kids@edge: For Mums and Dads

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. ·Psalm 29:2·

Teaching Kids About Worship

Definition

The dictionary defines worship as: wor-ship n. The act of showing great reverence, honour, respect, etc. to God.

Worship is not just attending church, sitting in a pew listening to a pastor talk about God and singing songs. It is much more than that. Worship is thinking about, paying attention to, God. Worship is taking the time to appreciate God-who He is, what He has done, what is doing, and what He will do. It is responding to Him with reverence, praise and joy. Worship is all about God; it has nothing to do with us.

The First Step to Worship

The first step to worship is grateful acceptance of God’s gift to us. We show God our deepest appreciation of Him when we humbly and gratefully accept the payment He made for our sins when He sent His one and only Son to die on the cross. Once we accept Jesus Christ as Saviour, Christ Himself comes to dwell in us and we begin a lifetime journey of understanding how great God really is. Then true worship begins.

Worship God With Others

God wants us to worship Him with other believers. In Psalm 34:3, David calls us to worship, saying, “Oh magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name forever.” Just going to church does not mean you are worshipping. You worship by thinking about or paying attention to God as you sing, pray and learn His Word. Focus on God and join others in honouring Him.

You can help your family prepare their hearts and attitudes before you even arrive to church by allowing margin in your time. Get everyone up a little earlier so you are not so rushed to arrive to church on time. Talk with your family about how good God is, and what He has done for you and your family. Begin the process of focusing on God before you arrive and you will be better able to give him the attention He is due when we worship together.

Spend time worshipping together at home. Create family worship experiences using songs, prayer and scripture.

Personal Worship

Actually, children don’t need to be taught how to worship, but whom to worship. Most kids idolize heroes from the world of sports, music and television. They memorize every statistic and detail about this or that celebrity. In other words, they “worship” in the purest form by focusing their complete attention on someone they admire rather than on themselves. It is our job to help them see the wonder of our awesome God. The best way to teach your child how to worship God on a personal level is by doing it yourself, modelling a life of worship with your words and actions. Allow your child to experience the “wow” of who God is. Intentionally point out the amazing things that God has done and is doing.

You can worship God anywhere at anytime. Learn to go through each day thinking about God’s greatness, and thanking Him for who He is and what He is doing. Each morning when you wake up, thank Him for a fresh, new day. Sing a praise song to Him as you get dressed. Pray each morning and worship God by giving yourself to Him to serve him during the day. Notice the world around you. Isn’t God’s creation wonderful? Tell God how glad you are for His love and continual care. Worship Him from the time you get up until the time you go to bed at night.

Use God’s Word to Help You Worship

Let God’s Word help you focus on Him and His works. The Psalms and many other Scriptures are praises spoken to God (examples: 1 Chronicles 16:34; Psalm 95; Psalm 100). As you read them, pray them back to God. It is good for children to have a Bible translation they can read, understand and appreciate for themselves.

Worship God in Prayer

Another aspect of our worship is prayer, expressing to God His great worth. You can help your kids do this by completing one of the following sentences in a prayer of praise to God:

“God, I love you because…” “God, I praise you because…” “God, you are wonderful because…”

Singing is a Way to Worship

Songs are a great way for us to express our worship and praise God (provided the lyrics are directed to God. Remember, it’s about Him, not us). Did you know that the Psalms are actually songs written to God? Encourage your children to sing songs that glorify and honour God. Encourage your kids to make up their own songs to God, telling Him how awesome He is and how much they love Him.

Make Giving an Act of Worship

We can worship God by giving. We can give God all of us, that is, our time, our talents, our finances, our bodies, our minds, and our hearts. We give our time by doing things for others. Our talents are given as an act of service to God. We give our tithes and offerings are cheerfully given to support the work of the church. When we give, we focus on God-His goodness, provision and blessing. Our response is our worship.

Family Worship Activities

Make it a priority to help your child discover real worship. Use any of the following ideas to get started:

• Spend a few minutes around the table or in the car as a family taking turns saying something about who God is and what He has done. Try to avoid mentioning yourselves; focus completely on Him.

• Make worshipping as a family a priority by talking about God and committing to regularly attend a church service where you praise Him and study His Word together.

• Play songs of worship or make music together using instruments to create a fun time of family worship in song. Psalm 100:20 says to “Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.”

• Declare speciﬁc days like “Worship Wednesdays” to make a point of worshipping together. This could be as simple as taking time on the way to or from school or before bed to each say one thing about God you observed during the day.

• Ask your child questions about God’s character or His creation. Help him or her focus on how amazing God is.

• Play the God You Are... game to worship together by taking turns saying phrases like, “God you are _______________.”

• Worshipping God isn’t possible without first knowing God. A good place to start in our journey to know God is with the names of God. The names of God reveal His nature and character. Below is a list of some of the names of God used in Scripture. Review them with your kids. Read the verses and talk about what you think the name means. What does it say about God?

Abba-Romans 8:15

Almighty-Psalm 68:14

Alpha-Revelation 22:13

Author of life-Acts 3:15

Beginning and the end-Revelation 21:6

Branch-Jeremiah 33:15

Bread of life-John 6:35

Bridegroom-Isaiah 62:5b

Bright an morning star-Revelation 22:16

Chosen one-Isaiah 42:1

Christ-Matthew 22:42

Comforter-John 14:26 (KJV)

Counsellor-John 14:26

Creator-1 Peter 4:19

Deliverer-Romans 11:26

Door-John 10:7 (KJV)

Eternal God-Deuteronomy 33:27

Everlasting Father-Isaiah 9:6

Father-Matthew 6:9

Friend-James 2:23; John 3:29

God-Genesis 1:1

Good Shepherd-John 10:11

Guard-2 Timothy 1:12

Guide-Psalm 48:14 Holy

One-Acts 2:27

Holy Spirit-John 14:26

Hope-Titus 2:13 Immanuel-Isaiah 7:14

Jealous-Exodus 20:5

Jehovah-Psalm 83:18 (KJV)

Jesus-Matthew 1:21

Judge-Acts 10:42

King-Zechariah 9:9

King of kings-1 Timothy 6:15

Lamb of God-John 1:9

Life-John 14:6

Light of the world-John 8:12

Lion of the tribe of Judah-Revelation 5:5

Living water-John 4:10

Lord-John 13:13

Lord of lords-1 Timothy 6:15

Love-1 John 4:8 Master-Luke 5:5

Messiah-John 4:25

Omega-Revelation 22:13

Peace-Ephesians 2:14

Physician-Luke 4:23

Potter-Jeremiah 18:6

Power of God-1 Corinthians 10:4

Prophet-Acts 3:22

Redeemer-Job 19:25

Rock-1 Corinthians 10:4

Ruler-Revelation 3:14

Saviour-Luke 2:11

Servant-Isaiah 42:1

Shield-Genesis 15:1

Stone-1 Peter 2:8

Teacher-John 13:13

Truth-John 14:6

Vine-John 15:5

Way-John 14:6

Wisdom of God-1 Corinthians 1:24

Wonderful Counselor-Isaiah 9:6

Word-John 1:1

Listing God’s names, understanding their meaning and then believing them to be true, with heartfelt gratitude and adoration makes up true worship.

