In how many persons does this one God exist?
In three persons.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19
Parents, this is tricky, but do your best to explain and trust the Lord with the rest!
Are there more gods than one?
There is only one God.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
Deuteronomy 6:5
Parents, describe this truth to your children in a personal way. How do you live out “there is only ONE God” in your life?
Why ought you to glorify God?
Because He made me and takes care of me.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.Psalm 23:1-3
Parents, relate this to how your child takes care of a pet, doll, or toy. Ask them if they notice ways you take care of them. How much more does the God of the whole world take care of us?
How can you glorify God?
By loving Him and doing what He commands.
You shall therefore love the Lord your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always.
Deuteronomy 11:1
Parents, obedience isn’t just for moms and dads! Share a time that you were obedient to your Heavenly Father... tell your children about the joy of loving through obedience.
Why did God make you and all things?
For His own glory.
1 But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
4 Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
peoples in exchange for your life.
5 Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.
6 I will say to the north, Give up,
and to the south, Do not withhold;
bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the end of the earth,
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.” Isaiah 43:1-7
Parents, how can your family bring glory to God today? Give your children tangible examples of glorifying Him with our words and actions… Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light shine!”
What else did God make?
God made all things.
And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Genesis 1:31
Parents, make a list with your children of their favorite parts of creation. Marvel together at the beauty He has given us. Thank God for these items as a family!
Who made you?
God made you.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27
Parents, share about how detailed God was when He created Adam and Eve. Discuss differences in each other and those around you, pointing out that He made us equally and loves us all the same!
Bible Story: Abraham: Father to All by Faith
Bible Reading: Romans 4:1-25
Bible Point: God counts our faith as righteousness.
Questions to ask:
-How do you describe faith?
-What can we do to earn salvation?
-Does it bring you comfort to know that God does not expect you to be sinless?
Parents, convey to your children that you are a sinner. Some children assume their parents are perfect or that they have achieved “sinlessness”... reassure them NO ONE is perfect, only Jesus. Tell them examples of how you show your faith in Jesus, ask them how they could practice showing faith in Jesus. Take time to thank God as a family for His work thru Jesus, without Him we would be lost. It is our faith that makes us His, not our works.
Bible Story: A Gift of Righteousness
Bible Reading: Romans 1-3
Bible Point: God’s power can save everyone who believes!
Questions to ask:
-Who helped Paul know just what to write?
-Who was Paul’s letter written to?
-Can we do something to earn God’s righteousness?
Parents, use this time to explain grace. Has anyone ever shown you grace? Share how receiving grace is different from earning something. Pray together, thanking God for His amazing grace!
Bible Story: A New Creation
Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2, 7:5-13
Bible Point: Jesus can change anyone!
Questions to ask:
-Do you know that amazing changes happen when people become a Christian?
-Have you ever seen someone or something change?
-Is there something in your life that you want to ask God to change? Or someone you could pray for who needs the changing power Jesus offers?
Parents, tell your children about change in your life. Be honest with them about something that was “old, dirty, rotten” and how Jesus made you new! What a joy to share this life changing power with our babies!
Bible Story: Paul’s Work in Ephesus
Bible Reading: Acts 19:1-20:24
Bible Point: God’s Word will spread through Christ followers.
Questions to ask:
-What did Paul talk about as he traveled around?
-Did Paul run into obstacles on his journey?
-What would you do if God told you to travel to far away places?
Parents, share with your children about a time that you were called to go to a different place, a new job, or into a relationship with someone, so you could share about Jesus. Were you afraid? How did God take care of you during that time?
Bible Story: Love
Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 13
Bible Point: Love is the one gift that lasts forever.
Questions to ask:
-How has Jesus shown us God’s love?
-How does being loved make you feel?
-What is one way you can show someone you love them today?
Parents, share a story of love with your children. What happened? How did it make you feel? What was the result of the act of love towards you/the person in your story? Does love affect how you live your life? Be assured this will affect them, our kids love to hear from us!
Bible Story: The Body of Christ
Bible Reading: Acts 18:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12
Bible Point: God’s people should live in unity.
