Kids can get it
Part of my frustration is that I grew up in church and have always felt connected to God. I’ve rebelled but always felt drawn to him. I thank God for that now, but as a teen I remember hearing tremendously amazing stories of life change from adults. Addicts lost addictions, violent men became teddy bears, and sexual deviants changed into God-honoring servants.
Yet I couldn’t find huge evidence of life change. Not that I didn’t have any or doubted that life change was a prerequisite. Instead, what I read in Scripture didn’t match what I perceived to be my story.
But Jesus was saying kids can get it, and adults need to become like kids to get it. I shifted from despair of not understanding how kids can get it to how can they get it?
My desire isn’t for kids to know everything. I want them to hear about Jesus and his love for us and his life, death, and resurrection.
Non-Negotiables
When you’re sharing the gospel, make sure kids hear these messages:
- God’s plan of Creation (God created us for good)
- Our sin and consequential disconnection from our original purpose and from God
- Jesus’ rescue of us
- Our response (faith and repentance)
- Call to action (prayer, find an adult, sign up for baptism, etc.)
Never
I’ve done most of these but hope to never do them again. Thankful for the Gospel and that God is bigger and better than my teaching.
- Try harder, do better (the solution is to lean into Jesus)
- Quit that behavior (I try to talk about turning to something in addition to turning away from something)
- Confirming the prayer they prayed gets them to heaven (It might not, just like donating a lot of money to the church doesn’t)
- Once saved, always saved (very complex…this could be confusing to children)
I know that the way that I’ve presented Jesus has changed over the past few years, but I finally feel some progress because I’m confident that point kids to Jesus in all things is really the Gospel.
I hope to help children see that Jesus, not effort or a prayer or a lifestyle, is what gives us assurance and that is what I want my kids to lean into it.
- Share the story of God
- Share your story
- Focus on faith and repentance (both are necessary for faith)
- Look for response
- It’s more than just a one-time conversation or event, so keep going
What are your tips about sharing the gospel? Has it changed over the years?
