When we consistently use a “God-sized” lens to share God’s Word with our family, it broadens our children’s understanding of who God is and how He acts in our world. It also changes how our children view themselves, their blessings, and their purpose.

Sharing the Bible with our children through a “God-sized” lens does not have to be difficult. It just requires that we consistently frame every story with these truths:

• God is the main character of every story.
• God is always at work to make Himself known.
• God blesses His people for a greater purpose that includes others.

Bible Time Tip:

As your family explores God’s Word together, use actions and repetition to engage your children’s attention and aid memory. Add a hand motion, sound effect, body pose, finger snapping, clapping, or foot tapping to represent an important word or concept from the Bible passage. Demonstrate your action as you begin. Repeat it together either during the story or during your discussion afterwards. Use only 1-2 actions per story.  

Family Bible Activity:

Bible Story:

Throughout His ministry, Jesus emphasized the global scale of God’s heart and plan. The Great Commission was not a new concept Jesus taught just before ascending into heaven, but something that He repeated in all four gospels, as well as Acts. As God sent Jesus into the world, so Jesus is sending us (John 20:21). He promises to be with us as we go out in obedience to make disciples of all nations (ethnic people groups, each with a unique culture). Although Jesus commanded us to make disciples in every people group, more than one-third of today’s people groups do not have access to the gospel.  

Grab your Bible and gather your family. Assign older children one of the following passages to look up and read: Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:45-47, John 20:21, and Acts 1:8. Parents can read any remaining verses. Read these passages aloud, thinking about what is similar in all of them. Then do the following related activity.

Family Activity:

Beforehand: Make up a clapping pattern that will be simple enough for your children to imitate.

Practice your clapping pattern until everyone can do it easily. Invite one person to clap the pattern alone. Next have two people clap the pattern together. Now add a third person. Finally have the whole family clap the pattern together. (For small families, each person can take two turns by clapping the pattern on one knee, then on both knees the second time.) Explain that although different people participated, the pattern sounded the same except that the volume increased with each repetition. Share that parents and teachers often repeat things because they are important and should be remembered. Jesus also repeated important things. Re-read Matthew 28:16-20 and share that before returning to heaven, Jesus repeated a command He had already given to His followers many times. Believers often refer to this command as the “Great Commission.”

Use a “God-sized” lens. What does Jesus’ repetition of the Great Commission reflect about God’s heart for the world? Pray that God would show your family how to be obedient to the Great Commission.

(This Bible story activity is framed with a “God-sized” lens. For more stories and activities shared through a “God-sized” lens, download One Big Story for free!)