READING the BIBLE with YOUR ELEMENTARY-AGED CHILD (This Is a Resource Provided by the Village Church in Dallas, Texas)

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Be sure to “like” and “follow” us on the new “Grace Church Next Gen” Facebook page for more ideas, updates, and resources!

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The Milestone Wheel is designed to give parents a focused plan for the discipleship of their children and to hopefully prevent overwhelming and fearful reactions. While every doctrinal aspect will likely be touched on during every stage of development; we have focused on one aspect to highlight during those years to help parents intentionally focus their efforts in the discipleship of their children. Each age range will have a seminar for parents covering helpful practices and the motivation for teaching their children about this specific area at this specific age range and will be marked by a milestone celebration involving the Grace church community. The goal of this process is not to bring children to salvation (since only God can do that), but we do pray that many children will be saved during these years. Rather the goal is to help parents realize a goal of instilling in their children and modeling for them a healthy fear of the Lord. 6 As this is the first phase, time will be spent in helping parents understand that discipleship of their children is a life-long process and it begins now. This milestone level would involve educating parents in the Milestone Discipleship Process as well as focusing on the goal of this particular stage which is developing a familiarization and positive association with the terms “God”, “Jesus”, “church”, “Bible”, and “pray”. This familiarization occurs through frequent appropriate use of these words and simple celebrations corresponding to the use of the word. For example, “We get to go to church today and learn about God from the Bible— Yay!” (clap hands). It can also occur through the reading aloud of Scripture, Bible Stories, and Christian children’s books. The hope is that this would set a foundational habit and priority for discipleship conversations in the years to come.

As children begin to be able to dialogue with their parents, this stage takes advantage of a preschoolers observations of characteristics “He is tall”, “The bear is fuzzy”, etc by helping them understand some of the characteristics of God. By putting the character of God toward the beginning of the discipleship phase, it also gives children a clear filter for future learning by being able to better discern truths about God from myths about God and to also look for how His characteristics are displayed in Bible stories as well as their own lives. To equip parents at this level we will seek to share ways to teach children about the character of God through Bible reading, catechesis, as well as preschool friendly definitions of more abstract attributes.

In this stage we will seek to build off the excitement that builds in children as they begin to read by instilling in them a reverence for the Scriptures and regular reading of the Bible. Our hope is that by giving children ownership of their own Bible, instilling routines that get them into the Bible, and showing them how to use and study their Bible, that they will become life-long lovers of the Word. Key teaching points during these years would therefore include but not be limited to: learning the Books of the Bible/how to look up a Scripture reference, learning the overall storyline of the Bible, becoming familiar with where key Bible stories are found in Scripture, the value and authority of the Bible, and basic Bible study techniques. We also encourage parents during these years to begin (if they have not done so already) having their child join them at increasing intervals for the corporate worship service.

7 It may seem odd for the Gospel to be the fourth step of our process, but it is important to note that it will impact the other five areas heavily. The difference during this fourth stage is that the focus becomes more personal, as we seek to help students at this questioning age discern whether they truly believe the Gospel or not, and the repercussions of those findings. Parents will be encouraged to study the Gospel in depth with their middle schooler so that regardless of their spiritual state they are able to clearly articulate and understand the truths conveyed in the Gospel message. For those students who show evidence of saving faith, baptism may be pursued during this stage with a strong emphasis on helping that individual develop their personal testimony. Students at this age would also be encouraged in growing in their confidence to share the Gospel message with others.

As students grow closer to adulthood and begin to develop personal convictions, they will be encouraged to take more of a role in the local church body. In this stage students will be encouraged to explore their own spiritual gifts and how they might serve others with those gifts, hopefully alongside or at least via discussions with their parents. They will also explore the value of the church community and how to be a healthy participant of a church body. Associate membership would be available to students age 16 and older who demonstrate the appropriate spiritual maturity.

As students leave home, this final milestone helps parents know how best to release their children into the world. Some focuses may be on holiness and personal convictions, but the main focus will rest in trust and daily dependence on God. Resources on the value of finding a local church at their next location and taking ownership of their own spiritual growth will also be a focus. While this is certainly our hope for the students, we understand that this will also be a large growth area for the parents of these students. In the ideal situations, parents and students will grow from being parent and child to becoming brothers and sisters in Christ and encouraging and building one another up as they strive to glorify God through their lives. For other parents, there will need to be some teaching on how to trust God with children who have rejected Christ.

8 1. Consider the following list of “Good Goals Gone Bad” below (from Tedd Tripp’s Shepherding A Child’s Heart). When we fail to remember that our kids belong to God, we are tempted to think our success as parents will be measured by our kids’ successes. Which of the goals below most commonly distract you from the truth that your kids belong to God and His goals for your children?

• Kids with Skills: I must enlist my child in many activities as time may or may not allow. I measure my success as a parent by the number of “opportunities” to develop new skills my child has and/or his/her mastery of such skills.

• Psychologically Adjusted Kids: Nothing is more important than building my child’s self-esteem and training him/her to be effective with people. If my child is confident, outgoing, and NOT spoiled then I have been a successful parent.

• Well-Behaved Kids: I feel good about myself when my child has poise, is kind, and converses with respect to others. I’m winning when my child is hospitable, and serves his/her friends. I prepare my children to respond well to every conceivable situation or circumstance. I’m successful when my child responds obediently to my instruction with a great attitude.

• Healthy Kids: My main goal as a parent is that my kids are healthy, well-functioning, and safe from suffering. I measure my success by my ability to prepare well-balanced meals for our family in accordance with the most healthful diet. I know I’m succeeding because my child meets developmental goals and avoids illness.

• Smart Kids: My goal as a parent is to prepare my kids for educational success. Their SAT/ACT score is my justification, and a college scholarship is my reward. I dream about them achieving academic awards, scholarly recognition, and eventually being recruited for privileged job opportunities.

2. How often do you pray for your children? What do you pray for your children? What obstacles keep you from praying for your children regularly?

3. What role – positively or negatively – did your parents play in your spiritual development? How has that affected the way that you aim to disciple your children?

4. Christian parents often err in one of these two ditches: a) I will send my kids to church for their spiritual needs and let the “professionals” do it or b) I will do all the spiritual nurturing of my children myself, I do not need the church’s involvement. Which of these do you most tend to veer toward? What benefits does the church bring to the discipleship of your children? What benefits do you as a parent bring to the discipleship of your children that the church cannot provide?

9 Below is a list (divided by category) of 45 ideas for new practices that you can adopt as a family this year. Regardless of whether you are just starting out or if you’ve been maintaining intentional family discipleship for years, we can all grow! Read through the list and choose 1-3 of these ideas for your family to commit to in 2019! Think of a fun way to hold yourselves accountable and share your commitment with another family so that they can hold you accountable too!

