How Do I Teach My Kids About Jesus?

“How do I teach my kids about Jesus?” That’s a question I hear regularly from moms, and it’s a good one. I’m happy to see moms desiring to disciple their children. After all, long before God knit your child together in your womb, He knit you together to be their parent. No one but mom and dad are equipped in just the right way to meet their child’s mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. And yet, even with so many church programs and apps and resources and conferences and videos, we’re left asking, how do I teach my kids about Jesus? What is the best way? What will lead them to salvation?

First things first – there is no best way. There is a way that’s right for your family, and you need to approach it prayerfully. That being said, there are certain things everyone can do to guide their children along the path that leads to Jesus. You can’t save them, but walking alongside them and revealing their Savior to them is a good place to start.

Read the Bible as a family

Family Bible time (or devotional time) is CRITICAL to laying a foundation of faith for your kids. They need to hear the Word, learn the Word, and see that the Word is important. Choose a time of day that works for you and begin reading through the Bible together. The gospels are a great place to start! 

Find more about Family Bible Time here.

Pray as a family

“Prayer should be your steering wheel, not your spare tire.” – Corrie Ten Boom

Pray with your kids; it’s as simple as that. Set aside special prayer times, pray when needs arise, ask them to pray for each other or for others who need it. Just establish prayer as a normal daily occurrence in your family culture. God wants to be part of our everyday lives – prayer is how we connect.

Find more on raising kids who pray here.

Attend church as a family

There is so much value in keeping your kids in church with you. It can be difficult, especially when they’re young, but the truths that they are seeing, hearing, and learning are making a big impact, even when it doesn’t seem like it. On top of that, shared spiritual experiences help bind a family together and strengthen relationships.

If you need tips on how to keep your kids in church with you, here’s a good starting point.

Memorize Scripture

If reading the Bible is the foundation, memorizing it is the bricks. Your kids’ lives will be firmly planted on the Truth by reading Scripture, but memorization helps them to grow higher and be stronger in their faith. Practically speaking, it gives them something to think on and for their minds to reach for when they need encouragement, hope, or just a solid dose of truth. It’s also a powerful tool for sharing Jesus with others.

Memorizing Scripture with kids can be FUN! Here’s some great ideas on how to do it.

Worship at home

A child learns by example. If you want your child to worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), you need to set an example, and the best place to do that is at home. Set aside some time to invite your family into worship. Turn on worship music, turn off other distractions, and pour your heart out to the Lord. Your children will follow your lead.

Worship doesn’t have to be just at church – here’s some thoughts on how to incorporate it in your regular home life.

Observe Sabbath

It’s one of the ten commandments – honor the Sabbath and keep it holy. It is the example that God set for us and we need to follow in His ways. We abstain from all work on Sabbath – business, cleaning, chores, excessive cooking. When we choose to rest, the Lord blesses us in many ways.

Find out more about observing Sabbath here.

Bless your children

Children need the truths of God spoken over them regularly. They need someone to speak life into them and encourage them daily. As a parent, you get to be that person. Set aside time each day to bless each of your children and watch how they begin to thrive.

You can read about our simple but powerful blessing time here.

Take communion at home

Jesus told us that every time we take communion, we are remembering His death on the cross. Since that is one of the fundamental aspects of our faith, it only makes sense that we would want to take communion and honor His sacrifice on a regular basis. You may participate in communion at church, but doing the same at home allows you to make it more meaningful for your kids and truly teach them the why behind it.

If you have more questions about taking communion at home, this article is a great place to start.

Give them time to listen to God

We want our kids to know about God and to build a relationship with Him so much that sometimes we forget to actually let them build a relationship with Him. We can’t just teach and preach all the time; we have to give our kids the opportunity to talk to God and, just as importantly, to listen. The great thing is, kids are naturally wired to listen to God. They just need a little guidance.

Here’s some easy directions for teaching your kids how to listen to God.

Saturate their world with Jesus

How many Disney movies can your kids quote? Now, how many Bible verses can they quote?

Yikes.

I know that’s a staggering thought, and it may seem a bit dramatic. It’s not about putting our kids in a bubble, but about saturating their world with Jesus while the foundation is being laid so that when they launch from our homes, they know how to evaluate what is good and bad. I don’t expect my children to only take in Christian media for their entire life, but why would I choose to constantly expose them to other media when they are just learning how to distinguish right from wrong and good from bad? Why would I potentially lead them to believing something untrue about God, just for the sake of watching a funny movie? Entertainment is not more important than your child’s worldview and view of God.

You can find a list of my favorite Christian movies, music, books, and more here.

And if you’re interested in learning about different ways your child’s favorite shows could be hurting them, you can download a resource guide here (courtesy of Little Image-Bearers).

Use resources

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We live in a time when there are so many resources out there to help you teach your kids about Jesus. Here’s a few of my favorites:

Daily Grace Co.: board books, flash cards to start conversations about the Word, Bible studies, and more. (This site is one of my favorite resources!)

Tiny Theologians: flash cards to teach theology, church history, and biblical literacy.

New City Catechism: free app that teaches each part of the catechism with a question and answer format. It also includes a song for each statement.

ABC: People of the Bible cards (pictured above): These alphabet cards are a high-quality resource designed to give your kids a foundation of people in the Bible. From Adam to Zacharias, the front of each card features the letter, name, and a related illustration. The back of the card contains a short description along with a related Bible verse. 

How to use them

• Memorize: cover the name with your hand and have your child tell you who the card is about by only looking at the letter and illustration.
• Scripture memorization: memorize each verse and who it is connected to.
• Character study: use the cards as a starting point to dive deeper into who these people were, why they are important, and how that affects our faith.

This isn’t a comprehensive list. There are so many ways to raise your kids to know the Lord and His Truth. But I pray this is a starting point for you and gives you some good ideas of different strategies you can implement. Just remember – kids learn by example. When you’re pursuing God, they will want to do the same!

Which of these tactics do you include in your home? Is there anything you would add to this list?