Has your child ever asked, "How do you know God is real?" And in that moment, did your mind maybe go blank or or did you panic? Well, next time you hear that question, be prepared when they ask and start with these words. I'm glad you asked. And what made you ask that? In this video, I'm showing you how to welcome your child's hard questions, how to become more sure of what you believe, and how to help your child find a true answer to their hardest question. So stay with me until the end because I will show you one reason it may feel hard to explain God to your child. And when you see it, it may change how you teach your child about God. Maybe you believe in God. You've gone to church. Maybe you've gone to church your whole life. And maybe you pray and you even read the Bible. And you want your child to follow Jesus. But then your child asks, "How do you know God is real?" And you hear yourself answering things like, "Well, because he is. He He just is. The Bible says so because our family believes in God. You may also feel afraid or or panic kicks in and you think why would my child ask that? Do does my child not believe? What did I do wrong? You may think without meaning to you may even stop their questioning. And you may make your child feel bad for asking. You don't mean to make them feel bad, but your child's questions may not be a bad thing. It actually may be a chance to build stronger faith. You see, children ages 8 to 12 are starting to think about what they believe. They hear many ideas. They hear from their friends and their teachers, from videos, from games, shows, social media, and they may ask things like, "Is this true? How do I know? How why should I believe this?" Your child needs more than an answer from you that says, "Because I said so." Your child needs someone who can say something like this. You see, this is what I believe and this is why I believe it. You see, God has placed your child in your home and your child is one of the first people God has called you to teach about him. When your child asks a hard question, you do not need to give a perfect answer right away. First, listen. Say something like, "I'm so glad you asked." That is a great question. And then ask them something like what made you ask that? Because before you answer the question, finding out what your child is thinking and feeling is so critical because your child may be asking like how do we know God is real? But deep down, what your child may be really asking and really mean by that question is something like, "If God is real, why did our family break apart?" Or, "If God is real, why did grandma die?" "If God is real, why did he not answer my prayer? If God is real, why am I like this? Why am I autistic? Why am I disabled?" Listen to your child's heart and do not rush and certainly do not shame your child for asking. Do not ask do not act like that question is silly. You see, your child may listen more to your answer and more closely after you have listened to them. Maybe it is hard to explain what you believe. But that does not mean you are a bad mom. It may just mean no one has helped you slow down and study these truths for yourself. This is not a reason for you to feel ashamed. It's actually a place to begin. You can move from saying something like, "I hope this is right. I hope I'm telling them right. I hope I'm not messing them up messing them up." to saying something like, "I know what God has said and I know why I believe it. I know where to look when I have another question." You see, being sure does not mean you know everything about God. No one, not even the best preacher in all the world knows everything about God. Being sure means you trust what God has clearly shown us. You can say to your child, "I do not know every answer, but I know where to search and I am not afraid of the next question that you may ask." And a faith mom, you know firsthand that you do not know everything and that you are not perfect and that no one is perfect. And you do not need to go to Bible school. As a faith mom, you are first a woman who trusts Jesus Christ. Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins, was buried, rose to life and by this knowledge about him and your belief in that you have eternal life. This belief enables you to learn to walk with God and then you help your child learn to walk with God. You not only tell your child what to believe, but you help your child understand why it is true, why it is essential to believe. And you move from fear to faith, from guessing to knowing what God says, from a shot in the dark to being absolutely certain. And more importantly, you may you move from saying because I said so to saying let's see what God has to say. So let's take a minute and look at this question. How do we know God is real? Remember this. God's word shows us who he is. And God's world shows us his power. Jesus shows us God clearly. Romans 1 verse 20. I love this verse. For the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood of the things that are made. This verse tells us the creation shows God's power. We can look at the sky and the stars, plants, animals, and even our own bodies. Creation did not make itself. Creation points to a maker. But how do we know what creation means? God tells us in his word. People can look at the same world and have many ideas about how it began. But the Bible tells us that God made the world, the seas, and everything in them that is. The Bible tells it that tells us that creation shows God's power. Our faith is not based on a good feeling. You see, we may look at the sunset and feel very close to God and all that is good. But feelings can change. Life can change. Even our health can change in just a flash. Families can go through pain. You see, God is not real because your day is going well. Let me say that again. God is not real because your day is going well. You are here because God is real. God is real when you're happy, when you're sad, when you're healthy, when you're sick. God is real when you understand what he's doing. And God is real when you do not understand. The Bible also points us to Jesus, the word of God made flesh, who dwelt among us. You see, Jesus says, "He that hath seen him hath seen the father." Jesus shows us what God is like. He is the express image of the invisible creator. God has shown himself through his word, through the world he made, and most clearly through Jesus Christ. Three witnesses that God is real. I would love for you to subscribe to the Faith Mom Mentor for more Bible help answering your child's hardest questions. You see, these videos will help you know God more deeply and teach your child with greater faith. This video that we're doing now goes along with a video I did with Sheila Christel. She wrote the book, What Makes You Say That? Sheila has a master's degree in biblical studies and cultural