Ligonier Ministries Blog

1. Growing in God’s Word: A New Children’s Curriculum from Ligonier Ministries

   Growing in God’s Word is a new curriculum from Ligonier Ministries to help churches, families, and schools guide children through an overview of the Bible in a year. Grounded in Reformed theology, each lesson plan emphasizes the five solas and the covenantal framework that unites all of Scripture. This teacher’s resource is designed with three guiding objectives in mind. it is simple, holistic, and accessible. 1. Simple The curriculum is minimalistic and includes only the necessary elements for each lesson plan. Its content and design provide a clean, uncluttered aesthetic. The curriculum is static and does not require the purchase of new curriculum every year. As a result, it offers a quality product at an affordable price point. 2. Holistic The curriculum covers an overview of the Bible every year. The 52 lesson plans for each age group cover the same story in Scripture, but with age-appropriate detail. The curriculum is Reformed, reflecting the biblical truths summarized in the five solas, approaching Scripture from a covenantal framework, and providing catechism Q&As. 3. Accessible The curriculum is divided into 52 lesson plans that can be adapted for use by churches, families, schools, or other individuals or groups. The curriculum includes supplemental material for each lesson plan, enabling churches, families, and schools to adapt the curriculum to best fit their needs. Grade Levels Available: The curriculum contains three distinct grade levels: Level 1 (K–1st grade), Level 2 (2nd–3rd grade), and Level 3 (4th–5th grade). Children receive the same lessons from their teachers for two years in a row before moving up to the next level of curriculum, which goes more in-depth with biblical and theological concepts. Editions Available: Growing in God’s Word is available in two editions. The Presbyterian & Reformed Edition serves Reformed churches that adhere to the Westminster Standards or the Three Forms of Unity and hold a paedobaptist position on baptism. Both the Westminster Shorter Catechism and the Heidelberg Catechism are included for optional use. The Baptist Edition serves churches that hold a Reformed view of soteriology and covenant theology and adhere to a credobaptist position on baptism. The Baptist Catechism of 1693 is included for optional use. How to Use the Curriculum The PREPARE section of each lesson plan consists of information to be reviewed by the teacher before teaching the lesson. It includes: Main Idea, Goal, and Scripture Passages Each lesson begins by stating the main idea being conveyed in that lesson. The goal of the lesson is provided, and the passage of Scripture covered is listed. Teacher’s Guide The teacher’s guide gives additional information about the Scripture passages and biblical/theological themes covered in the lesson. It provides helpful background information and context for the teacher without being too time-consuming. Reminders The reminders section includes points to remember when teaching the lesson. These reminders are the same for each lesson, enabling different teachers or substitutes to receive the same reminders even if they are only stepping in to teach occasionally. Required Materials Each lesson includes a list of materials needed for that lesson. Materials related to the supplemental closing activity are marked so that those who are not using the closing activity do not purchase unnecessary items. Occasionally, items created for or used in a previous lesson are reused in a future lesson. A complete list of activity materials is also available online. The TEACH sections consist of the script that teachers will use to guide children through the lesson. It includes: Opening Prayer \ An opening prayer introduces the lesson. Teachers may use this scripted prayer or use their own. Key Verse \ Each lesson plan includes a key verse that encapsulates the biblical teaching for that lesson. The key verse may also be used as a memory verse for students. The verse is followed by a brief activity to help students repeat and remember the key verse. While the same basic verses are used for all grades, younger grades have shorter verses, while older grades have longer verses. Opening Activity \ The opening activity gives students an opportunity to move around with an engaging activity that correlates to the biblical text and theme being taught in the lesson. Items needed for the opening activity are included in the Required Materials section of the lesson plan. A complete list of activity materials is also available online. Bible Teaching \ The main part of the lesson plan is the biblical teaching on the Scripture passage and theme. The script allows teachers of all experience levels to communicate the same ideas to students without the need for formal theological training or teaching experience. Users may adapt the scripts as best suits their needs and context. Closing Prayer \ A closing prayer concludes the lesson. Teachers may use this scripted prayer or use their own. The SUPPLEMENT sections can be added to the lesson plan or switched out with components from the lesson plan, providing a high degree of flexibility to adapt the curriculum as needed. It includes: Questions and Answers \ This section provides a list of questions and answers about the Bible teaching that teachers can ask students to reinforce the main points of the lesson. Closing Activity \ The closing activity gives students an additional opportunity to get physically involved in the lesson and to move around after the teaching concludes. Items needed for the closing activity are noted in the Required Materials section of the lesson plan. A complete list of activity materials is also available online. Old Testament Connections & New Testament Connections \ Each lesson that covers an Old Testament passage includes a New Testament Connections section, and each lesson that covers a New Testament passage includes an Old Testament Connections section. These are brief teaching moments for instructors to help students make connections between different books of the Bible and scriptural themes, allowing them to see the continuity of God’s one big story of redemption from Genesis to Revelation. Optional Catechism Each lesson plan includes a callout box with catechism Q&As. The Presbyterian & Reformed Edition includes the Westminster Shorter Catechism and the Heidelberg Catechism. The Baptist Edition includes the Baptist Catechism of 1693. Teachers may incorporate the catechism in the lessons at their discretion. Alternatively, teachers may opt to cover only one Q&A each lesson rather than covering multiple Q&As. The full text of the catechisms is included in the appendices. Teachers can use these classic versions or select a version of the catechism with simplified language geared toward younger children. The scope and sequence appendix (also available online) includes a list of all the catechism Q&As covered throughout the year. Each grade level covers the same Q&As in each lesson plan. Coloring Sheets Coloring sheets for each lesson are available on the curriculum website to download and print. These coloring sheets are not part of the lesson but may be used supplementally. The coloring sheets do not contain any depictions of Christ out of respect for those who avoid such images in their efforts to honor the second commandment. Holiday-Specific Lessons Due to the variability of holiday timing, the curriculum does not include specific lesson plans for Christmas or Easter. However, Lesson 27 covers the incarnation of Jesus and may be used as a Christmas lesson. Also, Lesson 39 teaches on the resurrection of Christ and can be used as an Easter lesson. Please note that if you use these lessons as holiday lessons, you will need to reorder the other lessons. Appendices Lesson Summaries Included in the curriculum is a lesson summaries appendix (also available online) that includes the main idea, Scripture passage, and key verse for each lesson plan. Churches or schools may use this information to communicate to families what students will be learning in each lesson. Scope and Sequence The scope and sequence appendix (also available online) includes the main theme, biblical passage covered, key verse, and catechism Q&As for each lesson plan. Catechisms The full text of the Westminster Shorter Catechism and the Heidelberg Catechism are in the Presbyterian & Reformed Edition. The full text of the Baptist Catechism of 1693 is in the Baptist Edition. Conclusion Growing in God’s Word provides a structured yet flexible curriculum designed to help teachers guide children through an overview of the Bible that is deeply rooted in Reformed theology. With its simple, holistic, and accessible approach, it equips churches, families, and schools with the tools necessary to teach biblical truths in a meaningful way. With two editions, the curriculum ensures theological alignment while allowing for adaptability in different contexts. Through its carefully crafted lesson plans, supplemental materials, and catechetical components, Growing in God’s Word serves as a valuable teacher’s resource for nurturing children in the faith and deepening their understanding of Scripture.

