Are you prepared to explain the meaning of being one with God to your children? Sometimes, children can have a hard time understanding concepts that are not concrete, like the Holy Spirit or the Holy Trinity. But these complex topics are some of the most important ones to teach our children so they can understand them early. Oneness is a word that means “a state of being unified or whole, unity of thought, feeling, and belief, a strong feeling of closeness.” As Christians, we feel one with the one true God as His Holy Spirit dwells within us and draws us closer to Him. “But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.” -1 Corinthians 6:17. Here are some tips to help you explain the meaning of oneness with God: Ask your child what they think oneness with God means – you may be surprised by their answer. This will allow you the opportunity to build upon their answer or correct any misconception. Emphasize connectedness – Jesus emphasized the importance of staying connected with the Father and his disciples (Ref. John 15:1-8). Teach empathy and compassion – oneness with God means treating others with kindness, respect, and love. Encourage your children to practice empathy and compassion towards their family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers without putting themselves in danger (Ref. Matthew 14:14). Cultivate gratitude – Jesus begins and ends his prayers with words of thanks and praise to his father, and in the Lord's Prayer, he taught his followers to do the same (Ref. Matthew 6:9-13). He even thanked God for the opportunity to sacrifice his life for the world (Ref. Matthew 26:26-27). Nurture spiritual practices – Jesus was baptized to fulfill all righteousness (Ref. Acts 1:1) and prayed often to the Father. Help your children create their own rituals or routines that foster a sense of oneness with God. Share stories and examples – use stories, parables, or examples of individuals who have exemplified oneness with God, such as saints, religious figures, or inspirational figures from various backgrounds. Lead by example – it’s the most powerful way to teach children the meaning of oneness with God as you embody these values in your own life. Model being one with God in your actions and attitudes, which will impact your child’s spiritual development. Create an atmosphere of love, acceptance, and spiritual exploration that allows them to cultivate their own relationship with the divine. Reference this article to help them understand how oneness with God can manifest in different ways: “Five Bible Characters Who Walked With God And What We Can Learn From Them,” by Glorify. RCK social media: Facebook Join our Facebook community group! Instagram Pinterest Love this episode? Please leave us a rating/review and share this episode with a friend! You can find a list of all our episodes here.

As important as it is for us as parents and caretakers to teach our children empathy, it is equally as important to teach them love and acceptance for one another. Love is the most powerful emotion on earth, and the definition of love is God, which means God is love. We all have a deep desire to feel liked, accepted, and loved by our family, friends, and associates. Acceptance involves understanding, respecting, and valuing others for commonalities and differences. It is an important part of developing positive relationships. Acceptance is good, but love is better. Luke 6:31 states, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” During this episode, Lee Ann dives into the many ways we can help our children learn to accept and love one another: The first step in loving someone may be that we first accept them for who they are – both the good and the bad. It's never too early to start talking about love. Explain that love takes work but should make them feel good, not bad. Tell your kids that loving someone is about caring for them, wanting what's best for them, being kind/patient/forgiving, being supportive, being there for them, respecting their feelings, and working together. Model what it means to love others – your kids watch and learn from you daily. Children express love differently: boys tend to express love through physical actions, and girls tend to express love through words and emotions. Read stories that feature characters showing different emotions – this can help children understand how people might feel in different situations. Help them understand that everyone is different because that’s how God made them. Encourage them to be respectful and kind to others. Model what it looks like to disagree without being disagreeable. Avoid name-calling or any other type of personal attack when disagreeing with someone. Try to understand the other person’s point of view. Once your children learn the importance of accepting others, teach them to model what it looks like. This can especially help in situations when another child is being bullied. We should encourage our children to invite others to join in a game or share toys, teach them to be good listeners, and – most importantly – show them how to treat others with acceptance, compassion, and love. 1 Peter 4:8, “Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.” RCK social media: Facebook Facebook community group Instagram Pinterest Love this episode? Please leave us a rating/review and share this episode with a friend! You can find a list of all our episodes here.

Everything we need to know about creation starts with Genesis 1-11! Ken Ham is one of the top biblical apologetics speakers in North America. He is the president, CEO, and founder of Answers in Genesis-US, the highly acclaimed Creation Museum, and the world-renowned Ark Encounter. As an author, he has sold over 3 million copies of his impressive collection of 26 bestselling adult and children’s books focused on the relevance and authority of the Book of Genesis. Ken has a heart for passing on a legacy of faith and truth to the next generation and equipping others to defend their faith and share the message of salvation. Key Takeaways: Why it is vitally important to teach a real and true biblical worldview early on. How the various exhibits from the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter - the two leading Christian-themed attractions in the world can help children understand the history of the Bible in a fun way. RCK social media: Facebook Facebook community group Instagram Pinterest

Did you know that only 6% of Americans have a functioning biblical worldview? Natasha Crain continues to share her knowledge as she dives deeper into these challenging topics of biblical worldview vs. secular worldview. It is vital to prepare families to take the necessary steps to properly raise the next generation to hold their worldview with biblical clarity and not to let secular ideas creep into their lives. Key Takeaways: A Biblical worldview is when your authority is to God and the Bible. A secular worldview is when your authority is to yourself. The secular culture believes feelings are the ultimate guide, happiness is the ultimate goal, judging is the ultimate sin, and God is the ultimate guest, meaning everyone is on their own to figure out what’s true about the world. 4 core components of a knowledge base that kids need to be able to one day defend their Christian faith: Understand what Christianity and the Bible teach in-depth. Know why you should believe any of it. Knowing what others from a different worldview believe. Answers to the challenges against Christianity. Natasha’s books: Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side (2016), Talking with Your Kids about God (2017), Talking with Your Kids about Jesus (2020), & Faithfully Different: Regaining Biblical Clarity in a Secular Culture(2022) Her social media: Website Instagram Facebook RCK social media: Facebook Facebook community group Instagram Pinterest

“Be accessible and authentic in your faith and your children will do the same.” As a Christian apologist, author, evangelist, religion and culture analyst, and advocate for biblical truth, Alex McFarland has preached in over 2,000 churches and Christian events worldwide. He is the founder and President of a great nationwide ministry called Truth for a New Generation. Alex gives his insight and wisdom on… Why he started his organization and its ultimate purpose. A few of his favorite questions and answers from his book, The 21 Toughest Questions Your Kids Will Ask About Christianity, that will help you be able to respond to your child when they ask similar questions about their faith. Alex’s resources: Website Facebook Twitter Instagram RCK social media: Facebook Facebook community group Instagram Pinterest

“We are making a case for the history and deity of Jesus and why Jesus matters!” J. Warner Wallace is a Dateline featured cold-case detective. He is also an author and speaker who became a Christ-follower at the age of thirty-five after investigating the claims of the New Testament gospels using his skill set as a detective. J.Warner dives deeper into... Topics from his new book, Person of Interest  What he means by the statement, "I was surprised to discover descriptions of Jesus was not Jesus," and elaborates on how atheists commonly believe that there is no "real" evidence for God or Jesus. His resources: Cold-Case Christianity & Cold Makers Academy RCK social media: Facebook Facebook community group Instagram Pinterest

The Raising Christian Kids podcast is for parents, grandparents, teachers, ministry leaders, and all who are raising the next generation to have a strong foundation in Jesus. This podcast will educate and empower you to be the best spiritual leader for your child and will answer many questions, such as: How do you teach babies, […] The post Raising Christian Kids Podcast Introduction appeared first on Lee Ann Mancini, Author, Producer, Podcaster.