THE GOSPEL

SHARING THE GOSPEL WITH YOUR CHILD

Recommended for Ages 5+

A PARENT’S PRIVILEGE

One of the greatest privileges you have as a parent is to help your child come to faith in Christ. Even if your child was dedicated or baptized as a baby, you will want to help your child understand the gospel and make their own faith decision when he or she is old enough to do so. Like many parents, you may not quite know how or when to approach one of the most exciting yet intimidating moments of parenthood. Some worry that they won’t explain the gospel properly. They might be tempted to just “leave it to the professionals” by relying on people at church or ministry events. That’s understandable, but God has given you the most important and influential role when it comes to leading your child to Christ. The information below is designed to help you feel more comfortable about the process when that time comes.

ARE YOU READY?

Let’s consider a few practical ways that you can prepare to share the gospel with your child.

STEP ONE: LAY A FOUNDATION

Your son or daughter grows in their understanding of God by developing a foundation — hearing stories from the Bible, learning Scriptures, singing about Jesus, and so forth. Your child also learns by experiencing life in your home — watching your example, feeling your love, and learning right from wrong. We see this in Deuteronomy 6:6-7 that says, “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

STEP TWO: DISCERN READINESS

Do your best to discern when your child is mature enough to put the pieces together. Avoid the temptation to push for a decision before he or she is ready to truly grasp the gospel. Your child may intellectually understand before being socially or spiritually ready. Young children are usually bonded to their parents in such a way that they want to please them and do not have a full sense of a separate self.

A child needs to understand that this is a personal decision and not just an opportunity to repeat rote answers.

STEP THREE: ASK QUESTIONS

If you feel your child might be ready, ask a few questions to help gauge his or her level of understanding. For example, read Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Then ask questions like, “What is sin?” “How does your sin affect your relationship with God?” How they respond can help you sense when your child is ready to understand two important concepts:

1. Jesus as Savior: The need for forgiveness and cleansing from sin which was made possible through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
   
2. Jesus as Lord: The need to submit to God as “the boss” by making Jesus Christ the Lord of one’s life.

Are You Prepared to Explain?

Romans 10 says, “…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. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” If you sense your child has a basic understanding of what sin is as well as what it means to accept God’s gift of salvation and His Lordship, then you can guide them to pray along those lines. Instead of quoting specific words for your child to repeat, help prompt them to use their own words.

How do I lead my child to receive Jesus Christ?

Walk them through the following steps to help them understand:

1. God loves you and has a plan for you

• Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
• John 3:16 – “For 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.”

2. Everyone is a sinner.

• Romans 3:23 – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
  
• What is sin?
  Disobeying God; breaking God’s law; making a decision to do things which are wrong; knowing what is good to do but not doing it; not loving our neighbors.
  Ask your child to name sins they have committed…

3. What do we deserve because of sin?

Death and separation from God

• Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

4. What does God give?

Eternal Life!

• John 3:16 – “For 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.”
  
• Romans 6:23 – “the FREE gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.”
  
  • God gives a free gift of salvation because of what Jesus did on the cross. Jesus lived a perfect life and then sacrificed His life for us on the cross to give us the ability to have a relationship with God.
    
• Romans 5:8 – “but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

5. One Way:

• Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
• Jesus said in John 3:3, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

6. What do we need to do to receive Jesus?

• Repent.
  
  • Acts 3:19 – “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out…”
    
• Confess and Believe.
  
  • Romans 10:9-10 – “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
    
• Pray.
  • By their own choosing, a child must turn from sin and commit to Christ. The next step is for your child to pray, confessing their sin and asking God’s forgiveness. Here is a model of what a child might pray:
    
  • Jesus thank you for loving me…I know I have sinned…and I ask for your forgiveness…I believe that you died on the cross… and on the third day, you rose from the dead… I believe you are alive today…I’m asking you to come live in my heart…I want to live my life obeying you… Thank you for saving me… In Jesus name I pray, Amen!

7. Confirm their decision.

Ask the following questions:

• Where are your sins? Gone.
• Where is Jesus or the Holy Spirit? In my heart or soul

8. Eternal Security:

Help them understand that this decision is permanent; nothing can remove them from God’s hand.

• John 10:28-29: “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”
  
• Ephesians 1:13-14: “You also became believers in Christ. That happened when you heard the message of truth. It was the good news about how you could be saved. When you believed, he stamped you with an official mark. That official mark is the Holy Spirit that he promised. The Spirit marks us as God’s own. We can now be sure that someday we will receive all that God has promised. That will happen after God sets all his people completely free. All these things will bring praise to his glory.”

AN INVITATION TO PARENTS

Maybe you have never put your trust in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. We would love to help answer questions you may have and walk alongside you in your personal journey. If you have questions, please reach out to us at care@covenantchurch.org