2. The Results from Our 2025 State of Theology Survey Are In

   The results from our 2025 State of Theology survey are in—and they are sobering. This nationwide study from Ligonier Ministries reveals what Americans believe about key doctrines of the Christian faith. And the findings show that confusion still reigns among professing Christians: 53% of American evangelicals agree that “Everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature.” 53% think that “The Holy Spirit is a force but is not a personal being.” 47% believe “God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.” These are not statistics from skeptics or secularists. These are the beliefs of evangelicals—people who claim a high view of the Bible. What we see is not merely a knowledge gap but a discipleship gap. Yet there is hope. The survey also reveals that those who engage regularly with Ligonier’s teaching resources show stronger theological clarity and conviction. By God’s grace—and with your help—Ligonier Ministries is a theological lifeline to Christians around the world. Ligonier’s generous supporters help sustain this global Bible-teaching outreach. When you stand with us through a financial gift this month, you can help accelerate the production and distribution of new books, teaching series, and discipleship resources for a church in need. The State of Theology survey reveals the tragic instability of modern evangelicalism. This movement often downplays doctrine in the name of unity, resulting in beliefs that do not hold together or align with Scripture. There is confusion about the character of God, the reality of sin, and the exclusivity of Christ. These are not minor details—they are foundational truths. If we get these wrong, we don’t have Christianity at all. As Dr. R.C. Sproul observed, many Christians live with what he called “happy inconsistencies;” they affirm certain biblical truths while unknowingly holding contradictory beliefs. Everyone is a theologian, R.C. said, but the question is whether they are a good one or a poor one. And poor theology—no matter how sincerely held—can lead to confusion, compromise, and even spiritual harm. This is why theology matters. And it’s why Ligonier exists. Ligonier’s goal is to flood the world with trustworthy teaching that takes Christians deeper into the theological riches of God’s Word. We offer more than topical answers—we equip believers with the whole counsel of God. From the Trinity to justification, from church history to the Christian life, Ligonier’s discipleship resources are helping the church recover clarity, conviction, and courage. The State of Theology survey is just one of the ways we serve the church: This survey helps identify where professing Christians are drifting from sound doctrine. It encourages pastors and church leaders to teach into the gaps. It warns Christians of subtle theological errors that threaten gospel fidelity. And it helps Ligonier discern where to invest next—developing discipleship tools that meet real spiritual needs. Ligonier is not content merely to diagnose the problem. We’re working to supply the cure—with bold, faithful teaching that can reach millions more in the years ahead. Your gift this month will help move ministry forward, serving Christians across all ages and stages, here and around the world. Decline is not inevitable. Confusion is not our only option. Together, by God’s grace, we can help more people know who God is and what He has done—so they can live with confidence in Christ and stand firm in the truth. Thank you for standing with Ligonier Ministries through your faithful prayers and generous support.

3. How God Treats His Friends

   When we suffer, it can be hard to look around at the blessings that some Christians enjoy and wonder what happened with our lives. Social media does not help, as it gives us front-row seats to the blessings of hundreds of people we know (and millions of people we don’t know). While even the average person in relatively pleasant circumstances can struggle in this way, the experience is greatly compounded for those enduring comprehensive and/or chronic suffering. It’s one thing to envy the prosperity of the wicked. Asaph describes his own experience of that in Psalm 73, and the psalm is instructive for believers who envy the blessings of unbelievers. But how are Christians who experience comprehensive and chronic suffering to understand their lives in contrast to the more prosperous believers around them who seem to suffer much less? Why does God treat His children so differently? Does He play favorites? Why is there so much apparent inequity of circumstances among believers, and how are we to understand that disparity? These questions can plague those experiencing comprehensive and chronic suffering. Not only can these disparities tempt us to disbelieve God’s goodness, but they can also lead us to doubt our standing before God. We might conclude that if God is taking His other children on a field trip and we’re left behind at school to stand in the corner all day—or even worse, thrown under the school bus—we must have done something to anger Him. Hard thoughts about God, other Christians, and ourselves can overwhelm us as we get pulled into the undertow of our observations and conclusions. The question we must answer is this: How does God treat His friends? One of These Things Is Not Like the Other For many of us who live in the West, it can be hard to gain an accurate perspective of the Christian life. Our moment is quite abnormal compared to other parts of the world and other eras in history. And when the abnormal becomes normal to us, any deviation from that norm makes us feel as though something has gone awry. In this milieu, it can be easy for us to look at the comfortable lives of the average Christians around us and conclude that something has gone horribly wrong for us. This is especially the case when our suffering is comprehensive and chronic, touching many areas of our lives at the same time, perhaps permanently: our physical health, our finances, our church involvement, our friendships, our careers, our families, and our homes and belongings. When this occurs, our daily