How do we teach kids to obey God?
How do we show kids how to walk in God's commandments?
How do we help kids see the blessings that come from following God with all their heart, soul and mind?
I am currently teaching a series about obeying God to the kids in my home church. Here are some of the key teachings that I am sharing with them.
Key verse - "I will keep on obeying Your instructions forever and ever.”
Psalm 119:44
Key teaching point - "I will obey and follow God's way."
Lesson 1 - Obey God When You Are the Only One (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego - Daniel 3)
There will be times when you must obey God all by yourself. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego found themselves in this situation. Everyone in the kingdom was told to bow down to a false god. They had to decide if they were going to go along with the crowd or obey God. When you obey God, and follow His way, it means you don't give in to peer pressure. You obey God no matter what everyone else does.
Lesson 2 - Obeying God's Voice (Widow lady - I Kings 17:8-16)
God told a widow to give her last bit of food to a prophet named Elijah. This was a big decision because there was a famine in the land. The widow made the choice to obey God and a miracle happened. God multiplied her food and provided for her and her son. When God speaks to us, we should trust Him and obey. It’s always the right choice.
Lesson 3 - Obey God No Matter What (Esther 4 - Esther)
Queen Esther had a big decision to make. Her people were about to be destroyed unless she intervened. This meant going before the king without an appointment and asking him to spare them. Big deal? You bet. If you approached the king’s throne without an appointment and he didn’t welcome you, it meant death…no matter who you were. This decision meant life or death for Esther. Because of her courage to obey God no matter what, her people were saved from death. Are you willing to obey God…no matter what?
Lesson 4 - Obeying God Even When People Make Fun of You (Noah - Genesis 6-7)
God told Noah to build an ark. Since it had never rained, everyone thought he was crazy. They laughed at him, called him names and made fun of him. But he kept obeying and kept building. Sometimes obeying God means you will be laughed at and made fun of as well. And it can hurt. But just keep obeying God. It’s more important to obey God than to please people.
If you teach kids these key points, it will help them obey God in any situation...now and for the rest of their life.
These teaching points come from a teaching series called, "Jake and Jamie's Epic Adventures in Time."
Jake and Jamie travel through time to meet people who obeyed God when it wasn't easy.