Questions to ask:
-Are we meant to have separate lives from other Christians or fellowship WITH them?
-How is the church like the human body?
-What gifts has God given you? Your family members?
Parents, have you experienced a time of disunity in the church? Can you share with your children the damage that is caused? Also, share a time that you saw the church acting as a body, functioning well together…
Bible Story: The Fruit of the Spirit
Bible Reading: Galatians
Bible Point: The fruit of the Spirit flows out of our lives as God changes our hearts and we live for Him.
Questions to ask:
-Do you think you can do good things to make God love you?
-Is Jesus enough to take away our sins or do we need to have good works too?
-What fruit of the spirit would you like to have more of?
Parents, tell your children about a fruit that you aspire to see more of in your own life? Explain how we may fail over and over, but His grace is enough and His mercies are new every morning!
Bible Story: The Gentiles are Converted
Bible Reading: Acts 10:1-11, 18
Bible Point: Jesus Died for Everybody
Questions to ask:
-Does God love everyone the same?
-How did God speak to Peter about this matter?
-Who is the Holy Spirit available to?
Parents, share if there has ever been a time that you showed partiality or favoritism? How did it make the other person feel or how did it make you feel? Make sure to convey to your children how much God loves EVERYONE! We can show Jesus’s love by how we love others.
Bible Story: Saul is Knocked to the Ground
Bible Reading: Acts 8:1-8, 26-40, 9:1-28, 22:4-21, & 26:9-18
Bible Point: The Lord can save and use anyone!
Questions to ask:
-What did Saul do to Christians before his life was changed?
-How did God change Saul?
-Did Saul’s past help him tell others about Jesus in the future?
Parents, use this time to tell your children about a redeemed life you have seen God work through. It could be your own or a friend’s… how amazing to be able to teach our children about God’s redemptive power in our weak and broken lives!
Bible Story: The Death of Stephen
Bible Reading: Acts 6-7
Bible Point: No one can stop the advancement of the Gospel!
Questions to ask:
-What happened to Stephen as a result of him preaching the Gospel?
-Did this stop the advance of the Gospel throughout the countryside?
-Do you trust that God uses sad things for His glory and good?
Parents, share with your children how we can advance the Gospel in a world that doesn’t want to hear it. Discuss practical ways we can show love to others by how we live. Have you ever advanced the Gospel when it wasn’t welcomed? Tell your kiddos about it!
Bible Story: Ananias & Sapphira
Bible Reading: Acts 4:32-5:16
Bible Point: It is serious to sin against God.
Questions to ask:
-What did Ananias and his wife say they would do with the money they got from the sale of their land?
-Is our sin the terrible part or who we are sinning against that is so terrible?
-Did God’s judgement help the new believers see how serious it is to sin against God?
Parents, share with you children a time that you felt the seriousness of your sin. Try to put the feeling of conviction into words for them to understand what it might feel like when the Holy Spirit corrects our sin nature.
Bible Story: The Lame Beggar Walks
Bible Reading: Acts 3:1-4:22
Bible Point: Believing in Jesus and His death for our sin is the only way anyone can be saved.
Questions to ask:
-What did the people in the crowd think about what happened?
-Were Peter and John afraid of the religious leaders?
-Who did Peter and John give all the credit to after the miracle occured?
Parents, share with your child about a time that you had to share truth even when it wasn’t popular. Were you afraid? Encourage them to always give God the glory (credit) even when it isn’t the cool thing to do! Assure them that following Jesus is ALWAYS RIGHT!
Bible Story: New Believers
Bible Reading: Acts 2:36-47
Bible Point: God’s power changes people!
Questions to ask:
- How did the people’s behavior change after they heard the good news of Jesus and decided to follow Him?
- Do you have a hard time sharing? It is hard to share because our nature is to be selfish. Ask God for His help when you need it and He will give it to you!
- Has someone ever shared with you? How did it make you feel?
Parents, tell your children about a time that someone shared with you and how it made you feel. Also, share with them about a time that you felt led by the Holy Spirit to give to someone else and what happened… again, sharing how God works in our lives is such a beautiful privilege of living as a believer!