I. DEFINITIONS<\/p>\n
A. What Is Child Evangelism?<\/p>\n
When Jesus called the disciples to become \u201cfishers of men,\u201d some of them mistakenly took Him literally\u2014some disciples thought the gospel was only for grown men old enough and wise enough to fully understand God\u2019s plan of salvation. But, as the song says, \u201cJesus Loves the Little Children,\u201d and He clearly delights in having them come to Him!<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, \u2018Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.\u2019 \u2026 He took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.\u201d
\n(Mark 10:13\u201316)<\/p>\n
\u2022 Child evangelism is sharing with a child the good news of how to receive the full forgiveness of God by entering into a personal relationship with Christ Jesus.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The Greek word euaggelizo means \u201cto bring good news\u201d (glad tidings).<\/p>\n
\u2022 Evangelism is declaring the good news of the gospel.<\/p>\n
B. What Is the Gospel?<\/p>\n
A messenger holding a telegraph indicates a significant message needs to be delivered. But what if the messenger needlessly delays the delivery? The messenger who withholds spiritual truth from a child may lose a golden opportunity \u2026 the timeliness may be lost. The heart that was once ready to hear may no longer be open.<\/p>\n
God is the Message Giver, you are the messenger, and children are the ones who need to hear.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?\u201d
\n(Romans 10:14)<\/p>\n
\u2022 The gospel is the good message of salvation available to us through faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The Greek word euaggelion means \u201cgood message, good news.\u201d
\n\u2014 Eu \u2026 means good.
\n\u2014 Aggelion \u2026 means message.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy this gospel you are saved.\u2026 Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures \u2026 he was buried \u2026 he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and \u2026 he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred.\u201d
\n(1 Corinthians 15:2\u20136)<\/p>\n
II. CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUNG CHILDREN<\/p>\n
Some people will say, \u201cDon\u2019t expose your children to church\u2014wait until they can figure out their own faith.\u201d However, unlike adults, children are like moist clay\u2014their minds are moldable. As you impress spiritual truths on the hearts of your children, in time their lives can be conformed to the character of Christ.<\/p>\n
A. Responsiveness<\/p>\n
Myth: \u201cYoung children are intellectually incapable of responding to salvation.\u201d
\nTruth: Young children are more capable of responding to the message of salvation than adults.
\n\u201cThe disciples came to Jesus and asked, \u2018Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?\u2019 He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: \u2018I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.\u2019 \u201d (Matthew 18:1\u20134)<\/p>\n
CHILDREN HAVE \u2026<\/p>\n
Curiosity
\n\u2022 Children eagerly ask questions about everything. \u201cHow did God make the mountains?\u201d \u201cWhere did I come from?\u201d \u201cWho wrote the Bible?\u201d \u201cWhere does God live?\u201d \u201cWhat happens when people die?\u201d \u201cWhat is heaven?\u201d
\n\u2022 What an opportunity to answer questions correctly with the truth of God\u2019s Word!<\/p>\n
Humility
\n\u2022 Children are accustomed to being under authority; therefore, they are teachable.
\n\u2022 God opposes unteachable adults because of their pride. Adults find it harder to humble their hearts before the Lord, but a child is naturally humble.<\/p>\n
Imagination
\n\u2022 Children are able to visualize the unseen.
\n\u2022 They love fantasy and can draw pictures in their minds without needing to have things proven.<\/p>\n
Less distrust
\n\u2022 Children find it easy to believe in the supernatural.
\n\u2022 They take adults at their word. Although everything said to a child is not always correct, children tend to take words at face value.<\/p>\n
Dependency
\n\u2022 Children are already dependent on adults for protection and provisions.
\n\u2022 They have faith that food will be on the table. They have faith that they can depend on adults to provide clothing and meet their needs. The life we live in Christ is to be a dependent relationship\u2014a life of faith and dependence on Him.<\/p>\n
Retentive memories
\n\u2022 Children can retain what they don\u2019t understand more easily than adults.
\n\u2022 Children learn by rote. Many parents start Scripture memorization with their children at age three. Children absorb passages far more easily than adults. Children may not understand all that they memorize, but parents can lay a foundation upon which the Holy Spirit can develop godly character.<\/p>\n
Eagerness to receive gifts
\n\u2022 Children find it more natural to receive a gift without feeling they have to earn it.
