I would doubt that God would keep me and my family safe while I was away. It is very reassuring to hear that even people in the Bible struggled with doubts.

Call    

God called Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to act, and they did what God told them to do. We need to remember the promises that God tells us. My visual is the logo to the church, “La Casa de mi padre”. My family was called to help plant this church in Holland. My family felt that God was calling us to help plant this church. God calls us to do things that he knows will impact us. God knows what he is doing when he calls us to act on things.

Slavery/Salvation

Our struggles become part of us. Both Moses and Joseph went through struggles during their lives. The visual that I chose for the theme is my family picture. I chose this because whenever me and my family go through struggles we always find ways through the struggles and we end up fine. Struggles make a person, struggles help people learn things. God helps us through struggles.

Sinai Law

The 10 commandments are God’s wedding vows with Israel. We show love by following vows, Golden calves distracted us. I chose the visual of a basketball and a football because sometimes those are my golden calves and I spend too much time thinking about sports. I need to spend more time with God instead of spending more time with sports like basketball and football. Sports and schoolwork are sometimes my golden calves because they take up most of my day. Sports and schoolwork also take up most of my thoughts because sometimes I think about a test that I have or a game.

Sent to Promised Land

Israel trusted God a lot. Like while they were crossing the Jordan river, while they were wandering in the desert, and while they were in Jericho. I chose a visual of an airplane because when I was around 11 I got the opportunity to Ethiopia with my parents to pick up my sister and bring her home to the U.S. I had to trust God while we were on the trip because I was really nervous to be on an airplane, I trusted God and he made sure that I was safe. God has us trust him all the time. I have to trust God many time each day.

Something Rotten

Israel worshiped other gods because they would have been popular if they did. But Elijah came and spoke truth to power.  The visual that I chose for this theme is someone who is crossing his fingers behind his back. I chose this because sometimes I am tempted to lie and when I lie I start feeling rotten. The Israelites were tempted to worship other gods. They were tempted to do this because they would be popular if they did it.

Slide to Destruction

Decisions that Israel and Judah’s kings made lead them to exile. Instead of being exiled, God draws us close to him.  The visual that I chose for this theme is a picture of someone falling. When I do something wrong, I feel like I am falling into exile or that i’m falling into discipline. Just because we do something wrong doesn’t mean that we have to go into exile. God stops us from going into exile.