When it comes to discipling the next generation, our approach to teaching young children matters deeply. Often, we can be tempted to reduce the glorious truths of the gospel into bite-sized morsels we think are easier for children to digest. While it is true that teaching children requires careful thought, simplicity should not be mistaken for shallowness. Giving children little truths—harmless-sounding platitudes or overly simplified gospel snippets—may satisfy them momentarily, but these are like outgrown clothes: they quickly become too small for growing minds and hearts. Instead, we should clothe them in “big blazers”—big Bible truths—that they can grow into as they mature in their faith.
Why Little Truths Are Insufficient
Small truths have their appeal. They feel manageable, less intimidating, and easy to teach. But when our teaching remains shallow, we inadvertently prepare children for a faith that lacks depth and resilience. What happens when the simple “Jesus loves you” they learned in preschool is met with the complexities of suffering, doubt, or temptation in their tween years? Without a strong foundation, these little truths often feel inadequate, leaving children disillusioned.
God’s Word is deep and rich because it reflects the infinite majesty of its Author. By reducing the gospel to soundbites, we inadvertently present God as smaller than He is—a manageable deity rather than the all-powerful Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. Our children need to know the fullness of who God is: His holiness, His justice, His mercy, and His sovereignty.
Teaching Big Truths to Young Minds
Children are more capable of grasping big ideas than we often assume, because such learning is of a spiritual nature. Jesus Himself welcomed children, not as an afterthought, but as vital members of His Kingdom. When we teach young children big truths, we introduce them to the awe and wonder of a big God. These truths may not be fully understood at first, but they serve as seeds that grow over time, watered by faithful discipleship.
Parents often buy clothes for their children that are a size or two too big. Why? Because they know how quickly children grow, and they want the clothes to last. It’s a practical choice—they don’t want to waste resources on something that will be outgrown in months. Similarly, when we teach children big Bible truths, we are giving them something to grow into rather than something they will quickly grow out of. It’s an investment in their spiritual maturity, providing them with a framework that can expand as their understanding deepens.
For those who work with children and parents, this principle is a helpful reminder. Our goal is not to just make truth fit into the immediate capacity of a child’s understanding but also to plant seeds of truth that will take root and grow over time. Parents and children’s leaders are called to partner in this effort, equipping children with biblical truths that will endure and bear fruit throughout their lives.
Why Big Truths Lead to Big Faith
Teaching big truths nurtures children who grow up with a faith that is robust, resilient, and rooted in Scripture. These children are better prepared to handle the questions and challenges that inevitably come with growing up in a fallen world. Big truths enable them to:
- Stand Firm: They will know God’s character and promises, equipping them to resist the lies of the enemy (Ephesians 6:10-18).
- Think Deeply: They will develop a biblical framework for interpreting the world around them (Romans 12:2).
- Worship Fully: Knowing God in His fullness inspires awe and wholehearted devotion (Psalm 95:6).
Practical Tips for Teaching Big Truths
- Start with Scripture: Teach directly from the Bible, even with young children. Use age-appropriate language, but don’t water down the message.
- Use Repetition: Children learn through repetition. Keep returning to foundational truths, reinforcing them in different ways.
- Engage Their Minds and Hearts: Ask questions that encourage curiosity and reflection. Help children see how these truths apply to their everyday lives.
- Pray with Them: Model prayers that are rich in theology and heartfelt in worship, showing them how to approach God as their Heavenly Father.
- Be Patient: Growth takes time. Trust that the big truths you plant now will bear fruit in God’s timing.
Conclusion
Our calling as parents, children’s leaders, and church leaders is not to protect children from the full weight of God’s truth but to immerse them in it. When we clothe them in big blazers—big truths about God and His gospel—we give them room to grow into a faith that endures. Let us not settle for little truths that children outgrow but give them the rich, full, awe-inspiring truth of God’s Word. After all, our aim is to raise disciples who live wholeheartedly for the glory of the Lord Jesus, now and for ever.
