It has been a minute since I taught Sunday School, but this subject was much on my mind at that time. In my informal assessment of my students, I was pleased to find that most of them had a solid grasp of major Bible stories and 25% of them could recite the books of the Bible from memory!

In The World, But Not Of The World

As Christian parents, one of our deepest desires is to raise children who know, love, and follow Jesus. Yet, we’re doing this in a world that often runs in the opposite direction. Our culture prizes independence over surrender, self over sacrifice and temporary pleasure over eternal truth. So how do we plant seeds in our children’s hearts that can grow and blossom into a harvest of deep faith?

Trust Your Creator

The good news is, God is with us. We’re not parenting alone. He has equipped us with his Word, his Spirit, and a community of believers to help guide our children toward Jesus. And we can show them what following Jesus looks like in everyday life. There is no need to push an adult understanding of Christ on a child who isn’t ready for it, we can simply model it for our children and wait until they are ready.

So without further ado, here are 6 practical ways to raise kids who love Jesus in a culture that doesn’t:

1. Start With Your Own Walk With Jesus

Children learn more from what we do than what we say. If we want our kids to love Jesus, they need to see that we do too.

That means making our faith visible in everyday life by praying openly, reading Scripture regularly, worshiping sincerely and repenting humbly. Let your kids catch you having quiet time with God. Share how Jesus is guiding your decisions or comforting you in hard times.

When faith is real to you, it will feel real to them too.

2. Make the Bible Part of Everyday Life

Don’t just read Bible stories at bedtime. Talk about God’s Word around the dinner table, in the car or while doing chores. Use Scripture to frame how you view things: “That reminds me of what Jesus said…” or “That’s like what happened with David and Goliath…”

When God’s Word is woven into your family’s daily rhythms, it becomes a lens through which a child can interpret their world.

3. Prioritize Church

In a culture that often treats church as optional, show your children that the body of Christ matters. Attend regularly. Serve together. Let them see the beauty of multi-generational worship, community, and mission.

Don’t just go to church, be the church. Let your kids experience firsthand what it means to belong to God’s family.

4. Teach Discernment, Not Just Rules

It’s tempting to shield our kids from every negative influence, but the goal is not to raise sheltered kids, it’s to raise wise ones. Teach them how to think biblically, not just what to avoid.

When your child asks hard questions about culture, entertainment, or peer pressure, don’t shut down the conversation. Use it as a teaching moment. Ask, “What do you think Jesus would say about this?” Help them build a strong moral compass that’s grounded in grace and truth.

5. Create a Grace-Filled Home

Your home should be the safest place for your kids to wrestle with faith, ask questions, and even mess up. Be quick to forgive, slow to anger and generous with love.

When your child experiences the grace of Jesus through you, they’ll be more drawn to him. Remember, perfection isn’t the goal, authenticity is. Your children don’t need flawless parents. They need faithful ones.

6. Pray Like It All Depends on God

Ultimately, no strategy or parenting method can guarantee your children will follow Jesus. That’s God’s work, but he does invite us to join him through prayer and worship.

• Pray for their hearts to be soft to the Spirit.
• Pray for godly friends and mentors.
• Pray for courage when they face opposition.
• And trust that the same God who called you to follow him is calling your children, too.

You Can Do It

Raising kids who love Jesus in a culture that doesn’t is challenging, but not impossible. It requires intentionality, authenticity, and above all, reliance on God’s grace. And when you get far enough down the line to see it paying off in the lives of your grandchildren, all that hard work and self-discipline is going to feel really sweet!

You are planting seeds every time you choose prayer over panic, grace over judgment, truth over silence and faith over fear. And God promises that those seeds, watered with love and prayer, will bear fruit in his time. So press on, mom and dad! The world may not value what you’re doing, but God does.

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” 3 John 1:4

✏️  AUTHOR CREDITS

This blog was written by the Mission Hills Church Kids Ministry.