Giving Kids What They Deserve by Stephen Bly
Every child deserves to know basic truths about their world and life. There’s so much more beyond the alphabet and numbers, spelling and math. Here’s what I want my kids and grandkids to be sure to hear from me.
What Every Child Deserves to Know
- God is real and alive and personal (1 Thessalonians 1:9). Make-believe provides lots of fun. The Easter bunny hides eggs. A tooth fairy tucks money under pillows. I’ve written over 100 fiction books. I loved the creative process of making up stories. But God is not fantasy. He’s living and true. However, we can’t see God. Yet other things seem invisible and they are real. One time our family camped near the Canadian border. One day we hiked around a lake to a creek. In the mud, we discovered huge bear tracks. The whole time we camped there, we never spied a bear. But we knew they existed somewhere nearby because of those tracks. We can be convinced of God’s reality by the tracks He leaves. Such as, the changes He makes in people’s lives. How He takes care of us. When we witness His love and mercy.
- Every child deserves to know they’ve been specially, perfectly created (Psalm 139:13). Sometimes they look in the mirror and wonder if God created them right. But they’re exactly the way He wants, including all their abilities and challenges. The Heavenly Father doesn’t make mistakes.
God Loves You
3. God loves you more than any member of your family or even a best friend (Romans 5:8). It’s nice to say, “I love you.” But at times love requires more than words. You must demonstrate it. Show it. God loves us so much He allowed His son to die on a cross for us. He proved how deep He loves us. God loves you and me a whole bunch.
4. To experience all of God’s love, receive Jesus in your heart as Lord and Savior (John 1:12). Each child must do this own their own. Mom or dad or grandparent can’t do it for them. He or she must decide Jesus is who He says He is and will do what He promised. Any child can say, “Lord Jesus, come into my life. Forgive me of my sins. I want you to be my Lord and Savior.”
Trust the Bible
5. The Bible is true and you can count on it all your life (II Timothy 3:16). All Scripture is inspired by God. The words might seem old or hard to read. But they’re truth. Everything else in the world changes. Science textbooks from decades ago don’t line up to today. We have more knowledge and don’t believe much of that stuff anymore. However, the Bible doesn’t change. Fifty, 100 or 1,000 years ago it was true. So it will be 1,000 years from now and into eternity. The Word of God stands forever. And the rules don’t take away from your enjoyment of life. They’re guardrails to keep you from hurting yourself. Like those guardrails at places such as the Grand Canyon. You can climb all over those cliffs and stay safe.
6. Every child deserves to know that life with Jesus provides exciting adventure (John 10:10). Circle every paragraph in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Acts where the disciples get bored. Scared, maybe? Thrilled, happy, or sad? But never bored. Jesusintends our lives to be abundant and full of purpose. Sure, times can be tough and maybe
Sunlight Through Shadows
not fun. Stop and talk to Jesus about it. Get closer to Him. He’s full of interesting ideas to help us out. He’s got supernatural power to pull us through.
God Loves & Forgives
7. God will forgive you of everything (1 John 2:12). If you confess what you did wrong, He will not bring it up to you again. He’s not going to tell other people about it. When God forgives, He doesn’t sit around thinking about how you messed up. It’s like the Delete button on the computer. When you say, “I’m sorry” and turn around and go the other way from your actions, that’s gone from His view.
8. Heaven is a whole lot better than earth (John 14:3). It’s Jesus home, where He relaxes. Just like how good it feels to us to come home after being gone a while. Meanwhile, Jesus is preparing a comfy place for each of us in heaven. When we arrive, we’ll feel at home. It won’t feel strange at all.
Stephen Bly, 2010
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“What Every Kid Ought to Know” audio podcast by award-winning western author Stephen Bly. Sponsored by BlyBooks.com Legacy Series.
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Get the whole message here with a very personal touch, “A Letter For Keaton” audio podcast by award-winning western author Stephen Bly. Sponsored by BlyBooks.com Legacy Series.
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I have often wiped away tears as I listened to one of Stephen’s sermons. Because I have eleven grandchildren, this sermon touched my heart and made me cry. I regret not getting to meet Stephen in person before God called him home. I look forward to meeting him some day in Heaven. His books have taught me much about how to write westerns; his sermons have taught me much about how to live life. He is truly one of my heroes. The things he included in his letter to his grandson are the same things Susie and I want to share with our children and grandchildren. Thank you again, Janet, for giving me the chance to get to know your husband through these podcasts.
Mark: You’re very welcome! I truly feel privileged to be able to share his audible words in this way. In fact, our granddaughter, Miranda, showed me how to get started on the process of doing the podcasts. Never could have done it otherwise. Blessings, Janet