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1
Have you ever seen George Washington?
Ask:
Have you ever seen George Washington?
Do you believe that he was the first president of the United States?
Why do you believe that?
Say something like this:
We believe George Washington lived and was the first president because people who lived when he did (eyewitnesses) wrote about him. Even though we didn't see him, reliable people told us about him and his experiences. Even though we have never seen Jesus, we believe in Him because eyewitnesses told us about Him and His experiences when He lived on earth. (Over 500 people saw Jesus alive after He died on the cross. 1 Corinthians 15:6) The Bible is reliable and we can believe in Jesus even though we have never seen Him.
2
Sit on this box!
Items needed: shoebox, books, and tape
Fill a shoebox with books (to the top) and tape it shut. (Make sure that the kids don't see you doing this.) Sit it on a table and ask one of your kids to put all his weight on it. Tell him the box won't cave in and ask him to trust you, to believe that you are telling the truth. Let him test the box.
Afterwards, tell him that the box didn't cave in because it was filled with books. Say something like:
Even though you didn't know that there were books in it, you trusted me even though it seemed impossible that it wouldn't cave in." Faith means believing what God says is true. God can be trusted. The Bible is God's Word and it is reliable. God wants you to believe Him - to believe what He has said is true and obey it.
3
What keeps you from standing?
Do a little experiment with your child. Ask your child to sit in a chair with his back very straight. Place your thumb in the center of his forehead and instruct him to stand without leaning forward. (He will not be able to stand because the body's center of gravity is the stomach and a person's head must be in front of his center of gravity before he can stand.)
Ask:
Did it take something big to keep you from standing? (no - just a thumb)
Read Matthew 17:20 (If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you can command a mountain to move.)
It doesn't take a lot of faith to do amazing things for God. It is our little faith in a big God.
4
Do You Believe Me?
Items needed: banana
Thin sewing needle
Prepare the banana when your kids aren't looking. Choose a spot on the peel about one inch from one of the ends and push the needle straight into the banana, through the peel and into the soft center. (Don't penetrate the peel on the opposite side.) With the needle in place, move it up and down a few times to cut the soft center, but not the peel. Choose another spot an inch or so down the length of the banana. Repeat the process again and again. (This action will result in multiple slices of the soft fruit, while leaving only small pin-sized holes in the peel.) The result is a normal looking unpeeled banana that actually is pre-sliced.
Hold up the banana and announce to your kids that you have already cut the banana into bite-size pieces. Ask your kids if they believe you. Peel the banana revealing the already cut pieces of banana. Eat the banana.
Read Hebrews 11:1 (Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.)
Ask:
What is faith? (Faith is believing in God even though we can't see Him; faith is being sure that what God says is true)
Say something like: You couldn't see inside the banana to know if what I said was true, but if you had faith in me you would believe that what I said was true. I told you that it was already cut because I knew something you didn't. I knew I had already prepared the banana. God knows many things we do not know; we can trust that His words are true.
5
Do You Believe Me?
Items needed: banana
Thin sewing needle
Prepare the banana when your kids aren't looking. Choose a spot on the peel about one inch from one of the ends and push the needle straight into the banana, through the peel and into the soft center. (Don't penetrate the peel on the opposite side.) With the needle in place, move it up and down a few times to cut the soft center, but not the peel. Choose another spot an inch or so down the length of the banana. Repeat the process again and again. (This action will result in multiple slices of the soft fruit, while leaving only small pin-sized holes in the peel.) The result is a normal looking unpeeled banana that actually is pre-sliced.
Hold up the banana and announce to your kids that you have already cut the banana into bite-size pieces. Ask your kids if they believe you. Peel the banana revealing the already cut pieces of banana. Eat the banana.
Read Hebrews 11:1 (Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.)
Ask:
What is faith? (Faith is believing in God even though we can't see Him; faith is being sure that what God says is true)
Say something like: You couldn't see inside the banana to know if what I said was true, but if you had faith in me you would believe that what I said was true. I told you that it was already cut because I knew something you didn't. I knew I had already prepared the banana. God knows many things we do not know; we can trust that His words are true.
6
A Leap of Faith
A simple test can help your kids understand a little about faith. If your children are younger, place them on a porch or steps and ask:
Do you think I'm strong enough to catch you?
Reassure them that you will catch them. Let them jump into your arms and give them a big hug. Do this several times.
Say something like this: You jumped because you believed that I would catch you. You didn't know for sure, but you had faith that I would do what I said. God is strong and powerful. God wants us to trust Him; to believe that He will do what He has said.
7
"There Is Nothing Too Hard for You."
A great faith-building verse to memorize as a family is Jeremiah 32:17: Ah Lord GOD! behold, you have made the heaven and the earth by Your great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for You.
Read the verse aloud and let the kids make up motions to go with the words (for example: heaven—point up; power—flex muscle; nothing—shake head as if saying no, etc.)
8
What Do You Put Your Faith In?
