My kids are here, but are they hearing?
by Pastor David
Regardless of what age you choose to have your kids hear adult preaching, I’m sure every faithful parent wants their kids to get the most out of preaching. Joe Holland, pastor and church planter, gives 8 tips for talking to your kids about the sermon afterwards. Here are the first three:
“At the heart of the gospel is Jesus introducing us to his loving Father. In worship we get to make a similar introduction—we get to introduce our kids to Jesus. Donʼt miss that opportunity.
Remember the outline. It doesnʼt matter if you keep written notes or not. Remember the gist of what is being taught. If your pastor preaches for 40 minutes, then try to make a mental note of what youʼve covered at the 20-minute point. Donʼt be discouraged if you canʼt get every point. Get as many of the big ones as you can. Know the one, main point. Every passage and every sermon—no matter what your pastor says—has a main point. Grab it when you see it go by and donʼt let go. And as a word of caution, every preacher has a bad day. Sometimes the structure of the sermon looks like a piece of abstract art. If so, do the best you can. But donʼt let the guy close in prayer without having a main point in your head. How is Jesus the hero? Now that you have an outline and main point, make sure you have Jesus too. How was Jesus the hero of the sermon? Kids are incorrigibly self-centered—and so are a few adults. Make sure you have a ton to say about Jesus, no matter what the passage or where the preacher went with it. Without an emphasis on Jesus, your little saints will grow up thinking that the Bible is all about them.”