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God and small kids? - 6/2/2008 11:47:22 PM
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purplepixie87
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Hi all! I was wondering if somebody can help me here. In another thread of mine somebody said to tell them that God wants them to obey their parent(s) because it's His way of protecting them, and that God wants them to take care of their things.
But first there's the small issue of teaching them WHO God is.
I read somewhere online that you can say to them:
"Close your eyes, and you will feel that God is with you inside your heart. When you go inside your heart, you will always feel God's presence with you. God is there to protect you. God is there to show you what to do. You can always find God in your heart, and He will always guide you in your life. So God is like an invisible person who is always there with you."
I thought of also buying them a Children's Bible, and a Bible Songs CD set.
Does anybody have any other ideas?
My children that I'll be explaining God to are 2 and 3 btw.
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RE: God and small kids? - 6/3/2008 6:58:21 AM
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3cappuccinosmom
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Read the Bible to them. There are lots of nice children's Bible's that use simple language.
I have explained to my children that God is the Creator of everything. We can't see him because he's not human like us, but he can see us, and he loves us and wants the best for us. When Jesus came to earth, he was God taking on human form, and when he returns, we will get to see him! As we read through the Bible, they learn more about the characteristics of God. They have started to put things together but still say things like "So, God is up there in the sky, right mom?", which I then have to clarify.
Definately get some Bible songs. If you can get some that are songs from actual Scripture, that would be great because one of the best ways to memorize Scripture is to sing it. Mine were able to learn the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5) at agest 2 and 4 by listening and singing along with a CD like that.
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RE: God and small kids? - 6/3/2008 7:13:34 AM
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peculiar_lady2
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the most important thing in this is teaching kids (and believing yourself) that the Bible is truth...it isn't just a bunch of good stories or something that can be proven scientifically to be wrong...it is truth...period. If you don't start with that foundation then you have nothing else to build on in your own growing in the Lord or in your kids growing in the Lord. You have to believe what you read in it or it won't matter what it says.
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RE: God and small kids? - 6/3/2008 9:40:35 AM
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sen10tious
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quote:
ORIGINAL: purplepixie87
I read somewhere online that you can say to them:
"Close your eyes, and you will feel that God is with you inside your heart. When you go inside your heart, you will always feel God's presence with you. God is there to protect you. God is there to show you what to do. You can always find God in your heart, and He will always guide you in your life. So God is like an invisible person who is always there with you." My problem with that is… it’s false. You don’t always “feel” God inside you. Faith is knowing God is there when you can’t feel Him. And Satan can make you feel good temporarily. So that whole approach slides into being New Age heresy at the first misstep.
Stick with scripture-based instruction. Read the 24th Psalm and the Creation story and lots of stories about Jesus in a modern translation. Then fill in with the “classics” like the saving of Noah from the flood and Daniel from the lions and David from the giant. What will happen is that your kids will learn the character and attributes of God. Along with this, you teach them simple prayers, encouraging them to talk to God like Daniel, Abraham, etc. did. This is what allows God to reveal himself to them.
That exercise you 'read online somewhere' had it only half right. It did attempt to put kids in a place where the Holy Spirit will be reveal Himself to them. But it also had it half wrong because it encourages then to base their knowledge on feelings without giving either character instruction or examples of God's works.
quote:
I thought of also buying them a Children's Bible, and a Bible Songs CD set
There you go... That’s more like it!
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RE: God and small kids? - 6/3/2008 10:48:51 AM
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zoebob
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quote:
quote:
:
ORIGINAL: purplepixie87
I read somewhere online that you can say to them:
"Close your eyes, and you will feel that God is with you inside your heart. When you go inside your heart, you will always feel God's presence with you. God is there to protect you. God is there to show you what to do. You can always find God in your heart, and He will always guide you in your life. So God is like an invisible person who is always there with you." My problem with that is… it’s false. You don’t always “feel” God inside you. Faith is knowing God is there when you can’t feel Him. And Satan can make you feel good temporarily. So that whole approach slides into being New Age heresy at the first misstep.
Exactly. And if you aren't a Christian God ISN"T in your heart.
