The past two blog posts were designed to familiarize you with two wonderful resources for equipping parents and teachers in the all-important and joyful mission of communicating the Gospel to the next generation. William Farley’s, Gospel-Powered Parenting: How the Gospel Shapes and Transforms Parenting and Art Murphy’s, The Faith of a Child: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Salvation for your Child definitely fit the bill in assisting us toward that goal. And I believe reading them in that order will provide clear foundation and logical flow the thought and application. The third resource on the list comes right from Children Desiring God: Helping Children to Understand the Gospel. You might say that this resource is intended to get down to the “nitty-gritty” details of sharing the Gospel message with your children. This 88-page booklet is divided into three main sections:
Part 1—Preparing Children for the Gospel
Keeping in mind that God is ultimately sovereign over the salvation of our children, how can we as parents and teachers encourage the proper conditions that make for more receptive hearts and spiritual growth in our children?
Part 2—Presenting the Gospel to Children
o Understanding what the Gospel truly is (and isn’t) and outlining foundational themes that undergird the Gospel message.
o The need for truthfully and accurately presenting the Gospel within the context of the whole counsel of God in an age-appropriate manner.
Part 3—Family Devotional Guide: Ten Essential Truths of the Gospel
Ten essential Gospel truths are identified. These represent key truths that our children must know and embrace. Each truth is presented as a separate devotional (10 in all). Each devotional includes the following elements:
o Key Scriptures to read and discuss.
o A child-friendly explanation of the Gospel truth.
o Concrete illustrations and hands-on activities designed to help children grasp the truth.
o Personal implications to reflect upon and respond to.
o Additional reading recommendations for parents.
o Prayer prompts.
o A special word of encouragement for parents.
Here is a list of the 10 essential Gospel truths presented in the booklet:
- God is the sovereign Creator of all things.
- God created people for His glory.
- God is holy and righteous.
- Man is sinful.
- God is just and right to punish sin.
- God is merciful. He is kind to undeserving sinners.
- Jesus is God’s holy and righteous Son.
- God put the punishment of sinners on Jesus.
- God offers the free gift of salvation to those who repent and believe in Jesus.
- Those who trust in Jesus will live to please Him and will receive the promise of eternal life—enjoying God forever in heaven.
