As you know, if you’ve been reading, for quite some time, I’ve occasionally been running little installments called “Mama’s K.I.S.S.” I know that lots of readers could give many more and far more creative ideas than I can offer, but these installments are just a few tried and true and mostly old-fashioned ideas for putting service hearts in our kids. This is number 57 of a list of one hundred ways we train our kids to serve. K.I.S.S. is an acronym for “Kids In Service Suggestions”.
It’s a simple suggestion, today, but it’s at the heart of service. The most important kind of help any human can give another is the service that reaches beyond this life. It’s giving people the knowledge from the Word that can place their souls around the throne in heaven.
So it’s important to equip our kids with the ability to tell people what to do to be saved. Why not take your child’s Bible, even from first grade on up, and begin with Romans 10:17? Highlight that verse with your child. Talk about what faith is and how we can never have saving faith if we never hear the good news about Jesus from the Bible. Impress on your child’s heart, as you study this verse, that the most important thing we can give our friends is the gospel. In the margin beside this passage, write “Hebrew 11:6”.
Turn and highlight this passage in Hebrews. Talk to your child about the importance of believing that God exists and that he will reward those who are searching the Word for His Will. Talk about the heroes in this context who did amazing things for God. (You may want to spend a few nights of your Family Bible Time camped right here in Hebrews 11— the “faith” portion of this evangelism equipping.) Then, in the margin here, write “Luke 13:3”
Turn there and highlight this verse. Define “repentance” for your child and talk, in practical terms, about what changing one’s mind about wrong-doing looks like in scenarios that may be familiar to the child. Have your child start watching for repentance in life around him/her. (Ezra, my grandson, was all about “repentance” as we watched “A Muppet Christmas Carol’ together this year.) In the margin beside Luke 13:3, write. “Romans 10:10”.
Talk about what confessing Christ means, being sure to make it understood that confessing Him is something we continually do at every chance throughout our lives; how we should never be ashamed of the One who loved us enough to die for us. In the margin at this point, write “Mark 16:16.”
Talk, from Jesus’ words in this passage, about this submission in water that puts a person into the kingdom when he is old enough to have sins, washing those sins away. For older children, at this juncture, it would be good to list some more passages about the mode, purpose and results of baptism. But for five and six-year-olds, just marking the words of Jesus in the Great Commission is enough.
Congratulate your child on having the most important information in the world “ready” to share at any opportunity. Then pray, with her, for opportunities to share it.
Be sure your child sees your attempts throughout your days and weeks to engage others about salvation. The kingdom will grow and people will be saved, years hence, through these little people to whom you have given a primer lesson in evangelism.
Multiple benefits include:
- Your kids will learn to mark “paths” in their Bibles; a tool that will help them through life to be serious Bible students.
- You will be held accountable by your kids for sharing the good news.
- You and your children will bond over the important business of the gospel.
- You and your child will pray this most important prayer together.
- The “doing” of faith from Hebrews 11 will be concretely illustrated in your child’s heart.
- Souls will eventually be saved.
