How the Jesus Challenge Helps Your Children Fall in Love With Jesus
If you’re anything like me, you have this deep, steady ache in your heart for your kids to know and love Jesus.
Of course, they probably know about Jesus. They hear the Bible stories, they sing the songs, they color the pictures. And that’s all wonderful – it really is!
But what tugs at my heart (and maybe yours too?) is… do they KNOW Him? Really know Him?
Do they see Him as more than a bedtime story hero?
Do they know He’s their personal Shepherd and Friend and walks with them through every lonely hallway, heartbreak, and tough decision?
You long for them to walk with Jesus –
🙏 to feel His nearness when they’re scared
🙏 to hear His voice when they’re confused
🙏 to lean on Him in the small, everyday moments that quietly shape who they become
The great news is that God is always working. Even when you feel like you’re failing or falling short. Thankfully, it’s not up to us parents! The pressure is off! 🙌
You don’t need a perfect schedule or Pinterest-worthy devotionals to help your kids meet Jesus.
Sometimes, He just uses an unplanned question while you’re sitting in traffic.
A lyric on the radio.
An interaction between you and your neighbor.
A walk through the neighborhood on a warm Thursday night.
That’s why I love the Jesus challenge. Instead of piling another task on your already-full to-do list, it’s a simple, daily rhythm that opens the door to sacred conversations with your kids. It’s real-life discipleship as God intended it.
So let’s look at how God uses everyday moments (that you might not even think twice about!) to spark a love for Jesus in your child’s heart.
Why Do These Conversations Matter?
Our kids will hear about Jesus. But what if you want them to HEAR Him?
To recognize His voice.
To feel His presence.
To KNOW Him beyond head knowledge.
If that’s the desire of your heart, you’re in the right place!
But it seems like an impossibly big job, right? Like you need to be a structured theologian with zero laundry piles. 🥵
Spoiler: that parent doesn’t exist!
🙅🏻 You don’t have to have it all figured out.
🙅🏻 You don’t need a seminary degree or a structured Bible study.
✅ You just need to be willing to open the conversation with your kids and let the Spirit speak through you.
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Start with questions.
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Be open to their curiosity – even the questions that leave you blinking.
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Tell them, “Let’s look into that together!” And then do it! (That phrase right there is gold. Use it. OFTEN.) Some of the most powerful moments happen when you don’t know the answer – but you show your child what it looks like to seek God’s truth anyway. 🤲
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Depend on the Holy Spirit. He will guide you into the right conversations, even if it’s out of your comfort zone.
As a parent, God entrusted you with one of the most meaningful jobs on the planet: discipling your children to walk with Jesus. But contrary to what your fears may say, it doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated. A 10-minute walk, a few verses read aloud, or a challenge just between the two of you – those are all seeds God uses to produce deep faith. 🌱
But more importantly, YOUR example, as imperfect as it may be, builds the bridge from a cool Bible story character to a living, personal Savior, displayed in real life every day. Your kids watch and imitate what they see you worship.
5 Practical Ways to Help Your Kids Apply Faith to Real Life
Let’s get down to business.
How do we go from “Jesus loves me this I know” to “Jesus walks with me through my Tuesday morning meltdown?” 🤔
First off: there’s no secret formula. Thank the Lord – because the Holy Spirit lives in YOU. And if you’re abiding, He’ll lead you in the right steps to take – nudging you to speak, listen, ask, and pray – right in the middle of ordinary, messy, or stressful moments.
God doesn’t follow a formula.
Faith doesn’t follow a formula.
It grows in the tiny, tucked-in, everyday places.
Here are 5 simple, practical ways you can help your kids bridge the gap between the Jesus of Bible stories and Jesus, Lord of my heart:
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Ask them questions. ❓
Simple, open-ended questions. And if they hit you back with a doozy you don’t know how to answer, be okay with saying, “I don’t know… want to figure it out together?” That humility is powerful and gives them a model of how to deal with doubts and questions in the future.
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Talk about song lyrics. 🎵
When a worship song comes on in the car, mention a line that stands out. Ask them what they think it means. Even if they’re quiet or distant, they ARE listening. God’s Word never returns without fulfilling its purpose.
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Let them sit with you in church sometimes. ⛪
Yes, even if they’re fidgety or ask for snacks 14 times. You might be surprised what they soak up – and what they’re willing to talk about afterward.