\n\u2022 Children can receive a gift without assuming strings are attached. They look forward to receiving a gift, and that is exactly what salvation is\u2014a gift of God.<\/p>\n
No hardened hearts
\n\u2022 Children do not have such deeply embedded sin patterns, addictions or beliefs that they can\u2019t give up their \u201cold ways of life.\u201d
\n\u2022 Children have not lived long enough to be cynics and skeptics. They are far more responsive to the message of Christ.<\/p>\n
Seventy-five % of those who receive Christ do so before they are fourteen years old.<\/p>\n
B. Readiness<\/p>\n
All growth is a process, and each child will mature differently. Only God knows the true disposition of a young heart, that time when a child has reached an age of accountability\u2014the age at which a child is capable of accepting or rejecting the Savior. As you nurture young children from birth in things of the Lord, rely on your own spiritual sensitivity to determine when they are ready to move from \u201cspiritual baby food\u201d to the \u201cmeat of the gospel.\u201d<\/p>\n
SPIRITUAL BABY FOOD<\/p>\n
\u2022 Sharing love through physical touch<\/p>\n
\u2022 Seeing and meeting their emotional needs<\/p>\n
\u2022 Speaking with a loving tone of voice<\/p>\n
\u2022 Smiling each time you see them<\/p>\n
\u2022 Soothing their hurts and disappointments<\/p>\n
\u2022 Spending time reading to them<\/p>\n
\u2022 Saying no and enforcing it<\/p>\n
\u2022 Sharing ways to be thoughtful of others, saying please and thank you<\/p>\n
\u2022 Setting an example by your response to others, forgiving and meeting the needs of others<\/p>\n
\u2022 Saying bedtime prayers in the secure love of the Lord<\/p>\n
MEAT OF THE GOSPEL<\/p>\n
Myth: \u201cAdults shouldn\u2019t impose their religious beliefs on children because they are not ready. When children grow into adulthood, they can make up their own minds.\u201d
\nTruth: Children give clues as to when they are open for change and ready to receive the Savior.<\/p>\n
CHILDREN ARE READY TO HEAR THE GOSPEL WHEN THEY ARE \u2026<\/p>\n
Reaping consequences from their own negative behavior
\n\u2022 Feelings of guilt and shame<\/p>\n
Expressing worry about the future
\n\u2022 Fear of darkness, separation, storms, death<\/p>\n
Asking a lot of questions
\n\u2022 \u201cWhat happens when people die?\u201d<\/p>\n
Drastically changing their behavior
\n\u2022 Withdrawal or sensitivity<\/p>\n
Yielding to positive authority
\n\u2022 Release of a rebellious spirit<\/p>\n
\u201cAlways be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.\u201d
\n(1 Peter 3:15)<\/p>\n
III. CAUSES OF NOT SHARING CHRIST WITH A CHILD<\/p>\n
If you discovered the cure for cancer, would you be willing to share it? Of course! Any intelligent, responsible adult would. Then why is there a reticence to share the Savior with a child? The reason for some may be ignorance, and for others, it may be feeling too sophisticated to talk about spiritual things \u2026 too embarrassed. Yet the brilliant \u201cevangelist,\u201d the apostle Paul, was not too sophisticated to say, \u201cI am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes\u201d (Romans 1:16). The power to save is in the gospel itself. Your responsibility is to share it.<\/p>\n
A. Surface Causes<\/p>\n
Argument: \u201cI don\u2019t think my child is a sinner.\u201d
\nAnswer: All people inherit a sin nature, a natural bent to sin.
\n\u201cEven from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies.\u201d (Psalm 58:3)<\/p>\n
Argument: \u201cChildren can\u2019t understand abstract truth.\u201d
\nAnswer: Children can understand dependency, being dependent on parents. Dependence on Christ is necessary for every child to become a true Christian.
\n\u201cRemain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.\u201d (John 15:4)<\/p>\n
Argument: \u201cAs an adult I never learned how to share the good news about salvation.\u201d
\nAnswer: As an adult, now you can learn. It\u2019s never too late to learn.
\n\u201cThese commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children.\u201d (Deuteronomy 6:6\u20137)<\/p>\n
Argument: \u201cI don\u2019t want to be a part of anything where fear tactics are used to get children to respond.\u201d
\nAnswer: Just because negative tactics have been used by some people doesn\u2019t mean that child evangelism should be rejected. Jesus did not hinder children from coming to Him.
\n\u201cJesus \u2026 was indignant. He said to them [His disciples], \u2018Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.\u2019 \u201d (Mark 10:14)<\/p>\n
Argument: \u201cI feel too inadequate.\u201d
\nAnswer: The Holy Spirit is the One who is adequate. He will empower you to speak the truth. God gives every authentic Christian the Holy Spirit upon salvation.
