Teach Me Jesus Thursdays: Exploring Grace Together {and a Giveaway}

“I keep trying Mommy, but I just can’t stop it” moaned my son.

I had played referee, yet again, between him and his brother. Lately, his emotions have ruled him and his immediate response to anything has been anger. It’s a tough battle for him. And for me too. Sometimes, I just want him to stop and cooperate. I find myself saying “How many times do I have to tell you…?” or “Really? Again?” I tell him to try harder and remind him of how many times we’ve discussed the same issue. And I wonder-why can’t he just get it together?

Parenting is one of those places in faith where the rubber meets the road. Do I really believe that the gospel of grace applies to all of life? Am I trying to make life work on my own or do I trust in what Christ has already done? When I struggle with my children, do I seek Christ or try to resolve it my own wisdom and strength?

And more importantly, do my responses to my children point them to Christ or to themselves?

Too often I fail to remember that my children’s greatest need isn’t that they stop a particular behavior or learn to do the right thing. What they need most is a Savior. In fact, they need to realize and acknowledge their need for a Savior. They need to come to a place where they face the truth that they can’t do it on their own, that they are sinners in need of grace. What my children need most is Jesus, the Savior who obeyed God in their place and who took all their sin upon himself at the cross.

It is this Jesus whom I want my children to know, love, and treasure. When they sin, I want to point them to Jesus. When they struggle with fears and worries, I want to point them to Jesus. When they feel weak and unsure, I want to point them to Jesus. And when, like my son, they face intense battles within themselves, I want to point them to Jesus.

Because Christ is the greatest treasure we can give our children.

Today I want to share about a wonderful new resource for sharing this treasure with our children, Exploring Grace Together: 40 Devotionals for the Family.

You may remember the book Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus
by Elyse Fitzpatrick and her daughter Jessica Thompson. Jessica has written a new devotional for families to read together called Exploring Grace Together: 40 Devotionals for the Family. It is a forty day devotional, ideal for school aged children. It takes children on a treasure hunt, looking for Jesus in all of life. Gospel centered, the devotions point children to the richness of the gospel, focusing not on what they have to do for Jesus but on what he has already done for them. It helps them see that the gospel really does apply to everything they struggle with and go through in their daily life. Unlike the moralism of many Christian reading materials for children, this devotional’s focus is on Christ and all that we are and have through him.

Each devotional addresses real life issues that children deal with: doubt, guilt, temptation, bullying, perfectionism, loneliness, and more. They begin with a Bible passage to read and then follows with a brief story about a child and a specific issue they face in their life. Jessica then applies the gospel to the story. Children learn how Christ is their treasure in the midst of every challenge in life. At the end of each devotional are questions to ask children to engage them in thinking through the story.

I had the opportunity to ask Jessica a few questions about her book. Here’s what she said:

Me: What prompted you to write this devotional?

Jessica: My mom and I co-authored Give Them Grace, and as we travelled and spoke on the content of that book we were asked over and over again if we knew of any devotional that parents could do with their kids that preached the gospel of grace. Personally, I didn’t know of any that were out there. Too often, family worship or family devotionals would end up being a lesson in morals for the kids and the good news of Jesus Christ isn’t ever mentioned. The more we heard from parents, the more my mom would tell me, “that is your book. Write it.” So because I am a good girl and I always do what my mom says, I obeyed. Kidding. Sorta. I knew it was a needed resource and I decided to write it.

Me: Sometimes parents can struggle with pointing our kids to Christ as their greatest treasure, some may feel intimidated. It can be challenging to apply the gospel of grace to the situations our children face in their lives. I think this book is a excellent resource to help parents do just that. What are your thoughts on that? Why can it be intimidating? Do you have any suggestions for parents as they go through this book with their children?

Jessica: It is intimidating. We are trying to communicate the most important truth in the universe. We think that if we can communicate that truth perfectly and that sets us up for failure. Now, I know most Christian parents will affirm that they are not in fact perfect, but we do feel like the weight of making our children understand rests on our shoulders. That is a lie, it is the Holy Spirit’s job to enliven hearts. It is our job to share truth as best we can, flawed communication and all. I wrote a letter to all the parents who go through the book, it is on the first few pages. In that I give some guidelines on how to go through this book with your kids. The main thing I would say is don’t expect too much from your children as you go through the book. We are dealing with human beings with a soul and a volition. My advice would be to just take a breath and enjoy your kids. If they are listening pray that the Holy Spirit would use the devotional to awaken their hearts, if they aren’t listening then pray that He uses the verses in your life to remind you of the gospel.

Me: What do you hope families will get from this book?

Jessica: Answering this questions makes me cry. I hope God frees families from the slavery of moralism. I hope families see that the gospel really does apply to every situation we face. I hope that families see that they don’t have to be perfect to be loved. I hope that children hearts are made alive by the Holy Spirit. I hope families fall in love with Jesus. I hope their are lots of smiles and laughter. I hope people are blown away with how beautiful the good news is. I know all of these things can only happen if God uses the book in those ways. So, I am praying that it is His will to do so.

Want to explore God’s grace with your family? I am giving away a copy of this devotional to one reader. Enter to win below, US residents only please. Winner selected on 2/24 at 12am.

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