God bless you and your family as you discover the blessing of true worship.

TEACHING CHILDREN TO GIVE

(Article from ‘Ministry matters’)

Parents want their children to be generous. Among the first words we teach them are "mumma", "dadda", "yes" and "no." Somehow they learn "mine." Then we teach them "share." It pleases us when we see them share and give. And it pains us when they are selfish with their stuff. As they grow, they will encounter the same challenges we do as adults – generous living does not come naturally to us.

Below are some ways we can strive to pass along biblical generosity in our homes.

Set their giving standard

As soon as children are old enough to count their own money, teach them to divide it into thirds: a third for saving, a third for spending and a third for giving.

Whenever our kids receive money - from chores, birthdays, gifts, etc. - they set aside a third and put it in their “giving” envelope. Separating into thirds is easy. And by giving a third of their money to God, they learn that giving is as important as saving and spending. As children, they have no taxes to pay or clothes to buy. There's room in their budgets to give this way. After all, as parents, we provide their needs.

By separating their money into thirds, you can give them a bigger vision for their giving. But to them, it won't seem like a "big" giving standard. It will simply be all they know.

They will be amazed how quickly their giving envelope will grow. You will be too. Even at a very young age, children can learn the feeling of giving away an amount that really matters to them.

Provide direction

One parent writes: ‘We don’t teach our children that we must tithe 10% to the church. But we do stress the biblical command to “share financially where we are being fed spiritually.” Because the local church is our family’s most regular and familiar point of contact for worship and learning about God, a healthy share of our giving goes in that direction. For our children, I'm not sure if its 10% or not – my hunch is that it's much more.’

Turn them loose

As children grow older, relax the structure. Teach your children that 33% is not a biblical standard, and that the Bible teaches that each of us is responsible for setting our own standards. At a certain point, allow your children to determine their gifts amounts. It's healthy for them to wrestle with these decisions.

At a young age children can learn about the same healthy tension that we wrestle with as adults. This tension mirrors the giving patterns of the world today. Statistics show that the wealthy give less, as a percentage of income, than the middle and lower class who depend on more limited incomes.

You can experiment with the right age for helping your children explore these financial freedoms. Keep in mind, there are no rules.

Encourage them to read about givers

Among this list includes books such as The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn, Stanley Tam's Incredible Adventures with God by Stanley Tam, and The Autobiography of George Muller. These books can spark good conversation. More importantly, they get the juices flowing in their hearts as they begin to experience giving situations of their own.

Engage them in your giving

Of course one of the best ways to teach your children to give is for them to see it played out in real life.

When you have opportunity, engage your children in your family giving. They will likely draw on these experiences some day in their own giving journeys.

Connect their giving to God's blessings – that's God's smile

One of the reasons I want my children to give generously is because I want them to experience God's blessings.

Help your children connect their giving to the work of God's hand in their lives. Remind them that God notices their gifts and is pleased when His children bring gifts to Him. The Christian journey is a faith walk. We don’t see God with our eyes or hear Him with our ears. Instead we believe in something and someone we cannot see. That is why it's called faith.

When children give acceptable gifts and experience the blessings of God, that's God's smile. And when God smiles, His children will smile… and as parents raising children to know and please God, you will smile too.

CHRISTMAS ADVENTURE BOX

The Christmas Adventure Box helps keep Jesus at the centre of this otherwise crazy season. You start with a gift and devotion about the Adventure Box, then open a gift from the box each day until Christmas. Each gift leads to a devotion about the birth of Jesus, our greatest gift. Consider joining this adventure with your family! Together, we can reclaim Christmas as a true celebration of God's greatest gift to us...Jesus.

List of items needed

December 13 – A box with a removable lid (preferably a Christmas design) wrapped with ribbon and a bow.

December 14 – A packet of Skittles

December 15 - Unbreakable nativity stable and animal figurines (and manger, if separate)

December 16 – Unbreakable nativity figurines of Mary and Joseph

December 17 – Unbreakable nativity figurine of baby Jesus

December 18 - Unbreakable nativity figurines of shepherds and angels

December 19 - Unbreakable nativity figurines of wise men and ‘nativity star (if you have one)

December 20 – Bible time costumes (towels, robes, etc)

December 21 – A note (or certificate) that reads ‘Surprise Ride’.

December 22 – a large bag of M&M’s.

December 23 – Candy Canes

December 24 – DVD about the Nativity or Christmas story

December 25 – a Bible

December 13 – THE GREATEST GIFT

Bring out the large, ribbon-wrapped box with a removable lid (keep the lid on for today, unless you want to show them wrapped gifts inside the box).

Explain to your children that each day until Christmas you will be unwrapping an item from this "Christmas Adventure Box" in order to learn more about Jesus this Christmas season.

Read John 3:16 and talk about how Jesus is the greatest gift of all.

Tell about when you received Jesus as a gift and made him Lord of your life.

Share the gospel story with your children, giving them a chance to receive this Greatest Gift.

Pray with your children, thanking God for the gift of Jesus. Thank God for the Christmas season and the celebration of Jesus. Ask Him to bless each day as you experience this Christmas Adventure Box!

December 14 – THE CENSUS

Wrap a packet of Skittles for today's gift.

Read Luke 2:1-4.

Let your children unwrap the Skittles.

Divide the Skittles so that each child has a handful.

Explain that Caesar Augustus, in the time of Jesus, wanted to have a "census" to count the people.

Label each colour of Skittles a city name...giving one the name of "Bethlehem."

Instruct all the green coloured Skittles to travel to the city designated as "home" to the green ones. Separate all the colours, having them "travel" to their own cities until they are all separated into piles or "cities" of the same colour.

Now, count each pile, noting how many more or less each "city" has.

Explain that the census was Caesar Augustus' way of counting the people in his country. Also explain that this census played an important role in orchestrating the birth of Christ to take place in Bethlehem, as promised.

Thank God for making special plans to keep His promise. Thank God for Joseph and Mary's safe trip to Bethlehem. Ask God to keep you safe as you travel over the holidays.

December 15 – THE STABLE

Wrap the stable and animals (except the sheep...save those for December 18) for today's gift.

Read Luke 2: 5-7.

Pass out the gifts to be unwrapped and let the children open them.

