Discipleship Path → Living It Out
Sharing Jesus With a Friend
Once a child has trusted Jesus, the most natural next step is to tell someone. That thought can feel scary for the child and for you, because it sounds like they need training and all the right answers first. They do not. The best thing your child can share is also the simplest: their own honest story of what Jesus has done. This module hands you a low-pressure way to help your child tell a friend, built on truth instead of a script.
Adapting for Age
Ages 6 to 8
For a young child, I love Jesus is a complete and beautiful witness. They do not need to explain the gospel or answer hard questions. Give them permission that saying they love Jesus, or that Jesus loves them, is more than enough. Let it stay that simple.
Ages 10 to 12
An older child can learn a simple three-sentence shape for their story and may be ready to actually share it with a friend. Practice it out loud together a few times so it sounds like their own words, not a speech, and remind them they can always say I don't know, but I can find out.
You Have a Story Because of Jesus
Your child has something to share for one reason: Jesus changed them. Sharing is not bragging, and it is not winning an argument. It is pointing a friend toward the One who rescued them. First Peter 3:15 says to always be ready to give an answer for the hope you have, and to do it with gentleness and respect. Notice what carries the weight there. Kindness matters more than having every answer.
That hope has a name. The good news is what Jesus did on the cross and when He rose again, and Romans 1:16 says we have no reason to be ashamed of it, because the gospel is God's power to save everyone who believes. Your child is not selling anything. They are simply telling a friend where they found the best thing that ever happened to them.
Your Story in Three Simple Sentences
A story is easier to share than a lecture, and your child already has one. Help them fill in three plain sentences in their own words. This is a conversation to have together, not a script to memorize.
- Before. What life or their heart felt like before they trusted Jesus.
- What happened. The day, or the moment, they decided to trust Jesus.
- Now. What is different since, even something small like feeling forgiven or less afraid.
Remind your child that it does not have to be dramatic to be true. A quiet, honest story is a strong one, and I don't know is always an allowed answer to a hard question.
Try This
Sit down with your child and help them say their three sentences out loud: before, what happened, and now. If it helps, write them on a card in your child's own words. Do not push them to go find a friend today. The goal for now is a story they own and could share when the moment comes. A child who has said their story once, out loud, to someone safe is far more ready to say it to a friend later.