5 Truths That Provide a Christian Foundation to Anchor Your Kids’ Faith

We live in a world full of confusing messages, so we know our kids need a strong Christian foundation. Here are 5 truths to teach them.

In the world all of us live in today, we see what happens when truth, morality, and justice are not based on a Christian foundation. The helpless are in danger instead of being protected. Dishonest and deceived people are given a platform, while those speaking the truth are silenced. Emotions are held up as truth, while the real truth is stifled, beaten down, and forced out.

Because of all these things, it can be easy to let fear overtake our hearts. We wonder how our children can deal with so much that is wrong and twisted, and we want to shelter them from it as long as possible. But the truth is God has brought our children into this world for such a time as this! It is His truth that will give them the Christian foundation they need for their faith to be anchored and strong. In a world where “truth” is constantly changing and emotions dictate right and wrong, God’s trustworthy promises are the anchor of our souls. So as parents, it’s our job to train up our kids and make sure they know the truth about God’s truth!

5 Truths That Provide a Christian Foundation to Anchor Your Kids’ Faith

At first, the task of teaching our kids the whole counsel of God might seem overwhelming and discouraging. There’s so much important truth—where do we even start? Though the Bible is full of truth that every Christian needs to know and learn, certain truths lay the groundwork for a Christian foundation and worldview for our kids’ lives. So what are these foundational truths our kids need to know?

1. God’s Truth Is a Connected Story

When I was in college, I had to write a LOT of papers. And while I enjoyed the writing process, I hated the researching process. Especially when every rubric required “10 or more 10+ page sources” which I had to read “in their entirety.” But what I despised about paper research is what I am thankful I know now—books, papers, journals, and scientific studies must be read as entire works. Because the author had a purpose in how he or she presented the facts or opinions they wrote in their work, I cannot pick and choose parts of someone else’s work and make them say what I want them to say. Is it easy to do? YES! But it doesn’t preserve the whole story the author was trying to tell.

With God, the author whom all other authors imitate, it’s the same way! His Word, which He preserved for us in the form of the Bible, is not just a huge volume of work that we get to pick and choose from, like a dictionary or encyclopedia. Though it’s especially easy to only go to the New Testament or famous stories from the Old Testament about Abraham, Moses, or David, God’s Word is an entire story that He wrote to reveal Himself and His work to us. It’s not meant to be broken up into little snippets we teach to our kids while ignoring the genealogies, law, and minor prophets. For kids to have a solid Christian foundation, it’s important to teach them the story of the Bible instead of just Bible stories.

2. Jesus Proved God’s Promises Are True and Gave Us Access to God

The next thing your kids need to be sure of to have a strong Christian foundation for their faith is that Jesus proved God’s promises are true. For a long time growing up, I looked at Jesus almost like the “nice one” in the Godhead. I saw God as wrathful and angry and Jesus as the one who would be nice and loving. But that’s not quite true. Yes, we see consistently through the Bible that God is angry with sin and must judge it because of His holiness. But we also see—everywhere in the Old Testament—His overflowing love and promise of mercy and grace to any who will simply repent. And because of that overflowing love, God the Father sent Jesus. Not because Jesus could handle us and God couldn’t, but because God was willing to sacrifice His own Son and pour out His wrath on Him instead of us.

The New Testament shows us how Jesus fulfilled the promises of God and changed the world! Then it also shows us how we fit into God’s story. We no longer have to be separated from the holy and righteous God of the Old Testament because He made a way to bring us to Himself! When we come to Him by faith in response to the gospel’s story, God changes our lives and gives us a full-time mission as disciple-makers. For kids to personally experience this, it’s important to teach them the comprehensive, full story of the New Testament.

3. God’s Truth Is the Foundation Your Kids Need to Build Their Lives On

In June of 2021, America was shocked and heartbroken to hear about a Florida condo building that collapsed in the middle of the night, killing and injuring dozens of people. Unbeknownst to anyone around, the supporting structure had been gradually decaying until it resulted in tragic devastation. That heartbreaking story reminds us of how important it is to have a strong, healthy foundation.

To have a strong spiritual foundation, our kids have to accept God’s Word as truth through salvation. No amount of behavior modification or moral instruction can save them from the ultimate punishment for their sin. However, while all Christian parents want their kids to put their faith in Jesus, knowing how to have conversations about the subject can be difficult.

Maybe you have young kids who haven’t professed salvation yet. Or maybe they have, but it doesn’t seem to affect their choices or character. Where do you begin talking with your kids about what it means to accept Christ? This can be difficult, but there are some practical tips to make talking about salvation with your kids easier! Ultimately, praying a prayer doesn’t matter if our kids haven’t decided to personally believe that what God says is true. But once they have accepted God as their Rock of Salvation and believed His Word, they have a Christian foundation to build their lives on.

4. God’s Character Will Change Your Kids From the Inside Out

Have you ever turned a laborious chore into a game for your kids so they would love it (and actually do it)? Imagine if you were to tell your kids, “I want you to spend the next hour picking up the toys in your room.” You can probably already hear the groaning and complaining that would come next! But if you were to say, “I’ve hidden $500 in your bedroom, and you’ll find it by picking up your toys,” that chore would get really exciting really fast!

Sometimes kids view spiritual disciplines as laborious chores. They HAVE to go to church, they’re MADE to read their Bible, and they’re FORCED to pray when they would much rather be doing something else. But a relationship with God and the pursuit of His kingdom is portrayed in Scripture as a great treasure to find (Hebrews 11:6; Matthew 13:44). When kids view God as a treasure to find, all of a sudden, pursuing Him is something they do willingly and volitionally. And the wonderful result is that by pursuing God as a valuable treasure, they learn who God is, which helps them grow in godliness. It’s important to teach kids the riches of God’s character from His Word because knowing the attributes of God changes everything. The fruit of their behavior will stem from the root of their belief about who God is.

5. God’s Love Will Make Your Kids Emotionally Strong

I’m not much of a gardener, so I do my best to keep as few plants in our flower beds as possible. It’s always amazing to me how resilient certain weeds and flowers are! There has been foliage in our yard that I have pulled up, dug up, chopped up, and sprayed down with weed poison, and yet in just a few weeks, it’s back again as if nothing had ever happened. That’s a strong root system!

In life, there will be so many things that try to beat up and tear down our kids. Mean bullies, disappointments, personal insecurities, fake friends, and impossible social media expectations consistently make kids anxious and tell them they’re not good enough. But in the midst of all that, kids can continue bouncing back and thriving if they are rooted in God’s love. God’s love meets us in every situation and empowers us with spiritual strength. It is something we can count on no matter what else happens to us in this life. It’s important to help kids learn how to sink their roots into God’s unconditional love, acceptance, and forgiveness so they can be spiritually strong.

Something to Help

We know how hard it is to find resources you trust to teach your kids. That’s why we have written 5 brand-new Bible studies tackling each of the truths we just talked through! Our Foundations Collection consists of God’s Story: Old Testament, God’s Story: New Testament, Rock of Salvation, Immeasurable Treasure, and Strong Roots. Each of these studies will help your kids build a Christian foundation for their lives. Through studying God’s Word, your kids will see how God’s truth is all they need.

We also created a Bible Timeline that goes nicely with this bundle. We’ve made it easier to connect biblical events showing how they all fit together, making one big story that points to Jesus. Specially designed with engaging visuals, this timeline offers a compact, readable format that’s unforgettable for kids and easily portable, fitting snugly inside a Bible.