Remind your children why Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem (The census discussion from December 14^th should help.)

Ask your children, "Where would we have to travel if we were told to go to the hometown of our dad?"

Talk about how busy the town would be today if you actually had to travel back with everyone else from that same town. (Equate it to a festival there, or a time when many go back to visit.)

Ask your children where everyone would stay if that were to happen. We don't have stables today, but would Joseph and Mary's situation today mean they would have stayed in their car in a hotel parking lot or in someone's garage?

Discuss that Joseph and Mary were back in Joseph's hometown and it was very crowded.

Talk about their situation and the open stable that was offered to them. Discuss the sights, sounds and smells of such a place.

Pray with your family. Thank God for giving Joseph and Mary a place to stay. Thank God for Christmas and ask God to teach you more about Him this season.

December 16 – MARY AND JOSEPH

Today's gifts are the unbreakable nativity figurines of Joseph and Mary.

Read Luke 1: 30-33.

Give your children the gifts to open.

Explain how God's people were given promises about a king who would "reign in the house of Jacob forever." (This phrase is also found in Isaiah 9:7)

Explain also how Old Testament prophets told of the birth of this King through special circumstances (by a virgin, Isaiah 7:14).

Talk about the way God kept promises through the birth of Jesus. He kept his promise with Mary too.

Think of a time when you knew God kept a promise to you (Duet. 31:6 will help).

Pray with your family, thanking God for always keeping His promises.

December 17 – BABY JESUS

Wrap an unbreakable nativity figurine of baby Jesus for today's gift.

Read Luke 2:6-7.

Choose a child to unwrap the figurine of baby Jesus.

Remind your children about the activity surrounding the stable from December 15. Talk again about the sights, sounds and smells of a stable.

Ask the children how Joseph and Mary must have felt, knowing that the promised King would be born in a stable.

Share the stories of the births of each of your children and how they were different from the birth of Jesus.

Pray with your family. Thank God for the birth of Jesus Christ, the promised King. Thank God for the birth of each child in your family.

December 18 – SHEPHERDS AND ANGELS

For today's gift, wrap the shepherds, sheep and angels from your unbreakable nativity set.

Give the children the figurines to unwrap.

Read Luke 2:8-20 and let the children use the figurines as puppets to "act out" the events of this passage.

Talk about the excitement the shepherds felt about this big news they were able to share.

Think of a time in your family when you were excited to share some big news (perhaps the news of a new baby).

Use the example of your excitement to share "big news" to help understand how excited the shepherds were to share the news of Jesus' birth.

Pray with your family. Thank God for the shepherds and the angels and all the excitement surrounding the birth of baby Jesus. Thank God for the feelings of excitement your family has experienced. Ask God to give your family excitement to share the story of Jesus with others.

December 19 – THE MAGI

For today's gift, wrap the shepherds, sheep and angels from your unbreakable nativity set.

Give the children the figurines to unwrap.

Read Matthew 2:1-2, 10-11

Point out that the Magi were not from Jerusalem and had probably never heard about a promised Messiah.

Ask your children why they think God gave the Magi a star to follow that led right to Jesus.

Discuss with your children about how God shows Himself to people all over the world, even people who don't know about Him.

Pray with your family. Ask God to show Himself boldly to someone in the world who does not know about Him. Pray that many would respond to Jesus just like the Magi did in the story of Jesus' birth.

December 20 – FAMILY SKIT

For today’s gift, you'll need to wrap supplies for a production of the Christmas story. I usually wrap hand towels, hair bands and bath robes.

Let your children open the ‘costumes’.

Assign parts and narrate the story by reading the Scriptures while the children act it out. The story is found in Luke 2:1-20.

Pray with your family. Thank God for this miraculous story about the birth of the Messiah.

December 21 – SURPRISE RIDE

Today’s gift is a note that reads ‘Surprise Ride’. You could also wrap a set of car keys.

Read Matthew 5:14-16

Have the children open the ‘Surprise Ride’ certificate.

Explain that you will be driving to a surprise destination.

Drive to a location where there are lots of Christmas lights on display.

Remind the children about the verse for today and point out how brightly the Christmas lights shine against the dark night. Explain that we can shine our lights in a dark world to make a big difference for people here.

Pray with your family. Ask God to give your family the boldness to "let your light shine before others" by sharing the hope of Christ with a dark world.

December 22 – PASS THE BLESSING

Today’s gift is a large bag of M&M’s.

Read 1 Timothy 6:18

Give the gift to one child to open.

Ask that child how it feels to open such a treat.

Talk with all the children about special gifts your family has received in the past.

Point out the gifts God gives us all the time (food, a smile, talents, a house, etc.).

Use the M&M’s to show your children how you will use the gift from one child to share with lots of people – make up gifts for your postie, teacher, friend, relative, etc. by packaging the M&M’s. Thank your children for being willing to share.

Pray with your family. Ask God to give you a heart that is always generous and willing to share.

December 23 – THE LEGEND OF THE CANDY CANE

Today’s gift is a candy cane (or one for each family member).

Read Isaiah 53:3

Let the children open the candy canes.

Talk about the candy canes and ask why we see them at Christmas.

Share the legend of the Candy Cane by watching the youtube clip or reading the poem below.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVXQpejFhrU

Look at the Candy Cane

What do you see?

Stripes that are red

Like the blood shed for me

White is for my Savior

Who’s sinless and pure!

“J” is for Jesus My Lord, that’s for sure!

Turn it around

And a staff you will see

Jesus my shepherd

Was born for Me!

Use the candy canes as a treat, or hang them on the Christmas tree for decoration.

Pray with the family. Thank god for candy canes and how they remind us of Jesus.

December 24 – CHRISTMAS RETOLD

Today’s gift is a DVD of the Nativity or Christmas story.

Read 2 Thessalonians 2:15-16

Talk about what you have learnt over the last couple of weeks through the Adventure Box.

Let the Children unwrap the gift. Tell them that your family will review some of the things you’ve learnt by watching a movie about the Christmas story.

Pray that God will keep this story close to your hearts and thank him, again for the gift of Jesus.

Start the movie!

December 25 – THE NATIVITY

Today’s gift is a Bible.

Let your children unwrap the Bible, the last gift.

Read again Luke 2:1-20

Pray, thanking God for his perfect plan and his perfect gift for us. Thank God for his Word and what your family has learnt with the adventure Box. Ask God to help you remember Jesus throughout Christmas day and each day in the coming year.

BOUNDARIES

When Australian Rules football was first played 150 years ago there were no boundary lines. Imagine the confusion of a game with no boundaries: no marks to show players where they should be.

We need boundary marks in life, too: rules that show us how far we can go and the consequences of stepping beyond the line. There’s truth in the saying: ‘It’s a parent’s job to set boundaries; a child’s job to test them’.