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Pray with them. 🙏
Pray over them. Pray for others with them. Pray aloud. Pray for ambulances as they speed by. Pray for each member of the family.
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Walk and talk about Scripture. 👟
No screens and no performance. Just fresh air, movement, and God’s Word. When you join the virtual Jesus challenge, you can invite your children to walk with you daily and spend time in God’s Word. The structure is incredibly simple, and the impact is eternal.
Please hear me – I’m not telling you how to parent or giving you a checklist to fill out. These are simply 5 doable ideas you can steal, run with, and change into whatever works best for your family.
If your heart aches for your children to know and love Jesus, don’t miss the myriad of opportunities throughout your day! Small, ordinary moments like these are fertile soil to plant and nurture seeds of faith.
Open Deeper Conversations with the Jesus Challenge
Now that we’ve covered those five ideas, let’s zoom in on that last one: walking and talking through Scripture together.
If you’re not sure what this looks like practically, the Jesus virtual challenge is your answer! It’s a simple, practical, and easy 20-minute habit to reprioritize Jesus as your #1 priority. This virtual Christian challenge involves committing to 40 days of walking or running 1 mile per day and reading pre-assigned Scripture during your walk. That’s it! 🤩
Simple, everyday walks like these – hand in hand, side by side, in the ups and downs – create space for questions to bubble up. 🙋 Bible verses start sounding more applicable. Jesus from the picture books starts making more appearances in real life.
By joining the virtual Jesus challenge, you’re teaching your children a crucial habit of putting God first in your life – no matter how busy or overwhelmed you might feel.
As you walk with your children and study God’s Word together, you’ll notice:
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They’ll start to recognize Scripture as SO much more than a memory verse from AWANA – it actually applies to their personal little lives!
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They’ll learn how to process difficulties and disappointment through a Biblical perspective – before the world teaches them to do otherwise.
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They’ll see what it looks like to follow Jesus – not just in church, but on the sidewalk, in the car, and around the dinner table.
If you’re looking for a way to invite your kids into a deeper relationship with Jesus – this is it. 🎯
You don’t need a fancy curriculum. You just need a few unhurried minutes together each day and a heart tuned in to the Holy Spirit.
What If Your Child Doesn’t Want to Join Your Jesus Challenge?
This is a very real possibility! You can’t force your child to do anything they choose not to, especially if they’re older.
👉 DO IT ANYWAY. 👈
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Spend time with Jesus.
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Go for a walk.
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Take care of your physical and spiritual health.
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Make Jesus the priority over everything else.
Because even if they’re not walking with you, they’re watching you. 👀
They learn what matters most in life.
They learn what’s most important to you – your Instagram feed, the house being clean, your morning coffee run, or your relationship with Jesus.
If you diligently model that Jesus is the #1 priority in your life (not just talk about it), your children are far more likely to develop a lasting habit of spending time with God – even if they seem to disregard it now. Your walk with Jesus is NEVER wasted, even if you do it alone. 🧎 You’re planting seeds that might take years to sprout, but God is always working.
The Jesus virtual challenge helps you:
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Keep your own walk with God strong and Spirit-filled, even in the chaos of parenting.
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Shift the tone of your life, habits, and home to a desperate, hungry pursuit of Jesus.
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Create gentle, non-intimidating opportunities to share God’s love with your family.
So whether they walk beside you every day or never once lace up their shoes, you’re still teaching your children what matters most.
You get to choose what legacy you build. ⚒️
Plant Seeds of Faith With the Jesus Challenge
You may not always see what’s happening underground – but God’s growing something beautiful in your family. 🪴
So keep showing up.
Keep planting little seeds whenever the opportunity arises.
Keep inviting Jesus into the small moments, even when the house is loud, you have half a brain cell left, and the goldfish crackers are ground into the carpet.
I invite you to sign up for my next virtual Jesus challenge.
🛟 It’s a lifeline back to the Source of your Peace.
😌 It’s a permission slip to get away for 20 minutes every day and focus on your physical and spiritual health.
💡 It’s a tool to help you (and your kids) fall deeply in love with Jesus, one walk at a time.
You don’t even need to make a plan – my virtual Christian challenge is all planned out for you!
Click the button below to commit to deepening your relationship with the Lord, modeling a life dedicated to God, and creating a legacy of commitment to Him.
Your first walk is waiting for you! 😍