My Child Asked: Questions About God and the Bible
Modern Burlap · My child asked…
Questions children ask about God and the Bible.
You do not need a perfect answer in the moment. These are short starting points for opening Scripture together, including places where a simple answer would claim more than the Bible tells us.
Who made God?
Christians believe God is not a created being. Scripture begins with God already present and describes Him as eternal. Everything else depends on Him; He does not depend on a creator before Him.
Read together: Genesis 1:1 · Psalm 90:1–2 · John 1:1–3
Why can't we see God?
God is spirit, and Scripture says no one has seen God in His fullness. The New Testament also makes a remarkable claim: Jesus makes the unseen God known. So when Christians want to know what God is like, we look especially carefully at Jesus.
Read together: John 1:14–18 · John 14:8–11
Does God hear everybody when they pray?
The Bible presents God as knowing people completely and hearing prayer. We do not need to imagine His attention working like ours, where listening to one person prevents listening to another. Jesus teaches His followers that the Father knows what they need before they ask.
Read together: Psalm 139:1–12 · Matthew 6:5–13
Why do we pray if God already knows?
Prayer is not giving God information He lacks. Jesus says the Father knows our needs and then teaches His followers to pray. Prayer is relationship, worship, dependence, confession, gratitude, lament, and asking. God invites His people to speak with Him.
Read together: Matthew 6:5–13 · Philippians 4:4–7
Why did Jesus die?
The New Testament gives several connected ways of describing Jesus' death: He gives His life, bears sins, reconciles people to God, defeats the powers of sin and death, and establishes the new covenant. Rather than reducing the cross to one slogan, begin with a Gospel account and let the New Testament explain its significance.
Read with a grown-up: Mark 14–16 · Romans 5:6–11 · 1 Peter 2:21–25
Did Jesus really come back to life?
Yes—Christian faith makes the historical claim that Jesus truly died and was raised. The Gospel accounts describe an empty tomb and encounters with the risen Jesus, and Paul says the resurrection is central to the Christian message.
Read together: Luke 24 · John 20 · 1 Corinthians 15:1–8
What is heaven like?
Scripture gives real hope without answering every curious question. The Bible's final vision is not simply people escaping earth forever: it speaks of resurrection, God's presence with His people, evil judged, tears ended, and a renewed creation. We should be careful not to present imaginative details as if Scripture states them.
Read together: 1 Corinthians 15:20–28, 50–58 · Revelation 21–22
What happens when someone dies?
Christians agree that death is real, that Jesus has conquered death, and that God's people have resurrection hope. Christian traditions differ on some details about the state between death and final resurrection. With children, it is okay to distinguish what Scripture makes central from questions Christians understand differently.
Read with a grown-up: John 11:17–27 · 1 Corinthians 15 · 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18
Why does God let bad things happen?
The Bible does not give one small answer that explains every instance of suffering. It shows a world damaged by sin, people who do terrible things, creation groaning, faithful people lamenting, Jesus entering human suffering, and God promising final justice and restoration. We should not tell a hurting child that their suffering happened because they personally lacked faith.
Read with a grown-up: Psalm 13 · John 11:17–44 · Romans 8:18–39 · Revelation 21:1–5
Does God still love me when I do something wrong?
Our wrongdoing matters, and God's love is not earned by flawless behavior. The gospel calls us to confession and repentance while announcing grace and forgiveness in Christ. A child should never hear God's love used as a threat to control ordinary mistakes.
Read together: Luke 15:11–32 · Romans 5:6–8 · 1 John 1:5–2:2
Why are there different churches?
Christians share central convictions about Jesus while differing on some doctrines, practices, traditions, and forms of church leadership. Some differences are important. Rather than telling children every disagreement is meaningless—or that everyone outside our own tradition is faithless—we can teach them to read Scripture carefully, ask good questions, and learn why Christians disagree.
Read together: John 17:20–23 · 1 Corinthians 12:12–27 · Ephesians 4:1–6
What if I have another question?
Ask it. Write it down. Bring it to Scripture. Ask a trusted parent, pastor, teacher, or mature Christian to study it with you. “I don't know yet” is not a failed faith answer. Sometimes it is the beginning of careful learning.
Try next: Bible Words for Families · Read the Bible With Your Child