The early years

A baby’s first boundaries are physical: they simply cannot move beyond their parent’s arms or the sides of their cot. Soon they begin experimenting and learn that their behaviour can affect the world and people around them.

Just as parents establish physically safe spaces for their growing children, they establish safe and appropriate boundaries for behaviour. Young children need to understand that their parent’s ‘no’ means ‘no’. But saying ‘no’ too often becomes counterproductive. Supervision, anticipation and distraction are better options for the young child. Giving attention to good behaviour works much more effectively than constantly criticising. Patience and consistency are crucial.

A two year-old will soon learn that throwing tantrums won’t get what they want if the parent refuses to give in.

A three year-old who is encouraged to help put their toys away will grow to expect that they will tidy up after they use something.

A four-year old can take responsibility for small tasks like taking their dishes to the kitchen after a meal. Thanking them for their help encourages them to see that helping and sharing is a pleasant experience.

Preschoolers can understand that there are consequences for their actions — good and bad. Parents can work out which consequences for inappropriate behaviour work best for each child. Some children hate to be isolated from other people, while the removal of a favourite toy or computer game for a time will be more effective for another. Simple, short explanations when you and the child are in a good mood are more likely to be effective than yelling when you are upset and bothered.

Avoid threats that you cannot or won’t carry out. A child soon learns if you don’t mean what you say and will find it easy to then ignore you.

The primary school years

In the busy-ness of life for children these days, many boundary issues are about managing their time: school, homework, sport, music, church, friends and responsibilities at home — caring for pets, stacking the dishwasher, tidying their bedroom. It is important that children learn to manage the demands made on them. Intervening to save a child from the consequences of their actions (eg texting to friends all night instead of doing homework) will not teach them to manage their boundaries. What is initially imposed from outside will over time come from within. Boundaries learned in childhood stand us in good stead for the rest of our lives.

Stick with the plan

Jeremy wanted to go to his friend Alex’s place to shoot some pool on Friday afternoon. Alex’s dad had given the OK when he’d picked both boys up from school.

‘You can go after you’ve done 15 minutes clarinet practice and tidied your room,’ said his mum.

Jeremy grabbed a drink from the fridge and lay on the couch watching TV. He got absorbed in a program, and before he knew it an hour had slipped by. He needed to get going. Jeremy picked up his jacket and headed to the front door.

‘Where are you off to?’ Mum called.

‘To Alex’s. Remember!’

‘You’ve got a couple of jobs to do before you go.’

‘Ohh, Muuum. I’ll do them when I get back. I promise. If I don’t go now it’ll be too late,’ whined Jeremy, hoping to win his mother’s sympathy.

It would have been easy for Mum to give in, avoid a blow-up and keep the peace. But backing down, or changing our mind won’t equip our children well for life. Learning the consequences of our actions and taking responsibility for the outcome is a tough but necessary part of growing up.

Talking about boundaries is never going to be enough. We need to model boundaries for our kids. They learn these from being around us and living as part of a family where structure, responsibility and values are demonstrated in day-to-day life. We do this because we love our kids — enough to do the hard work of parenting.

Because we love them, and because we ourselves fail in that work, we also model forgiveness. It reflects God’s love for us. The Bible tells how God gave people laws to protect them. God let people experience the consequences of going their own way and gave them second chances. Ultimately

God demonstrated his love and forgiveness when his own Son Jesus kept the law perfectly and accepted the consequence for other people going their own way.

How Do I Teach My Kids to Handle Peer Pressure?

Outside the guidance we continue to have at home, nothing will influence our children as much as the choice of their friends. The Bible speaks pointedly about the power of the people with whom we spend time. Paul wrote: "Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals'" (1 Corinthians 15:33).

The opposite is also true: Good company guards against the development of bad habits. Many parents are so afraid of peer pressure they seldom use "good" peer pressure to their advantage.

Do not expect your child to have the discernment to choose good friends and withstand peer pressure without your help. Training is needed.

First, encourage your children to trust in God. Our most important responsibility as parents is to teach our children to believe God, trust Him, base their convictions upon His Word, and obey Him with their entire heart. For many children, peer pressure is an important test of faith; when they are encouraged by friends to do something contrary to God's Word, they need to remember the words of 1 Corinthians 10:31, which tells us to "do all to the glory of God."

It is God's Spirit who gives them the strength to say no to friends and yes to God. As Proverbs 29:25 tells us, "The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted."

Second, make sure your home is a harbour in the storm. The world is often a hostile environment for children. The family must be that safe haven that always welcomes your child back. No matter what the world says to them, they know they can find love there. We often tell our children, "Nothing you can do will make me love you any more and nothing you can do will make me love you less."

Children need to be needed at home. They long for approval, sense of belonging, significance, order, and security. If they do not receive these things at home, they will seek them elsewhere and from other people.

Third, don't relinquish your right to influence and even control your child's relationships. You are the parent. Realize that maintaining control of those who influence your children is within the bounds of your authority and responsibility before God. As friendships take shape, steer your children in the direction of positive peer pressure and away from negative influences. Make it difficult for our children to spend time with friends who do not provide the kind of influence we desire. In certain cases, you may even have to declare certain friends off limits.

Here are some pointers:

Encourage your children to invite their friends over. Make your home the place to be.
If you can, get to know the friend's parents and get some idea of their values, beliefs, and convictions. You can get to know another family by picking up their child when he or she is invited to your house or offering to take him or her home.
Be careful about where you allow your child to spend the night. That is one setting where peer pressure can be intense—to participate in ungodly conversation, watch movies, or play games that do not meet your standards.
Be observant. If you see subtle changes in dress or appearance, find out what is behind the new look.

As your child grows older you will need to explain your decisions more frequently. Pray with him for protection and wisdom in handling this friendship. Ultimately, of course, as your child grows older he will increasingly choose his friends on his own. These earlier times of teaching can influence those choices.

Fourth, use positive peer pressure to your advantage. You may want to challenge one or two of your child's friends to be a good influence on your child at the same time challenging your child to be a positive influence on them.

Fifth, help your child anticipate the pressures he'll face at different ages. Talk to your pre-adolescent about the challenges he will face from peers in the next couple of years. Peers will pressure him to look at pornography, to swear, to drink or take drugs, to rebel against "dumb" parents, and more. Often, because of what friends are pressuring him to do, your child will face difficult choices on a daily basis.

Help your children anticipate the pressures they will face by playing the "Decide in Advance" game. Only two are needed to play—one child and one parent. The parent comes up with a list of peer-pressure situations. For example: "You are at a friend's home. No one else is in the house. Your friend produces a pack of cigarettes and asks you to join him for a smoke. What would you do?"

