Intentional Faith – Lead Them to Believe

What does it look like to be intentional about passing on faith to our grandchildren? This is an important question for us to think about, and for us to find answers, so we are able to be focused and intentional when it comes to passing on our faith. One way we do this, and the most important thing we do to do so, is when we have the great privilege and joy of pointing our children to Jesus.

If you might be wondering how to go about this all-important conversation with your grandchildren; consider the following, simple steps . . .

1. Be in prayer from the time you find out you are being blessed with a grandchild until the day they ask you how to put their faith in Jesus. Pray for God to prepare their hearts, pray for God to draw them to Him, pray for God to send His Spirit to call them to Him, pray they will understand God loves them and then can belong to Him!
2. Trust God to answer your questions; do not think you have to “push” your grandchildren through the gates of Heaven.
3. When they ask, answer their questions. Do not go into a theological discussion on redemption, justification or any other “ion”. Just share the Gospel message with them.
4. Ask them what it is they want Jesus to do for them. Let them answer.
5. Open your Bible to John 3:16 and if they are old enough to read, have them read it. If they are not, you read it to them.
6. Use a paper and pen and draw two cliffs with a space between. Draw a stick figure of them on one and write, “God” on the other.
7. Write, “sin” in the space between the cliffs.
8. Ask what they can do to get past/over the sin and to God. Being good, going to church, sharing, etc. are all good things to do, but they will not get a person to God.
9. Read John 3:16 again and emphasize how God loves and God gave and we have to believe. When we do this, we can be in Heaven with God!
10. Draw a cross between the two cliffs and write, “Jesus” on the cross.
11. Ask your grandchild if they believe God loves them, sent Jesus to pay for their sins and if they believe in Him.
12. Let them pray a simple prayer to express their belief and thank God for His great Gift!
13. Rejoice! Luke 15:10 tells us the angels rejoice when one person believes . . . while I’m sure angels are able to rejoice very well, I do believe grandmas (and grandpas) rejoice more when their grandchildren believe in Jesus!

This is just a simple way to lead your grandchildren to Jesus – and the start of being intentional about passing on your faith to your grandchildren!