Teenagers will discard some aspects from their previous experiences of faith, moving on to new ideas and beliefs that make sense to their ways of thinking. Discussion of theology and what God says about the issues teenagers face are important to them.

Middle school students need to be loved and valued. They need to know that they are important to adults, even though they often communicate that adults are not particularly important to them.

This Easter, celebrate the best event in our history—the empty tomb! Perhaps your congregation does a special event for your children and the kids in your community. As part of that event, consider tying in a special children’s message that will bring Easter into sharp focus for those in your congregation.

Early childhood students express their love for Jesus in songs, art, prayers, and worship. They make up their own prayers and are able to ask for forgiveness. They want to love and obey God. Teachers and other adults need to furnish them with frequent reminders of God’s love.

Toddlers need to feel unconditional love and acceptance. They need to interact with adults in positive ways. As we teach them, we need to show interest and concern for each child. This is how young children begin to understand God’s love for them.

On the surface, this parable comforts us with the truth that Jesus treasures each of His children. But there’s more! What can we teach children regarding Christian love for the lost sheep? How can we teach children to care for the lost?

One of the very first concepts we teach children is contrasting. We show them the difference between right and wrong, quiet and loud, day and night, fast and slow.

Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan is a well-known, well-used, but often misunderstood piece of Scripture. Frequently, preachers and teachers, believers and unbelievers alike employ this parable to reinforce the importance of showing kindness to others, especially those we don’t know or those we might be naturally disinclined to assist.

Children’s ministries are often the first places little ones learn about the love Christ has for them. These programs give opportunities to share Gospel truths through games, crafts, snacks, and songs. To support children’s learning about Jesus, you can provide take-home sheets to help parents bring the Bible lessons into their homes. Here are some things to include on take-home sheets to help parents reinforce what their children learn from your ministry.

Continuing our yearlong journey through Jesus’ parables, let’s consider the barren fig tree as a lesson topic. I’ll examine the content and major themes of this parable from a Law and Gospel perspective, present a few teaching ideas, and suggest a couple of songs that complement the lesson.