apologetics. That means she has spent years studying the Bible, learning how Christians can explain why they believe. She has also taught religion at the college level. And in our interview that I sat down and had with Sheila recently, she explains how to give a clear reason for what you believe in a way that is easy to understand. And I've l linked that interview below. So watch it next for more for more help. I'm going to give you four simple steps to use with your child when your child ask a hard question. They're all start with the letter L. It's listen, look, learn, and lead. First, listen to your child. Then look in God's word. Third, learn the truth for yourself that you can give an answer. And then fourth, lead your child through the answer so it can be their answer, too. So, let's say them again just for review. Listen, look, learn, and lead. You listen by saying something like, "I'm so glad you asked. What made you ask that question?" Then you look for what God has said in his word about that question. You do not have to act like you know everything, faith mom. You can say, "I do not know the whole answer yet. This is what I know. Let's study it together." Some moms are afraid to say that. Some moms want to try to moms often feel like they must have every answer. They must know it all before they even start talking to their kids about it. We may want our children to think we have it all together, but actually saying, "I need to study this," does not make you a weak leader. It could make you a better leader. You do not lose your place as a leader when you need to study. You lead your child by showing them where to look. You see, your child may know more about phones and apps or computers, but you are still the parent. You can help your child decide whether an idea is true or false. You can say things like, "We will look at this together. Then we will compare what we find." And you can also confirm to them that you're not looking for my truth or your truth. you are looking that you both are looking for God's truth. In the interview I referred to earlier, Sheila understands the work of teaching faith at home. She's a wife, she's a mom, she's a grandmother of six, and she also leads Bible studies and serves women in her church and community. She does not only teach these ideas in the classroom. She helps real people learn how to find truth and grow in faith. So save that full interview that I've linked below so that you can watch it next. Now you need to learn the truth yourself. You do not need to study for months before you begin. Start from where you are. Start right where you are. A child does not write a book on the first day of school. First the child learns the letters ABC, the alphabet. Then the child begins making words. Then the child begins forming sentences. Then the child writes chapters and then papers and then could go on to write a manuscript or a book. Faith can grow in the same way. Begin with one truth, one question that leads you to one truth. Study it. understand it, then build on it. If the question is, how do we know God is real? Begin with Romans 1 verse 20. And there's also a trusted website that Sheila mentioned. It's gotquestions.org. And that website can help you find Bible verses about the question. But remember, the website is not God's word. It only helps you find places in God's word to study, to learn it for yourself. So use the website to find the Bible verses. Then read those Bible verses for yourself and ask simple questions first. Ask God to help you understand. He will give you the wisdom. He will give you the revelation. understand what the verse says. What does it show me about God? What does it show me about the world? What does it show me about people? How does this point to Jesus? How can I explain this to my child? And you may also read trusted Bible books or listen to good Bible teachers. To some that might be good um our old school teachers like Charles Spurgeon or Dion Moody, but do not stop with another person's answers. Keep studying until you can explain the truth in your own words. You see, the goal is not to repeat what another person believes. The goal is for you to see the truth in the Bible and believe it for yourself. You do not have to study alone. You can share this video with a husband or a trusted friend or a Christian woman or another mom and you can say something like, "I want to understand my faith better so I can help my child. Will you study some questions with me? Can we study together?" Ask for asking for help does not mean you have failed. It actually means you are ready to grow and that's why your child begins asking questions because they are ready to grow too. So after you listen, look, learn, go back to your child and you can say that was such a good question. I've had a little bit of time to study and so I I wanted to study before I answered. So here are the Bible verses I read. Let's read them together. This is what they will tell us about God. This is why I believe God is real. And then I want you to understand from these verses for yourself that God is real. And then what part is still hard to understand? One talk may not answer every question. You may ask the same. Your child may ask the same thing again and again and again. But that does not mean you have failed. Your child may need more time. They need more may need more understanding. Your child may be thinking about the question in a new way. So be patient. Pray together. Ask God to give the wisdom and clarity. Explain it in a different way. Possibly use a simple story or picture. Go back to the Bible. Ask your child another question. Your goal is not to give an answer. Your goal is to show your child how to find the truth. You want your child to move from saying, "Well, I believe because mom said it," to saying, "I saw it in God's word. I know why I believe it." One of the hardest questions children ask is, "If God is real, why did this happen?" If God is real, why do bad things happen? If God is real, why is my family broken? If God is real, why am I hurting? If God is real, why am I not like other children? Why am I disabled? Your child is not wrong for asking. The question is not the enemy. Your child may be trying to understand God through something painful, but listen before you teach. He might say something like, "I can see why this hurts. I understand why you would ask that. Your disability does not make you worthless. You are not outside of God's love and God's care. Your questions matter and I want to show you that they matter. The Bible tells us that sin came into the world. The world is broken. People get sick. Families hurt. People die, bad things happen, but God is still good. And God is still holy. And God is still real and full of mercy. God is still in control. Pain does not prove that God is gone. And a broken family does not