Life Center North Spokane - Foursquare Church

Splash: 1st, 2nd, 3rd Grade-
Contact: Pastor Jacob jacob@lifecenternorth.org
Lesson Overview

The Oxford dictionary defines the word splash as, to strike or fall on something with irregular drops. We want kids to be different from others, to fall irregularly and passionately into the love of Jesus Christ. We want our kids to be different from other kids their age.

When a majority of our kids walk into our splash classroom for the first time they don't know what to expect, they are nervous, its like their first day at school all over again. The service leader, teachers and small group leaders have an incredibly important job in front of them.

Our kids come in for the most part without the knowledge that they need to read the bible. They aren't being taught about God in school and if their parents arent Christians or if they are new believers they aren't learning about God from their parents. We NEED to equip theses kids. Our kids come into our room without an opinion of their own, without knowledge and without the courage needed to share what they learn about Jesus.

We all can look at ourselves and see that at times we have a hard time sharing about Jesus but at the same time we expect a 7 or 8 year old to share with someone about Jesus.

We have a goal. We have a mission. We have the ability to equip and teach these kids vital facts and truths about Jesus. We have the ability to mold and make a difference in these kid's lives that will in turn make them stand out from others, in a good way.

We talk as adults about being different from others because of their relationship with Jesus. Why can't these kids be like that? Why cant our kids go to school and other kids notice something different about them? And when someone asks them whats different they can respond with faith and authority and tell others that they are Christians.

Our kids are old enough to read, they are old enough to think for themselves, and have their own opinions. It's our job to help them discover the truth and the light that is found in Jesus.

We will teach our kids to read the word; we will equip them with the tools needed to find scripture and to understand it in age appropriate ways. They will find, read and study scripture on their own with assistance from a teacher and small group leader every week. We will give age appropriate examples to our kids and help them to apply God's word to their lives every day. These kids are not too young to read and study God's Word.

Matthew 5:16 tells us: "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16 ESV)." Our goal is for them to have audacious faith; they will be bold with their newly found truths just like their parents are when they learn about something groundbreaking in big church. They will be a beacon of light within their own communities.

We have a job to do. We have a responsibility to perform and a duty to complete. We GET to share and impact our kids in what is quite possibly the most important hour of their week. This is a privilege God has given to us. The hour of the week where we can guarantee that they learn about Jesus. Long term the kids will most likely not remember us, they wont remember our names, our faces, but they do have the possibility of remembering the truths that we speak to them on Sunday mornings.

It is our job to impact these kids, to show them the truth and to show them that we genuinely love and care about each one of them. Jesus gives us a commandment in John 15:12 he says: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (John 15:12 ESV.) Here we are given a commandment. A commandment is not an invitation that we get to choose to accept if we like the deal or not. A commandment means that we MUST do what we are told. We need to love the kids like Jesus loves and we need to do it now!

We live in a sinful world, in a world where sin is rampant and where that sin is accepted as The Norm. There is no better time than now to impact these kids. Now is the time to make a difference because if we don't take this opportunity when we have the chance then we are taking the risk that the opportunity will not present itself again.

Our kids are ready to make a splash, they are ready to be different from the norm, to jump in and learn the facts about The Father, Son and The Holy Spirit. It's our job to empower them to learn those facts, give them the tools to share their faith with their world and do it all in an age appropriate, fun and engaging way.