Jesus Loves Me
A Follow-Up Guide for Children
by
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Follow-Up (1) Jesus Loves Me
My name is __________________________
My helper’s name and phone number is __________________________________________ __________________________________________
Please read the following paragraph (out loud):
Most people like to be loved. Do you? Sometimes the people around us love us for who we are (as a family member or a friend) or for what we can do for them (chores at home or work at school). Jesus loves us without conditions. As God, Jesus loves us because of Who He is. His greatest act of love took place at Calvary where He died on a cross for your sins. Jesus loves you. Jesus died for you. He lives in heaven today because He wants you to experience His grace and His love.
The purpose of this study is to share some truths about the salvation from sin that Jesus provides for you. Read the Scripture references given. Then write your answers in the spaces provided.
1. Why do we need salvation (why did Jesus have to die for our sins)?
In the book God wrote (the Bible) God said that we are sinners (Romans 3:10, 23). We do wrong things. Sometimes we think bad thoughts, go to places we should not go, or not do the good things that we should do. All of this is sin. What did God say about sin in His Word (the Bible)? Fill in the blanks:
_______ have sinned and come short of the entry requirements to get in to God's heaven (Romans 3:23).
"All" means "all" and that's all that "all" can mean. I have sinned. You have sinned. Except for Jesus, everyone has sinned (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:22). Because Jesus Christ is God and never sinned, He is the only one who can please God's standard of holiness and right living. He is the only one who meets the entry requirements to get into God's heaven. For us to get into heaven, we must enter with Jesus. When we enter with Jesus, God will not look at you, the sinner, and say, "No!" Instead, He will look at Jesus in you and, based on the holiness of Jesus Christ, God will say, "Yes!" to you and let you into His heaven.
Jesus said, "I am the ______, the _________, and the ________, no one comes to the Father (gets into God's heaven) except through Him" (John 14:6).
Who owns the house in which you live? Your dad? Your mom? Your parent(s)? Your grandmother? Your guardian? Whoever owns your house has the right to say who can or cannot come in. Who owns heaven? God owns heaven. Because God owns heaven, God established the entry requirement to get into His heaven as having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through salvation (John 14:6). God lets you into His heaven because of Jesus.
2. What is it about sin (doing, thinking, or saying wrong things) that keeps us out of heaven?
Have you ever said something to someone and that person did not like it (have you ever offended someone)? When we sin, we offend God. When we offend God, we deserve punishment. The punishment we deserve for offending God is an eternity (forever) in a very bad place called Hell (the Lake of Fire). It is the place the devil lives. It is where people go who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior. How do we know that sinners deserve eternal punishment (forever)? Fill in the blanks:
"The ___________ of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a). "Wages" is something we earn. In the Bible, the word 'death' means 'separation'. When someone dies physically, that person's soul is separated from that person's physical body. The soul lives forever. If we know Jesus Christ as Savior, the soul will live forever in heaven. If we do not know Jesus Christ as Savior, our soul will live forever in Hell where we will experience 'spiritual' death (separation from God forever). Answer this question: Would you rather go to heaven and live forever with the God who loves you enough to provide a way for you to go to heaven or would you rather be separated from the God of love forever and go to the 'bad place' which is a lake that burns with fire (Hell)?
______ Heaven ______ Hell
"For God demonstrated His _________ toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
As sinners, we have done too many bad things for a holy God to let us into His heaven and we have not done enough good things for a holy God to let us into His heaven. Since sinners do not deserve to go to heaven based on our own merits (good actions), how did God work it out that sinners can enter His heaven? In spite of our sin, God loved us. God's holiness requires a punishment for our sins. But, because Jesus Christ experienced our punishment for us at Calvary, God's love lets us into His heaven when we have Jesus Christ as our Savior.
3. What must a sinner do to be saved (to 'be saved' means to form a personal relationship with Jesus)?
Salvation does not 'just happen'. Although God provides the salvation, sinners have a responsibility to act on what God provides. We have a responsibility to ask Jesus into our life as our personal Lord and Savior.
"But as many as _______________ Him (Jesus), to them [God gives the] power (ability) to become the sons (children) of God, to as many as believe on His name" (John 1:12). The term "receive" means to warmly welcome and it speaks of an invitation to enter a home.
If you have not invited Christ into your life as your Lord and Savior, take the time to do it now.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Jesus Loves Me: A Follow-Up Guide for Children is a four-session study guide designed to help younger believers grow in Christ. Based on the words of a popular children’s song, Jesus Loves Me is the younger believer’s first phase of follow-up and introduces the new convert to the basics of Christianity. The four sessions include the reading content of instructive opening paragraphs, fill-in-the-blank questions, matching, some memorization, and some writing. All answers are included in the back of the text. The minimal qualifications needed to use the follow-up materials as a discipler are as follows: the discipler must be a believer, and the discipler must be able to read.
Filled with scripture, the lessons in this interactive book include training notes for the discipler and studies on the following topics: a review of the salvation experience, sin, the gospel, assurance, scripture memorization, spiritual growth, prayer, the Bible, witnessing, living the Christ life, the Lord’s return, guarding against temptation, church attendance, baptism, the Lord’s supper, church membership, and fellowship with other believers. Also, a lesson on how to study the Bible is included at the end of the book.
Other discipleship books by Keith D. Pisani include Spiritual Lessons for New Believers, Spiritual Lessons for Growing Believers, and Spiritual Lessons for Growing Believers Workbook. All three are published by WestBow Press.
About the Author
Keith D. Pisani is the husband of Beth S. Pisani and the father of four practicing believers. Keith is an evangelical pastor, international conference speaker, and regional church leader whose emphasis is evangelism and discipleship ministries. His spiritual growth seminars and presentations have impacted thousands of lives on three continents. His Children’s Crusades have resulted in hundreds of children coming to Christ and, through his discipleship ministries, believers have grown from initial conversion into local church leadership and missions ministries. Keith’s personal website is: www.keithpisaniministries.com.