As a teaching site based on helping to develop loving Christian families, it would be remiss of me to leave out this all important subject. It has been said that as a nation we have the highest youth suicide rate in the world, that our young people are dying for a lack of real hope in their lives.

Now I am not writing about instilling false hope or believing in a powerless God, for my experience has shown God to be both willing and able to do 'all things'. When Jesus Christ comes into our hearts by faith, and we find forgiveness before the throne of God, everything in our life changes. A living faith is so empowering that so many people say 'Why didn't I do this years ago?'

The stories contained in the Holy Bible are written about real people like you and me, who had life changing experiences with God. Some were farmers, some businessmen, some fishermen, some people worked for others, but one thing that they all had in common was that they had an appointment with 'The Living God'.

God calls all mankind to come to Him and to know Him personally, through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. By paying the price for 'our' sins Jesus became the door into heaven for all who believe. Now we, like all those people in the bible can know what it is like to 'walk with God'.

Reading the bible stories to your children can help to sow the seeds of a living faith in their hearts, and they can grow to know what it is like to 'walk with God' too. Of course if we ourselves are yet to take that leap of faith and believe in Jesus Christ as our saviour, I would encourage you to begin by reading the Gospel of John in the new testament, and my prayer is that you would find 'your own faith come alive in your heart'.

Warm Regards
John Nolan
Dads Uni

Suggested Action:
Take the time to dust off the family bible and read to your children. Your actions may well contribute to them finding the joy and hope of eternity in their own hearts.

(Luke 18 v 15-16)
¹⁵Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. ¹⁶But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God."

(Deuteronomy 6 v 6-7)
⁶And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. ⁷You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.