PRAY 1. Pray with your kids each night before bed. 2. Have a family prayer time once a week going through requests. 3. Teach your children the ACTS model of prayer (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) and pray together on a daily basis. 4. Individually, set a reminder and pray for your kids each day. 5. Attend and participate in Grace’s monthly prayer gatherings as a family (next one is 2/24/18). 6. Use the book Operation World (or Window on the World for younger children) as a prayer guide talking through and praying for the nations throughout 2019.

KNOW AND STUDY GOD’S WORD 7. Go through a book of the Bible together as a family – one chapter a night. 8. Read through the Bible in a year together (various reading plans are available online and just adjust your “year” since it is already mid-January). 9. Memorize a passage together (a Psalm, The Lord’s Prayer, The Sermon on the Mount, etc). 10. Purchase a Bible storybook and commit to read it with your young child each night. 11. Purchase a Scripture Song album (see recommended resources) and keep it playing in your car. See how quickly you all learn the verses. 12. Learn your child’s AWANA verses along with them. 13. Have everyone choose a Bible plan and read through it. Each week come together and share what you’ve been reading and what you have learned. 14. Read one Psalm a day aloud to your child. (You can divide the longer ones into smaller sections). 15. Have a verse of the day. Read that verse in the morning and think of ways to remind each other of the verse throughout the day (texts, notes in lunches, written on mirrors, etc) At the end of each day, share how reflecting on that verse affected your day. 16. Purchase a Child Training Bible (childtrainingbible.com) and use it regularly with your children as part of pointing your children to the Word in your discipline process.

READ AND LEARN TOGETHER 17. Purchase a family devotional resource and work your way through it as a family. 18. Read through a Christian book (see recommended resources) together with your teen. 19. As a couple choose a book about Christian parenting. Read it and discuss it with your spouse.

MAXIMIZE YOUR SUNDAYS 20. Go through the sermon review questions as a family each week. 21. Have your kids answer the in-sermon questions in a notebook as they listen to the sermon. 22. Make sitting together in church as a whole family – kids too - your new normal! 23. Commit to making Sunday mornings sacred by not scheduling anything except church during that time. 10 24. Choose and faithfully attend an 11:15 class together (Mothers with daughters 6th grade and older—check out the new women’s discipleship format class on 1 John!) 25. Pick a number between 45 and 52 and commit to your entire family attending church that many Sundays in 2019 (be sure to include these past 3 Sundays). Hold each other accountable and celebrate when you meet your goal. 26. (FOR PRESCHOOL PARENTS ONLY) Commit to completing at least one activity from our new Sunday School Preschool Parent Page each week (coming Feb 2019). 27. Go out to eat or make a special meal each Sunday and spend that time discussing what you learned at church that day.

SERVICE/OUTREACH 28. Serve together at one of our local partnerships together. Talk about your experience. 29. Adopt a “grandparent” from the church – care for them and learn from them through regular visits and interactions. 30. Adopt a missionary – keep in regular contact with them. Ask regularly how you can bless them and then follow through. 31. Think of an unbelieving family member or neighbor – as a family intentionally reach out to this person/family with the Gospel and pray for them specifically throughout the year. 32. Save up and go on a short-term missions trip together (either Grace sponsored or on your own to visit family friends who are missionaries). 33. Sign up to serve together at church (ushers, greeters, sanctuary cleaners, childcare, communion set-up/clean-up, care ministry, etc).

MISCELLANEOUS 34. Join a Life Group as a family. Commit to attend regularly. 35. Read through and discuss the BLAZE weekly pod questions (find them on the new FB page) 36. Once a month invite another family from Grace to your home and intentionally strive to build relationships and get to know them; prepare (clean, cook, plan activities, etc) for this time together. 37. Determine a certain time when you will gather as a family each day and have everyone share one way you saw God at work that day. 38. Teach your child a worship song or hymn and discuss the meaning behind the lyrics 39. Complete the “As You Walk” adventure booklet (available on request—see resource table) as a family over 2019. Check off each adventure as you go! 40. Share your testimony with your children. If your children claim Christ have them share their testimony with you too! 41. Think through your discipline protocol at home – how can you give the Gospel a more prominent role in the way you discipline your children? Individually or with your spouse come up with a few steps to put this into practice. 42. Choose one attribute of God each month (see p. 17) and focus on that attribute as a family throughout the month (what it means, where you see God using it, why it makes God great, what this attribute shows you about yourself in relation to God). 43. Work through learning a catechism as a family (The North Star Catechism and New City Catechism are great for families). 44. Date your kids! Set up regular times (mark your calendars for the year now - quarterly or monthly) for 1:1 time with your kids. Take them out for ice cream or to the park but be intentional in this time in talking to them and asking questions to seek out where they are and what is on their heart. (See question list in this packet for question ideas). 45. Attend the men’s gatherings, women’s communitea and coffee events, or 2019 women’s retreat with your teenager. Go out for lunch afterwards and discuss what you learned.

11 Below is a list of some of our favorite family discipleship resources. Any item marked with an * is available in our church book cart and can be purchased today or any Sunday for a lower price than online. The other resources can be easily found online. If you have any questions about any of these resources or would like to explore a sample further before purchasing please let us know and we would be happy to help you!

BIBLES For teens: ESV Student Bible or ESV Study Bible* For elementary kids: The Action Bible (ESV) Bible Storybooks: The Beginners Gospel Story Bible* or The Big Picture Story Bible*

BOOKS ON PARENTING (General) Parenting by Paul David Tripp* Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp* The Disciple-Making Parent by Chap Bettis* Gospel-Powered Parenting by William P. Farley

BOOKS ON DISCIPLING AND RAISING TEENAGERS Age of Opportunity by Paul David Tripp Sticky Faith by Kara Powell and Chap Clark Get Outta My Face by Rick Horne

BOOKS ON CHRISTIAN LIVING (FOR TEENS TO READ ON THEIR OWN OR WITH A PARENT) Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper* (on how to maximize your life for God’s glory) Counter Culture by David Platt* (on how to live for Christ in an anti-Christian age) Finally Free by Heath Lambert* (on fighting against the struggle of pornography) Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung* (on making decisions and discerning God’s will in faith) The Hole in Our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung* (on the importance and value of holy living) Knowing God by J.I. Packer* (on who God is) The Reason for God by Tim Keller* (on why to believe in God) Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges* (on battling the sins that are seen as “minor”) 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You by Tony Reinke* (on the values and dangers of smartphones) Growing Up Christian by Karl Graustein* (on building your own convictions when you’ve been raised as a “church kid”) Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris (on exceeding expectations of the typical teenager) This Changes Everything by Jacquelle Crowe (on being a strong Christian in your teens)

