In our children’s ministry, we want to disciple our children in ways appropriate to their maturity. For our youngest children, we want to make a lasting impression of the love of God on the heart of every child.
For preschoolers:
- God made me
- God loves me
- Jesus wants to be my friend
Cultivate a childlike faith
rather than a childish faith.
Childlike Faith – characterized by (trust & obedience, etc)
Matthew 18:3–4 (NLT) 3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Childish Faith – characterized by a lack of
1 Corinthians 14:20 (NIV84) Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.
If questions don’t get answered:
- People either walk away from God
- Or people gloss over and ignore the problems, while on the inside they really don’t trust God
1 Peter 1:3–9 (NIV84) 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade— kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine
Trials, problems, suffering, grief are REASONS to dive in to see if God is big enough to be God
If God is not big enough to answer my questions
and meet me in the hardships and trials,
then he’s not big enough to be God.
-Brook
and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
John 20:19–31 (NIV84)
25b But he [Thomas] said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”
- Jesus comes back a week later, when Thomas IS with the rest of the disciples:
27 Then he [Jesus] said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
When Jesus says to Thomas, “Stop doubting and believe,”
- It means, “You’ve quit being faithful to follow me. “
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
1 Peter 1:3–9 (NIV84) 6b…Now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
What can we DO when trials come (besides “don’t give up”)?
- Pray. [Lots.]
- Be a student of the Scriptures.
- Get godly counsel…
- …from godly people you know.
- …from godly authors.
- Think deeply.
May God, who is always faithful and true, be found by us in our time of trial and suffering, and may we continue to be obedient to Him even when we suffer for it, so that we will receive the goal of our faith: the salvation of our whole life – body, soul, and spirit, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.