Let the Little Children Come: Embracing Childlike Faith

May 31, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Let the Little Ones Come, Unfiltered and Unhindered

Children are not distractions to Jesus—they are the blueprint for kingdom belonging. In a culture that often sidelines the young, Jesus rebukes his disciples for blocking kids, insisting they embody the raw trust required to enter God’s reign. Their messy, inconvenient presence isn’t a problem to solve but a gift to welcome. The kingdom isn’t earned through sophistication; it’s received through the unguarded faith of those society overlooks. How might we dismantle barriers—practical, relational, or spiritual—that keep children from encountering Jesus? [47:26]

People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Luke 18:15–16, NIV)

Reflection: Where have you seen children treated as an interruption rather than a priority? How might your actions or attitudes unintentionally hinder their access to Jesus’ love?

Day 2: When God Calls in the Night: Making His Voice Accessible

Samuel needed Eli’s guidance to recognize God’s voice—a reminder that spiritual mentorship bridges confusion and clarity. Like Eli, we’re called to help others discern divine whispers amid life’s noise. This requires patience, presence, and a willingness to pause our own agendas. Whether with children, youth, or seekers, our role is to point them toward God’s persistent call, even when it disrupts our routines. What “inconvenient” moments might God use to speak through you? [01:08:36]

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:8–10, NIV)

Reflection: Who in your life needs you to help them recognize God’s voice? What practical step could you take this week to create space for their questions or doubts?

Day 3: Bibles, Hymns, and Martyrs: The Amish Blueprint for Faith

The Amish pass faith to the next generation not through programs but through embodied rhythms: Scripture, worship, and stories of faithfulness. Truth sinks deepest when woven into daily life—around tables, on walks, and through songs sung together. Their 90% retention rate isn’t about perfection but consistency. What ordinary moments could become sacred opportunities to imprint God’s love on those you influence? [01:09:59]

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (Deuteronomy 6:6–7, NIV)

Reflection: What tangible habit (like shared meals, car-ride conversations, or bedtime prayers) could you cultivate to make faith a natural part of your daily rhythm?

Day 4: The Audacity of a 3 AM Request: Childlike Faith Unleashed

Kids don’t overthink approaching God—they burst into His presence with shameless boldness. Jesus insists we shed adult pretenses and come to Him with that same unvarnished trust. Pride and cynicism shrink our prayers; childlike faith believes God delights in our rawest pleas. Where have you stopped asking because you’ve decided what’s “possible”? [01:17:29]

Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. (Luke 18:17, NIV)

Reflection: What prayer have you hesitated to bring to God, fearing it’s too small—or too big? How might you approach Him today with a child’s unedited honesty?

Day 5: Building Rooms and Removing Barriers: Sacred Space Matters

Jesus’ command to “let the children come” isn’t metaphorical—it demands physical and relational spaces where kids encounter Him. From parent rooms to youth programs, practical hospitality signals that the next generation belongs. Every crayon-stained chair and wiped tear declares God’s love in their language. What tangible investment—time, resources, or creativity—could you make to widen their access to Jesus? [01:14:02]

We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done. (Psalm 78:4, NIV)

Reflection: What obstacle (logistical, financial, or emotional) might prevent a child in your sphere from experiencing church as a welcoming place? How could you help remove it?

Sermon Summary

Luke sets the scene with parents bringing even babies to Jesus, the disciples stepping in to shoo them off, and Jesus stopping everything to call the children close. Jesus names the reason with shocking clarity for his day and for this one too. The kingdom of God belongs to such as these, and anyone who will not receive it like a little child will never enter it. The text centres children right in the middle of God’s purposes and invites every adult to learn the way in from them.

Jesus refuses the convenience filter that adults love to use. He is beautifully unhurried. He sees deep worth in those others rank last. The kingdom arrives not on the back of status or usefulness but on the ground of grace. Scripture has carried this for a long time. Psalm 139 sings over the child not yet born as fearfully and wonderfully made, and Deuteronomy charges Israel to impress God’s words on their children at home and on the road. Against ancient gods who demanded child sacrifice and a Roman world that normalised exposure, the early Christians lived a different story. They gathered the abandoned, raised them as their own, and let the gospel’s valuation of the smallest change laws and cultures.

Jesus gives two clear commands. Let them come, and do not hinder them. Hindrance does not only sound like rebuke at a door. Hindrance also looks like adults so busy and so entertained that children learn by osmosis that Jesus is a side dish. Lives preach louder than words. Integrity, humility, and joy make Jesus credible. Accessibility makes him near. Eli models it with Samuel. He notices God’s voice at work in a seven year old and gives him the simple prayer to answer it. Households can do the same. Scripture on the table, songs that get into the heart, stories of saints who finished well. Churches can partner with families to create spaces where kids hear the voice of God and find Jesus attractive, from youth nights full of life to a parents room that serves real needs without pushing parents out of worship.

