This is a question that I really appreciate because it recognizes the importance of the preaching of the Word of God and our reception of it. It recognizes that even the children are to hear, and to best of their ability, understand what is being preached. What follows are some things that I have done as a Dad and also as a pastor.

As a pastor I often get the question, “Do you have any advice for helping my kids to benefit from the sermon?”

This is a question that I really appreciate because it recognizes the importance of the preaching of the Word of God and our reception of it. It recognizes that even the children are to hear, and to best of their ability, understand what is being preached.

What follows are some things that I have done as a Dad and also as a pastor.

Parents before the Sermon

Read the Passage as a family before Sunday morning. This is easy and so very important. They hear the passage read by Dad or Mom and see your commitment to the Word of God. This goes further than you can imagine.

• Ask and answer questions about the passage. As you read it ask questions that help them to see connections and other important features.
• Highlight key themes.
• Make particular notes about the context. A good study Bible is helpful here (my favorite).

Pray for the pastor and those who will gather in the morning. After reading take some time to pray for the pastor and the service. Beg God to showcase the beauty of Christ and strengthen people’s confidence in the Bible.

Ask the kids (especially the little one) to listen for one key point. If they can hear one thing and really get it then you are winning.

Pray before you leave the car. After driving to church take a brief moment to pray as a family. Pray that you would hear, heed and love God’s Word.

Parents during the Sermon

It is very important to not only train your kids to sit “still and quiet” but also to be attentive to the preaching of the Bible. As parents we don’t simply want well-behaved quiet kids but rather Bible-loving, gospel-saturated, promise-claiming, world-changing, kids. This starts with preaching.

• Provide the kids with paper, pencil, and a Bible.
• Restate important things during the sermon.
• Point to verses in their Bible.
• Smile –don’t just give them the stink-eye, it’s not a root-canal!
• Be engaged yourself. You undo all of your work if you are nodding off, checking Facebook, or the scores of the game.

Parents after the Sermon

• Look at their notes (or doodles).
• Ask follow-up questions.
• Help to make personal application.
• Pray for gospel growth.

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