Redeemer Kids: Family Discipleship Guide for Week of Sunday, April 12

by Amanda Johnson, Redeemer Kids Team

Hello church family!

Hope you and yours had a joyful Easter despite the obvious differences this year. As we come off celebrating the resurrection of our Lord, it only seems fitting to return back to the next major chapter in God’s overarching gospel narrative. Why are we so grateful for Christ’s death? Why do we rejoice in his resurrection? Because that death was meant to be ours! Jesus satisfied the penalty of our sin and conquered death so that we can have a wonderful, right and intimate relationship with our Father. This week let’s talk to our children about the Fall.

First God created and saw that everything was good. Adam and Eve had an intimate relationship with their creator. The world was how God had intended it to be. Creation glorified God in the most perfect way. Then as we know, things changed.

I. Where to find the story

• Genesis chapter 3 recounts how Satan first deceived Eve and in turn how she and Adam disobeyed God. Remember this could be a good time to use the “Abide” cards with easy inductive Bible study questions (Risen Motherhood)
• The Jesus Storybook Bible and the Beginner's Gospel Story Bible  also do a wonderful job discussing the Fall in approachable language
• The animated version of “The Biggest Story” by Kevin DeYoung is available to stream at crossway.org. Chapter 1 does a really good job of illustrating the fall of Adam and Eve.

II. Interacting with Scripture

• Asking probing questions of our children about the story. See “Abide” Cards
• Memorizing parts of the story.  We know that Adam and Eve’s sin did not stop with them. God speaks a curse over both Adam and Eve extending this disobedience to the rest of humanity. Darkness becomes the natural condition of the human heart and it is what separates us from our Creator Father. Memorizing Romans 3:10-12, or Romans 3:23 will help our children remember this truth. However sad it is, the Fall is a key step to understanding grace!
• This is the time to help your child understand that sin is a condition of the heart. We are born with it because of Adam and Eve’s first act of disobedience. It is not a series of wrong doings, but a way of being that only Jesus can change. We sin because we are sinners.  
  
  

III. Other Resources

• Jesus Storybook Bible coloring pages
• Truth Seekers podcast episode 3
• “Sin entered the world” from the Gospel Project
  
  

IV. Parenting
Because of the Fall, sin entered the world. With it came an all encompassing brokenness. Darkness, sadness, hopelessness, pain, and suffering are all a consequence of the Fall. Sometimes it is hard to discuss sin in our world with our children. Here is a helpful article from The Gospel Coalition to encourage us to use God’s story when we are working through difficult topics with our children.

Grateful to be a part of this spiritual family together!

Amanda Johnson