When a group of children came to Jesus one day, his disciples tried to shoo them away. But Jesus stopped them. He insisted, "let the children come to me ... for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these (Matt. 19:14). This was scandalous. In that day, children were often not cherished in the same way we cherish our kids today. They were seen by many as a nuisance, or another mouth to feed -- as if they had nothing to offer society. But Jesus knew, that was what made them so incredibly special.

Children are fully aware of their neediness, and they are unapologetic about coming to those who can meet their needs. This is exactly what God wants for all people. He wants us to recognize our deep spiritual need for Christ, for forgiveness, and to run to him without delay.

At Redemption, this is the kind of saving faith we hope to nurture in our children. We want to teach them the story of Scripture -- not just for the sake of knowing it -- but for the sake of knowing, trusting, and following Christ together for a lifetime.