Splink 1:
Grace…a gift
To help your kids understand the concept of grace, give each child a gift card to spend. Take them to the store (or a restaurant if that’s where it’s from) to let them use it.
Talk about it:
What did you do to earn the gift card? (Nothing; it was a GIFT)
A gift is not earned. A gift doesn’t cost you anything. Who paid for your gift card? (mom, dad) Someone else pays the price of the item when he or she gives you a gift.
How is this like what Jesus did for us? (He paid the price for our sin so we could have salvation.) God’s gift of salvation is free to us; Jesus paid the price so we could be forgiven.
Splink 2:
The Way
Review the Bible verse, Ephesians 2:8-9 students are learning.
What is grace? (Undeserved favor) God gives us grace when He saves us. He didn’t have to forgive our sins. Even while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) Even before we loved Him, He loved us.
Ask:
- How are you saved? (by grace through faith in Jesus)
- Can I save myself? (it is not from ourselves)
- How did I get salvation? (it is a gift of God)
- Aren’t my good works good enough? (not of works, so no one may boast)
Write the words from the Bible verse on post-it notes. (You may have to review only a part of the verse if you have young children.) While your kids aren’t looking, hide the post-it notes all around the room(s). (Always adapt these ideas to fit your family.) At the signal to go, the kids must find all the post-it notes, put them in the correct order and then say the verse together.
For extra practice, invite someone to take away some of the post-it notes and then see if they can still remember the verse.
Splink 3:
It’s Yours
This may be a good time to talk with your child about accepting Christ. Wrap a small gift or just use a dollar bill (if they are older, a five-dollar bill might even be better). Tell your child you have a gift for her and hold it out to her.
After she takes it, ask:
What did you have to do to get the gift? (I had to accept/receive it)
What would have happened if you said, “No, I don’t want it”? (The gift would NOT be yours.)
God has a wonderful gift for you. Romans 6:23 says that the “gift of God is eternal life through Jesus.” God made a wonderful place called Heaven and He wants you to live forever with Him.
There is one problem—there is no sin in Heaven and the Bible also says that “all (everyone, including me) have sinned.” (Romans 3:23)
Ask: Have you ever sinned? (Caution: If your child does not understand sin or won’t admit that she has sinned, they may not be ready to receive Christ. Say a simple prayer with them for God to help them understand and bring it up at a later time.)
God made a way for you to have your sin taken away—He sent Jesus to take the punishment for your sin and mine. You have a choice: do you want to accept Jesus and the forgiveness for your sin?
You can say a simple prayer:
Dear Jesus, I believe You died on the cross for my sin and came alive again. Please come into my life and take away my sin. Thank you.
Source: Splink
