Beyond Just Knowing
“About” God

Books about our fictional character Riley’s LiTTLE adventures, have one primary purpose.

They exist to help *you* help your child, grandchild, or other little person first see the amazing things God has created, and then become more interested in who He is.

However, as the author of this series, I have no illusion that learning about nature can bring a child, or any person for that matter, into a personal and eternal relationship with that God.

From the apostle Paul in his letter to Christians in Rome (in the Bible), we learn that “what can be known about God is plain to [people], because God has shown it to them.. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. [nature]”

But just knowing that God exits, (We all recognize that from nature.) isn’t enough to create a relationship with Him that gives this life meaning and continues on into Heaven.

Even children can understand that we have a problem. God is always good, but we aren’t, and God cannot let anything that is not good into Heaven forever.

How we get from where we are, to where God can let us into Heaven (and that IS what He wants) is called the Gospel…. Literally, the Good News!

Here is a simple explanation of the Gospel, that any child who is mature enough to ask about God, will be able to understand.

• God made the whole beautiful world, including you.

• God loves you very much and wants you to be his friend now, and live with Him in Heaven some day.

• We know that sometimes we do bad things, God calls those things sin.

• Sin must be punished, and that punishment would keep us out of Heaven.

• Jesus came to Earth and lived a perfect life without sin, so he did not need to be punished.

• He loved us so much that he took our punishment onto himself when he died on the cross.
  But Jesus is so strong that he came back to life to prove that He can give you a free gift.

• That gift is giving you forgiveness instead of punishment for your sin, if you will ask him for it.

• You can ask him for forgiveness and friendship by talking to him, [We call that prayer.]

If a child does not yet know how to talk with Jesus, please let them know that there are no “magic words.” Jesus cares more about how honest you are with him, than the exact words you use to tell him.

With that said, some children have talked to Jesus something like this:

Dear Jesus,
Thank you for loving me so much. I am sorry for the bad things I have done.
Thank you for dying to pay for my sins.
I want to belong to You. Please forgive me, and stay with me always.
Help me to follow you every day.
I love You, Jesus. Amen.