September 2, "A Good Foundation"
Lesson 1: Spiritual Formation
This was the very first Paws & Tales broadcast! C.J. and Staci set out to build a clubhouse, but they build it in an old rotten tree. Discover why having a good foundation is essential to building a godly life.
“A good foundation"
David Carl writes, "I believe that even elementary school children are capable of learning theology. Actually, kids are already learning theology at that age and have been learning it all along. They can't help it. Every day a child must somehow make sense out of a complicated and sometimes chaotic world. I want to help kids build a foundation of solid theology at an early age to avoid having to rebuild a shaky foundation that was built on bad theology." Read about the foundations of Paws & Tales in this week's Director's Notes.
September 9, "The Princess"
Lesson 5: Prayer
Staci wishes that she were a princess so she could help others who are in need. She soon learns that every Christian has the King as their Father and that our prayers to Him make a difference in ways we cannot even imagine!
"The mysteries of prayer"
David Carl writes, "Certain things will happen only after they have been prayed for. For example, in James 1:5–7 it is clear that God will give us wisdom when we ask for it. The logic then is that if we do not ask it of Him, we will not receive it from Him. This flow of logic leads us into the nature of prayer, which is where the mystery begins." Discover the mysteries of prayer in this week's Director's Notes.
September 16, "Snake Oil"
Lesson 13: Becoming a Disciple of Christ
The slick traveling salesman, Dr. Theron, promises to teach C.J. the secrets of success and fame. But C.J. must decide whom he wants to follow more, “the good doctor” or “The Good Shepherd.”
Pro-choice
David Carl writes, “Choice is an amazing power—a ‘superpower,’ if you will. With it we can change our fate and affect the lives of everyone around us. Why God gave us such power is a mystery. It is part of our jobs as parents and teachers to instruct our kids on the use of this power, not to withhold it from them.” Read about how valuable it is to give children the opportunity to make godly choices.
September 23, "Staci's Dilemma"
Lesson 19: Doing What Is Right
There's been a robbery at Mr. Crawford's general store. Staci thinks she saw the culprit but is warned by a mysterious visitor that if she knows what's good for her, she'll keep her mouth shut! Meanwhile, C.J. discovers the hard way that receiving God's forgiveness isn't hard at all.
Now go do the right thing
Talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger concludes each hour of her popular national call-in show with the challenge, "Now go do the right thing." It's good advice that often isn't easy to follow. As callers to the program can attest, Dr. Laura's recommendations for solving callers' moral dilemmas are seldom easy or painless. In this week's Director's Notes, David Carl explains why it's important that there are sometimes tough consequences to doing the right thing and the eternal benefits of making the necessary sacrifices.
September 30, "The Scarlet Stain"
Lesson 24: Repentance
A defiant Ned trespasses into an abandoned mine looking for gold. But what he finds there is more than he planned on! Now the results of Ned's sin are growing out of control and begin to affect his friends. Will Ned, C.J., Staci, and Gooz do the right thing before the Scarlet Stain spreads?
Death and taxes
Benjamin Franklin is credited for the saying, "In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes." Of course there are some who try to cheat both. As Christians, we fight a cognitive battle to stay honest even though we know there are times we could fudge the truth a little without anyone knowing. And when it comes to our money, we are highly motivated to hold on to what little we've got. This week, David Carl explains how when it comes to taxes and death, cheating on one leads to the other.