BOOKS ON THEOLOGY & DOCTRINE (FOR TEENS TO READ ON THEIR OWN OR WITH A PARENT) Christian Beliefs: 20 Basics Every Christian Should Know by Wayne Grudem* God’s Big Picture by Vaughn Roberts * The Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent* What is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert* None Like Him by Jen Wilkin*

PRAYER RESOURCES The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions* Setting Their Hope in God by Andrew Case 12 FAMILY DEVOTIONALS Long Story Short* and Old Story New by Marty Machowski Helping Children to Understand the Gospel by Jill Nelson, Sally Michael, and Bud Burk* Family Worship Bible Guide by Joel Beeke*

BIBLE STUDY TOOLS AND HELPS One-to-One Bible Reading by David Helm* The “For You” Series by The Good Book Company (1 Samuel and James editions available in book cart*) Exploring the Bible by David Murray* (for elementary students) How to Study Your Bible for Kids by Kay Arthur and Janna Arndt (for elementary students)

STORYBOOKS AND READ-ALOUDS FOR DISCUSSION (ELEMENTARY AGE) The-Ology by Marty Machowski* (A fun introduction to theology for kids) The Biggest Story by Kevin DeYoung* (God’s overarching story of the Bible for kids) Dangerous Journey (Eerdmans Publishing) - (a retelling of Pilgrims Progress for children) Tales of the Kingdom by David and Karen Mains The Priest with Dirty Clothes, The King Without a Shadow, The Lightlings, The Knight’s Map and The Prince’s Poison Cup by R.C. Sproul— (Stories that tell the various aspects of the Gospel in allegory form)

PICTURE BOOKS God Made All of Me by Justin and Lindsey Holcomb* (on talking to young children about keeping their body safe) The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross by Carl Laferton* (an overview of God’s plan of redemption for kids) Fool Moon Rising by Kristi and T. Lively Fluharty (on what it means to reflect God’s glory) Lola Mazola’s Happyland Adventure by Robert Morgan (an explanation of John 3:16 for kids) Topsy Turvy Kingdom by Dottie and Josh McDowell (on why authority is a good thing) God’s Very Good Idea by Trillia Newbell (about God’s love for all kinds of people) This is the Gospel by She Reads Truth (a breakdown of the Gospel for kids)

BOARD BOOKS FOR LITTLE ONES God Made Them All by Melody Carlson Thank You God, Amen by Kathleen Bostrom God Knows All About Me by Kate Toms

CATECHISM TOOLS The North Star Catechism New City Catechism

SCRIPTURE SONGS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY Seeds Family Worship (these are also the songs we sing at AWANA) The Rizers Doorpost Songs

RESOURCES FOR SHARING A MISSIONS VISION WITH YOUR CHILDREN Window on the World by Molly Wall (for elementary children) Operation World by Jason Mandryk (for teens and adults) “The Wild Brothers” videos—(find on YouTube or through Answers in Genesis)

13 JANUARY 30— Blaze Pod Night

FEBRUARY 3— New Preschool Sunday School Curriculum is launched 10—Sunday Morning Classes Begin 6— AWANA Service Project begins 24— Church Prayer Gathering, 5 pm 27— AWANA “Crazy Foot Night” - come wearing funny footwear or decorate your feet in a fun way

MARCH 3—Promotion Sunday for toddlers and preschoolers who have had a birthday since September 8-10—Blaze Big Chill Weekend at Lake Geneva Youth Camp 27—Blaze Pod Night 31—Church Prayer Gathering, 5 pm

APRIL 13—Senior Send-Off Dinner (Milestone 6), 6 pm 19—Good Friday Service 21—Easter Sunday (No K-5th Grade Sunday School) 24—NO AWANA OR BLAZE (Spring Break) 28—Child Dedication Class (Milestone 1), 11:15 am

MAY 5— Sunday Morning Classes End 8—AWANA Awards Night and Ice Cream Social 12—Child Dedication during Service 15—End of Year Blaze Cookout 19—Church Prayer Gathering 26—No K-5th Grade Sunday School (Memorial Day Weekend)

JUNE 24-28—Vacation Bible School

Dates and Times are Subject to Change— Check the “Grace Church NextGen” page and the church website for updates

Questions to Open Up Communication Open-ended questions invite communication. They allow children to set the agenda.

• What are some challenges you are facing?

• What are you thinking about these days?

• What’s the best thing that happened today? What was the worst?

Questions to Dig Deeper Once our children have started a conversation, we can begin to ask questions to understand more deeply.

• What has influenced you to think this way?

• Help me understand what you were thinking when…

• Why do you think that? Can you explain?

Questions to Clarify Communication Sometimes miscommunication happens because we misunderstand the other person. Clarifying questions help to repeat what they just said.

• This is what I heard you say. Is that correct?

• Have I understood you?

Questions to Provoke Their Understanding Jesus often employed questions to move the disciples’ understanding to the next level.

• What do you think Jesus thinks (and God’s Word says) about…?

• What verses speak to this situation?

• Looking back, what do you think you should have done differently?

• What will you do the next time this happens?

15 Questions to Open Up Spiritual Conversations

• How can I pray for you?

• Where are you reading in the Word these days?

• What has God been teaching you lately?

Questions to Ask to Restore the Relationship A well-placed question can help lower the wall between two people at odds.

• How do you think I have sinned against you? How do you think you sinned?

Questions to Prepare Them for an Event Asking what our children would do in a hypothetical event prepares them and makes them articulate their response.

• What would you do if…?

• What would you say if someone asked you…?

16 AN EXTENDED LIST OF GOD’S ATTRIBUTES Understanding That God Is Eternal And Incomprehensible It Would Be Impossible To List All Of His Attributes, But This List Seeks To Name And Define For You Many Of His More Well-Known And Discussed Attributes.

