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I want to celebrate good news with all of you. Last night I had the privilege of leading my oldest son to Christ!

Since their time in the womb, Taylor and I have prayed for our three sons and their relationship with the living God. We have boldly prayed that God would rescue our sons from their sin and grant them saving faith in Jesus at a young age. We’ve prayed this because we want our sons to know and enjoy God from an early age, and we want the joy of discipling our sons while they’re still learning to tie their shoes.  We’ve been praying this prayer for Cru for four years. Last night that prayer was answered.

There are many people who doubt the conversion of young children.  There are very good reasons to press into and investigate the supposed conversion of young children, but I don’t think the Bible gives us any exegetical evidence to argue that God doesn’t save young children. In fact, I think the Bible provides a consistent witness that young children are often the most open to the gospel message. Read “How I Became A Christian” for a brief account of my conversion at age five and an encouragement to pray for and pursue the conversion of young children.

Last night I noticed that something special was happening with my four-year-old son. Cru was running around the house shouting “God is good!” We didn’t prompt this. Then, all of the sudden, Cru began expressing sadness over the fact that people he loves will be “going to the bad place, going to hell.” Cru then grew pensive, asking if he would go to the bad place or if he would get to be with Jesus, mommy, and daddy. Cru started to cry. Something was happening. I felt a strong leading from the Spirit to review the gospel with my son and to encourage him to place his faith in Jesus.

Cru and I had a 20-minute conversation on the couch, unpacking the truths he’s been learning in our home and in church since he was born. I reminded Cru of how great God is, of how Cru was created to know and enjoy the living God—that there is no greater treasure in life than God. We then talked about Cru’s sin, about how he disobeys God and deserves judgment for his disobedience. Next, I told Cru that Jesus is the only one who has perfectly obeyed God. I told Cru that Jesus came to earth to rescue sinners like me and him. I told Cru that all who ask forgiveness for their sin and begin to believe in and follow Jesus will be given new life, will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and will get to enjoy God now and forever.

I told Cru that at the heart of becoming a Christian is getting a new Father, that God could be his Father and that God is way better father than me.

Then I told Cru the story of how God got a hold of my life.

I told Cru that God was pursuing him. I asked Cru if he thought God might be talking to him right now. Cru said yes, he said that he wanted to be with God. Next, Cru asked how he could have everything we were talking about, how he could have this new life and relationship with God. I told him that it was all a gift, that all he needed to do was talk to God and say sorry for his sin and ask God to give him this gift.  His eyes lit up! He asked if I could help him pray to God for him to become a Christian.

Taylor had entered the room a few minutes earlier. We both laid our hands on Cru, and Cru followed after me in praying and proclaiming to place his faith in Jesus. We hugged and kissed Cru. Then Cru went off to tell his two-year-old brother what had happened.

This morning the discipleship began. I had Cru read John 3:16-17 with me, and I taught him what the good news and promise of these two verses means. Cru then asked if we could pray for Hudson (his two -year-old brother) to become a Christian once he gets older. This father’s heart was full.

I’m planting a new church right now. I count Cru’s conversion to be the first conversion of the new church plant. And this conversion means more to me than any other conversion. My calling is to evangelize and disciple the lost, and that starts with the lost people who live in my home.

Parents, pray for and pursue the early conversion of your children.  Don’t be afraid to boldly make such requests to your Heavenly Father. As you do life, let your kids see you excited about God and let them hear you talk about God and his gospel. May your home have the smell of Deuteronomy 6:4-9:

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Time will prove whether my son’s conversion was genuine. But this is true of adult conversions also. Right now I have every exegetical and evidential reason to believe that, last night, God turned my son into his son. Parents, may you draw great confidence from what Jesus said a   long time ago about little children and the Father’s sovereign choice to   reveal himself to little children:

At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.  All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows   the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son   and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who   labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon   you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will   find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:25-30).

Is there enough evidence for us to believe the Gospels?

In an age of faith deconstruction and skepticism about the Bible’s authority, it’s common to hear claims that the Gospels are unreliable propaganda. And if the Gospels are shown to be historically unreliable, the whole foundation of Christianity begins to crumble.
But the Gospels are historically reliable. And the evidence for this is vast.
To learn about the evidence for the historical reliability of the four Gospels, click below to access a FREE eBook of Can We Trust the Gospels? written by New Testament scholar Peter J. Williams.

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