Sixth, applaud your child's good choices. When your child does make the right choice, praise them! “Give me a high five!" We often get too excited about the wrong things. We should give a standing ovation for those choices our children make that reveal their convictions and character..

Seventh, when failure occurs, make sure you talk through the situation and gently help the child articulate in his own words what went wrong. Your child will make some mistakes and succumb to peer pressure. With a force this pervasive and powerful, this is to be expected. As you deal with these failures, remember that some good testing of convictions is exactly what you want to occur when your child is still at home—where you can guide, correct, and instruct.

Role-play the situation to help the child understand how a better choice could have been made. Although discipline may be required, balance it with forgiveness and encouragement. Being a young person is very challenging. He needs to know you are on his side.

Finally, do not always try to rescue your child from loneliness. Nothing has saddens us more than watching our children make right choices, and then have to stand alone. With the wide range of standards in the Christian community today, sometimes they will not have the support of other Christian teens.

You will be tempted to think you are being too harsh by encouraging your child to stand alone against the herd. The pain of loneliness may be what God uses in your child's life to embed convictions, courage, and a stand-alone faith. God may use pain to turn him into an adult who makes an impact on our culture. The very pain that we want to rescue our child from may end up being what God uses to grow our child into a strong warrior for Christ.

DAILY 5 – Essential Relational Moments

1. When they first wake up:

How do you greet your child when they first wake up or as they are getting ready for the day?

· Remember to say, “I love you and I’m glad that you are my son/daughter!” Go beyond the routine of just ‘Good morning’.

· Compliment: Praise is the act of expressing approval, admiration or complimenting your child. Doing this in the morning not only helps start out the day feeling positive and confident, it also provides them with the reassurance that you as a parent, are proud of them and love them.

2. When they leave in the morning:

How do you leave your child in the morning? If you only have one smile in you, give it to the people you love.

· Speaking ‘life’ into your child through ‘Words of encouragement.’ The word ‘encourage’ means ‘to make courageous’. When you speak words of encouragement you are giving your child that extra energy-extra courage to take into the day.

· Affection: do you offer any kind of affection? A hug, high five, kiss on the cheek, hand on their shoulder.

3. When they are gone during the day:

How do you connect with your child when they are gone during the day? Do you put notes in their lunch box, pocket or school bag for them to find? It is important to let your child know that you love and are thinking about them even when you are not there.

4. When they arrive home:

How do you greet your child when they arrive home? Whenever your child comes home greet them with affection, excitement, appreciation and empathy. This says to child they are more important to you than anything else you might be doing when they walk in the door.

5. When they go to bed:

How do you say goodnight to your child right before they go to bed?

· Gratitude and appreciation: By noticing and expressing what you value about your child you not only build their confidence but when you appreciate something you are putting extra value into it. The key is to notice and thank your child for something specific.

· Prayer: Should be the final words your child hears from you.

A meaningful ‘goodnight’ can allow your child to fall asleep peacefully. It also reinforces the fact that you love, appreciate and care for them no matter what has happened during the day.

TEACHING CHILDREN TO GIVE

(Adapted from an article from ‘ministry matters’)

Parents want their children to be generous.

Among the first words we teach them are "mumma", "dadda", "yes" and "no."

Somehow they learn "mine." Then we teach them "share."

It pleases us when we see them share and give. And it pains us when they are selfish with their stuff. As they grow, they will encounter the same challenges we do as adults – generous living does not come naturally to us. Below are some ways we can strive to pass along biblical generosity in our homes.

Engage them in your giving

Of course one of the best ways to teach your children to give is for them to see it played out in real life. When you have opportunity, engage your children in your family giving. They will likely draw on these experiences some day in their own giving journeys.

Set their giving standard

As soon as children are old enough to count their own money, teach them to divide it into thirds: a third for saving, a third for spending and a third for giving.

By separating their money into thirds, you can give them a bigger vision for their giving. But to them, it won't seem like a "big" giving standard. It will simply be all they know.

They will be amazed how quickly their giving envelope will grow. You will be too. Even at a very young age, children can learn the feeling of giving away an amount that really matters to them.

Provide direction

Turn them loose

You can experiment with the right age for helping your children explore these financial freedoms. Keep in mind, there are no rules.

Worshipful Giving

2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” That’s reason enough to make giving fun, worshipful, and meaningful! Help kids give until it helps!

It’s critical that we give kids a heart to give and a desire to keep on giving. And there are many ways to help kids worship God through giving.

§ Atmosphere - Giving is a personal matter for kids to do from their hearts. Allow kids a chance to reflect on their giving. Encourage kids to quietly pray before they give. Encourage them to consider what it means to give to God.
§ God’s Use of Our Gifts - Discuss how God will use the gifts your kids give. Help kids see that what they’re doing is affecting other people.
§ Recognizing God’s Provision - Lead kids to discover how giving helps us remember that God gave us everything we have. We’re God’s stewards and everything is his.

HOW TO GET YOUR KIDS INTO THE BIBLE

As Christian parents, we all want our children to have a growing relationship with Jesus. We want them to know him, not just know about him. How can we help guide our kids towards a loving relationship with Jesus? When you met your spouse, did you not want to learn more about them? Of course you did. You dated to find out what their likes and dislikes were. Over time you began to see their quirks and know their passions. Most of us probably did not meet our spouse and get engaged after the first date. It took time. It’s the same way in our relationship with Jesus. But instead of taking him to dinner and a movie to find out more, we must spend time in His Word.

The Bible is not an easy book for kids to read. Some parts are difficult to understand and others are just boring. So how can we get them excited about reading the Bible? Here are a few ideas:

1. Let them see your excitement.

Excitement is contagious. Let them see you reading your Bible and enjoying it. Make certain that they hear you talking about the exciting things you’ve found in the Bible. Let them sense your excitement at the things the Bible has taught you. When they ask questions, refer to the Bible for answers. Let them see your excitement about the Word of God, and they are likely to feed off of that.

2. Teach them how to use it.

Some kids avoid the Bible because it is just so daunting. Take the mystery out of it. Show them how it is organized. Teach them where it came from and how it is arranged. Show them how to look up a verse. Teach them how to use a concordance. Help them to memorize the names of the books of the Bible. Show them the maps at the back. All of this will turn the Bible from a frighteningly thick book into a useful tool in the hands of a child.

3. Explain where it comes from and what is.

The Bible is not just any ordinary book. It was given to us by God. Children need to understand that what they have in the Bible is a recounting of the history of the Creator’s interaction with his creation. Furthermore, they need to understand how they fit into that story.

4. Give them a place to start.

Some people, including children, never get started into their Bibles because they just don’t know where to start. Challenge them to start reading somewhere. Figure out what interests them and suggest they start there, or pick a specific book and have them start reading it in small segments. The book of John is a great place to start.

5. Show kids the bigger picture.

Most kids look at the Bible like they look at a book of fairy tales. Fairy tales are all about magic, but the stories don’t have much of anything to do with each other. Likewise, to most kids biblical events are all about God, but they don’t have much of anything to do with each other. Kids know that Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, and they know that Joshua fought the battle at Jericho, but do they know that Joshua was part of the exodus from Egypt (and a major player in the events between those

two events)? The majority probably don’t.

You may be thinking, “Does that really matter?” I believe it does, especially when it comes to getting kids interested in the Bible. Think about this. At any given time, what are the most popular kids’ books on the market? Often, it’s books in a series. Kids want to know what happens next. Even in a series where some, if not most, of the characters change from book to book (think Chronicles of Narnia), there’s enough of a common thread among the books to make kids want to read more.

So does this mean you have to teach the Bible straight through from Genesis to Revelation? No. But it does mean that if you can help kids make the connection between the Bible stories, it just

might make things more interesting for them. For example, after teaching them about Ruth (and Boaz, of course), show the kids where that famous couple fits into Jesus’ ancestry in Matthew 1. Or let them know (or discover for themselves) that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were friends of Daniel.

So then maybe, just maybe, if you teach your kids about Joseph’s brothers selling him into slavery and then tell them there’s much more to the story (with such exciting happenings as false accusations and prison sentences), they’ll take the initiative to read the rest of the story on their own.

6. Show them how it can be useful to them.

It is more than just a bunch of cool stories. It is the very words of the God who created everything they can see. Apply the Bible to real life circumstances and trials in a child’s life, and show them how to apply biblical precepts to the situation.

It’s true that the world is much different from the way it was two or three thousand years ago. But people are pretty much the same. Throughout history, people have been born, lived, and died. We love and rejoice; we sin and grieve. We have so much in common with the people in the Bible. Use those commonalities to get kids into the Bible. Show them that the people in the Bible are just like them.

Sibling problems? The Bible is full of them! Cain and Abel. Jacob and Esau. Mary and Martha. Bad day? Even Jesus had them. Death of a loved one? Everywhere. Falsely accused? Talk to Joseph.or Jesus.

But don’t focus only on the negative things that happen in kids’ lives. Scripture is packed with good things that happened to people, too. Noah was rewarded for his faithfulness. Abraham got something he really wanted after waiting a long time. A shepherd boy named David was made king. Peter was forgiven after doing what some would call unforgivable. And don’t forget the most important experience we can have in common with people in Bible times — a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

7. Encourage them to memorize it.

The Bible tells us that we should write the Word of God on our hearts. Kids should start memorizing scripture as soon as possible. Start with some core fundamental verses like John 3:16 and work on those over and over until they start to know God’s Word. Kids are capable of memorizing scripture before they are even capable of reading it. Playing music based on scriptural passages is another great way to help them memorize Biblical passages.

8. Find out what excites them and show it to them in the Bible.

The Bible is a cool book, and we should let kids know that. What other children’s book has God raining fire and brimstone from the sky, action and adventure like the flood and soap operas like the story of Esther or Ruth? There is something in there for everyone. Find out what interests an individual child and encourage them to read that story.

9. Buy them their own Bible. Buying your child their own Bible to use during their quiet time is important. They now have something personal to take care of and will want to read their own Bible. When you set out to select a new Bible for your child, choose a version that is easier for them to read— such as the Contemporary English Version (eg. The Big Rescue Bible).

10. Pray

We should do everything we can to get kids excited about God’s Word, but our efforts pale in comparison to what God Almighty is capable of. Accordingly, prayer is critical is your efforts to teach kids about the Bible. Pray that God would grow a sense of excitement and wonder about his Word in the hearts of your children. Pray that he would give them a burning desire to study his Word, and pray that he would help them to write his Word on their hearts.

TEACHING OUR CHILDREN TO PRAY

I’m sure we all want our kids to feel at ease with prayer and know it as a real conversation, not just a rhyme or a give-me list. We want them to be unafraid of going through any life situation, because God will be with them and teach them great spiritual truth on the journey.

Prayer is a spiritual discipline, and like other disciplines, it needs to be practiced and experienced on a regular basis in order to become something that we can’t imagine living without. So our challenge is to give children an opportunity to experience the presence of God in different ways. They need to be shown how each time they engage in a conversation with God, it can be new and fresh. Prayer should be a time of evaluation, when each person makes a conscious effort to identify their spiritual condition and expose that before the Lord.

The best way to teach kids to pray is for them to see and hear their parents pray. That means YOU.

Authenticity

When you pray, your kids need to hear more than rote, repetitious, religious sounding prayers. They need to hear you expressing what is truly on your heart to the Father so that they may know how to be honest in their own prayers. Your children need to know that it’s OK to talk to God about the hard stuff, no matter how hard it is. But if you feel compelled to keep your prayers “sanitized” so they don’t get exposed to the hardships of the world, they’ll never learn that God is relevant to life, or that He cares about what they go through.

Pray honestly about what you are facing as a family. Pray openly about the needs you have.

Your kids need to see by your prayers that God cares for everything, big or little.

If they hear you pray about:

Illness

Financial needs

Family conflicts

Stress

and many other things, you’ll be teaching your kids to pray honestly, about the true concerns of life.

Consistency

Your kids need to know that prayer is an important part of every day of your life. They need to see that you lean on the Father daily.

Here are some ideas for times you can pray (and involve your kids in the prayers):

When leaving to go on errands (pray for safety)
When leaving the breakfast table (pray for the LORD’s guidance in your day)
When you hear news about a friend who is ill (stop and pray right away, for healing and for endurance)
When you see a beautiful sunset or sunrise (praise is a form of prayer too!)
When the family pet has to be put down (thank God for the enjoyment you all received from the pet, and for comfort in your sadness)

If you only pray when things get tough, your kids will realize that you operate independently of God most of the time… and they will follow suit. But if you pray consistently, about the good and the bad things in life, you’ll teach children to pray in faithfulness and trust.

Boldness

Your children need to see that prayer is important enough to be said, aloud, any time of the day or night. Calling on the Father should become as natural as any other conversation – to you and as a result, to your kids.

Here are some suggestions:

Fight feelings of embarrassment about prayer.
Ask the Spirit to overcome things such as shyness, awkwardness, and discomfort.
Ask the LORD to help you remember to pray at all times.
Be honest with your kids about your struggle. Let them know that you are fighting to learn to pray more boldly… because prayer is important.
Don’t be afraid to ask God for the BIG stuff. Your kids need to see humble requests, followed by God-sized answers. Nothing builds faith like answered prayer.

Get outside your own world (intercession)

Help your kids know that prayer is not only about getting… it’s also about giving help to others.

Pray with your kids for people you know

If their friend’s mother is going in for surgery, pray with them about it. If their teacher is gone on maternity leave, pray with them for her and the baby. God cares about people in all walks of life, and your kids need to know that. They will learn it as you pray with them about those around them.

Pray with your children about missionaries and people in other parts of the world

Praying for missionaries does three things:

1) It teaches your kids that the spread of the gospel is important.
2) It teaches them that prayer is helpful to those in other parts of the world.
3) It teaches them that they can be involved in God’s work in history.

Talk about the God you are speaking to

Your kids need to know who it is they are petitioning. Here are some ideas…

Ask your kids what they imagine God to be like.

You’ll be amazed at what they have right, and what they have wrong. Use their responses as opportunities to dig into the scriptures with them to help them get to know God better.

Talk about God with your kids when you are not praying

Make God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit members of your household. Include them in conversations on a daily basis. Tell your children what God has been teaching you. Tell them when He convicts you of wrong in your own life.

Doing these things helps your children understand what God is like.

The most important thing in teaching kids to pray is training them to develop a personal relationship with God. Prayer isn’t just about lists, and getting our wishes granted, or healings or miracles, it’s also about getting to know God in a deep way and experiencing for ourselves who He is in our lives. When faith fails our relationships can stand. When we don’t understand we can trust in God whom we know to be faithful. When hard times come we can make it through because we know God well enough to know that He will help us through. Children are affected by life just as much as adults and need to be able to have that relationship to lean on in both the good times as well as the bad. They need to know the God they serve and will spend eternity with.

Nurture Your Children’s Gifts

One joy of parenthood is watching for signs of children’s developing talents. Children gain confidence when they become confident at something they enjoy. That’s why many parents seek out a range of activities for their budding athletes, musicians and artists.

However, children have other 'talents' that need nurturing as well. God gives us certain abilities to serve him and others. Children don’t need to wait until they're older to use their God-given gifts. Like some adults, though, they may need help in discovering those gifts.

Here are some guidelines to help do just that;

Observe your children as they interact with people, activities, and objects. Note how they learn best and what emotional and behavioural traits they display. Keep track of what excites them. Talk to your children about their thoughts and feelings after a new experience.

Go to the Bible to learn about spiritual gifts. Check out passages such as Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4 and 1 Peter 4. Share Bible verses with your kids and let them know God has a plan for their lives.

Provide varied opportunities for children to grow passionately about God and service. Encourage your children to take an active role in children’s ministry programs. Try serving together as a family in a range of roles. Then evaluate what your child liked best and why.

Spiritual Gifts from Romans 12

Prophesy – Boldly speaking out about your faith

Serving – Working to meet the needs of other people

Teaching – Helping other people understand scripture

Encouraging – Building up and motivating others

Giving – Being generous to others in need

Leading – Showing organizational and directing skills

Mercy – Showing kindness and compassion to others

“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another … Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 4:10-11

God doesn’t want us to bury or waste our spiritual gifts. Instead he tells us to ‘give’ them away to other people through service.

DISCIPLING OUR OWN CHILDREN

As parents, we have been given a precious responsibility to disciple our children:

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” Proverbs 22:6 (ESV).

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” Ephesians 6:4 (ESV).

So what does it mean to disciple our children? It is simply walking through life with children just as Jesus did with His disciples. Jesus lived life with Peter, James and John – He laughed, He talked, He cried, He got angry, He got tired, He ate, He prayed, He taught, He scolded, He praised, HE LIVED A REAL LIFE IN FRONT OF THEM.

Kids can’t just be taught what it means to walk with God - they have to catch it from the adults in their lives. We need to be intentionally walking with God and intentionally formally and informally modeling what a relationship with God is all about.

Here at Edge church our desire is to partner with you in this discipling process. If you have any questions or suggestions, please post them on this blog. Also feel free to talk with Jess.

In future weeks there will be Quiet Time ideas that you can use with your kids. To begin with, here are some steps you can do now to grow your kids spiritually in your home:

1. Make a Plan.
Start out by committing to sit down with your kids for a family devotion three to four times a week. Don’t try to go for it every single day, life happens. Share that plan with your family. (This helps with accountability.)

2. Pray with them.
Don’t make the mistake of taking the lead and praying every time. Allow your kids the opportunity to pray as well.

3. Teach them the Bible.
That means as parents we’re going to need to be reading the Bible to have something to share. If you get to a passage you don’t understand, do some study and/or ask someone a bit further along in their understanding. Read or allow your child to read a passage of scripture and then talk about it. Draw out the principles you see and talk about how they can be applied in our everyday lives.

4. Leave time for questions.
Some of the greatest teaching moments can be in your child's bottomless questions. Don’t get stressed by the rabbit trails that lead to other topics. Go with them. You’ll be amazed at where they lead you. Embrace the journey.

Now, go find the joy of growing your kids spiritually!

The Bible App for Kids
This is a great tool for getting kids into the Bible. You can download it for free at bible.com/kids.

Why Bible memory verses?

What a wonderful resource we have as Christians – the Bible! As you know, God's Word guides us, helps us worship Him, and gives us encouragement in time of need. By teaching your children to memorize Scripture you will be equipping them for their future and preparing them for challenges they will inevitably face throughout their life.
The process of memorization for children is less challenging than for adults. Children enjoy learning and their minds are storing information constantly. Help them learn Scripture while their young minds can retain information more easily. You may be surprised and amazed at how quickly they can do it.

Each week the kids in Junior edge are given a Bible verse to learn and remember. It is printed on a take-home card as well as on this blog. To help your kids learn these verses, here are some ideas for you to use:

1. Remember to have fun while learning the verse. Keep the time spent brief to hold the child's attention. This should be enjoyable so if your child gets frustrated try again later.
2. Show your child where the verse is found in the Bible. Mark their Bible with a special colour to identify verses they have memorized.
3. Say the book, chapter, and verse before and after the Scripture. Recite the verse several times a day in your child's presence so it becomes familiar to them.
4. Clarify any words they don't understand.
5. Make flash cards with Scripture on one side and the book, chapter, and verse on the other. Take the cards with you when you go out so that you can review the verse at different times of the day (in the car while you are at a light, waiting in line at the supermarket, etc.). You can put a sticker on the card when the child has successfully memorized the verse. He/she will be encouraged by the accumulated cards.

Five Fun Ways to Help Them Memorize

1. Teach them one phrase from the verse at a time.

2. Bounce or roll a ball back and forth as each word of the verse is said. Start by saying the verse with the child as you pass the ball. As he/she learns the verse, each of you say a word of the verse as you pass the ball. 3. Put the verse to music or rhythm. Your child will enjoy singing and clapping their hands.