Attentive: God hears and responds to the needs of His children. (Psalm 34:15) Bountiful: God is more than enough to satisfy all our desires. (Ephesians 3:20-21) Compassionate: God cares for His children and acts on their behalf. (Psalm 103:8) Creator: God made everything. He Himself is not created by anyone or anything. (John 1:3) Deliverer: God rescues and saves His children from His wrath. (1 Timothy 1:15) Eternal: God has no beginning or end. He is not limited by and exists outside of time. (Psalm 90:2) Exalted: God ranks far above all things. He is bigger and better than anything else. (Psalm 97:9) Faithful: God always does what He says He will do. (Joshua 23:14) Glorious: God is of utmost greatness and worth and delights in displaying His greatness and worth. (Isaiah 43:7) Good: God is what is best and gives what is best. His ultimate plan always results to the benefit of His children. (Psalm 25:8) Gracious: God gives what is best and well beyond what is deserved. (Isaiah 30:18) Holy: God is unlike anything else. He is perfect, pure, and without sin. (Isaiah 40:25) Incomprehensible: God is beyond our understanding. We can comprehend Him in part but not in whole. (Romans 11:34) Immutable: God never changes. (Malachi 3:6) Jealous: God will not share His glory with another. All glory rightfully belongs to Him. (Isaiah 42:8) Joyful: God delights in being God. (Jeremiah 32:41) Just: All of God’s actions and judgments are in perfect accordance with His Law. He cannot over-punish, under- punish or be manipulated. (Psalm 99:4) King: God owns and rules over all things. (Psalm 24:1) Love: God overflows with joy in Himself which results in blessing on His creation. (John 15:9-10) Merciful: God is kind to undeserving sinners. (Psalm 103:10) Never-Tiring: God is inexhaustible and never grows weary. (Isaiah 40:28) Omnipotent (Almighty): God holds all power. Nothing is too difficult for him. (Jeremiah 32:18-19) Omnipresent: God is fully present everywhere. (Jeremiah 23:24) Omniscient: God knows everything – past, present, and future, including all potential and real outcomes. (Hebrews 4:13) Patient: God is slow to anger and bears with His children. (2 Peter 3:9) Provider: God meets the needs of His children. (Philippians 4:9) Refuge: God is a place of safety and protection for His children. (Proverbs 18:10) Righteous: Everything God does is good and right. (Deuteronomy 32:4) Self-existent/Self-sufficient: God is not created. He depends on nothing and no one to exist and thrive. (Acts 17:25) Sovereign: God does everything according to His plan and pleasure. He controls all things. (Psalm 115:3; Isaiah 46:10-11) Transcendent: God is not like humans. He is infinitely higher in being an action. (Isaiah 55:8-9) Triune: God is three Persons in one: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each Person is distinct and fully God. (Deuteronomy 6:4) Truthful: Whatever God speaks or does is true and reality. God is the standard for truth. (1 John 5:20) Understanding: God keeps in mind our weaknesses. (Psalm 103:13-14) Victorious: God is invincible. He will always win supreme, even over Satan, sin, and death. (1 Corinthians 15:57) Wrathful: God hates and is righteously angered by all unrighteousness. (Romans 1:18) Wise: God knows what is best and acts accordingly. He causes all things to work out perfectly. (Romans 8:28) Worthy: God deserves all glory and honor and praise. (Revelation 4:11) Zealous: God does everything with determination, strength, and passion for His name. (Isaiah 42:13)

17 HOW TO TEACH YOUR TEEN TO STUDY THE BIBLE

by Jen Wilkin (This article appeared on The Gospel Coalition on January 15, 2019)

Parents contact me frequently to ask what devotionals or young adult Bible studies I would recommend they do with their teens. As our kids enter the teen years, our responsibility as parents is to help them develop good habits of interacting with the Bible. Finding an approach that is age-appropriate and manageable is key. My encouragement is to simply read the Bible with your teen in a way that models and trains Bible literacy—no special teen resource required.

Your teen will be exposed to devotional content and topical studies at every turn, and they likely don’t need a resource targeted specifically at their demographic. Most teens are missing basic tools to help them read and learn the Bible on their own. By guiding them in some basic study methods, you can position them to use devotional and topical material with far better discernment and far greater benefit, as those types of resources assume a firsthand knowledge of the Bible many teens have not yet developed.

Here is a simple approach that you can adapt to fit the age of your teen.

1. Pick a book of the Bible to read and discuss together. If you have never studied together, start with a shorter book like Jonah or James. If at all possible, tackle longer books like Genesis or Hebrews while you still have the opportunity to guide and shape their study method. The goal is to give your teen exposure to the value of studying an entire book from start to finish, as opposed to only studying topically or devotionally. If your church is doing a sermon series through an entire book of the Bible, you could align your discussions with the preaching schedule to add another layer to what you’re learning.

2. Get a copy of your selected book of the Bible that has room for taking notes. You can create this by copying one chapter at a time from Bible Gateway into a document. Set the margins to wide and the spacing to 1.5 so you have room to write. Or, you can purchase these great ESV Scripture Journals if you want something ready-made, usable, and attractive. Get a copy for you and for your child.

3. Set a schedule to meet once a week for a 30-minute discussion. Use a reading plan to help you break the text into readable increments. Most reading plans are set up for daily reading through the entire Bible over a specific period of time. Simply adapt the daily portions into weekly ones for the book of your choosing. For example, the ESV reading plan covers the book of James in eight days, but you could cover it in eight weeks using the same text divisions. Create a schedule for your discussion times that notes dates and passages to be discussed. A schedule for James might look like this:

Week 1 Intro Questions Week 6 James 3:13-18 Week 2 James 1 Week 7 James 4:1-10 Week 3 James 2:1-13 Week 8 James 4:11-5:12

Week 4 James 2:14-26 Week 9 James 5:13-20

Week 5 James 3:1-12

18 4. Get a bird’s-eye view. For your first discussion time, ask your teen to come with answers to the following questions about the book you’ve chosen:

• Who wrote the book? • To whom was it written? • When was it written? • In what literary style was it written? • What are the central themes of the book?

A good study Bible can provide these answers, or an online resource like Bible Gateway. I also highly recommend the Bible Project’s “Explore” series, which gives overviews to books of the Bible.

As you read together through the book you’ve chosen, help your teen think about how the answers to these questions shape their understanding of the book’s message.

5. Prepare for discussion. Each week before you meet to discuss the text, both you and your teen prepare by doing the following:

• Read the week’s passage from start to finish.

In the margin of the copy of the text: • Write (or make a drawing of) the main idea of the passage. • Write a one- to two-sentence summary of what you read. • Find one attribute of God that the passage is teaching. (See p. 17 of this booklet for a list of attributes that can helpyour teen practice reading the Bible with a Godward focus.) • Write two things you observe in the margin. • Write two questions you have about what you’ve read.

6. Meet to discuss. Go over what each of you has noted in your copy of the text during your personal study time. Compare your answers, observations, and questions. Look for answers to your questions in an accessible commentary or study Bible. You could also track down answers after you meet together and discuss them the following week.