lives and rhythms become so different from those of most of the people we know that we can feel as though we don’t belong. When it seems as though others are prospering in these various areas of life while we are experiencing deep loss and affliction in most (or all) of those areas, we may wonder, Why does God seem to be treating me so differently from His other children? Is this a sign that I don’t belong to Him? That’s what’s so hard about comprehensive and chronic suffering: Because it invades more parts of life than it leaves alone, it places you in a strange new world in which you may struggle to relate to the average Christian in your church. You may become very aware of the fact that what is “normal life” for many of the Christians around you is nothing like your life. It might even become difficult to have casual conversations with other believers. Maybe you feel like a deer caught in the headlights when you’re asked about “normal” things that don’t apply to you at all and can’t give the answers that people expect. When that happens, the place where we should feel like we belong the most—in the church and among fellow believers—can become the place where we feel most different, most “other,” most out of place. It’s hard to put into words how draining and discouraging these experiences in the house of God are. How do we answer people’s questions or contribute to the group conversation when everyone else’s lives and concerns are so different from ours and we cannot relate to them in these ways? It’s not surprising, therefore, that those experiencing comprehensive and chronic suffering can be tempted to conclude that God is cruel or unkind in how He dispenses temporal blessings to His children. It’s not surprising if sufferers fear that they must be guilty of some sin, that if they could only figure it out, God would take them out of the corner and let them go on the field trip too. It’s also easy to see how sufferers can feel that they simply don’t belong at church, when conversations always seem to revolve around the differences between their lives and others’ lives rather than around that which they hold in common. All this is why we must turn to Scripture to try to make sense of the painful question of inequity among believers in this life, allowing God’s Word to shape our interpretations of our experiences rather than the other way around. What Scripture Says What does Scripture say about how God treats His friends? More than we might expect. In fact, when we look closely at redemptive history, we see that it was often the people used by God in mighty ways who led what we would consider the “worst” lives. That fact in itself can encourage us if we’re tempted to believe that we must not be friends of God if we’re experiencing comprehensive and chronic suffering. After all, many whom we might consider to be God’s “closest friends” suffered in profound ways during their earthly lives. For example, Hebrews 11 contains a jarring and—given the flow of the text—unexpected verse. In this famous chapter, we read about the marvelous acts of faith of various biblical figures throughout redemptive history, including Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and more. In verses 33–35, we read that these men and women of faith > conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. This sounds like something we can all get behind. Who wouldn’t want a life of faith that conquers kingdoms, obtains promises, performs mighty deeds, and experiences the resurrection power of God in bringing the dead back to life? That’s precisely why verse 35 is so disturbing. In the first half of the verse, we read, “Women received back their dead by resurrection.” But then the chapter takes a very unexpected turn. > Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. (vv. 35–38) It’s stunning how quickly the script flips in verse 35. No new paragraph. Not even a transition word to signal that we’re going from “good” to “bad.” Just one continuous narrative of the people of God that moves from miraculous to macabre. Yet this passage is actually very good news for those experiencing comprehensive and chronic suffering. Despite how we may feel, the truth is that we are not outside the circle of God’s favor, care, and concern any more than the people described in Hebrews 11:35–38. Yes, from an earthly perspective, it may be that many of God’s children are on the field trip while others are left in the classroom standing in the corner. But, just as we see in Hebrews 11, this does not mean that God plays favorites. It can be easy to feel that way, but when we widen our perspective to others in Scripture and in history, we realize that God is not targeting us individually because of any cruelty or favoritism in Him or because of any deficiency in us. He simply has different purposes for different people while showing perfect love toward every single son or daughter who belongs to Him in Christ. It’s also true that sometimes we can’t see and don’t know the sufferings that people around us are facing. From the outside, it may look like they have “perfect” lives, and we may be tempted to envy them. Yet they, too, may be experiencing deep affliction that, for various reasons, they are not able to candidly share with others. Things are not always what they seem. You Follow Me I’ve always been jostled by Jesus’s response to Peter at the end of John’s gospel. Jesus had just predicted that Peter would die a martyr’s death, saying to him: > Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go. (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God). (John 21:18–19) Peter responds by asking Jesus what would happen to the Apostle John: “Lord, what about this man?” (John 21:21). Jesus answers, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that you? You follow me!” (John 21:22). Jesus says the same to each one of us as we look at what’s happening in our lives and compare it to others’ lives. His response to Peter, and to us, is that it really shouldn’t matter how God chooses to work in others’ lives for His glory. No matter where the road He lays out for us may lead, the important thing is that we continue to follow Him on it.