_____________________________
L-R: DD1, Ellies DS2, DD2, Ellies DS1
L-R: Ellies DD1, Ellies DD2, DS, Ellies DS3
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RE: God and small kids? - 6/3/2008 5:34:09 PM
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March7
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I agree with the feeling-God concern, because faith is not a feeling but a fact based on the unwavering character of an unchanging and faithful God.
Living your life daily in Christ through thick and thin, clinging to the Lord in the midst of joy and hardship, praying with your children regularly for this and that big and little thing...these things lived out will show your children the reality of God.
Also, with our kiddoes (now teens) my husband and I realized that if we wanted our children to believe in our invisible but very real Lord Jesus then we had to make sure we didn't pretend that Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and others were also real. We included Santa Claus at Christmas and the Easter Bunny at Easter, but more like decorations and didn't give gifts from them. One day at age three, our son asked if Santa was real. We said, "No. He's just a fun pretend at Christmastime. But, Jesus is not pretend. He's the real part of Christmas and of every day." Our daughter also asked at an early age. (We did make it clear to our kiddoes, though, that it was NOT their job to tell their friends the truth about Santa and such...that their friends' parents had to tell them.) We made these distinctions clear, because we didn't want to someday have our kids come to us saying, "Well, you pretended about Santa, so maybe Jesus is pretend, too." But, this is up to each family, of course.
God bless you with much joy in your parenting! 
_____________________________
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy...before all time and now and forever. Amen" (Jude 1:24, ESV).
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RE: God and small kids? - 6/5/2008 5:57:48 PM
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creationtalk
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Take them to church, read the Bible (both to them and in front of them), when you take a walk talk about how God created the trees, the sky, the plants, the moon and sun, let them see you praying and pray with them, talk about why God makes the rules and what the rules are (and enforce them).
Limit TV and videos of all kinds. If the child must watch a video use VeggieTales, 3-2-1Penguins, JayJay the Jet Plane, BibleMan, Adventures in Odessey, etc.
Also, you have an answer when you are asked the unanswerable questions (sample conversation with a 3 yo):
Why do cows go moo?
Because that's the way God made them.
Why is the sky blue?
Because the air absorbs the blue light then releases it so that it comes from all directions and makes the sky look blue.
Why does it do that?
Because that's the way God made it.
OR
(In the car trying to explain to a 2 yo that swim lessons may be canceled because of rain.)
But I wanna go swimmin'. Make the rain stop.
Sweety, Mama can't make the rain stop. Only God can make the rain stop. You can pray and ask God to stop the rain, but you have to remember, just because you ask, doesn't mean He will say yes.
OK Mama...Dear God, please make the rain stop. I wanna go swimmin'.
(and the rain stops and the storms forecast for the afternoon hold off until after the swim lesson)
Disclaimer: end result is not guaranteed, but it is what happened.
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RE: God and small kids? - 6/7/2008 2:07:09 AM
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purplepixie87
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Thanks all for your advice. I have a little bit of a success story to share. 
 My dad bought Melody "The Children's Bible Story Book" which is more like a Bible than a story book, since it covers all of the most important stories of the Bible. Anywho, to the point. I read a couple of the stories to them, from the Creation story to Adam and Eve's disobedience and exile from Eden. After reading it, I asked Melody "Were Adam and Eve bad since they didn't listen to what God said?" and she answered "Yes, they got in trouble" So I responded to her "Yes they did. God wanted them to follow his instructions not to eat from that tree, but they ate from that tree, so God punished them by sending them out of Eden." Melody responded back "Yes He did" so I explained to her that "God wants you and Jerrica to listen to mommy so that you'll be a good girl and you can go to Paradise one day, Paradise is this really beautiful place, and if you are a good girl you can go to Paradise. You'll make God happy if you are good. Do you want to go to the really pretty place, Paradise?" She answered "Yes Mommy, I'll be good girl. I want go to pretty place and make God happy." At which I said: "Good girl, now go to sleep."
Basically I just used the Children's Bible Story Book to my advantage, and to help me explain God as all of you recommended. Thank you! Now I think my daughter understands God, and I think she understands now why she needs to be good, well at least in a child's way.
