Friday, March 30, 2012

A Spiritual Conversation with Your Child

A Spiritual Conversation with Your Child
by Carri P.
My daughter Ashley is 5 years old.  She saw several members of her family being baptized at church and I asked her if she knew what that meant to get baptized.  I told her that it was a way to show people that you have accepted Jesus Christ as the Savior and Lord of your life.  We had talked many times about Jesus, who He is, and the Bible stories about Him.  One thing we as parents need to understand is there is a difference between knowing who Jesus is and accepting Him as our Savior and as the Lord of our life. 
Just like we would discuss anything important with our children we need to be continually discussing our faith with our children.  As a mother, I know I am to be talking to my children about Jesus as I go along each day. 
As you go along the way from day-to-day, foster an ongoing conversation with your child.  You can start with some simple talking points:
·          “Why do you think Jesus came to earth?” Bible ref: John 18:37

·         “Tell me what you think God considers a sin.” 

·          “Do you think mommy/daddy/brother/sister ever sin?” 

·          “How about you, do you ever do anything God would think is a sin?” 

When your child is ready you can begin to go a little deeper.
·          “God is loving, gracious, and merciful.  He wants to be with you in Heaven. He thought of a way to cover our sins so we could come into His presence.  The Bible says that “God so loved the world that He gave His only son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”  Bible ref: John 3:16

·         “Do you believe that He died on a cross for your sins?”   Bible ref: Philippians 2:8

·         “The Bible says that our payment for the wrong things we do is death, to die apart from God, but God has given us the gift of living forever with Him in heaven through His Son, Jesus Christ”. Bible ref: Romans 6:23 
 Finally, as the Spirit leads:
“It says in the Bible, “If you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)
1.       The first step is admitting that you are a sinner.  We have to tell God that we are sorry for the bad things we have done.  Simply say, “Dear God, I am very sorry for my sin, for any bad thing I do that goes against Your commands.  Please forgive me”.

2.       The second step is having belief in what the Bible says. Say something like, “I truly believe that Jesus is your son.  I believe that Jesus died on a cross for my sins, was buried and rose again on the third day.” 
The final step is confessing that Jesus is your Savior.  Say something like this, “I ask you Jesus to come live in my heart and lead my life as my personal savior.”  Welcome my brother/sister in Christ!

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