\n\u201cThe Spirit of truth \u2026 will guide you into all truth.\u201d (John 16:13)<\/p>\n
B. Root Cause for Parents Not Sharing<\/p>\n
Wrong Belief:
\n\u201cI\u2019ll leave it to the church to give my child the necessary spiritual instruction.\u201d<\/p>\n
Right Belief:
\nI have the God-given responsibility to prepare my child spiritually to accept Jesus personally as Savior and Lord.
\n\u201cLet the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.\u201d (Colossians 3:16)<\/p>\n
IV. STEPS TO SOLUTION<\/p>\n
A. Key Verse to Memorize<\/p>\n
\u201cHe [Jesus] said: \u2018I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.\u2019 \u201d
\n(Matthew 18:3)<\/p>\n
B. Key Passage to Read and Reread<\/p>\n
Psalm 78:2\u20137<\/p>\n
\u201cI will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old\u2014what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.\u201d<\/p>\n
PARENTS\u2019 PRAYER OF COMMITMENT
\n\u201cDear Lord,
\nI pray for the wisdom and courage to communicate Your hidden truths to the children You place in my care. I will not hesitate to talk about Your power and praiseworthy deeds to the next generation, so that they, in turn, will tell their children and their children\u2019s children the wonders You have done. My responsibility is to teach my children to put their trust in You. May they never forget Your deeds and always keep Your commands. My utmost desire is to encourage impressionable young hearts to resist being rebellious and become loyal to their loving, most holy God.\u201d<\/p>\n
C. Practical P\u2019s for Preparing a Child\u2019s Heart<\/p>\n
A child\u2019s heart is like soil that can be moistened and tilled\u2014to receive the seed of Christ. In the Bible, Timothy stood tall as a young Christian leader known for his sincere faith. His soil had been tilled with the testimony of both his mother and his grandmother\u2014two women vital to Timothy\u2019s growth.<\/p>\n
\u201cI [Paul] have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.\u201d
\n(2 Timothy 1:5)<\/p>\n
Never underestimate how God might use you in the life of a child.<\/p>\n
Portray the character of Christ.
\n\u2022 Realize that, with children, more is caught than taught.
\n\u2022 Model before your children Christlike qualities such as integrity, forgiveness, patience and humility.
\n\u2022 With humility, admit that you need Christ to make you Christlike.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned.\u201d (Titus 2:7\u20138)<\/p>\n
Praise God in the presence of your child for specific blessings.
\n\u2022 \u201cThank you, Lord, for giving us this sunshiny day.\u201d
\n\u2022 \u201cThank you, Lord, for raindrops, which the ground drinks.\u201d
\n\u2022 \u201cThank you, Lord, for the gift of our family so that we can love and learn from each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.\u201d (Psalm 34:1)<\/p>\n
Play and sing Christian songs with your child.
\n\u2022 Purchase tapes, records and videos with spiritual truths.
\n\u2022 Sing Scripture songs from your heart\u2014don\u2019t be self-conscious.
\n\u2022 Put Scripture to music. Make up a spiritual song.<\/p>\n
\u201cShout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!\u201d (Psalm 66:1\u20132)<\/p>\n
Place pictures and plaques with a spiritual emphasis throughout your home.
\n\u2022 In your child\u2019s bedroom and bathroom
\n\u2022 In the living room and hallway
\n\u2022 In the car and on the refrigerator<\/p>\n
\u201cLove the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children.\u2026 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.\u201d (Deuteronomy 6:5\u20139)<\/p>\n
Provide a regular time to read and talk about Scripture\u2014a daily family devotional time.
\n\u2022 Character studies\u2014David, Daniel, Ruth, Esther, Jesus, Peter, Abraham, Moses
\n\u2022 Selected proverbs, parables, the fruit of the Spirit
\n\u2022 Activities such as plays, skits, pictures drawn about Bible stories<\/p>\n
\u201cContinue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.\u201d (2 Timothy 3:14\u201315)<\/p>\n
Prepare Scripture memory verses on cutout forms or cards.
\nPick simple verses for younger children.
\n\u2022 Place 1 John 4:16 on red paper in the shape of a heart\u2014\u201cGod is love.\u201d
\n\u2022 Place John 3:16 on blue paper in the shape of the world\u2014\u201cFor God so loved the world.\u201d
\n\u2022 Place John 15:5 on brown paper in the shape of branches\u2014\u201cI am the vine, you are the branches.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pray out loud with and for your child.