4. Does God Change His Mind?

   “The Glory of Israel will not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind” (1 Sam. 15:29; cf. Num. 23:19, NIV). These words of the prophet Samuel provide a straightforward reply to the question “Does God change His mind?” Yet in the same chapter, we are told twice that God regretted having made Saul king (1 Sam. 15:11, 35). Indeed, several passages of Scripture describe God as regretting, relenting, or repenting (which fundamentally indicates a change of mind) (e.g., Gen. 6:6–7; Ex. 32:14; 2 Sam. 24:16; Jer. 18:8; Jonah 3:10). Classical theists understand such passages to be speaking about God anthropomorphically and do not take such descriptions literally. John Gill, for instance, explains Exodus 32:14 in this way: > Not that any of God’s thoughts or the determinations of his mind are alterable; for the thoughts of his heart are to all generations [Ps. 33:11]; but he changes the outward dispensations of his providence, or his methods of acting with men . . . and this being similar to what they do when they repent of anything, who alter their course, hence repentance is ascribed to God, though, properly speaking, it does not belong to him. This is similar to the non-literal way we understand passages that speak of God having body parts or performing operations proper to bodies (such as smelling, hearing with ears, seeing with eyes, experiencing intestinal disturbance, moving about locomotively in space, etc.). Several theological truths undergird this interpretation and belief that God does not change His mind. 1. Scripture testifies that God is immutable. While God changes the heavens and the earth, He Himself is not among the things He changes: “You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same” (Ps. 102:26–27). God declares, “I, the LORD, do not change” (Mal. 3:6). He is “the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow” (James 1:17). When God makes a promise, He swears by Himself and so stakes the surety of His word on Himself. It is God’s unchangeableness that guarantees the unchangeableness of His promises and that gives us strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us (Heb. 6:13–18). To whatever extent God could change His mind, our confidence in the unchangeableness of His promises would be destabilized. 2. The universal scope and efficacy of God’s decree also tell against God’s changing His mind. He declares the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done. These all unfold in accordance with His purpose and good pleasure (Isa. 46:10). God “works all things according to the counsel of his will,” (Eph. 1:11) and no one frustrates His plans (Job 42:1–2; Prov. 19:21; Isa. 14:26–27; Dan. 4:35). Insomuch as a change of mind ordinarily redirects our actions due to unexpected roadblocks, God’s mind cannot change. All things and circumstances—good and evil—are included in His comprehensive decree for the world and so cannot be the occasion of a change of mind in Him. 3. God’s omniscience rules out any change of mind in Him. A change of mind is invariably due to the acquisition of new knowledge or of a new judgment about reality, but God is perfect in knowledge (Job 37:16), knowing all things (1 John 3:20). Moreover, His perfect knowledge of the world is not derived from the world. He teaches all humans knowledge (Ps. 94:9–11), but no one teaches or informs God (Isa. 40:12–14). For this reason, the Westminster Confession of Faith states that God’s knowledge is “infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature.” Such omniscience is not susceptible to augmentation, and so, God’s mind is not susceptible to change. 4. God’s perfection and fullness of being requires that He undergo no change of mind. A state of mind is a state of being. Mental states have an ontological status. If God were to enter a new state of mental actuality—which is what happens in every change of mind—we would be compelled to say that He previously lacked some actuality of being, namely, the state of mind into which He entered via a change He underwent. What’s more, God would be ontologically dependent upon whatever agent or event caused His new state of mind. New states of mind are caused states of mental being and actuality. And there simply are no caused states of being or actuality in God. He is the uncaused cause of all else—the One from whom, through whom, and to whom are all creatures (Rom. 11:36). As such, God is the One who is fullness of being itself, giving to all but receiving from none. Perhaps for this reason most of all, classical theists are correct to insist that God does not experience changes of mind. Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on April 25, 2022.

