How RLD Works
What is Real Life Downloaded (RLD)? RLD offers lesson step alternatives based on current events. While it’s designed to be used with Bible-in-Life or Echoes Sunday school curriculum, you can also use the content for ice-breakers, homeschool teaching, or family devotional time. RLD is great for kids ages 11-18, as well as adults.
How does RLD work? Lessons are always shown in order from newest to oldest. The home page displays the latest three lessons. Just select the title or badge icon of the age level you wish to view. Continue scrolling down to see the identifying images for each age level, as well as a video breaking down the parts of a lesson.
Lesson Identification
Easily identify a lessons age level by the badge icon associated with it.
Parts of a Lesson
Lesson Breakdown:
Here is a tour of the lesson layouts. Clink on the image to enlarge. At the top of every lesson you will see the age level (a), lesson title (b), lesson number (c), quarter (d), author (e), lesson date (f), print/PDF button (g) floating social share buttons (h).
Every lesson starts off with a lesson focus (i), materials required for the lesson (j), Bible Basis (k), summary & additional links that are important to the lesson (l) and memory verse (m).
Scripture makes it clear that God puts a priority on relationships. We grow the most spiritually when we are in relationship with others. Step 1 (n) gives you and your students a chance to connect with each other and encourages active participation in your discussion. You’ll make real-life connections between their lives and what the Bible says. RLD gives you an alternative to step 1 (and step 4 for Upper Elementary, Middle Elementary, and High School) based on current events, which helps your students connect with the message. These conversations will flow naturally into Step 2, your Bible lesson. You can find Steps 2 and 3 in your teacher’s guide. To purchase a teacher’s guide, please visit: Bible-in-Life or Echoes.
You can easily identify questions for the class by the vertical line that stretches from the top of the first one to the bottom of the last on the left side. Questions are displayed in old (o). Answers displayed in italic (p).
Throughout the lesson are discussion tips (r) and even scripts (q) you can use.
Videos (s) are embedded directly into the lesson where you need it for easy viewing.
The Bible makes it clear that faith is much more than a list of beliefs. It’s also what we do—how we live out what we say we believe. Step 4 (t) is a way for you to encourage students to apply what they’ve learned to real life. Together you’ll recap what you’ve explored, and you’ll be able to provide practical suggestions for ways to act on faith and live it out.
Sharing and Printing Lessons
Easily share on social media, print or email a lesson using the buttons (h) floating on the side or located at the end of the lesson.
On the left side of every lesson are share buttons (g) that allow you to easily send the lesson you are viewing to others through popular sites like Facebook, Google+, Twitter and even by email using a Gmail or Yahoo account. If you wish to email a lesson but do not have Gmail or Yahoo, please copy the url at the top of the browser and paste it directly into your email.
Finding Older Lessons
You have access to at least one year of lesson archives. To visit the archive page, select Lessons (t) from the bar running across the top of your screen. Then select the age level (u) you would like to view in order to narrow down your search.
You can also search for lessons through the search (v) located in the navigation or to the right of the search sub-navigation (w). Type in a particular key word(s) to find lessons that contain the text. This is a great way to search lessons by verse or subject.