\n\u2022 At mealtimes
\n\u2022 At bedtime
\n\u2022 At times of need and thankfulness<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.\u201d (Colossians 1:9\u201310)<\/p>\n
Prioritize regular spiritual programs for your child.
\n\u2022 Sunday school and church services
\n\u2022 Church choirs and Christian camps
\n\u2022 Vacation Bible school and any other programs offering spiritual training<\/p>\n
\u201cTrain a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.\u201d (Proverbs 22:6)<\/p>\n
Play creative games that bring God into focus.
\n\u2022 The \u201cI Spy\u201d game<\/p>\n
When riding in the car, challenge your children to \u201cspy\u201d something God has made that begins with each letter of the alphabet. The one who sees an item calls out \u201cI spy an animal,\u201d \u201cI spy a branch,\u201d \u201cI spy a cow,\u201d and so on.
\n\u2022 The \u201cGod Made\u201d game<\/p>\n
Let your children take turns mentioning as many things as they can that God has created, starting with the letter \u201cA.\u201d After the time limit, (such as two minutes), they must move to the letter \u201cB\u201d and so on.
\n\u2022 Visit the children\u2019s section in a Christian bookstore for other ideas.<\/p>\n
D. Learning the Language of Little Ones<\/p>\n
You can become more and more adequate when you realize that children are literalists. Be aware of terms that can be very confusing to a child \u2026 words that a child could easily misinterpret.<\/p>\n
LITERAL TERM
\nCHILD\u2019S INTERPRETATION
\nUSE INSTEAD
\n\u201cLet Jesus come into your heart.\u201d
\nA full-grown man has to fit inside my little heart.
\n\u201cJesus wants to come into your life.\u201d
\n\u201cJesus shed His blood.\u201d
\nHis blood is on the wood shed behind the house.
\n\u201cJesus had bleeding wounds as He suffered on the cross.\u201d
\n\u201cThe Holy Ghost\u201d
\nGod has ghosts that fly around and scare people.
\n\u201cThe Holy Spirit is God\u2019s Spirit.\u201d
\n\u201cMake a stand for Jesus.\u201d
\nMake a lemonade stand for Jesus.
\n\u201cDo what is right because you love Jesus\u2014even if everyone else does what is wrong.\u201d
\n\u201cJesus rose from the dead.\u201d
\nJesus is a flower.
\n\u201cJesus came back to life.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.\u201d
\n(Proverbs 25:11)<\/p>\n
VOCABULARY FOR KIDS<\/p>\n
Children are literalists and often have difficulty understanding the religious terms used in the church. The following explanations are offered as less confusing alternatives.<\/p>\n
Arose Came back to life<\/p>\n
Christians People who have trusted in Jesus to be their personal Lord and Savior, who want to please Him and have received His life<\/p>\n
Church A group of people who have believed in Jesus as their Lord and Savior (This is not a building of sticks and stones.)<\/p>\n
Death, physical When the real you\u2014your spirit\u2014leaves your body<\/p>\n
Death, eternal When a person is separated from God forever in a place of darkness and punishment<\/p>\n
Emotions My feelings<\/p>\n
Faith Believing God will do what He says He will do<\/p>\n
Forgive Not staying angry at someone for doing something wrong<\/p>\n
Gospel The good news that Jesus died for me\u2014He was buried and He came to life again<\/p>\n
Guilt Feeling bad for doing some-thing I know is wrong<\/p>\n
Heart The part of me that decides what I really want to do<\/p>\n
Heaven A forever-home with the Lord Jesus where there will always be joy and happiness<\/p>\n
Holy Set apart to be what God designed me to be<\/p>\n
Holy Ghost The Spirit of God, who comes to live inside every true Christian<\/p>\n
Lord The one to whom I am responsible because He has power over me<\/p>\n
Mind My thinker<\/p>\n
Morals Doing what is right or wrong<\/p>\n
Obedience Doing what I am asked to do, when I am asked to do it<\/p>\n
Prayer Talking to God and listening to Him<\/p>\n
Repent Deciding that I am sad for what I did and I won\u2019t do what is wrong anymore<\/p>\n
Righteous Being good<\/p>\n
Sanctification Growing more and more like Jesus<\/p>\n
Saved\/Salvation Trusting Jesus to live with me now, keep me from being punished for doing wrong, and live with me forever in heaven<\/p>\n
