Easter Joy

Joey & Carla Link

April 8, 2020

Too many times we hear parents say they are too busy to train or spiritually teach their kids because of all the activities and events going on in life. Now that you are all home together, it’s a great opportunity to pass your faith and what you believe

on to your kids.

I have always been impressed how Israel, although being enslaved in Egypt for some 200+ years, was able to keep their identity and faith. It was because of these words,

“Now this is the commandments, the statutes and the rules that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments all the days of your life.“

It goes on to say, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.“

Deuteronomy 6:1-2,5-9 (ESV)

This is what each family was commanded by God to teach their kids so they would not lose their values, beliefs or faith in Him and there is no better time to talk about what God has done for us than Easter.

Read the Easter story to your kids and give them some insight into it. Get some nails and a hammer (ages 6 and up) and lay one of your kid’s hands on the table and ask the others if you should hammer the nails in. You want to give your kids a realistic picture of what God allowed Jesus to go through for each of us.

Memorize a Bible verse about Jesus dying on the cross and what it means to live in Heaven forever together as a family. If you have older kids, have them find a few verses to share with the family about what Easter means to them on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Watch a movie about the Easter story.

Have an Easter egg hunt inside or in your yard. We had one color of plastic eggs for each child and got very creative as they got older about hiding them. Our kids loved doing this through their teen years. Write on slips of paper one thing you appreciate about a particular child and put them in his/her eggs. Put treats in some too of course!

Spend the rest of the day playing games together. Let each family member pick a game and everyone plays with a good attitude.

With churches across the country closed this Sunday, it is a wonderful opportunity to teach your kids about the free gift of salvation they have or could have by asking Jesus to forgive their sins and invite the risen Christ to come live inside their hearts. (John 3:16) Talk about what “living inside your heart” looks like or should look like. Be creative!

Wishing you and your family the blessings of God as we celebrate Him together this Sunday.