Years ago, when our family gathered for a Sunday meal, the children finished eating early and scattered into the backyard while the adults lingered at the table. That’s when our oldest son, Josh, then eight or nine, leaned in and whispered a plan: The moment I finished eating, I was going to walk outside and baptize him in the pool. He wanted to follow Jesus, and apparently the whole cousin crew was in on it.
I wasn’t ready—not because I doubted Josh’s heart, but because I wanted to understand it first. So I told him today wasn’t the day and asked him to break the news to his audience. He did—no complaints, no drama, just quiet obedience. That’s Josh for you.
What happened later that night is the part I’ve carried with me ever since.
Once we got home, Josh and I found ourselves alone in the backyard, and he asked me earnestly when I was going to show him how to follow Jesus. He wanted to give his life to Christ.
As a dad, that stopped me in my tracks. I didn’t grow up in a Christian home, and I’d always hoped my kids would follow Jesus because they met Him, not simply because they were following my expectations. Watching Josh ask the question himself, unprompted, was an answer to a prayer I hadn’t fully voiced.
So we made a plan. Pajamas on, into bed, and I’d come with my Bible to sit with him. My wife’s response when I told her it might finally be happening: “Okay, I’ll be praying for you.”
I sat down beside Josh’s bed, opened to Romans 3:23, and started to read. Before I got the words out, Josh reached for the Bible himself. “I can read it, Dad.” He did, and we talked about what it meant—that every one of us is a sinner.
Then came the question I wasn’t ready for. Josh looked at me and asked what some of my sins were.
I told him the truth: anger, unkindness, and stealing baseball cards as a teenager. Then I asked about his. He admitted he’d been mean, gotten angry, and lied. Then he added, with all the confidence of an eight-year-old, “But I've never stolen anything.”
We moved to Romans 6:23. Josh wasn’t sure what “wages” meant, so I compared it to his allowance—what he’s earned. His face brightened until I asked him to read the verse again and notice what those wages actually were. I watched his expression change as he realized sin carried a real penalty. Then he finished the verse: God’s gift is eternal life through Jesus Christ. “So that’s why Jesus died on the cross? He took the punishment I deserved?” “Exactly right,” I told him.
We turned to Romans 10:9. Josh readily believed Jesus died for him, but the resurrection gave him pause. He asked for a minute to think.
I sat with him, silently praying. After a few quiet minutes, Josh looked up and said he believed God raised Jesus from the dead. Why? Because Jesus was like the wind—you can’t see Him today, but that doesn’t make Him any less real. You can feel Him and hear Him and see what He can do.
That was the Holy Spirit doing what I couldn’t. We prayed together, and Josh gave his life to Christ that night—then promptly insisted we wake his little sister to share the news, because ten o’clock was no time to keep good news quiet.
Those core truths about sin, salvation, and God’s character laid the solid foundation Josh needed to build a lifetime of faith. And that’s what this year’s Romans study will highlight for even the youngest of our BSF Kids. Being introduced to challenging concepts at an age-appropriate level allows children to discover that Romans is not just for adults; Romans is for them too.
For Teens
As our kids grew into teenagers, I watched God build on the foundation He had laid years before. New questions emerged. What is my identity? Do I have a purpose? How do I navigate relationships? What does it really mean to follow Christ? Time and again, we found ourselves returning to the book of Romans for answers.
That’s what students will discover in this year’s BSF Students program. Romans speaks directly to the questions teens are asking, helping them understand who God is, who they are in Christ, and how the gospel shapes every part of life. Whether they’re studying Romans for the first time or continuing to grow in their faith, they’ll find God’s truth meets them right where they are.
For Parents
Romans has held a special place in our family ever since. Its truths aren’t too small for a child to grasp, and—this is the part I’ve come to treasure most—they aren’t too big for a parent to need again and again. If you’re walking a son or daughter toward faith, don’t be afraid of their questions, even the ones that catch you off guard. Answer honestly. Then get out of the way and let the Spirit work through the book of Romans to do what only He can.