Then, explore the following questions together:

• How does this passage fit into the book as a whole? How does it flow from the previous section of the text? • How does this passage minister to its original audience? • How does it minister to us today? • Is there a sin to confess? • Is there cause for thanksgiving or praise to God? • Is there a promise or truth to trust in? • Is there an attitude to change or a motive to examine? • Is there a command to obey or an example to imitate? • Is there an error to confront or avoid? (Note that you have a rich opportunity to practice and model vulnerability with your teen in these questions.)

19 7. Pray together. Finally, ask the Holy Spirit to help you apply what you have learned.

The teen years are pivotal discipleship years for our kids. In these years they feel a restlessness to enter into mature adulthood but often an accompanying lack of clarity about how to do so. Give them adult-sized tools for navigating their Bibles, and help them learn how to use them. Encourage them to use devotional and topical materials as supplements to, but not substitutes for, direct study of the Bible itself. Model good habits of Bible reading. And most of all, savor the shared learning that results when a parent and a teen sit down to open the Word together.

Jen Wilkin is a wife, mom to four great kids, and an advocate for women to love God with their minds through the faithful study of his Word. She writes, speaks, and teaches women the Bible. She lives in Flower Mound, Texas, and her family calls The Village Church home. Jen is the author of None Like Him: 10 Ways God Is Different from Us (and Why That's a Good Thing) (Crossway, 2016) and Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds(Crossway, 2014). You can find her at jenwilkin.net and follow her on Twitter.

20 HOW TO ESTABLISH A DEVOTIONAL ROUTINE WITH YOUR TODDLER

by Jared Kennedy (This article appeared on The Gospel Coalition on December 9, 2018)

When our daughters were toddlers, we had a regular bedtime routine. It usually involved reading a story, saying prayers, giving hugs and kisses, and listening to some music before bed. Their stuffed toys got involved, too. Mr. Lamb would read along, and Smiley the Dog would share in hugs and kisses. Once the nightly rhythm was established, every part mattered. Knowing exactly what to expect helped our kids feel safe, confident, and secure.

And when one part was missing—well, I remember one vacation to a theme park. We’d been out late watching fireworks, so we skipped some of the normal bedtime steps. On top of that, we discovered Smiley had been left on a tour bus earlier in the day. Needless to say, sleep was fleeting that night! I learned just how much my kids count on a regular rhythm to thrive.

Christians know that rhythm should include religious instruction, but toddlers are always on the move—no wonder most parents struggle to corral them for any sort of formal family devotional time. Adding to that difficulty is the fact that young parents are often on the move, too. They’re busy establishing a career while raising toddlers and preschoolers at the same time. It’s hard to be present with your children when you’re on call or working overtime or third shift.

I believe God is aware of our seasons of life, and I’m thankful he doesn’t give us a family devotions model that’s overly formal. Moses told Israel to teach their kids during the regular rhythms of life—mealtime, bedtime, drive time, and so on (Deut. 6:7). With that guilt-free vision in mind, here are five quick tips for establishing a regular devotional routine with your toddler.

1. Find a Time That Works In our family, we were able to establish the most regular routine at bedtime. If you work third shift, that’s not going to be feasible. Choose a regular time around the table—maybe at breakfast—instead. You’ll be surprised just how much your kids hold you accountable once a family worship pattern is established. It’ll be something they count on and look forward to. Start with one small thing, like reading a short story or saying a prayer. Be consistent. It’s better to gather the family once per week than to exasperate your kids with failed attempts to meet every day.

I recently spoke to a dad who for several years worked what he described as the “grave shift.” During that season, a nightly devotional was impossible, so he leaned heavily on teaching his kids in small doses throughout the day. My friend’s wife would read to their kids at night before bed, then he’d take a five- or ten-minute break from work to call and pray with them.

I’ve found his regular intentionality to be incredibly encouraging. While not having a set devotional time may seem less than ideal, a regular, “slow drip” approach to family discipleship is actually quite effective. In this way, we can teach our toddlers that relating to God isn’t just something we check off our list at the end of the day; it’s the way we live.

2. Read Something Simple Two- and three-year-olds have an attention span of two to three minutes. Their vocabulary is limited to 200 to 1,500 words. Like a careful parent cutting up their child’s food into digestible chunks, it’s important to keep your routine short and understandable. Our youngest kids need to learn the vocabulary of faith—basic Bible words like sin, promise, prayer, and the name of Jesus—before moving to more abstract concepts like forgiveness.

If you’re just beginning a family devotional time with your toddler, find a resource that keeps these developmental considerations in mind. You might try Ella Lindvall’s Read-Aloud Bible Stories, David Helm’s Big Picture Story Bible, or my Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible.

21 3. Talk to God Bow your head. Close your eyes. Tell your kids to fold their hands. (So they don’t hit each other during the prayer! That trick has worked for centuries.) Then, talk to God. Make it something quick and memorable; remember their short attention span. In our family, we adapted this short prayer:

Thank you God for [child’s name]. Help her to grow up to love Jesus and trust in Jesus. Please help her to have godly friends and a godly husband when she gets big. Please protect her from harm and danger this night. And from Satan and his schemes. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

4. Use Music for Memory Our kids wanted to listen to music as they fell asleep at night. A friend recommended an album of lullabies that put the questions and answers from the Children’s Catechism to music. (If I had toddlers today, I’d use the The New City Catechism albums and the music of Rain for Roots.) Our kids memorized great truth simply because they sang it nightly. Other great music albums like the ones from Seeds Family Worship and PROOF Pirates have more of a beat and are less helpful at bedtime. But we made sure this music was in our car so we could sing along (sometimes loud and silly!) while we drove around time.

5. Give Your Kids Your Full Attention Your devotional routine isn’t just a time for you to impart information to your kids; it’s time for them to spend time with you. So put your phone away. Look your kids in the eye, and let them know you’re listening to them. Show them affection, and not just when it’s time for bedtime hugs and kisses. Cuddle. Have a short wrestling match.

It’s through the attentive presence of loving parents that kids learn about our loving Father.

Jared Kennedy is husband to Megan and father to Rachael, Lucy, and Elisabeth. He serves as pastor of families at Sojourn Commu- nity Church—Midtown in Louisville, Kentucky, and as children’s and family ministry strategist for the Sojourn Network. He is the author of The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible and blogs regularly at Gospel Centered Family.

22 DO YOU BELIEVE GOD WILL SAVE YOUR KIDS?

by Tim Challies (This article appeared on challis.com on January 29, 2015)

There are few things I pray for with greater frequency or intensity than the salvation of my children. I long for them to be saved, and long to be able to be able to call them not only my son and daughters, but my brother and sisters. I long for them to profess faith, and for those professions to be proven true.