Then Jesus turns the camera to every adult. Childlike, not childish, is the way in. Children trust. Children ask. Children run straight in at 3am. Pride and cynicism calcify hearts and shrink prayers, but faith pleases God. The call is simple and strong. Receive the kingdom like a child. Come to the One who first sang it over every heart. Jesus loves me, this I know.

Key Takeaways

1. The kingdom belongs to children Jesus does not treat kids as a warm up act. He locates them at the centre of God’s reign and uses them as the template for entrance. Their smallness is not a barrier but a clue to grace. Status closes doors that childlikeness opens. [47:26]
2. Do not hinder their coming Hindrance can sound spiritual while running on hurry, comparison, or control. Children read priorities from calendars and faces more than from slogans. A life that enjoys Jesus makes him believable. Accessibility and delight are not extras. They are part of obedience to let them come. [61:53]
3. Christian history revalued the weak Israel treasured life in the womb and formed children in God’s ways. The early church rescued the exposed and rewrote the moral imagination of an empire. This is not nostalgia, it is a mandate to embody a different economy of worth in every generation. The smallest still preach the gospel back to the strong. [60:09]
4. Childlike faith opens the door Jesus links entering the kingdom to receiving like a child. Trust moves first, then understanding follows. Pride and disappointment often shrink prayers, but faith asks again because the Father is good. The smallest hand is enough when it is placed in his. [75:51]
5. Households and church must partner Scripture, songs, and stories shape loves over time. Rhythms around tables and simple prayers in bedrooms carry more weight than pep talks. A church that builds real spaces and joyful pathways helps parents and carers do the slow, holy work of making Jesus near. [72:13]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[42:25] - Jesus loves me, theology in a line
[44:46] - Encounters with Jesus series landing
[46:53] - Reading Luke 18:15-17
[48:02] - The inconvenience of children
[55:10] - The kingdom belongs to such as these
[56:27] - Scripture roots of child value
[60:09] - Rome, exposure, and Christian witness
[61:09] - Let them come, do not hinder
[66:19] - Make Jesus accessible and attractive
[68:36] - Eli helps Samuel hear God
[69:59] - Amish books and household rhythms
[72:13] - Committed spaces for the next generation
[75:51] - Receive the kingdom like a child
[80:22] - Invitation to childlike faith in Jesus

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Luke 18:15-17 (NIV)
People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Observation Questions

What two specific actions does Jesus take in response to the disciples rebuking the parents bringing children to Him (Luke 18:15-16)?
How does Psalm 139:13-14 (referenced in the sermon) describe God’s view of human life before birth?
According to Deuteronomy 6:6-7, what daily rhythms does God command for teaching children about Him?

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus uses children—not adults—as the model for how to receive the kingdom of God? What qualities do children embody that adults often lack?
The sermon contrasts ancient cultures that devalued children (e.g., Roman exposure) with biblical values. How might cultural attitudes today subtly hinder children from encountering Jesus? [59:16]
Jesus says, “Do not hinder them” (Luke 18:16). What modern behaviors or priorities might unintentionally “hinder” children’s access to genuine faith? [54:07]

Application Questions

Reflect on your schedule and habits: What do your calendar, screen time, or tone of voice communicate to children about the importance of Jesus? What one adjustment could make Him more central? [01:02:24]
The sermon mentions households using Scripture, songs, and stories of saints. What simple, daily rhythm (e.g., mealtime prayers, bedtime Bible stories) could you start or strengthen to make faith tangible for children in your life?
Childlike faith involves trust and boldness (e.g., approaching God “at 3AM”). Where has pride or disappointment made your prayers small or cynical? What specific need will you bring to God this week with childlike honesty? [01:17:29]
The early church rescued abandoned children. How could you practically support vulnerable families or advocate for the marginalized in your community?
The sermon highlights making Jesus “accessible and attractive” through joy and integrity. Who in your life (child or adult) needs to see your genuine delight in God? How will you intentionally model this? [01:06:39]
If your church created a parents’ room or youth program, what would it look like for you to actively support—not just approve—these spaces? [01:14:02]
Write down a prayer asking God to renew your childlike trust. Include one area where you’ll choose to rely on His goodness instead of self-sufficiency.

