Ephesians 6:10-18
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
OUR KIDS NEED OUR HELP, ALL OF US IN THE CHURCH, TO GET THESE CRUCIAL PIECES OF ARMOR
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
THESE ARE THE POWERS WE AND OUR KIDS ARE UP AGAINST
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
WE AREN’T SUPPOSED TO DO IT ALONE
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9
6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
- Keep focus on the gospel
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Our target is a transformed heart, not changed behavior. Focus on external behavior and you will miss the internal heart, but focus on the internal heart and you will get both. -Gospel Centered Kids Ministry, Brian Dembowcyk
- Our best teaching will always come from the overflow of our hearts-so keep deeply invested in your own walk
- Role model in your walk with Jesus
- Pray for and with kids
- Pray for parents, the primary disciplers of their kids
- Help kids connect Biblical truth to their experiences
WE DO IT TO BUILD THE KINGDOM OF GOD!
Ephesians 6:19
19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Imagine if your ministry was filled with kids who helped to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of other kids. Imagine if those kids served as disciple-making disciples who were being changed by the gospel day-by-day. Imagine kids growing together in community with other kids because everyone is on mission together.
- Gospel Centered Kids Ministry, Brian Dembowczyk
This is the crucial mindset shift that needs to happen in the Church. Kids are CURRENT disciples of Christ. As soon as they say yes to Jesus, they get the same Holy Spirit we do.
We have seen salvations come through gospel conversations that our kids are having at school and where they are. They are asking questions we as adults are often afraid to. They are praying bold prayers that we would have trouble saying out loud. They are impacting the kingdom of God.
Church, today we have the opportunity to decide to play an active role in the lives of our youngest disciples. This is a kingdom-changing decision. Pray for our kids, invest in our kids, and I promise you will be amazed at what the Spirit does in them.