I don’t only pray it and long for it. I believe it. I believe God will save them. I believe he will save them because that is what he does–he saves. I believe he will save them because that is who he is–he loves to save. I believe he will save them because from their infancy they have been exposed again and again to the powerful gospel of grace, and that gospel is too good and too powerful to do nothing.

I believe it, but sometimes find myself trying to hedge my bets just a little bit. Sometimes I edge away from the gospel of God’s free grace and begin to trust in works—not their works, but mine. Sometimes I try to bring my works before the Lord, adding a little of my merit to their account.

I can find myself putting my trust in worldview training, believing that if I can only get them to think right, they will turn to Christ. Or I can find myself putting my trust in Bible training, convinced that if I can only get them to know enough facts about the Bible, they will believe in the God of the Bible. And for a time I can feel confident, at least until I remember all the kids I grew up with who knew their Bible and their worldview and their catechism, and who jettisoned it all the moment they got out from under their parent’s authority. Or until I meet other kids who appear so much more advanced than my own. And then, in despair, I have to admit what a shaky edifice I’ve constructed. In those moments I have to remind myself to be careful what I wish for. I need to be careful what I hope for, or what I hope in. I can go before the Lord and plead all the things I’ve done right for my kids, but if I do that, I also need to go before him to admit all the things I’ve done wrong. And he, better than anyone, knows how much I’ve done wrong. Do I really want to take this accounting before him? The math is simple: If all the good things I do count toward their salvation, then all the bad things must count toward their perdition. And if that is the case, I, of all fathers, am most to be pitied.

So instead I entrust their souls to him. I put my confidence in him, and in his character, and in his Word. This is an act of the will–I have to push myself to believe it, and stretch my faith to hold firm to it. And then, in confidence, I do what is right before my children as God opens my eyes to see the right: I teach them the Bible, I help them construct a Christian worldview, I tell them all about Jesus, and I involve them in a Christian community. Mostly I just plain love them in a way that reflects God’s love for me. I don’t do all this in order to accrue favor, but because these are the means God uses to save his people, to expose them as sinners and to reveal the Savior.

I do what is right and trust his grace, pleading not my own merit, but the merit of Christ, trusting not in my own works, but in the work of Christ. And I pray–I pray that the God who graciously extended favor to undeserving me, would extend it to my undeserving children as well.

Tim Challies is a Christian blogger, author, and book reviewer. You can follow him at his site challis.com.

23 HOW TO TEACH KIDS TO UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE

by Sara Wallace (This article appeared on The Gospel Coaltion on October 13, 2017)

The best part about watching my firstborn learn to read was knowing he was well on his way to reading the Bible for himself. It was amazing to think God’s Word would be accessible to him.

But that was also an intimidating thought. Where to begin? It seemed overwhelming.

As parents, it’s tempting to hold back on the actual Bible because we think it’s too much, too heavy, and our kids can’t understand it. It feels like putting adult hiking boots on a toddler who’s just learned to walk. Let’s stick with picture books about Noah’s ark and Jonah’s fish.

But the Bible is for children, too. Jesus himself said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:14). We don’t have to hold back. But our kids do need guidance and direction. This is why God instructs parents to teach God’s law “when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deut. 11:19).

In the book His Word Alone, Summer Lacy writes, “The biggest mistake you can make in regards to studying the Bible is to begin with the assumption that you can’t understand it.” Rather than assume our kids won’t grasp it, how can we purposely equip them for understanding?

When we hand our kids a Bible, there are two foundational truths to give them along with it.

1. The Bible Is Not About You It might surprise kids to learn that the Bible is for them but not primarily about them. Born self-centered, we naturally read the Bible through the lens of self. “What does this say about me? What am I supposed to do (or not do) right now?” Those aren’t bad questions, but they miss the main point. They jump straight to personal application without any foundation. Who is this God we’re supposed to obey? Why should we obey him? As parents, it’s our job to point our kids away from themselves to the real star of the show. I love how Bryan Chapell explains this point in his introduction to The Gospel Transformation Bible:

Jesus is the chief and culminating figure on this stage. The stage is set for him; all that transpires on the stage relates to him; and we do not fully understand anything on the stage until we have identified its relation to him.

If we want our kids to understand Scriptures, we must help them see Christ in all of it. It’s like giving them a decoder ring. Practical application suddenly has meaning. Self is put in its proper place, and obedience has true, lasting motivation.

2. The Bible Tells One Story Kids don’t typically think “big picture,” so they naturally read the Bible as isolated moral lessons. In his excellent book The Biggest Story, Kevin DeYoung writes, “Our kids can become acquainted with many Bible stories without ever grasping the Biggest Story that makes sense of all the others.” That “Biggest Story” is the gospel. The gospel isn’t just one of many stories in the Bible; it’s the ultimate story of the Bible. Our mission, then, is to help our children understand each individual story within the context of the ultimate story.

But how do we do that? Obviously the name “Jesus” is not on every page. Still, as Sally Lloyd-Jones puts it, “Every story whispers his name.” Or as Chapell goes on to say, “Our goal as Bible readers who are interpreting as Christ intends is not to try to make Jesus magically appear in every text, but to show where every text properly stands on this redemptive stage.”

24 No passage stands alone. Each one has a context within the gospel story—whether predicting Christ, preparing for Christ, reflecting on Christ, or resulting from Christ (Gospel Transformation Bible). If our kids already know what—or in this case, whom—to look for, the Bible instantly becomes easier to understand.

Three Questions Here are three questions to help Bible-reading kids begin to trade self-centered glasses for gospel-centered glasses.

1. What does this passage teach me about God? 2. What does this passage teach me about human beings (or myself)? 3. What does this passage teach me about the need for and the coming of a Savior? Often the first two questions answer the third. Why not sit down with your kids and try this approach together? Pick a passage of Scripture and ask these three questions.

What about application? It’s coming. But begin by laying the foundation. Once your kids develop a habit of seeing answers to these three questions, they’ll then be able to ask, “What does God want me to do?” We can only apply the tools they need to be not merely informed by God’s Word, but transformed from the inside out. Sara Wallace graduated from The Master's College, where she met her husband, Dave. They live in Idaho with their five sons. Sara stays busy homeschooling and writing about the daily effect of grace on motherhood. She is the author of The Gospel-Centered Mom Bible study and writes at gospelcenteredmom.com.

25 QUESTIONS FOR DISCERNING A CHILD’S PROFESSION OF FAITH

by Jill Nelson (This article appeared on Children Desiring God on October 15, 2018)

Children are amazing sponges and excellent mimics. They have the God-given ability to soak up and recall an enormous amount of information. They also are, to a lesser or greater extent, attentive observers who will act out and imitate our words, demeanor, and actions.