< Message edited by purplepixie87 -- 6/7/2008 2:40:40 AM >
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RE: God and small kids? - 6/7/2008 8:11:02 AM
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purplepixie87
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Oh I know all that. But, since we haven't gotten to the Jesus part yet, I don't think she can grasp who Jesus is. So, I'll wait until then to explain about Jesus. For now, I can only go on what a child can understand. She can understand that God made earth and the heavens and etc. etc., and understand that not sinning (being "good") can help her get into heaven ("Paradise" "pretty place"). So, I'm working with a child's understanding.  I'm putting myself in her shoes, and trying to think with a child's mind when I explain things to her.
So yeah, I'll explain Jesus when I get to him, until then I'll work with God. Right now, it works, and she understands that God wants her to be good for me because He wants her to be safe.
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RE: God and small kids? - 6/7/2008 8:25:46 AM
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zoebob
Posts: 8861
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quote:
She can understand that God made earth and the heavens and etc. etc., and understand that not sinning (being "good") can help her get into heaven ("Paradise" "pretty place").
I think this is what Maggie is getting at. Not sinning can't help get you into heaven. You can start weaving the savior part into it now. I am teaching a Sunday School class this summer and it starts with the story of Adam and Eve and their children. You don't have to have give Jesus' name but just that God would send a savior. This is first mentioned in Genesis 3:15. Anyway, this class I"m teaching (for 5-1st graders) goes through the Old Testament and shows how God renews His promise of a savior over and over and over again. In the flood and Noah. In the sacrifices of Abraham. In King David, etc, etc, etc.
_____________________________
L-R: DD1, Ellies DS2, DD2, Ellies DS1
L-R: Ellies DD1, Ellies DD2, DS, Ellies DS3
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RE: God and small kids? - 6/7/2008 8:44:17 AM
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manda59
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quote:
ORIGINAL: purplepixie87
and understand that not sinning (being "good") can help her get into heaven
But the thing is, purplepixie, it can't.
_____________________________
"That's what I would say as well."
Mrs Wifey, August 2008.
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RE: God and small kids? - 6/7/2008 8:49:51 AM
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manda59
Posts: 5434
Joined: 9/22/2005
From: Hampshire, UK
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quote:
ORIGINAL: purplepixie87
I don't think she can grasp who Jesus is. So, I'll wait until then to explain about Jesus.
Sorry, I think we should *start* with Jesus, not wait. Jesus is God, after all. And it was through Jesus that God created the universe.
John Chapter 1 v1-5 says: (the Word is Jesus, and the "He" there is Jesus too)
quote:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Mine were able to grasp something about Jesus, from when they were 2 or 3.
_____________________________
"That's what I would say as well."
Mrs Wifey, August 2008.
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RE: God and small kids? - 6/7/2008 10:04:38 AM
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sen10tious
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quote:
ORIGINAL: purplepixie87
Oh I know all that. But, since we haven't gotten to the Jesus part yet, I don't think she can grasp who Jesus is.
...she understands that God wants her to be good for me because He wants her to be safe.
Well, the thing is, you don’t really truly know what she understands and what she does not. When you read the Word to her, the Holy Spirit is acting to enlighten her spirit at the same time; and you are not privy to that. You can’t see how the Holy Spirit is working in her, and in the meantime you don’t have to add to the scripture. It is enough that she understands that God wants her to be good for her mother because He wants her to be safe. It is enough that she understands heaven is desirable. Stop there. You don’t have to tell her that being good is the way to get to paradise; especially since that error plants a bad seed for a salvation by works belief.
It is fine and good to tell her that obeying Mommy pleases God; but it is wrong to imply that obeying Mommy will land her a spot in Paradise. Can you see the difference?
edit to add:
I really want to commend your effort. It is wonderful that you are obeying God and really taking the time to teach your children. But one thing some parents have a hard time realizing, (and some never do realize,) is that God designed raising kids to be a team effort. You supply your part and He’ll do His. He really will give your children understanding beyond the natural when you are faithful and consistent in giving your children His Word.
< Message edited by sen10tious -- 6/7/2008 10:22:32 AM >
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