Have you ever wondered how to make faith in God a family affair while ministering to children and families?
There’s nothing like God’s Word. What other sacred text can be described as alive and active (Hebrews 4:12)? How incredible is it that ancient words remain relevant in our modern age? And what a gift that a book with such depth is also simple enough for kids!
Why Faith Should Be a Family Affair
The Israelites in Deuteronomy were instructed to diligently teach their children the ways of the Lord—and that stands true today. Jesus blessed children and taught that faith like a child was necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven. So we encourage and equip one another to grow together in faith as a family.
But here’s the thing: kids and adults learn differently. What exactly does it mean to have childlike faith?
Learning Through Stories
We can look to Jesus as our teacher. He used stories and experiences to help His followers understand the kingdom of God.
We all love a good story, and the Bible is full of true tales of creation, adventure, love, intrigue, danger, and battles. Christ used parables to explain difficult concepts.
Our kids need stories. They need to understand what is historical and what is symbolic, such as parables or prophecy. Kids also need guidance to navigate Scripture at an age-appropriate pace.
Parents are tour guides through the complex Word of God, building a foundation of understanding, beginning with the cornerstone that is Christ. Start by telling the stories. The narrative of the gospel is captivating, and stories settle into our memory and remain in our hearts at every age.
Learning Through Experience
Kids also need experiences to help them grasp challenging concepts and boost memory. Adults benefit from this learning style too!
Jesus didn’t just demonstrate healing—He involved the disciples in miracles. The bread and wine of the last supper became an object lesson to prepare for the crucifixion and resurrection. The disciples would carry not just the memory of that night in the upper room, but the taste of wine and smell of bread likely brought them right back to those sacred moments.
Our senses are powerfully connected to our minds by God’s design. Hands-on activity will reinforce a lesson much stronger than hours of lecture and note-taking. Kids are hard-wired for activity, so it’s incredibly necessary to adapt to—and take advantage of—their natural energy to reach their hearts with the love of God.
Family Devotional Ideas
Every family is different, so we all approach the Word of God in our unique, fearfully and wonderfully made ways. Here are some ideas for family devotional time:
Devotion 1: God’s Perfect Plan
Read Together
Exodus chapters 3 & 4, or find the story of Moses in a children’s Bible
The Puzzle Principle
Think about a jigsaw puzzle. You don’t complete an entire puzzle at once, but piece by piece. You examine each part and focus on one area at a time. The edge pieces create the frame, while similar colors fit together. The top of the box acts as a reference, showing the whole picture and the final goal.
God works like that too. He doesn’t give us a cross-country map, but step-by-step instructions. Sometimes He shows us the big picture, and other times, just enough so we know what to do with the pieces in our hand.
If God showed Moses the big picture, Moses would never have known how to go from babysitting sheep in the wilderness to leading a nation to the Promised Land. Yet his shepherd skills trained him to babysit the Israelite “sheep” wandering the desert all those years. God’s perfect method guided Moses from a burning bush to negotiating with Pharaoh, and all the way to the revealing of His glory.
