A: Young children don't tend to wrestle with this as much as the older ones do. Our God-given gift for imagination is strong when we're young and it helps us to embrace that which we can't see. Don't panic when they begin questioning the truth of what they've been taught. It's a sign that they're growing up and ready to begin eating "meat" rather than just the "milk" of Gods Word.

Take them to Day 1 of the Adventures on God's Personal Spirit and explore Exodus 3:7. God clearly states that He hears our cries and He's aware of what's happening (even when it seems like He's not). We know He hears because His Word says He does and because we see evidence of it in answered prayer.

You might want to begin a prayer journal with your child. Each entry includes the date, the prayer request and room for the answer. When a request is answered, record the answer and the date next to the request. This will serve as tangible evidence (as well as a wonderful reminder) that God does hear and answer!

A: God does speak out loud to His people at times. He spoke to Moses on Mt. Sinai and the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus. But most often God speaks through His Word, the Bible, through others who love and follow Him and through our thoughts as we pray and read the Bible.

You can use the analogy of a deaf/mute person. They don't speak or hear they way most people do, but they still communicate through sign language. Speaking out loud is only one way we communicate. God communicates with us in many ways as well!

The Drawing/Drama Activity in the Adventures on God's Personal Spirit might be helpful as well... encouraging them to write a letter to God...

A: Children aren't the only ones asking this question! The disciples might have been asking this question in the hours between Jesus' crucifixion and His resurrection! Church libraries are full of books trying to answer this question for adults! So how do you help a child grasp what adults struggle to get their head around? Keep it simple.

God ALWAYS wins!! For a child this is the critical message. They want to know they're on the winning side.

God helped David beat Goliath and He led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. God let people beat and kill His Son but then He raised Jesus from the dead! Evil does happen because of our sin. God allows it for a time, but it's always for the purpose of showing us that He, and He alone, is God. He wins.

Explore Day 5 in the Adventures on God's Power and how God provides us with what we need to win.

A: The answer to this spring boards off the answer to the first question. Again, the key for children is to keep it simple.

God didn't make us robots. He doesn't force us to make good choices, and He doesn't force us to stop doing what's wrong. Sometimes He allows us to make really bad choices. Those bad choices can have bad consequences for us and for others. But again, God always wins, and so do those who are His children. He promises in Romans 8:28;

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them."

God uses His power to make sure that everything that happens turns out for our good in the end. For example: He allowed people to beat and kill Jesus (Jesus, being God's Son also allowed it - He too could have stopped it) so that He could pay for our sins. God then used His great power to raise Jesus from the dead and show us that He has power over sin and death. He won, and so do we!

Explore Day 4 of the Adventures on God's Power. God never uses His power to do evil. He only allows what's best for us and will help us to be closer to Him.

Many adults carry a heavy load of guilt that has been growing since childhood. What amazing gift we can give our children if we help them deal with the baggage before it starts piling in their shoulders!

Explore Day 3 of the Adventures on God's Holiness. When dealing with "feelings" we must start with the "facts".

Fact 1: God's Word is Totally True. He will never lie to you.

Fact 2: God promises that when we accept Jesus payment for our sin and confess it to Him, He will forgive us of all our sin. (1 John 1:9) Whether we "feel" like it or not, we are forgiven. Our "feelings" are not reliable. They don't always match what's really true. If your feelings don't match what God says, you have a decision to make. You can decide to believe God or your feelings. Both cannot be true. Ask God to help your feelings match His truth.

Baggage is put on our shoulders through our thoughts. It will only be removed through choosing to think about what's true and refusing to think about what is a lie.

The Holy Spirit is also referred to as the Holy Ghost, but He's not to be confused with the ghosts we read about it stories. There are some serious differences however.

1. Ghosts are portrayed as spirits of dead people. The Holy Spirit was never a person who walked the earth and thus He has never died.
2. Ghosts are portrayed as spirits condemned to roam the earth, waiting for entrance into heaven or hell. The Holy Spirit is God and He's not imprisoned on earth or anywhere else. Being God, He is everywhere/all the time, just like God the Father and God the Son. He wants to be with us on earth and give us the power we need. (Acts 1:8)
3. The Holy Spirit is God. He has all the attributes of God. Ghosts and evil spirits do not.

Explore the Adventure on God's Holiness to give your child a clearer picture of who the Holy Spirit really is and how He helps us.