Children don’t need less theology—they need more theology, clearly taught. This section offers examples of simple, faithful explanations of core doctrines that you can share with your kids, equipping you to pass on the truths of Scripture in ways that shape young hearts for a lifetime. Strive to know theology deeply so you can share the truth faithfully with the next generation.
Atonement
When Jesus died on the cross, He was punished by God the Father so that we don’t have to be. Can you imagine if you did something bad and one of your friends said he would step in to take your punishment for you? That would show that your friend loves you a lot! Well, that’s exactly what Jesus did for us. By turning from our sin and trusting in Him, we are forgiven and free from the punishment we deserve, and we can live with God forever and ever!
Biblical Theology
Though the Bible has so many names in it, it’s all about one name: the name of Jesus. God is perfectly wise, so everything in the Bible is connected in God’s big plan of rescue and glory through His Son by His Spirit.
All the authors, words, and names in the Bible are like one big choir, all singing a song of praise to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit: one God in three persons speaking one message in 66 books.
Adoption
Can you imagine not having a mom or a dad? As sad as it is to think about, some children grow up without parents. When each one of us was born, we were spiritual orphans without God as our Father because of our sin. But the Father sent His own Son to save us, so that we could be brought into His family forever. When we believe in Jesus the Son, we become united to Him and adopted by God the Father, receive the Holy Spirit, and get lots of new brothers and sisters, too!
The Soul
The soul is part of who you are—the part of you that you can’t see. Just like it is necessary for your heart to beat, your soul is also necessary for you to live. Though our bodies get hurt and will eventually die (and need to be raised to new life), our souls live on forever. Every part of us, even our souls, is sinful, so we need Jesus to make our souls new. He lived without sin, died for sinners, and rose again, so that if we trust in Him, our souls will be made new (and one day our bodies too), and we will live with God forever!
Eschatology
Kids, do you love stories? Of course you do! Everyone does. That’s because God made us to love stories. Do you know why? Well, there are a lot of reasons, but the main reason is that God also loves stories, and He made us to be like Him in that way. Though there’s a lot we don’t know about what will happen in God’s story (which you’re in!), there are several things we do know about what will happen at the very end. Most importantly, we know that we will be with Jesus and will enjoy being with Him forever and ever and ever!
Union with Christ
When God created the world, He created it good. But when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, God’s good world was broken and all of a sudden everybody was caught up in a storm. But guess what? God invited people to step out of the storm, by stepping into a relationship with God. He invites us to make our home with Him by placing our trust in Christ Jesus, who is the home where God invites us to live with Him, safe from the storm, free from the penalty of sin.
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