4. Use flash cards. Put one word on each 4 x 6 index card (or sheet of paper) then scramble the words. Have your child put them in the right order.

5. Do any activity to make the verse fun and easy to remember. Be creative.

Pint-sized Spirituality

The following article by Kelli Trujillo is from Today’s Christian Woman

"Maaaaaaaaaaama, Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaama … Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeshush, Jeeeeeeeeeeshush!" My youngest child, just two years old, called out to me.

I paused in my work to look and, sure enough, she was on the couch flipping through our children's Bible and pointing at the various drawings of bearded men on its pages.

"Yes, honey," I said with surprise. "That's Jesus!" How does she know that's Jesus? I wondered.

Then things got delightfully weirder. She folded her arms across her chest, gave herself a big hug, and began her own rambling and babbling rendition of "Jeshush wuvs me."

What in the world?!

Though she and I sing "Jesus Loves Me" at bedtime and she's watched as I've read short Bible stories to her two older siblings on school mornings, I'd never pointed at its pictures and told her they were Jesus nor had I ever paired the song with the images.

Someone else helped her make that connection. It was one of those special moments when I realized, again, God has a relationship with my daughter. God himself is at work in her life.

Our job description

Many Christian parents have similar moments with their kids—times when they observe a spiritual habit, a growth in virtue or character, a sense of conviction that leads to an apology, a moment of wonder, a growing sense of confidence or self-worth—and when we simply realize this has nothing to do with us. This isn't something we can take credit for; this is about God at work, growing or changing or connecting with our children.

While it's an awesome realization that God is at work in our children's lives, that doesn't let us off the hook. Deuteronomy 6 fleshes out God's vision for parenting in powerful terms:

"Love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates" (Deuteronomy 6:5-9).

This describes a relationship in which a parent's profound, whole-person love for God is evident, bold, and naturally obvious to her children. Driven by this love, she's committed to a life of obedience—and she speaks freely to her kids anytime, anywhere, about God. Her life and her home are characterized by this desire to love and obey God—and this love, obedience, and mindful awareness of God shape the habitat her children grow and live in.

In this passage (and repeatedly emphasized throughout the Bible), parents are clearly charged by God to raise their children to know and love him. It's a tremendous job description and a responsibility that ought not be taken lightly!

But it's crucial that parents have a proper perspective on what this job description really is. God isn't saying it's our job to create a relationship between our kids and God; God isn't putting the onus on us to carry all the weight. No, God is calling us to do our part as parents—while God does his own work in our children's lives.

This requires a mindset shift for many of us as we consider our profound spiritual role as parents. Ultimately God doesn't "need" our assistance; we certainly have a crucial part to play, but God himself is the Maker of our kids. He profoundly loves our kids, and in his miraculous way he is making himself known to our children.

God invites

In ways we may not see or recognize, God is at work inviting our children into a relationship with him and beckoning them ever closer. They see evidence of him in the wonders of creation (Romans 1:20): they hear his whisper in the flowers, see his power in the lightning, sense his love in the awe of a peaceful night sky. In their own little kid ways, they can sense him, get to know him, and respond to his invitations.

Jesus invited little children to come to him; he touched them, blessed them, and spoke with them (Matthew 19:13-14; Mark 9; Luke 18:15-16). In a spiritual sense he does the same with our children. Though Jesus isn't physically present with a lap to sit on and a shoulder to lean on, God is still the welcoming God who, with a smiling and inviting love, beckons little children to come. God delights in our kids even more than we do; he knows and understands our kids better than we ever can.

God ministers

One of the most stunning miracles in the New Testament is Jesus' interaction with a man named Jairus and his family (Mark 5:21-40; Luke 8:40-56). Jesus is delayed in his arrival to Jairus's house to heal his dying, preteen daughter. But then Jairus, the disciples, and all who hear about it are awestruck when Jesus miraculously brings the little girl back to life! Yet there's more to this story than this resurrection.

Consider, from the little girl's perspective, what happened. She moved from horrible sickness into death and then somehow back into life. Luke describes Jesus holding the girl's hand, calling her "my child," and immediately making sure she was given food to eat. The tender care—along with the miracle—gives us a powerful sense of Jesus' compassionate ministry to the hurting.

Jesus is still in the business of healing and ministering to children. Though he may not perform a literal miracle like this one, Jesus' love for your child is this same compassionate and tender love he showed Jairus's daughter. Your child's Creator compassionately cares for her hurts and ministers to her needs.

God transforms

In the background of the story of Naaman's healing in 2 Kings 5 is a "young girl." She's been captured by Aramean raiders who'd invaded Israel and enslaved her, then given to Naaman's wife. Somehow, miraculously, this young Jewish girl finds it in her heart to extend kindness rather than hatred to her new "master" as she chooses to point ailing Naaman toward the prophet Elisha for healing.

How and why did this young girl become so compassionate, so strong, so forgiving? Scripture doesn't offer the details, but I'm confident she at one time had parents who set an example of God-honoring character. And I'm even more confident that she loved, honored, and obeyed God—and it was God himself who shaped her character, who led her into the way of truth, and who enabled her to apply that truth to her life in a bold choice of generous kindness.

As our children grow to know and love God, God is at work in their lives shaping and transforming them. God even equips and empowers young children for pint-sized ministry! God does this inner work we parents cannot do: we may be able to discipline, but it is God who convicts; we can set examples of good character, but it is the Spirit who bears the fruit in our child's life; we can train up our children, but God is the one who transforms.

Our influence, God's work

God's active work in our children's lives in no way negates the tremendous calling we have as parents. It's our example, our own love-driven relationship with God, and our feeble but best efforts to parent in wisdom and character that lead our children in a God-honoring way of life. The ideal described in Deuteronomy 6 is enough to challenge and inspire us each moment as parents—this is a big job!

As we trust that God is at work in our children's lives, Scripture assures us that our efforts and example will have a powerful influence on our kids (Proverbs 22:6). But this isn't a direct cause and effect formula. Our children have a God-given free will, a unique personality, and a propensity to sin (just like us!). Our children make their own choices and ultimately they have their own "story" to live with God.

Sometimes these stories even involve a period of distance from God or a rejection of faith, which is heartbreaking for parents. But even in those situations, we can remember that God is still at work in their lives: God continues to invite, minister, and even transform wayward children in ways parents cannot. Even in heartbreak, we can continue to love God with our heart, soul, and strength, and to love our children with a committed, empathetic, and unconditional love.

As the nursery song goes, Jesus loves our kids; our little ones do belong to him. As we seek to parent them the best we can, we can find profound confidence, reassurance, and comfort in the reality that God is miraculously and actively involved in their lives, beckoning them to come to him.

kids@edge

For Mums and Dads