This provides Christian parents and teachers with a great opportunity, challenge, and caution when it comes to nurturing our children and students toward genuine faith in Christ. During their young years, we should take the opportunity to pour biblical truth into their lives — acquainting them with the Scriptures which are able to make them wise for salvation in Christ (2 Tim. 3:15). We must gently challenge and implore them to respond to these truths with heart-felt trust and devotion. But we must also be discerning in how they respond: are they simply affirming truths or embracing Christ as Savior and Lord? Are they simply mimicking Christian responses that they have seen and heard? Are they simply trying to please their parents and teachers? Therein lies the caution.

One thing that is sure and unshakable: God is ultimate in a child’s salvation. His sovereign grace will have the final say, not our efforts nor a child’s immature mind and heart. But we can better serve our children and students by applying wise discernment when we share the gospel with them.

In his excellent book, The Faith of a Child: A Step-By-Step Guide to Salvation for Your Child, pastor Art Murphy gives some questions for helping us discern a child’s profession of faith. Here are a few of them,

• Can the child explain in his or her own words the basics of becoming a Christian? When explaining how one becomes a Christian, does the child use “good works” answers such as “going to church, reading the Bible, getting baptized, praying, being good,” etc.? Or do his answers mention his need for forgiveness?

• Does the child have an affection for Jesus or a strong desire to be close to Him? Does he show a passion to follow Jesus or just a basic knowledge of the facts about Him?

• Does the child demonstrate a personal need or desire to repent of his sin? Is the child ashamed of the sin in his life? Knowing what sin is, is not the same as being ashamed of sin. If a child is not repentant but goes ahead and makes a decision to become a Christian, then his decision is premature and incomplete.

• Listen to how he talks about salvation. Is there an urgency on his part? Does he have a personal desire to talk about salvation?

• Does the child demonstrate a personal desire to make this commitment with his life, or is he just being agreeable with those around him who want him to become a Christian?

• Is this a way of getting some undivided attention or public recognition?

• What influenced him most to make this choice?

• Has his decision come after realizing how much he needs and wants Jesus in his life? (pp. 73-78)

Again, our child’s or student’s ability to fully communicate or articulate conversion is not ultimate in salvation — God is. But these questions are helpful reminders for parents and teachers to pray for and apply great wisdom when our children and students express a desire to repent and believe the good news of the gospel. Jill Nelson is a co-founder and author for Children Desiring God/Truth 78.

26 THREE ESSENTIALS FOR CHRISTIAN PARENTING

by Leslie Schmucker (This is an excerpt from an article which appeared on Desiring God on July 19, 2018)

For their Latin class, my middle school students were tasked with memorizing the Apostles’ Creed. What was a chore for them was pure joy for me. I listened to them repeat over and over the systematic presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

That’s when I discovered it. I realized some of the students, most of whom have spent their entire school- aged lives in a Christian school, did not know the gospel. And not only did they not know it; they appeared utterly bored by it. The enormity and beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ was lost on them as they trudged through the task of memorizing the most profound truth in the universe.

Ours is an epoch in which the rains of competing worldviews are falling, the floods of untruth are rising quickly, and great may be the fall of the house we long to build for our children. Can it be that we Christian parents and teachers are failing, however unwittingly, to build our children’s faith on the solid foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Matthew 7:24–27)?

Three Essentials of Christian Parenting

The contest for the hearts of our children is real, literal, and perpetually raging. The enemy does not sleep. He operates with Machiavellian brilliance. We must be intentional, relentless, and confident in our pursuit of Deuteronomy 11:19, “You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” Failing to indoctrinate our children in the truth of the gospel is antithetical to loving them.

Our adversary has a canny way of wrapping sin in pretty packages. What can be done, then, to convince children that God is more attractive than anything the world has to offer?1. Immerse yourself in sound doctrine.

1. Immerse Yourself in Sound Doctrine. Before we parents and teachers teach truth, we’d better be sure we have it ourselves. Ligonier Ministries conducted a poll in which self-professed evangelicals were asked to rate on a Likert Scale their agreement or disagreement with fundamental Christian doctrines. The sobering results led the Ligonier pollsters to conclude, Many self-professing evangelicals reject foundational evangelical beliefs. The survey results reveal that the biblical worldview of professing evangelicals is fragmenting. Though American evangelicalism arose in the twentieth century around strongly held theological convictions, many of today’s self-identified evangelicals no longer hold those beliefs.

In her book, Almost Christian, Kenda Creasy Dean challenged, “If teenagers lack an articulate faith, it may be because the faith we show them is too spineless to merit much in the way of conversation.” That stings, but the truth remains.

This generation is woefully ignorant of sound doctrine. How, then, can “spinelessness” be avoided? Assess your time management when it comes to prioritizing Christ. Make daily Bible reading a habit. Follow faithful teachers. Your phone can be an instrument of wasted time or a tool for learning sound doctrine! Read edifying works, and study alongside other strong believers. Heed Ephesians 5:15–17 and Psalm 90:12. If you want Christ to be your child’s first love, you must make him your own.

27 2. Make Your Joy in Christ Visible to Your Children. When my children were small, I made it a point to show them the resplendent and dazzling creativity of God. From a magnificent sunset to a lovely vista to a fascinating animal at the zoo, or simply a towering tree or pretty flower in our yard, I would quiz joyfully, “What is God?”, to which they’d shout the blithe reply, “A good artist!”

I wanted to make sure they recognized God’s handiwork and glorified him in his marvelous creativity, genius, and beauty. When God gives you reason to exult, share it with your kids! And don’t just do it from the mountaintop. Be sure to remind your children of God’s grace and glorify his goodness from the depth of the valleys, as well. Don’t waste a moment in showcasing our benevolent God in all circumstances. Your enthusiasm and love for Christ will make an impression on your children.

3. Present the Gospel Every Day and in Different Ways. In her talk at this year’s Gospel Coalition women’s conference, Kristie Anyabwile spoke of her grandmother, who faithfully took every opportunity to teach her about God — not through formal devotion times, or a curriculum or formula, but by simply and unwaveringly living out her convictions before her granddaughter and speaking the truth to her.

Children will not learn the gospel without hearing it. Not just on Sundays, but every day. Paul asks, in Romans 10:14, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”

Don’t become complacent or succumb to the lie that your schedule is too tight to regularly share the gospel with your kids. When you’re driving them to soccer, tucking them into bed, walking through the mall, waiting in line at Chick-fil-A, be intentional in taking every opportunity to teach your children sound doctrine through the regular hearing of Scripture, catechisms, creeds, and doctrinally sound music. Take every moment with them captive to the teaching of Christ.

