Why You Should Be Talking About Animals in Your Lessons

In my Bible reading last week, I came across an interesting verse about Solomon. Look what it says about Him.

He could also speak about animals, birds, small creatures, and fish. 1 Kings 4:33

Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, took the time to learn about animals, birds and fish. He could talk extensively about them. He knew it was a topic that would interest people.

Fast forward to today. People still have an interest in animals. Kids love animals and enjoy learning about them and talking about them.

Jesus talked about animals when He taught. He used sheep as an example in his teachings. A wolf. A lion. Dogs. Beasts of the field. Snakes. Creatures that move along the ground. Creatures of the sea. Ravens. Bears. Cows. Just to name a few.

Jesus knew that most people have a natural interest in animals and so He used animals in His illustrations.

Kids love animals. They love to go to the zoo. They love to have animals for pets. They love to watch movies and television shows that have animals in them. They love to study about animals at school.

If you want to connect with kids, talking about animals in your lessons is important. Noah's ark is one of the most beloved stories in the Bible. It is obviously filled with animals.

A great example of someone using animals in their storytelling was Walt Disney. He knew that people connect with animals. Look what he said.

Next to his own most intimate self-concerns, man is most fascinated by creatures of the animal kingdom. They have been close to his interest and his fate from time beyond the Ark.

A big part of Walt's success involved animals. That's why one of the Disney Parks is called "Animal Kingdom." You will also see that animals are a huge part of Disney through their movies, theme park rides, shows, characters and products.

In fact, Disney started with a small mouse called Mickey. Many of their most beloved characters are based on animals. Donald is a duck. Goofy is a dog. Simba is a lion. Chip & Dale are chipmunks. Eeyore is a donkey. Dumbo is an elephant. Peter is a rabbit. Bambi is a deer.