Savior Someone who keeps me from danger<\/p>\n
Sin Anything I think or do that does not please God<\/p>\n
Spirit A living being I can\u2019t see<\/p>\n
Will My chooser<\/p>\n
\u201cIf any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.\u201d
\n(James 1:5)<\/p>\n
E. Doing What Comes Naturally<\/p>\n
Children are born with the desire to want life to go \u201ctheir own way.\u201d They don\u2019t have the ability to change their natural bent toward sin. This self-will is their \u201cwanter\u201d that simply wants what is wrong. When Jesus comes into our lives, He changes our desires to want what is right.<\/p>\n
Children will know if they have a problem because they will be reaping the consequences from their negative behavior when their \u201cwanter\u201d is not changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.\u201d
\n(Isaiah 53:6)<\/p>\n
Adult: \u201cHave you tried not to do wrong?\u201d
\nChild: \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adult: \u201cHave you tried really, really hard? I mean the very best you could?\u201d
\nChild: \u201cWell, maybe not all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adult: \u201cDo you think the problem could be that on the inside you have a wanter that wants to do wrong?\u201d
\nChild: \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adult: \u201cHave you ever tried to change that wanter?\u201d
\nChild: \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adult: \u201cDo you sometimes do what you know is wrong because your heart wants you to do it?\u201d
\nChild: \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adult: \u201cDoing what is wrong is what God calls sin. It sounds like your wanter needs to change. Since your wanter is inside your heart, Jesus can change your heart! If you let Him take control of your life, He will actually change your wanter by changing your heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
F. Presenting the Gospel to Children<\/p>\n
Every Christian delights when another sheep comes into the fold, but we must never pressure or manipulate a child to pray a salvation prayer. Salvation is of the Lord. Likewise, we should never assume that a child is a Christian. Don\u2019t discourage a child who wants to pray for salvation by saying, \u201cYou\u2019ve already prayed that prayer.\u201d There may not have been a clear understanding of what it means to be saved, and the child prayed only \u2026<\/p>\n
\u2022 to please a Sunday school teacher<\/p>\n
\u2022 to do what other friends were doing<\/p>\n
\u2022 to be considerate and compliant<\/p>\n
\u2022 to simply be a better person<\/p>\n
HOW TO PRESENT THE GOOD NEWS<\/p>\n
God<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cGod created everything in this world, including you. He loves you and will always love you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014 Establish His authority \u2026 Creator
\n\u201cHe made everything you can see or even think about.\u201d Point out the natural wonders of the world around you (trees and birds, rain and oceans, stars and the sun).<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.\u201d (Genesis 1:1)<\/p>\n
\u2014 Establish His character \u2026 Love
\n\u201cHe has love for everyone, no matter what they do, and He loves you in a very personal way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.\u201d (Jeremiah 31:3)<\/p>\n
Original Sin<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cThere is a problem between you and God, and it is called sin. Sin is anything you think or do that does not please God. Sin is going your own way, not God\u2019s way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014 Explain inherited sin.
\n\u201cWe are born with a natural desire to please ourselves instead of a desire to please God by doing what is right. Babies cry for attention even when they aren\u2019t hurt. They just want their own way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSurely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.\u201d (Psalm 51:5)<\/p>\n
\u2014 Explain enacted sin.
