Young children are credulous. If they trust us, they will believe pretty much whatever we tell them. It’s because children are credulous that they accept without hesitation both that Santa is coming this Christmas and that Jesus is coming back for His people.
Children don’t remain credulous forever. Beliefs mature. When they do, they usually abandon beliefs in Santa, but they are far more likely to keep believing in Jesus. Our calling is to guide them from childlike credulity to mature conviction, helping them discard what’s false while rooting them deeply in the truth.
Here’s how.
1. Keep teaching them the big story of the Bible.
Credulity is an ally, not an enemy. We wouldn’t want a five-year-old who questions whether fire burns to find out the hard way!
God wisely made children highly credulous, so they can learn quickly (and stay safe).
His design is also what enables children to absorb the gospel quickly. Imagine trying to teach the Bible to skeptical children demanding evidence for every claim. It would take forever! Speed-learning is childhood’s gift, but we carry a serious responsibility: we’d better teach them the truth!
2. Never stop at childhood.
From preteen onward, intentionally show how the gospel fits with everything else they learn about the world.
As we grow, we build a giant collection of interrelated beliefs about science, history, philosophy, art, and everyday life. Some childhood beliefs get discarded because they no longer fit into our collection. We discover reindeer can’t fly, we never catch elves on camera, or, as in my case, we catch dad delivering the gifts we thought came from Santa.
Other beliefs get reinforced because they fit well in our increasing collection. While Santa-followership has close to a 100% apostasy rate, Christianity fares much better, not because believers live in a bubble (most attend public schools, work secular jobs, and watch the same Netflix shows), but because Christian truth coheres with reality.
3. Equip them to test everything against the gospel.
Childhood faith starts with trust. Adult faith is trust that has survived the collision with the rest of our beliefs and come out strong.
Our job is to equip maturing children to bring every new belief into conversation with the gospel and discover that the gospel isn’t thwarted.
4. Be prepared to fix incoherence.
Many people who abandon their belief in Jesus often do so because of perceived incoherence: “Science disproves God.” “The church is judgmental.” “Christianity doesn’t help with real life.” Every major reason boils down to, “This doesn’t fit with the rest of what I now believe is true.”
That’s actually good news. Incoherence is fixable. But we can’t fix it if we don’t face it. We can’t resolve doubts we ignore.
Our job is to plant the seed with a child’s open heart and then help them see how that seed can flourish and grow as they learn about God’s world.
Christ-Centered Exposition Workshop: March 16, 2026
Register today for Christ-Centered Exposition — a workshop for pastors and ministry leaders to be equipped to teach the Bible faithfully. This year's workshop will focus on the book of Matthew and feature sessions by Drs. Danny Akin, Charles Quarles, and David Platt.
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