Here’s how faith was explained to me:
“Faith is like the wind. You can’t see it, but you can see its effects.”
To be blunt…
#1. I hate the wind. I’m from Georgia, and my hair is big enough without the wind that makes it wilder than it already is.
#2. Not everyone lives in regions where the wind’s results are visible, or, for that matter, tolerable.
#3. My first point was about my hair. I thought about changing that, but honestly, it was my first thought.
When I was tasked to be on a team that produced a devotional journal about faith for elementary-aged kids, my reaction was…How much work can I do without people realizing that my cognitive understanding of faith is on the same level as my cognitive understanding of hair products?
So, before I started writing Where In The World, I opened my Bible. My goal was to grasp God’s definition of faith and not my own definition. Here’s what I found:
You might think faith has something to do with what you believe.
You might think that faith has to do with your relationship with God.
You might think faith has to do with trusting in something or someone you can’t see.
And you’d be right. All of those describe the word faith. But for Where in the World, we used a different definition:
Faith is believing what Jesus did can change me.
Have y’all read the story of Jesus? It’s insane. It’s unbelievable. It’s amazing. And the story of Jesus isn’t just a story. It’s history.
When that obvious fact jammed up against my preconceived ideals of faith, I had to pause.
Of course, Jesus is real. Of course, Paul is real. Of course, what happened in the Bible is real.
But it’s also history.
It’s just as much history as Christopher Columbus, George Washington, and the 1995 Braves team winning the World Series (Sorry, Atlanta sports fan, here).
It’s our faith in that history that changes us—that changes everything.
Where In The World not only defines faith in a way that a kid can understand, but it also unpacks…
where in the world Jesus was born.
where in the world Jesus lived.
where in the world His friends lived.
where in the world He died.
And, where in the world Jesus went after.
And it doesn’t stop there.
Where in the World introduces kids to a guy named Paul. Just like Jesus, Paul was real. And when we first read about Paul in the Bible, he’s a Jesus-hating Christian hunter. Dude? Not cool. But the story of Jesus changed Paul, didn’t it? How in the world did that happen?
That’s exactly what Where in the World investigates. During my journey of redefining faith (or maybe truly defining it for the first time), I learned that the story of Jesus…
changes how I see Him.
changes everything.
changes how I see others.
changes how I help others.
is for everybody.
is bigger than every other story.
changes how I forgive others.
changes how I see my problems.
changes how we work together.
For nine weeks, Where in the World teaches kids the story of Jesus—a history that changed everything. A history that never changes. This interactive journal helps kids understand what God says about faith. Weekly stories focus on the life and ministry of Paul. Daily activities help kids discover how God grows their faith. Find out more and get a copy for your kids!
Topics: Elementary (K-5th), Faith
Sherry Surratt
Contributor
Sherry Surratt is the Executive Director of Parent Strategy for Orange. She is the author of several books including Brave Mom: Facing and Overcoming Your Real Mom Fears, and Just Lead! A No Whining, No Nonsense Practical Guide for Women Leaders in the Church. A shoe freak and coffee lover, Sherry resides in Denver, Co with her husband Geoff who is Pastor of Church Planting at Southeast Christian. She has two grown children and two incredibly gorgeous granddaughters.
