Today we’re going to talk about the next 2 beads on your bracelet. They are yellow (Point to it.) and white (Point to it!). Yellow is We Believe and white is We Receive!

Okay so let’s remember what we learned at the Big Splash. They told us that to believe, we had to trust. Remember how they trusted the chair to hold them up? They told you that TRUST is something that you do. It’s an action word and we’re going to talk about that action a little more.

But first, let’s start with BELIEVE in Jesus. The Bible tells us when we believe, our heart is sure! In the verses, we have to believe that Jesus is Lord and God raised Him from the dead. Remember, we talked about that yesterday, but let’s look at the verse and then I’ll ask you a question.  

Let’s read Romans 10:9-10. First it says, “Because, if you confess (say what you believe out loud) with your mouth that Jesus is Lord (Jesus is our Lord because He was the one that took care of our SIN problem)…If you believe that, say out loud Jesus is Lord.

The second part is about believing something else. Let’s read it. “….and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead.” Do you remember that yesterday we talked about how Jesus died on the cross? What happened 3 days later? He came back to life! The Bible says it this way, “He was raised from the dead!” Does your heart say “Yes” to that? Then, you believe.

Now, let’s review. First we believe that Jesus is Lord. Second, we believe in our heart that Jesus died and He was raised back to life 3 days later. And finally the Bible says “…you will be saved.” Being saved really means that because we believe like the Bible teaches us, we get to be part of God’s family forever and ever! 

That’s the gift that we RECEIVE! It means that we are forgiven of all our sins AND we get to go to heaven one day. There’s more than just waiting until we go to heaven, we get to be part of His family now! Jesus forgives all those SINS and He lives in our heart. He’s going to guide you and help you make good decisions; He’s going to take care of you! You’ll learn more and more about how much He cares for you because being part of God’s family makes you special!

So today, we talked about some really big stuff. We talked about what the Bible says to do when we believe. Remember, you speak with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead. That’s the yellow bead on the bracelet. It reminds us that WE BELIEVE! 

We didn’t talk about that white bead, but it goes with today, too. The white bead reminds us that WE RECEIVE! First, WE BELIEVE; then, WE RECEIVE! Did we say that God sends us presents, like birthday presents? No. That’s not what we get. What we get is even better! We get God’s forgiveness of our SINS; we get to be in God’s family; AND we get to go to heaven when we die! 

Do you feel like there has been a time when you believed and received the forgiveness of your sins?

Parents: If the answer is yes, continue with the devotion. If the answer is no but you feel like they understand what Jesus did for them, you can lead them in a prayer like this: 
‘Jesus I want to know You. I want my sin forgiven by You. I want to be made right with God in heaven through You and I want to live my life for You. Come into my life and be my Lord. Amen.’ 
If your kid just prayed this prayer with you, this is the most important decision they will ever make. So, celebrate it. Remind them of this moment often. Retell them the story of this moment.
If they are not ready to say this prayer, that is okay. It’s important that every kid makes this decision when they are ready and have an understanding of what it means to receive the gift of forgiveness and eternal life. As a parent, your role now is to keep praying for them, keep modeling the way of following Jesus, keep them involved with WEC Kids, and keep an ongoing conversation about what it means to BELIEVE & RECEIVE ongoing. One last note, remember that sin, forgiveness, eternal life, and God can be difficult concepts for kids to grasp and understand. Don’t expect your kid to understand everything to the extent that you do - Jesus commended children for their childlike faith. We want our kids to know, love and follow Jesus with the basic understanding we’ve outlined in this devotional and we celebrate their childlike faith.

One more quick review, look at your bracelet. This time I’m going to say the words and you point to the right bead. Be ready because I’m mixing them up! Ready?

God Loved = _________(red), We Believe =________ (yellow), Sin = ______ (black), We Receive = _________(white), God Gave = ______(brown)

Wow! You did a fantastic job!

Dear God, I am so happy this week. I am learning so much about your love and how I can become part of your family. Thank you, God, for showing me that when I believe, I also receive. Thank you for your salvation plan. Amen.