If we don't teach our children to follow Christ, the world will teach them not to.
CONCLUSION - PART 1 (Day 65)
 
Preparation: Bill Bright said, "We can trace all our human problems to our view of God." How you view God determines whether your problems exist as challenges that you have to overcome or opportunities to see an all-powerful, loving, sovereign God work.

If you want children to have strength when they feel powerless and comfort when their hearts are broken, don't teach them self-esteem. Instead teach them Savior-esteem; how to know God better every day of their lives.

Read the Bible Memory Verse below.

BIBLE MEMORY VERSE
"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." (2 Peter 3:18)
This is the first part of the conclusion to our "Knowledge of God" devotional series.

Our Bible Memory Verse contains two commands for growth:
  1. Grow in Grace
  2. Grow in your knowledge of God

GROW IN GRACE
While growing up, my parents purchased clothes and shoes for me that were always a little bigger than my current size. Why?

My parents knew that a healthy boy would continue to grow, and that one day I would grow into those larger sizes. When we are saved through faith in Jesus Christ, we are set into a sea of God's Grace that is both deep and wide. It does not grow, but we are instructed to grow in it.

We can grow in His Grace by realizing every day how much of our sin has been eternally covered by Jesus' death on the cross. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 5:20,

"... but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound."

When we trust in Jesus to save our soul, we are seeking God's forgiveness for the penalty of every sin we have committed and every sin we will ever commit - He knows them all. Although we are saved from the penalty of sin, we will continue to sin. To daily admit to God sorrow for our new sins and thankfulness for His eternal forgiveness, we affirm a growing understanding of His Amazing Grace that eternally saved us.

So, should we sin more in order to grow more in grace? No! God said that we are to grow in Grace by daily practicing more of His righteousness ( Romans 5:20-21). Pray each day for opportunities to love God and others, like Jesus did. This is growing in His Grace.

Another way to grow in God's Grace is to grow in your knowledge of God. Both of these growth actions are in our Bible Memory verse. They are also connected in 2 Peter 1:2.

"Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through
the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord."

What is the difference between addition and multiplication? ( Multiplication increases much faster than addition does.) God is promising to us an ever increasing growth in His Grace. How is this growth available to us? ( Through the knowledge of God)

We will use the next devotion to understand more about pursuing the knowledge of God.

WHY DOES THIS MATTER:
Because GOD IS PERSONAL, seek to know Him personally every day.

TAKING ACTION:
Read God's Word every day looking for sins to avoid, promises to claim, actions to take, and descriptions of God's character and nature. Pray and thank God for His special revelation of Himself to you.

All of these devotions were designed to learn more about God every day. This is the beginning of the conclusion to that series.

The image below is a summary of all the attributes of God that we have studied and applied. They will be available soon from the Family Ministry page of the Florence Baptist Temple website. CLICK HERE for the whole series.

adapted from Discover God 4 Kids
A Sample Prayer to Conclude Your Time
Heavenly Father,
We praise You for Your Personal nature, desiring an eternal relationship with us. Thank you for the gift of eternal life through Your Son, Jesus. Thank you for providing us Your Word to fulfill our desire to know You better each day. May Your divine nature become a personal practice in our lives as we seek to be more like Jesus.
In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen.