Faith Foundations for Kids: Why Obedience to God’s Word Still Matters

Does God’s Word really impact kids today? What a crazy question—yes, it does. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:24-27 that there are two spiritual foundations: the rock and the sand. One foundation leads to an abundant life, while the other leads to spiritual disaster. Jesus tells us up front that the key to a solid faith is obedience to His Word. Some would call this legalistic, but Jesus said it Himself.

There are two distinct foundations, and they are built on one major point—doing or not doing what God says. The wise man heard His teaching and put it into practice, while the foolish man heard and did his own thing. To simplify even more, let's look at what this means.

1.      Kids need to listen, hear, study, and do what Jesus said. The writing is on the wall. In a recent study, it was found that young adults who regularly read the Word of God as children developed a life-sustaining faith in adulthood. Isn’t that interesting? Regularly reading God’s Word leads to life-sustaining faith as a young adult.[1]

2.      Jesus calls all believers to lay down their lives in full surrender to Him (Luke 9:23). There is no point in the New Testament where this is an option; it is expected. Through surrender, they embrace their new identity in Christ. They fully understand that they are children of God (John 1:12). They learn that they are accepted by Him and their salvation is based on who they are in Christ versus what they do (Ephesians 2:8-10).

3.      Kids who regularly spend time in prayer develop a personal relationship with their heavenly Father. Jesus gave us the model prayer (Matthew 6:19:13). He said, “This is how you should pray” (v. 9a), knowing that it is part of God’s plan for us to have direct access to the Father (Hebrews 4:16). Kids who pray regularly are known to develop life-sustaining faith as young adults.

4.      Kids who regularly serve in the church discover their spiritual gifts and find their purpose in the family of God. God has gifted every believer for the purpose of ministry. Peter tells us, “As each one has received a gift, minister to one another” (1 Peter 4:10a). Kids who regularly serve in the church while growing up develop a life-sustaining faith as young adults.

5.      Kids who take part in regular evangelistic events and missions can embrace Jesus' calling on all believers (Matthew 28:19-20). They experience His power while they proclaim the Good News of Christ (Acts 1:8). Kids who regularly take part in missions have been known to develop a life-sustaining faith as young adults.

It is fascinating that kids who lived out what Jesus said are those who develop a life-sustaining faith as young adults. The writing is on the wall again. Faith is not something that is taught; it is caught…by actions, by doing it. Jesus had it right all along. In order to develop a spiritual foundation that lasts a lifetime, we must embrace the idea of obedience to Christ's commands.

The beauty of God’s Word is that it is not a bunch of dos and don’ts; it shows us how to live a blessed life. The instruction manual is right there. We only have to read it and do what it says to experience the abundant life that Jesus promises.

[1] Jana Magruder, Nothing Less: Engaging Kids in a Lifetime of Faith (Nashville: LifeWay, 2017), 50.