Calling kids to action today shapes warriors for Christ tomorrow.
Don’t just inform — inspire action! Learn how to leave kids ready to live out what they’ve learned.
A few years ago, a mom called me and said something had happened that she couldn’t quite explain and hoped I could shed some light. Her younger son, Gabe, had received five dollars in a birthday card from Grandma with a note encouraging him to buy something he’d enjoy. So off to the toy store they went.
As they browsed the shelves, the boy suddenly asked, “What is Sam saving up for?” Sam was his older brother. His mom replied, “He’s saving up for a Spider-Man action figure.” That’s when the boy shocked her by saying, “Then that’s what I want to buy.”
Assuming he was trying to make his brother jealous, she told him, “No, you need to get something different. I don’t want you picking the same thing just to make him mad.” But Gabe quickly responded, “No, sorry Mom, I wouldn’t do that. I want to buy it for him.”
Now totally confused, she asked, “Why would you spend your birthday money on your brother?”
And this is what he said: “Because that’s what I wish someone would do for me. And that’s my assignment this week.”
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.
Do what it says.”
James 1:22
She called me to ask what in the world he was talking about. I couldn’t help but beam with joy as I explained: “Last Sunday, we studied the Golden Rule — ‘Do to others what you would have them do to you’ (Matthew 7:12). During our closing prayer, I asked the kids to quietly think of something they wish someone would do for them. Then I said, ‘That’s your assignment this week. Go do that exact thing… for someone else.’” Some kids gasped, some even groaned. But one little boy took the challenge to heart.
Because Gabe thought it would be cool if someone gave him a toy, he flipped the Golden Rule and decided to be that blessing to his brother. When they got home, he simply handed Sam the action figure and said, “This is for you.” Then he went on with his day. No fanfare. No bragging. Just obedience and joy. Sam was stunned. His mom was moved. I was encouraged.
That’s the point — if we only explain truth but don’t give kids a practical way to live it out, we reduce God’s life-giving Word to mere information. And as D.L. Moody once said, “The goal of the Christian life is not information but transformation.” We’re not called to fill kids’ minds, but to stir their hearts and activate their lives.
That’s why every lesson should end with a simple challenge — not just a review question or a fun recap game, but a meaningful invitation to do something in response to what they just heard. The action doesn’t have to be big to be powerful. It might be asking forgiveness from someone they’ve hurt, writing an encouraging note to a friend, inviting someone to church, or even simply telling their parents what they learned and what it means to them. Each week, they should leave with a clear sense of, “Here’s how I can live this out.”
These aren’t just activities to extend the lesson — they are the point of the lesson.
Action is where belief becomes faith. When kids take even the smallest step
of obedience, they start to discover that following Jesus is not just something
they hear about in church. It’s real. It’s alive. And it happens through them.
That’s why it’s not enough to end a lesson with, “Let’s pray.” We must
end with, “Now, what will you do?” And better yet, we must model it.
When kids hear how you applied the truth you’re teaching, they’ll be more motivated to do the same. Your authenticity and joy in applying God’s Word in your own life will give them the courage to try it in theirs.
And don’t underestimate the ripple effect of one obedient child.
After one VBS, another mom called me in awe. Her son had always loved playing “bank,” organizing his allowance into three envelopes labeled “Fun Box,” “Savings Box,” and “God Box.” (His tithe) All week we were raising money for an overseas orphanage. One night he asked his mom, “Do I have to only give from my God Box? Or can I give from the other ones too?” She told him to pray and do what the Lord led him to do.
He didn’t ask again.
A week later, she noticed he hadn’t played bank in a while. When she asked why, he shrugged and said, “I don’t have any money.” When she asked why he answered, “I gave it all to the orphanage. I’m an American kid who has everything I need. I figured I could just start over.”
That story touched me so deeply I shared it in a sermon. Afterward, a man approached me, visibly moved. He said, “That story hit hard. I’m going to do the same. I’m a blessed American — I can start over too.” He sold his collector cars, downsized his home, and became a significant donor to our church, to missions and non-profit ministries.
And it all started because a child was challenged to do something.
When we empower kids to act on what they learn, we’re not just changing their lives — we’re impacting others through them. A brother, a mother, a pastor, even a wealthy businessman — all changed because one child did what Jesus said.
So the next time you finish your lesson, don’t just ask, “Did they get it?”
Ask instead, “What will they do with it?”
And then help them do it.
Give them a simple, practical do-able assignment or mission for this next week!
My Prayer for You:
Lord, let us never settle for simply passing along truth. Stir in us a holy urgency to call kids to action. May we equip them not just to learn about Jesus, but to live like Jesus. Let our words become seeds of transformation, not just information.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
FINAL THOUGHT:
“Calling kids to action today shapes warriors for Christ tomorrow.”
