Teaching Kids Theology Part 8
TLDR: Helping a child to understand who God is can be more challenging that you might think. We can make the mistake of oversimplifying a theology of God and we can make the opposite mistake of overcomplicating it. The best approach is right in the middle.
At first glance, defining God can seem like we’re trying to define blue.1 God is just God, right? That’s true to a point. Even God has defined himself this way. In the Old Testament, one of the most common Hebrew names for God is Yahweh, which is often translated as “LORD” (with small capital letters O, R, and D to make it stand out from “Lord,” which translates something else). Yahweh basically means “I am” or “I exist” (see Exodus 3:14). So, when Moses asked God this very question—who are you?—God’s response was simply “I am God.” But God didn’t define himself only in this way in the Bible. He also gave us many other names (e.g., Elohim, Adonai, El Shaddai) and characteristics (e.g., loving, faithful, just) to know him by.
How, then, do we begin to define God for a child? Do we take the way that seems overly simple, or the way that seems overly complex? Perhaps the best approach is in the middle: focusing on an overarching description that is unique to God—a description that provides glimpses of his other important characteristics but that is simple enough for our kids to get their arms around. A description like this: God is the creator and ruler of all things. This is basically how God chose to introduce himself to us in Genesis 1. It’s simple enough, but it hints at several important undergirding truths. God is immensely powerful; he must be to make everything by speaking. He is unique; he alone isn’t created. He has all authority; that means he makes the rules for how everything works, including us. And he loves us and wants to know us; that’s the very reason we exist.
The Example of the Ten Commandments
A great way to see how we can communicate about God is to see how he did it himself through the Ten Commandments. The law that God gave to his people through Moses wasn’t just to guide them for how they were to live (that was indeed a large part of it), but it was also to introduce them to who he is. The ancient Hebrews weren’t just forging a new nation; they were forging a new relationship with a God they had not known in Egypt.
Don’t miss what God does in the preface of the Ten Commandments:
God spoke all these words: “I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you from the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery.”
Exodus 20:1–2 (NET)
Before getting to what he expected of his people, God first reminds them of what he has done. He has delivered them from bondage and he had done that in a powerful way.
Then, as we consider each of the Ten Commandments, we are drawn to learn something about God:
- You shall have no other gods (Exodus 20:3). God is unique.
- You shall not make any idols (Exodus 20:4–6). God cannot be contained.
- You shall not take the Lord’s name in vain (Exodus 20:7). God is weighty.
- You are to remember the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8–11). God is our rest.
- You are to honor your parents (Exodus 20:12). God is our heavenly Father deserving of honor.
- You are not to murder (Exodus 20:13). God is the source of life.
- You are not to commit adultery (Exodus 20:14). God is our sole love.
- You are not to steal (Exodus 20:15). God provides all we need.
- You are not to give false testimony (Exodus 20:16). God is true.
- You are not to covet (Exodus 20:17). God is our greatest desire.
Each of these commandments expresses a way to live that aligns with God’s character. We obey the Ten Commandments not just because they were commanded, but also because they reflect God’s identity. We can’t miss how deeply intertwined this is. We teach our kids to know God so that they love Him but also so that they understand better how to live like Him—the very way they were made to live as His image bearers.
If you are looking for a resource to help you grow as a theologian and to help you teach your children theology, Faith Foundations is for you. These ninety-nine devotions use an ancient tool called a catechism to teach the core doctrines of the faith. Each devotion features a Bible reading, a devotion, several engaging questions, a Jesus connection, and a suggested family activity. Faith Foundations releases today and is available for purchase.
- The first two paragraphs of this blog post are a slightly adapted excerpt from Faith Foundations. (Brian Dembowczyk, Faith Foundations: 99 Devotions to Help Your Family Know, Love, & Act Like Jesus. Downers Grove: IVP, 2025.) ↩︎
brian dembowczyk 