Only Jesus Christ has “the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Only Jesus Christ can fulfill what we all long for. Only Jesus Christ can save our children from an eternity of separation from God. These are desperate times. We must never waver in our effort to teach our children that Christ is worth following, despite the lure and enticement of the world. It must begin and end with the gospel.

Leslie Schmucker (@LeslieSchmucker) retired from public school teaching to create a special education program at Dayspring Christian Academy in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She and her husband, Steve, have three grown children and five grandchildren. She blogs at leslieschmucker.com.

28 READING THE BIBLE WITH YOUR ELEMENTARY-AGED CHILD (This is a resource provided by the Village Church in Dallas, Texas)

Pray for God’s Help. Each time you open the Bible, ask God to help you understand and believe what you read in His Word. See Psalm 119:18 for an example.

Find the Verses Together. Many elementary-age children are still learning how to navigate the Scriptures. Help them gain these skills and the confidence to use them by demonstrating how to look up a verse or passage and letting them practice. • Make sure each person has a Bible so that everyone has the opportunity to open and navigate the Scriptures. • Together, open to the table of contents. Find the name of the book and the page number it starts on. Make note of whether the book is found in the Old Testament or New Testament. • Turn to the first page of the book. Find the chapter and verse. Point out that the chapter is in large print and the verse is in small print.

Read the Verses Together. Most readers, whether adults or children, need to read something at least three times to really understand and internalize its meaning. You might try some of the following ideas: • Have each person read it individually. • Have one person read the entire passage out loud while everyone else follows along. • If there are multiple verses, assign each person a verse to read out loud. • Read it out loud together.

Help Your Children Understand What It Says. As you’re reading, make sure each person understands what the verse or passage is saying. In 1st and 2nd grade, children are learning to read. It isn’t until 3rd grade that they begin reading to learn. They will likely need your help understanding what words mean and what the writers are trying to communicate. • Set everyone at ease by encouraging them that it’s okay to ask questions. No one needs to feel scared or embarrassed if there are things they don’t understand. Parents, it’s okay if you don’t know how to answer every question your child asks. Admitting that you aren’t sure how to answer them demonstrates humility and creates an opportunity for you to learn something together. • After you read a verse or passage, always ask your child if there are any words they don’t recognize or understand. Keep a dictionary handy to help explain words that are unfamiliar or confusing. • Ask questions of the text: • Who wrote or spoke these words? • Who was the audience? • What was going on as they were written or said? • Ask someone to summarize what the Bible is saying in their own words.

29 Help Them Understand What it Means. Once you’ve talked about what a text says, talk about what it means. Keep the following questions in mind: • What does this teach you about God? • What does this teach you about yourself? Help Them Personalize and Apply It. Spending time with God and in His Word should affect the way we see God, ourselves and other people. It should also affect the way we think, feel, speak and act. Think about the following questions as you read and talk together: • Do you believe this? Why or why not? • How and why does this matter to you? • How does believing this change the way you live?

HELPFUL DEFINITIONS Below are some of the definitions used to teach children. They may be helpful as you read and explain to your children. Glorify: to show, honor and enjoy God as most valuable Worship: the right response to the goodness of God Sin: more than just “bad things we do.” It is a sickness of the heart that we are all born with. It is the reason we do, think, feel and say sinful things. Anything that does not “glorify” (see definition above) God is sin. Prayer: having a conversation with God. God’s children pray to the Father, because of Jesus the Son, with the help of the Holy Spirit. God’s children: those who love and trust Jesus Repentance: confessing your sin and turning away from it to follow Jesus

TALKING ABOUT THE BIBLE The Bible is God’s true Word. It is from God and about God. The testaments: there are two, the old and the new The books: have the names, like Genesis, Job and James The chapters: the big number The verses: the little number

FOUR TYPES OF PRAYER Praise and adoration: telling God how good He is Thanksgiving: thanking God for what He gives and does Confession: telling God the truth about your sin Request: asking God for what you need

30 WHAT IS THE GOSPEL? (This is a resource provided by the Village Church in Dallas, Texas)

God is Good: He is what is best. In love, God created the world and everything in it. He created people to know Him, enjoy Him and glorify Him forever. What God created was pleasing to Him, and He called all things good (Gen. 1-2; Ps. 19:1; Rom. 5:12; Rev. 21:1-5; Rev. 22:1-5). God is Holy: He is completely perfect and separate from sin. Sin entered the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed God. They did not trust Him, believing the lies of the serpent instead of what God had said. Because God is holy, completely perfect and separate from sin, Adam and Eve were separated from God. Like Adam and Eve, we are all guilty of sin and separated from God. We are born with sin in our hearts, loving other things more than God. Sin is not just the bad things we do, say and think. Sin is a sickness of the heart and the reason we do those things (Gen. 3-4, Gen. 6; Isa. 63; Rom. 1-2, Rom. 6-8; Col. 1). God is Just: He is right to punish sin. Sin separates all of us from God, and that separation is bad. God is angry at sin, and because sin is in us, that means God is angry at us. It is good and right for God to punish sin, and the punishment all sinners deserve is death and separation from God forever (Gen. 6:7; Num. 16:20- 21; Isa. 63:3; Ezek. 16:30-58; Rom. 3:23, Rom. 6:23; Gal. 3:13). God is Loving: He does what is best. In love and for His glory, God sent Jesus to die and take the punishment deserved by sinners—that includes you and me. When Jesus died, He absorbed all of God’s anger toward sin and sinners. He defeated the power of sin by dying on the cross and taking the punishment we deserved for sin. He defeated the power of death by rising three days later (Matt. 1:21; Mark 1:15; John 2:13-22; Rom. 3-5; 2 Cor. 5:21; Eph. 2:8-10; Phil. 2:6-11; 1 Pet. 1:8-9, 1 Pet. 3:18). God is Merciful: He does not give sinners the punishment they deserve but rather adopts into His family those who love and trust Jesus. We are forgiven for our sin and adopted as children of God when God opens our hearts to love and trust Jesus as our Lord and Savior (John 1:12).

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LOVE AND TRUST JESUS? Love: • To see God for who He is, believe that He is what is best, love Him more than anything and value Him as most valuable. • Confess your sin and turn away from it to follow Jesus because He is most valuable. Trust: • Understand that you are guilty of sin and deserve God’s just punishment. • Have full confidence that God forgives your sin because of what Jesus has done, not because of anything you have done. • Have full confidence that God counts you as righteous because of Jesus’ perfect life and righteousness, not because of your obedience.