Sermon Clips

57s

#ChildlikeFaith

“We actually put boundaries on what God can do. And this is what life does. We go through disappointments. We get cynical. We say, oh, no. God. God can't do that. I've I've tried before. I've asked before. He won't do it. And we stop living in faith. We become faithless. And here, Jesus, in this very simple way, should shake all of us. As he says, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. We are all invited to live with a childlike faith and trust in him, and that is where life is at. We need faith, and it's faith that pleases God.”

48s

#KingdomForKids

“The kingdom of god belongs to such as these little children. That's a radical upside down view. Or to take Sally's language from a few weeks ago, it's the right way up thinking. But in that time, and certainly for the disciples, and I'd imagine for those around, this was a radical thought that actually the kingdom of God was for such as these. The kingdom of God was for children. Jesus is saying that children are of value and worth, that they are invited to participate and be in the kingdom of god. This is radical thinking. This is, in their view, upside down thinking. In kingdom language, right way up thinking.”

43s

#ActionsNotWords

“We make other things more attractive than Jesus. It's not always what we say. In fact, rarely is it what we say, and I'm talking to those of us who have influence and impact, parents and carers and leaders and grandparents and whoever here today who has influence over and input into children's lives. It's not what we say, but it's how we live. When we found that, you know, oh my goodness, there's, you know, reaction of a child. They'd say something or do something. So I'm in that. You know, kids will watch and they will do things. They will model behavior. They will see values worked out in behavior.”

46s

#EntrustKidsToGod

“And and I need to acknowledge and say that the reality is is that we are not in control of our kids or our grandkids or the kids that we love and care for. We're not. We have to entrust them to Jesus. And I know that you have done an incredible job loving Jesus. And we have to, at some point, surrender our kids, our grandkids to Jesus. There are no guarantees every person will make their own decisions. My encouragement to you, as it is my encouragement to me as I'm walking this journey with fear and trembling as well, is to keep praying, keep loving, and keep modeling. Keep shining and showing Jesus.”

44s

#RescueAndCare

“And in the midst of this worldview, the Christians carrying this ethic that Jesus had said that the kingdom of God belongs to such as these, that children have intrinsic value and worth, they went out. And we read the stories of how they would go out into the to the dumps and the places where children would be left to die. They would call it exposure, and they would take these kids and they would babies and they would bring them back into their homes and care for them. Foolishness, crazy in the Roman view, but, ultimately, the love and the care and the value and the worth placed in these children won the day.”

54s

#FaithTransferAtHome

“Eli the priest understood what was going on and made the voice of God accessible to Samuel. That is our task. That is our task. So how do we help young people? How do we help children encounter Jesus? I was reading an article the other day, about the the the most effective, parts of the church or or faith, or elements of the church are the most effective in seeing faith transference or faith transmission. And the most effective group at 90% of transmit at at 90% transmission rate, if that makes sense, is the Amish. The Amish, which you would think, man, wouldn't there be heaps of rebellion? No. 90% transfer transference rate. And they have three books that sit at the heart of every home.”

58s

#ChildlikeBoldFaith

“The only person who dares wake up a king at 3AM for a glass of water is a child. We have that kind of access. We're invited to come to God with a childlike, audacious, bold, courageous, innocent, naive faith. I wonder whether that's how you relate to God right now. Because if I'm honest, I don't. You know, we we grow up. We get a bit crusty and old. And other things get in, and we stop relating to God like a child. One one of the reasons is pride. I know that's for me. Oh, I've got it. I can fix it. I can sort it. There's an issue?”

40s

#EncounterJesusTransforms

“When someone encounters Jesus, they're changed by Jesus. Two thousand years ago, we read that, and we read it today as well. When we encounter Jesus, we're changed by Jesus. Do you believe that? And my prayer is, again, as I've been saying throughout this this series, that today that there'll be people here who encounter the love, the grace, the mercy, the kindness of Jesus in a fresh new way, the presence of Jesus because he is here by his holy spirit now. Do you believe that? He's here with us, and he takes great joy in communicating his presence to us.”

Ask a question about this sermon

NewHope This sermon · AI assistant

Who does Jesus say the kingdom belongs to

How can Christians make Jesus accessible to children

What does receiving the kingdom like a child mean

Let the Little Children Come: Embracing Childlike Faith

Devotional

Day 1: Let the Little Ones Come, Unfiltered and Unhindered

Day 2: When God Calls in the Night: Making His Voice Accessible

Day 3: Bibles, Hymns, and Martyrs: The Amish Blueprint for Faith

Day 4: The Audacity of a 3 AM Request: Childlike Faith Unleashed

Day 5: Building Rooms and Removing Barriers: Sacred Space Matters

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Let the Little Children Come: Embracing Childlike Faith

Share