Hop on the kitchen table and say:
I think this table will take us to the store. Hop on. Do you believe that? Why not?
It would be silly to believe that this table would get us to the store.
Go outside to the car and say:
I think this car will take us to the store. Do you? Why? (It runs well; it has taken us lots of places before; it has proven reliable.)
Hop in the car and take a spin to the store—buy a treat or what is needed while you’re there.
Say something like this:
It is important where we put our faith. Some people put their faith in things or false gods that will NOT get them to heaven. It is not enough to just believe. Faith must be put in a reliable source. God is reliable!
How do we know God is reliable? (He has told us about Himself in the Bible; He sent Jesus to the earth to show us what He is like; millions of people over hundreds of years have put their faith in Him and we have their word that He is reliable.)
9
Jump, I'll Catch You
If you have younger children, put them on a chair or on a stair step and say, “Jump, I’ll catch you.” Of course, when you catch them, reinforce the thought that you will always try to do what you say you will.
Did you believe I would catch you?
Another word for believing is faith. You believed I would catch you; you had faith that I would catch you.
Faith in God is believing that God will do what He says He will do.
10
Better Than A Pinky Promise
Choose several Bible promises (from a Bible promise book or
Google Bible promises) and write each one on a slip of paper. Hide them around the house and invite the kids to find them. Read the promises aloud and allow the kids to choose (and claim) one they like for themselves.
God made a promise to Abram who needed to have faith to believe that God would keep His Word. God promised Abram and Sarah a baby. Even though they had to wait a long time, God kept His Word. He is reliable!
11
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Say to your kids: "I can ______________ (play a guitar, say the alphabet backwards, make crepes, touch your tongue to your nose, or whatever you can do; preferably something they don't know you can do)
Ask: Do you believe me?
Demonstrate your "skill" to the family. I demonstrated by my actions that I could do what I said I could. The Bible says that our good works demonstrate we have faith.
James 2:14 asks a very important question: "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith, but does not have works?"
Read James 2:15-16 for an example of how faith and works go together. He said, “If a man who does not have anything and is hungry comes to you and you say, ‘Be warmed and filled, depart in peace,’ but you don’t help him–does it do that man any good?” No, the man is still hungry. It is no good to SAY you have faith, but not DO anything. Faith without any works is dead—no good—useless.
James says that the proof of your faith is good works. If you really have faith, you will do what God says.
What kind of works should we do? Read James 1:27 to find some good works we should do. (Help those who are less fortunate—the fatherless and widows; live right and do not follow the world’s ways).
Choose one activity your family can do together to do good works and serve others.
12
You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream for
ICE CREAM!
Make ice cream to illustrate that works show we have faith.
Items needed for each person:
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup milk or half & half
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons rock salt
1 pint-size plastic food storage bag (e.g., Ziploc)
1 gallon-size plastic food storage bag
Ice cubes
Show ingredients and ask:
Do you believe these ingredients can become ice cream?
If so, then shake the mixture in the bags.
How to make it:
- Put milk, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag, and seal it.
- Fill the large bag half full of ice, and add the rock salt. Seal the bag.
- Place the small bag inside the large one, and seal it again carefully.
- Shake until the mixture is ice cream (which takes about 5 minutes).
- Wipe off the top of the small bag, and then open it carefully. Enjoy!
You showed your belief that what I said was true by shaking the bags. We show our faith in God by believing what He has said in the Bible is true and then living it out—doing what He has told us to do. Works show that we have true faith!
13
2 Peter 3:18
Items needed: 10-12 paper or plastic cups
Marker
Beanbag, ball, or small stuffed animal
Review the verse (2 Peter 3:18) students are memorizing.
Write each word of the verse on a cup (write more than one word on some of the cups so there are 10-12 cups total). Arrange them side-by-side on a table so the words can be read. Take turns trying to knock off a cup. See if you can say the verse each time a cup is knocked down until all have been knocked over.
Ask:
How does growing in the knowledge of Jesus increase our faith? (The more we know about Him, the more we can trust Him)
14
You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream for
ICE CREAM!
Make ice cream to illustrate that works show we have faith.
Items needed for each person:
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup milk or half & half
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons rock salt
1 pint-size plastic food storage bag (e.g., Ziploc)
1 gallon-size plastic food storage bag
Ice cubes
Show ingredients and ask:
Do you believe these ingredients can become ice cream?
If so, then shake the mixture in the bags.
How to make it:
- Put milk, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag, and seal it.
- Fill the large bag half full of ice, and add the rock salt. Seal the bag.
- Place the small bag inside the large one, and seal it again carefully.
- Shake until the mixture is ice cream (which takes about 5 minutes).
- Wipe off the top of the small bag, and then open it carefully. Enjoy!
You showed your belief that what I said was true by shaking the bags. We show our faith in God by believing what He has said in the Bible is true and then living it out—doing what He has told us to do. Works show that we have true faith!
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