CONTENTS A B C. 6 The Bible. 10 God. 18 What Is God Like? 22 Jesus, the Son of God. 28 What Did Jesus Teach? 32 What Happened to Jesus?

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1 CONTENTS A Note to Reader and Parents 6 The Bible 10 God 18 What Is God Like? 22 Jesus, the Son of God 28 What Did Jesus Teach? 32 What Happened to Jesus? 36 The Trinity 42 Sin 46 Why Am I Blamed for Adam and Eve's Sin? 50 Sin's Punishment 54 God's Amazing Forgiveness 58 Trust God 62 Trust God... Take Two 66 Learning How to Trust God 70 B C D Salvation 74 The Gift of Salvation 78 The Sacrifice of Love 84 Eternal Life 88 Growing in Faith 92 Amazing Grace 96 Repentance 100 Confessing Your Sin 104 The Lord's Supper 108 What Is Baptism? 112 What Is Heaven? 116 Who Is Satan? 120 Is Hell a Real Place? 124 God's Angels 128 Prayer 132 F E H I G

2 Note to Reader and Parents Dear Reader There are some words and phrases you may never hear except in relation to the Bible or the Christian life since they aren t used about many other things. This book is to help you understand some basic concepts of your Christian faith that are represented by those words. It explains terms that you may often hear or read about but do not fully understand. You will likely have more questions after you read these explanations so talk with your parents or another trusted adult for help understanding. My prayer is that this book will help you grow closer to God and deeper in your faith in Him. Blessings, Carolyn Larsen Dear Parents This book is intended to be a first or second step in your child s understanding of the basics of Christian faith. It explains some of the basic terms that are a part of our faith vocabulary. It will hopefully open doors for further discussion with your child. The biblical story examples show how these concepts have been a part of living with God since the beginning. Please understand that this book is not intended to be an end all on these topics. It should be a conversation starter for you and your child and an opportunity for further explanation from the perspective of your particular beliefs. My prayer is for good conversation and deeper understanding for your precious children. Blessings, Carolyn Larsen 6 7

3 ABCs of BEING A Christian e salt and light A B Matthew 5:13-16 lways give C thanks blessings 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 Psalm 103:1-5 D E o your best ncourage others Colossians 3:23 1 Thessalonians 5:11 ive cheerfully f G orgive others 2 Corinthians 9:6-12 Colossians 3:12-14 H I J ncrease your faith ump for joy 2 Peter 1:5-10 Psalm 100:2 Love others 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Make peace Colossians 3:15 ount your onor your parents Ephesians 6:2 be ind and caring Ephesians 4:32 Never give O up P Q S U W Y Galatians 6:9 uit complaining Philippians 2:14-15 peak kindly Proverbs 16:24 ait on God Psalm 27:14 ield to Others Philippians 2:3-4 bey God John 14:21 R T V se your talents 1 Peter 4:10-11 ray about everything Philippians 4:6-7 espect others 1 Peter 2:17 ell the truth Ephesians 4:15-16 exalt God Psalm 34:3 ictorious in God Psalm 18:29 Zealously share the Good News Mark 16:15 8 9

4 The Bible Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105 The Bible is the Word of God, written by men but inspired by God. That means He told men what to write. Why is that important? Because God s Word is His communication with His people. He wrote the Bible so that we can know how to live for Him; how to obey Him; how to treat other people and how to show God s love to others. 10 What do we learn from reading the Bible? We see how God shows love to His people. We see how He answers prayers. We learn that God is serious about being the only God in people s lives. He wants our full attention and obedience. He wants our love... because He loves us. The Bible is divided into sections. The 39 books of the Old Testament include books on law (Genesis through Deuteronomy); history books (Joshua through Esther); books of poetry (Job through Song of Solomon); major prophets (Isaiah through Daniel) and minor prophets (Hosea through Malachi). The 27 books of the New Testament include the four gospels (Matthew through John); a book on the history of the church (Acts); letters of Paul (Romans through Philemon); general epistles (Hebrews through Jude) and prophecy (Revelation). Look at the bookshelf on the next page to see how the Bible books are divided up. 11

5 2 2 Kings Kings Old Testament Books New Testament Books 1 Samuel Ecclesiastes Ruth Proverbs Judges Psalms Joshua Job Poetry Song of Songs Genesis 2 Samuel Leviticus Exodus Law 1 1 Kings Kings Numbers Numbers History Deuteronomy Deuteronomy Esther Nehemiah Ezra 2 Chronicles 1 Chronicles Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Daniel Ezekiel Major Prophets Luke 2 Corinthians Mark 1 Corinthians Matthew Romans 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians John Gospels Galatians Letters 2 Timothy 1 Timothy Colossians Philippians Ephesians Titus Letters Philemon Acts Church History Jonah Obadiah Amos Joel Hosea Micah Micah Minor Prophets Malachi Zechariah Haggai Zephaniah Habakkuk Nahum Jude 3 John 2 John 1 John 2 Peter 1 Peter James Hebrews Letters Revelation Prophecy

6 What does the Bible say? Psalm 119:11 I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work. Romans 15:4 The Scriptures were written to teach and encourage us by giving us hope. Jesus Jesus went to the wilderness all by Himself. He didn t eat anything for 40 days and 40 nights and He became very hungry. Then the devil showed up. He said, If You are really the Son of God, turn these stones into bread. But Jesus answered, People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Next the devil took Jesus to the highest spot of the temple in Jerusalem. He said, If You are the Son of God, jump from here. The Scriptures say He will order His angels to protect You. And they will hold You up with their hands so You won t even hurt Your foot on a stone. Read the whole story in Matthew 4:1-11 quotes the Bible But Jesus said, The Scriptures also say, You must not test the Lord your God. Then the devil took Jesus to a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world. I ll give these all to You if You bow down and worship me, the devil said. Jesus answered, The Scriptures say, You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him

7 Mirror Alive and Active Sword Hebrews 4:12 Lamp for my feet Psalm 119:105 Map God-breathed 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Compass Light on my path Psalm 119:105 Daily bread Matthew 4:4