prove that God cannot be trusted. A prayer that didn't turn out the way you hoped does not mean God does not care or God did not hear your prayer. Remember this. Do not let pain tell you who God is. Let God's word help us understand your pain. At the end of this video, I will link the full interview that I had with Sheila. You see, she helps people learn how to tell if an idea agrees with the Bible. She also teaches people about the history of the Bible and how to build a strong Christian view of the world. In the interview, she explains a big big word called apologetics. You see, apologetics means giving a clear reason for what you believe. So, the why. She also shares simple ways to help your child understand their faith. So, be sure and check out that link at the end. While you're studying or looking into, is God real? Your child may ask, "Well, how do you know the Bible is real?" And that is another question, and it needs its own study. Do not ignore that question. But what you need to do is focus on studying the question about God is real. And so you can say something like, "We're going to write that question down and we are going to study that next." That is a very great great question. God's word, the Bible says it is God's word. And so let's just believe that there are other things that we can there are also other things we can study that can help us know. We can learn how the Bible was saved and passed down through the years. We can study its history. We can study its validity. We can study the promises that came true and the We can study that people who saw Jesus alive after he rose from the dead. We can study how the Bible tells one main story even though it was written by so many people over many thousands of years. You see, we cannot cover all of this in one video. But we do not need to fear the question. Faith is not a wild guess. Faith is not a shot in the dark. Faith trusts what God has shown us. Romans 10 verse1 17 says, "So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God." A question you cannot answer today is a reason to study. It is not a reason to walk away from God. I trusted Christ while I was riding down the road in a truck. Was on my way to college. I believed that Jesus died for my sins. My sins had separated me from God. And I believe Jesus was buried and that he rose again. And I ask him to be my savior and lord. And that was the start of my walking with God. I did not have all the answers even though I had grown up in church. But my faith today does not need to rest on the feeling I had so many years ago. God has made my faith stronger through his word. My experience started the journey. God's word built my faith. Maybe you have been te trying to teach your child about Jesus, but you've never trusted him for yourself. You can trust Jesus today. To trust Jesus means you repent. It means you turn away from being separated from him and from unbelief and trying to rule your own life. It means you turn toward Jesus, trusting him as your savior and lord. You see, Jesus died for our sins. He was buried and he rose again on the third day never to die again. And when we trust him, God forgives us. He bridges the gap of separation and he gives us life in Christ. He brings us near to himself. He gives us new life. He gives us his spirit to help us learn to walk with him. You are not saved by being a good mom. You are not saved by knowing every answer. You are saved by the shed blood of Jesus on the cross of Calvary by God's grace when you trust Jesus by faith. And before you can lead your child with faith, you need to know where your own faith rests. It rests in what Jesus has already done for you. So here it is. Here is the big truth I promised you. You see, maybe it feels hard to teach your child about God. And maybe your answers are not clear. Maybe you explain something, but your child still does not understand. And it upsets you because you do not know what else to say. One reason may be that no one has helped you. Slow down, study the truth, and make it your own. You see, that's not a reason for shame. It is a reason to begin. When you know something well, you can explain it in simple words. You can explain it in a new way. You can explain it and you can see where your child is confused. You can answer with patience when you know something. Well, in my interview with Sheila, she talks about fake money. And she says that people who look for fake money study the real money. They study the real money very well because they know what real money looks like. They can see when something is fake. The same can happen in your home. When when you know God's word well, you can spot a false idea and you can hear the lie hiding under your child's questions. Then you can guide your child back to the truth. I want you to remember this. Know the truth well. spot the lie and guide your child to the truth. The clearer God's truth is to you, the more clearly you can share it with your child. Here's how to begin. So, let's do this today. Take out a journal or a piece of paper and set a 15minute timer and I want you to write this question at the top of the page. Why am I sure God is real? Why am I sure God is real? And then on that paper, I want you to write what you believe. Your life story matters. But do not stop there. The next thing I want you to do is read the article that I've linked in the description from Got Questions. And I want you to write what the Bible teaches you about God from the scriptures that you look up that are referenced in that article. You may write something like, "I am sure God is real because God has shown us who he is. His word tells us about him. His world shows us his power. Jesus shows us God." And then watch my full interview with Sheila. Keep learning how to explain your faith to your child one day at the time. And before you leave, answer this question in the comments. What has your child asked that caught you off guard? What were you unprepared to answer? Write that question in the comment. Your question may help another mom know that she's not alone. and it may also become the topic of a future video. So now click the next video and watch the full interview with Sheila Christel. She is a Bible teacher, author, wife, mother, and grandmother. She has studied Bible and apologetics at a high level. But she explains these truths in a way that everyday moms can understand. In the full interview, you will learn what apologetics means. You will learn why your child needs you to be a trusted voice. You will also learn simple ways to help your child understand why they believe your child is listening to someone. Let your child hear the truth clearly from you. I'm an Faith Mom mentor. I help moms of children ages 8 to 12 know God deeply so they can guide their children to walk with him. Click the next video and let's keep growing in faith together.