5. 3 Reasons to Take Your Kids to Church

   Though my kids are all grown now, I well remember the challenges of getting all five of them ready for church, then delivering them to the pew relatively on time and relatively well-behaved. It wasn’t easy. Was it worth it? You bet it was. Jesus commanded that the little children be brought to Him and not hindered (Matt. 19:14), and He was indignant with the disciples who blocked the way of those who were seeking to bring their children to be blessed by Him (Mark 10:14). Children need to know that they belong and that Jesus deeply desires them to come. So, to help feed your desire to face the challenge, I offer three reasons to take your kids to church. 1. To enable them to hear and see the gospel. While all Christian families should be pouring the gospel into their kids from infancy and every single day beyond, it is vital for your kids to hear the gospel message from the lips of other people and to see it at work in their lives. Proclaiming salvation in Christ should be a parent’s top priority, for Jesus said, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Matt. 16:26). The local church presents the same gospel message spoken by a wide variety of messengers and at work in a wide variety of living examples. After a while, kids can begin tuning out their parents as they use the same words and the same persuasions day after day. In the church, God can bring a mentor, a preacher, or even a peer to deliver the truth of His Word—truth that leads to the essential conviction of sin and faith in Christ that are needed to save their souls—at just the right time. And there is no communication of God’s Word that is exactly like a sermon preached skillfully by the power of the Holy Spirit in the setting of corporate worship. Who can rightly calculate the cumulative impact of 936 good Sunday morning sermons over eighteen years on your child’s heart? Further, when they see how the gospel has transformed other men, women, boys, and girls, and they experience the fruit that is growing in their lives, the living church becomes a witness to their precious souls with potentially eternal implications. 2. To give them a vision of heavenly worship in the corporate service. The kingdom of Christ is immeasurably bigger than just your family. God has been at work in countless millions of lives around the world and across centuries of history. When all is said and done, there will be a multitude gathered around the throne of Christ greater than anyone can count from every tribe, language, people, and nation to give Him glory for their salvation (Rev. 7:9). None of us has ever seen the “universal church” (that spiritual union of all believers from all over the world and across all eras of church history) to which Revelation points, but we can best envision it by attending worship in a local church. There we hear corporate singing from people of all ages and different backgrounds, voices united in passionate worship. Your children will have the opportunity to see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears the love these varied believers have for Jesus. In addition, they will have the privilege of experiencing the rich spiritual truths in the sacraments—the Lord’s Supper and baptism. These ordinances cannot be done on your own in your living room, and they give foretastes of heavenly worship. This experience, multiplied over eighteen years, will give them a sense of God’s powerful work all around the world and over the centuries since our Savior walked the earth. With this foundation, they should be able to place themselves within this mighty work of the Spirit with humility, faith, and perspective, none of which can be gained just in your family unit alone—no matter how devoted you are. 3. To enable them to develop a habit of obedience to God’s command. God has commanded Christians not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together “as is the habit of some” (Heb. 10:25). It is easy for busy families to get into the habit of missing church. Perhaps they tuned in one Sunday to the livestream and then lapsed into that habit out of convenience. God specifically warned against becoming negligent in gathering for corporate worship, which may even lead to eventually forsaking church attendance altogether. We cannot flourish in our walks with Christ as lone ranger Christians. More pointedly for parents, our children are watching us constantly to see what we really believe and cherish. If we disobey the command of Hebrews 10, our children will rightly see us as hypocrites, and it will be very easy for them eventually to choose not to make Christianity a part of their lives at all. But by instilling in them the habit of faithful attendance at church worship services, we will be laying a foundation for the rest of their lives. They will think of disobeying this clear command as unthinkable, and it will open the way for comprehensive obedience to everything Christ has commanded them to do (Matt. 28:20).