With so many voices making an attempt to dismantle the household construction and compromise godly values, Jonathan Evans, a former NFL participant and chaplain to the Dallas Cowboys, created a cartoon sequence and guide to show kids the parables of Jesus. 

Evans, collectively along with his spouse, Kanika, and their 5 kids, labored collectively on the guide, Tales from the Storyteller: Life Classes from the Parables of Jesus (Harvest Children; illustrated by Todd Hampson) and the accompanying cartoon sequence.

The characters embark on varied household adventures that give rise to alternatives the place the household shares themes from the parables of Jesus throughout every day occurrences. 

“Having God’s Phrase ingrained in you is the way you don’t get thrown off observe so that you could expertise the promise that God has for you,” Evans advised The Christian Put up. “That’s the reason we needed to make it a cartoon. Children are engaged in cartoons; they’re engaged in screens, however we additionally need them to be engaged in God’s Phrase. The guide, along with the cartoon, actually helps us to do this — guaranteeing that youngsters will not be simply knocked off observe when one other thought comes at them, as a result of God’s Phrase is ingrained in them.”  

Every of the 12 Chapters within the guide has a QR Code on the finish that, as soon as scanned, exhibits a clip from the cartoon. Full episodes of the cartoon might be seen on YouTube. 

The next is an edited transcript of The Christian Put up’s interview with Evans the place he shares the inspiration behind the brand new cartoon sequence. 

CP: What impressed you to pen a kids’s guide that teaches biblical ideas?

Evans: I’ve 5 kids. My spouse and I’ve been married for 17 years with 5 kids between the ages of 14 and 4. We realized early on that there are only a few cartoons that they will watch and sources that they will get into that we, as mother and father, approve of — sources that permit us to stroll away and know that our children are properly taken care of.

We wish to ensure that the ideas that we’re instructing them in our house are the ideas that they see on their display screen, the ideas that they expertise within the books that they open. My spouse and I stated, “Why don’t we simply take that up ourselves and produce one thing that may assist mother and father, particularly since a whole lot of mother and father are in the identical state of affairs that we’re in?” We needed to useful resource mother and father similar to we needed to be resourced. So we’ve determined to do exactly that. 

We’re enthusiastic about Tales from the Storyteller as a result of our children are within the cartoons; they do the voice-overs for the characters. These are true tales which have occurred in our household. We now have actually been capable of have enjoyable with these tales, and, on the identical time, present biblical ideas. And so, not solely are my spouse and I concerned, however our children are capable of see the impression that they will have on different individuals’s lives by being part of this ministry, seeing what God is looking them to do and utilizing the items that God has given them.

CP: Are these true tales you’ve skilled with your loved ones?

Evans: Most all of the tales in Tales from the Storyteller are issues which have actually occurred in and with our household. In fact, they’ve been embellished a bit of bit as a result of it is a cartoon and we needed to mirror that humor. However these are humorous tales that we have now skilled, loopy issues our children have finished that we’re ready to make use of as illustrations. The best illustrations are your kids. By means of our household life, our youngsters have given us superb tales to inform that join with biblical fact.

CP: What made you select the biblical truths chosen?

Evans: Tales from the Storyteller is concentrated on the parables of Jesus Christ. He’s the best storyteller to ever stay and He nonetheless lives. When He was telling His tales and utilizing His parables, it was to show ideas. Take into consideration the illustrations that each one mother and father have of their households and the tales that they inform. When these tales can train the ideas of Jesus Christ, you might be actually onto one thing. We chosen a few of the biggest tales ever advised from the best storyteller to ever inform them in God’s Phrase.

CP: How necessary is it for kids to consider these truths at a time when secular actions are attempting to indoctrinate them with lies?

Evans: That is precisely why we have been motivated to do that challenge. We needed to have the guide and have the cartoons to tie individuals right into a model that was about instructing the reality of God’s Phrase. We consider that fact is an goal normal by which all actuality is measured. You aren’t allowed to have your personal fact; you aren’t allowed to have private emotions about what fact is. Reality sits exterior of you; it doesn’t rely on you. And so, the rationale we all know that 2 + 2 = 4 is as a result of if you happen to set 4 rocks out, you will notice 4 rocks. It’s an goal actuality, and so is the reality. 

The Bible is that goal actuality for us and we take a look at that as the reality. It sits exterior of us and isn’t dependent upon our emotions to find out it. It stays fact whether or not we wish to do it or not. It’s our want to guide individuals in that goal fact. We don’t wish to observe our hearts; we wish our hearts to observe the reality. That being stated, we needed to create this product to actually assist youngsters get the armor of God they’ll want in order that they will stroll out into the world and face the battles they’ll face. Persevering with to place that of their minds, persevering with to show them that in a means that they perceive they usually like and may chuckle at, however that they will additionally connect with spiritually, is our objective. 

CP: How do you assume having these truths ingrained in them may assist kids?

Evans: Having these truths ingrained is what’s necessary. In Psalm 1, the Bible tells us to meditate on His Phrase day and night time and says, “That individual is sort of a tree firmly planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf doesn’t wither and in no matter they do, they prosper.”

Joshua 1 talks about meditating on God’s Phrase day and night time and never turning to the left or to the proper. Having God’s Phrase ingrained in you is the way you don’t get thrown off observe so that you could expertise the promise that God has for you. That’s the reason we needed to make it a cartoon. Children are engaged in cartoons, they’re engaged in screens, however we additionally need them to be engaged in God’s Phrase. The guide, along with the cartoon actually helps us to do this, guaranteeing that youngsters will not be simply knocked off observe when one other thought comes at them, as a result of God’s Phrase is ingrained in them.  

CP:  What end result would you like for households who learn the guide?

Evans: In relation to studying the guide, I would like them to have household time. We would like households to have interaction. We would like their youngsters to be begging for bedtime like again within the olden days when mother and father would put their youngsters to mattress, tuck them in and skim them a narrative, creating custom within the house round God’s Phrase. Children will develop up and say, “I bear in mind our story time at night time, watching cartoons and spending time with my mother and father as they elaborated on God’s Phrase based mostly on the cartoon and tales from the guide.” It actually creates a dynamic household time. 

Households want to come back collectively and though many instances devices pull them aside, with Tales from the Storyteller, it is really part of what brings them collectively. The impression of household time, and rising collectively as a household, is what’s necessary right here. 

We’re additionally quickly to come back out with a Tales from the Storyteller app the place your youngsters will have the ability to binge-watch the cartoons. They will take a look at all of the sources we have now and even Bible research can be on there. Our want is to create a neighborhood of people who find themselves linked to Tales from the Storyteller and due to this fact linked to Jesus Christ. So, we’re excited concerning the guide and the cartoon, and particularly about households rising collectively within the title of Jesus Christ. 

To buy the guide or watch the sequence, go to Tales from the Storyteller web site.

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