Kidco Labs - Resources - Leading Children To Christ


	LEADING CHILDREN TO CHRIST It's so simple, a child can do it! by David Goebelbecker, Kidco Labs The salvation message was meant to be so simple that even a child can understand it. In order to help a child have the knowledge and understanding of their commitment to Jesus, all he or she needs to do is remember *A-B-C-D. These four simple letters are easy to remember and will give a child confidence in knowing what he or she believes. The letters are initials for the four steps to salvation: ACCEPT, BELIEVE, CONFESS, DEPEND* It is so simple that the children will be able to remember it for the future because you never know when one of them will have an opportunity to share about their faith. ACCEPT THE TRUTH ABOUT JESUS John 3:16—"God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." Before we can believe in something, we need to accept that it is truth. The most important thing that each child needs to accept is that Jesus is who He says He is. He is the Son of God who came to earth to die on the cross for our sins. He rose from the grave and lives now in Heaven. The child also needs to accept the truth that they need Jesus. Many people have heard the message of Jesus and believe that it is true, but they do not accept the truth that they need Him in their lives. By accepting both truths, the child is ready to move to the next step. BELIEVE WITH ALL YOUR HEART Acts 16:31—"They replied, 'believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved...' " Believing is more than an act of the mind; it is an attitude of the heart. If we truly believe in something, it should influence our actions. If I believe that I am in danger, I will become more cautious. If I believe that I can do anything, I will not be afraid of new challenges when they come. And, if I believe I have a Savior who loves me, died for me and will continue to watch over me, I will have the faith and confidence to take on any mission that God has for me. Believing is the starting point of faith. Faith comes into play when we put our beliefs into practice through action and it all starts with believing in Jesus. CONFESS YOUR SINS 1 John 1:9—"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
	Confessing sin is more than just saying, "I am sorry." There are many people that say those words but only are sorry for getting caught, or for the trouble that was caused. They will repeat the same actions again very soon because they have never really changed in their heart. Confession is telling God that you are sorry for what you did and making a commitment to never do it again. It means that you are agreeing that you were wrong, both in what you did and with why you did it and you want to make things right.
	God loves everyone all the time, but he hates SIN! The sins that we commit before God break His heart because He created us for a great purpose. Every time we stumble into a sin, we fall short of God's potential. But God delights when one of His children recognize the mistake, come back to Him and say, "Father God, I am sorry for what I did to you. Will you forgive me and help me do better?" It is because of Jesus' sacrifice that we have the right to ask God for forgiveness. So, now that we have accepted the truth about Jesus, we believe it with all our hearts and we confessed our mistakes and sins, we are cleansed and made perfect in the eyes of God. However, there may be times that we are asked to make things right with the people around us. For instance, we may then need to apologize to someone that we have hurt. Or return something that doesn't belong to us. These actions prove that we are truly sorry about what we did and help us not repeat them. DEPEND ON JESUS DAILY Psalm 62:7—"My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge." 1 John 4:16—"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God lives in him." The best part about being a Christian is that we are always learning and growing. God has a plan for each of us. He wants us to find all the hidden surprises He has for us by trusting in Him daily. As we do this, we will find that God can show us new things anytime and at any place. Depending on Jesus doesn't mean that we will just come to church on Sundays. It means that we will try to read the Bible daily, we will spend time in prayer, and we will tell others about what we believe either through our actions or our words. Jesus came to serve, and we are asked by Him to do the same. We need to look for people that need help and do what we can to make a difference in Jesus' name. A SIMPLE PRAYER After you share these four main points, the child should understand them. The only final stage is praying to make it official in the eyes of God. Ask the child, "Do you want to ask Jesus to come into your heart and life, to forgive your sins and give you eternal life?" If they agree, here is a simple prayer that you can have them repeat with you...

		Dear Lord Jesus... I come to You today... to tell You that I am sorry... for all the bad things that I have done... I have disobeyed You and sinned... I know that You died on the cross... for my sins... and I believe that You rose up from the dead... Please forgive me... and wash away my sins... I want to live my life for You... Help me to do that... Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit... and with Your power... so that I can become... all that God created me to be.
		Thank You for loving me... for forgiving me... and making me clean from sin... I ask this in Jesus Name, Amen.
	Now, you are ready to start your new life knowing that Jesus is now there with you to help you and guide you every step of the way