5 Things Every Parent Should Teach Their Kids

Parenting is hard. It can be one of life’s greatest joys and most humbling challenges. None of us have it figured out. As I told our church on Sunday, I’m no expert. I’m a fellow traveler, learning as I go. All of us are trying to raise our children to know and love Jesus in a world that doesn’t make it easy. But that’s why God gives us parents, to constantly give us the gospel. Here are five gospel-centered lessons every parent should strive to teach their kids:

1. Teach Them to Love Jesus

The most important legacy we can leave our children is a sincere, growing love for Jesus. Our kids don’t need perfection, but they do need authenticity. They’re smart—they can spot hypocrisy a mile away. So model it. Live it. Show your kids that Jesus isn’t an afterthought; He’s the center of your life. As parents, we are the lead disciple-makers in our homes. If we want our kids to follow Jesus, they need to see us following Him first.

2. Teach Them to Love the Church

The local church isn’t just a way to fill up time on the weekends—it’s God’s plan for reaching the world and shaping us into the men and women he has called us to be. One of the greatest predictors of whether a child will stay connected to the church after high school is the faith of their parents. If you treat church as optional, your kids will too. Show them that gathering with God’s people is essential, even when it’s inconvenient. Your commitment today is shaping their convictions tomorrow.

3. Teach Them to Love God’s Word

Deuteronomy 6 tells us to talk about God’s Word constantly—when we sit at home, walk along the road, lie down, and get up. That means the Bible shouldn’t be a Sunday-only book. Help your kids memorize Scripture. Read it together. Let them see you reading it. Ask them what God is teaching them, and share what He’s teaching you. When God’s Word is at the center of our homes, it becomes the foundation of our children’s lives.

4. Teach Them to Love Grace

Grace is found at the heart of the gospel—receiving what we don’t deserve. Our kids need to know that they are loved even when they mess up, because that’s how God loves us. As parents, we correct sin, but we also model forgiveness. We don’t excuse failure, but we don’t condemn either. We reflect God’s love: faithful, patient, and full of mercy. Let’s create the kind of homes and families where grace is not just preached, but practiced.

5. Teach Them to Give Their Lives Away

Christian parenting is radically different from the world’s vision of success. We’re not called to raise kids who chase comfort, but kids who chase God’s calling. Whether that’s on the mission field or in the marketplace, our job is to help them say, “Jesus, I will go wherever you call me to go and do whatever you call me to do.” That’s the marker of a life surrendered to Jesus (Mark 8:35). Success isn’t about what they achieve, but about who they become in Christ.

Parents, grandparents, mentors—this is our high calling. God gave us children so we could give them the gospel. Let’s take that calling seriously, and trust that His grace will be enough for the journey.