1.
Perfect Creation:
Bible References: Genesis 1v1 "In the beginning when God created the universe..." and couple with this verse 31 "God looked at everything he had made and he was very pleased." This is God's PERFECT creation
2.
Sin enters the world: The Fall
Bible references: Genesis 1v17 "And he said to the man, "You listened to your wife and ate the fruit which I told you not to eat." and verse 23 "So the Lord God sent him out of the Garden of Eden."
3.
God calls Abraham: The Rescue Plan Begins
Bible Reference: Genesis 12 v1 "The Lord said to Abram, "leave your country, your relatives and your Father's home and go to a land I am going to show you. v2 I will give you many descendants and they will become a great nation. "
4.
The Foundation of Israel : Moses and the Exodus
Exodus Chapter 3 v10 God has called Moses and says to him "Now I am sending you to the King of Egypt so that you can lead my people out of his country"
5.
God begins to teach the Jews what it means to be his chosen people: Laws and Covenants
Exodus 20 - The Ten Commandments are given plus lots of other laws and regualtions about festivals and how to worship God.
6.
Much later after the foundation of Israel and the laws had been written down God began to explain to the Jews that the Messiah would come.
Isaiah Chapter 9 for example contains one such promise and prophecy.
7.
After many years of prepartion The Messiah comes. He is the one who is going to rescue God'speople and show them the way back to heaven and deal with their sinfulness.
Matthew Chapter 1 Luke Chapter 2 John Chapter 1
8.
Jesus teaches people about God
Matthew 4v23 "Jesus went all over Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the Good News about the Kingdom and healing people who had all kinds of diseases and sickness."
Matthew 5,6 and 7 contain the Sermon on the Mount.
9.
Jesus is rejected and dies on the Cross for our sins. God raises him from the dead and in his new resurrection body we see what we will be like one day if we follow Jesus. The Plan of Salvation is now revealed and is in place - SALVATION IS THROUGH JESUS eg MARK 14,15 and 16
10.
The followers of Jesus now have to tell everyone the Good News about God's Plan of Salvation so that as many people as possible can go to heaven.
Matthew 28 v16-20
The story of the early exploits of the followers of Jesus can be found in the book of ACTS.
11.
The Plan of Salvation will end when Jesus returns and brings in a new age with a new heaven and earth.
Revelation 22 v 7
The New Heaven and the New Earth are described in Revelation 21.
See also for example Matthew 24 v27 "For the Son of Man will come like the lightning which flashes across the whole sky from east to west."
Matthew 25 v31 "When the Son of Man comes as King and all the angels with him, he will sit on his royal throne."
It is important to tell the children this story again and again ie every single week. It may be done quite simply and according to age. The salient points to be communicated each week are as follows:
God created a perfect world. We disobeyed him and brought sin into the world so that everything became corrupt. God decided to rescue us. He began his plan of salvation by calling one Abraham to come and follow him and obey him. Soon Abraham's whole family and the generations that followed believed in God. The next step in God's plan was to have his special people called the Jews live in a special land and so he called MOSES to lead the people out of Egypt where they were slaves. As they travelled towards the promised land God gave them rules and laws such as the 10 Commandments. Many years later God began to tell his special people the Jews about the next step in the PLAN. Hew as going to send a Messiah, A Saviour. The prophets told people about this. About 2,000 years ago the Messiah who of course was Jesus was born. During his life he taught people about GOD. Jesus died on the Cross for our Sins and then he rose again from the dead and went back into heaven. He had opened the doorway to heaven for anyone who would follow him and love him. Jesus sent his followers out into all the world to spread the Good News about the the Plan of Salvation so that as many people as possible might get into heaven. The Plan will end when the world ends - Jesus said that he will return to the earth and when he does everyone will know that he is GOD and then the world will end and those who have been rescued will live forever with God in the New Heaven and the New Earth.