\n\u201cAs we grow older, we all choose to sin. We choose to disobey our parents. Anything we think, say or do that doesn\u2019t please God is sin.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn\u2019t do it, sins.\u201d (James 4:17)<\/p>\n
Offering for Sin<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cJesus came from heaven to earth, lived in a body and grew \u2026 just like you and I grow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u201cGod the Son came to help us because He loves us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.\u201d (John 3:16)<\/p>\n
\u2014 Jesus is holy \u2026 which means different from us. We don\u2019t always have good thoughts, but Jesus does. He is always perfect. Jesus has never sinned because He is God.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.\u201d (1 John 3:5)<\/p>\n
Death and Resurrection<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cThe Lord Jesus Christ died for your sins, but He also did something no one else has ever done\u2014He came back to life!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u201cJesus knew our sin would separate us from Him\u2014that is the punishment for our sins.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.\u201d (Isaiah 59:2)<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u201cJesus didn\u2019t want us separated from Him so Jesus died for our sins. They put the Lord Jesus in a tomb (cave), and He came back to life. He lived His life on earth where people saw Him and talked to Him. Then He went to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cChrist died for our sins according to the Scriptures \u2026 he was buried \u2026 he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and \u2026 he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.\u201d (1 Corinthians 15:3\u20138)<\/p>\n
Need<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cWe all need a Savior because our sin is a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u201cWe need to trust and rely on the Lord Jesus Christ for what He has done for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.\u201d (Romans 10:13)<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u201cYour part is to believe that Jesus has done this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God\u2019s one and only Son.\u201d (John 3:17\u201318)<\/p>\n
Q \u201cWhat does it mean to believe?\u201d<\/p>\n
A In the Bible, the word believe means \u201cto rely upon, to trust in.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThough 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.\u201d (1 Peter 1:8)<\/p>\n
Eternal Life<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cGod\u2019s part is found in three promises to us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u201cWe will not be condemned to hell for our sins.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.\u201d (Romans 8:1)<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u201cWe will live forever in heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhoever lives and believes in me will never die.\u201d (John 11:26)<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u201cMeanwhile, God will cause us to live a different kind of life now while we live on earth.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.\u201d (Philippians 1:6)<\/p>\n
Word of God<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cThe Bible was supernaturally written by God.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u201cSome people say the Bible is no different from other books, but the Bible is holy\u2014it is from God\u2014it is without one mistake!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAll Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.\u201d (2 Timothy 3:16)<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u201cThe Bible, which tells us how to live, also tells us that we need a personal relationship with the Savior.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.\u201d (Psalm 119:105)<\/p>\n
Salvation Prayer<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cGod invites us all to come to Him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014 Give an invitation for the child to receive Christ.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Remind them again of their need for a Savior.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.\u201d (Isaiah 53:6)<\/p>\n
\u2014 Review what Christ has done.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.\u201d (1 Peter 3:18)<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u201cWould you like Jesus to be your personal Lord and Savior?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you confess with your mouth, \u2018Jesus is Lord,\u2019 and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.\u201d (Romans 10:9)<\/p>\n
Dear God, I know I do things You tell me not to do, and You call that sin. I realize that my sin has separated me from You. Please forgive me for my sins. Lord Jesus, thank You for taking the punishment that I should have had\u2014You paid the price for my sins by dying on the cross for me. Right now I ask You to come into my life to be my Lord and my Savior. I want to be what You want me to be. And I want to do what You want me to do. Amen.<\/p>\n
Salvation is a supernatural work of God. You are not responsible for the salvation of any person, adult or child. Your responsibility is tilling the soil and sharing the seeds of truth about the Savior. As you plant seeds, pray that your child\u2019s soil becomes fertile to receive the seed, take root and bear fruit.
\n\u2014June Hunt<\/p>\n
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION\u00ae. NIV\u00ae.
\nCopyright \u00a9 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n
The Biblical Counseling Keys should not be construed as a substitute for one-on-one, Christ-centered counseling when needed.<\/p>\n
We acknowledge that mistakes could occur in the writing of any of our resources or an omission may be found in the many Scripture references and citations contained herein. Although the editors have sought to avoid all errors, some may have crept in or been overlooked, for which we take full responsibility. The considerate reader would render us a great service by calling our attention to any such error.<\/p>\n
To order CDs, tapes, resource books and additional Biblical Counseling Keys on Assurance of Salvation, Atheism & Agnosticism, God: Who Is He? Jewish Fulfillment, Salvation, Unbelieving Mate and other related topics, contact HOPE FOR THE HEART P.O. Box 7 Dallas, TX 75221 or call toll-free 1-800-488-HOPE (4673). Please visit our website for License Agreement and Terms and Conditions.
\nwww.hopefortheheart.org<\/p>\n
All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form without written permission from HOPE FOR THE HEART.
\n\u00a9 1990\u20132008 HOPE FOR THE HEART<\/p>\n
@book{Hunt_2008,
\nplace={Dallas, TX},
\ntitle={Biblical Counseling Keys on Child Evangelism: Sharing the Savior with a Child},
\npublisher={Hope For The Heart},
\nauthor={Hunt, June},
\nyear={2008}}<\/p>\n
Exportiert aus Verbum, 14:51 18. Februar 2019.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I. DEFINITIONS A. What Is Child Evangelism? When Jesus called the disciples to become \u201cfishers of men,\u201d some of them mistakenly took Him literally\u2014some disciples thought the gospel was only for grown men old enough and wise enough to fully understand God\u2019s plan of salvation. But, as the song says, \u201cJesus Loves the Little Children,\u201d … <\/p>\n