Bible Verses for Kids: Help Kids Know & Love God

I lasted just three weeks as a midweek program Bible Verse Listener where I would help kids with Bible verses. Here’s why I got fired…

Our church’s midweek program was looking for volunteers and, since I’m all for helping kids meet Jesus, I signed up. I was given a job in the shallow end of the pool: I became a Bible Verse Listener.

In our program kids could earn “bucks” to spend at our store: a tabletop of Christian books, Bibles, and Jesus-themed toys. One way to earn bucks was for kids to memorize and recite Bible verses … and that’s where I came in.

It worked like this: kids lined up in front of a Bible Verse Listener and were expected to recite Bible verses word for word, perfectly. One mistake, one pause of more than two seconds, and it was all over.

No bucks for those kids.

Help kids discover who God is, who Jesus is, and who they are in Him.

However, I didn’t see the point of demanding perfection, so I initiated a new rule in my corner of the listening lineup: kids could paraphrase verses so long as they could also explain what those verses meant. And if kids could apply a Bible verse to their lives, I’d toss in a bonus buck or two.

You’d think I’d introduced animal sacrifices to the program.

The program leader pulled me aside to inform me that since kids were hiding God’s Word in their hearts, they should hide the precise language of Scripture. I said our kids were hiding God’s Word in their short-term memories; five minutes after reciting verses kids couldn’t recall the Bible verses.

And we were both right … though I’m the only one who got fired.

Hiding God’s Word in Kids’ Heart

If you value your kids knowing Scripture, you can do worse than encouraging memorization. There’s value there—if kids know what passages mean. And if kids come to Scripture seeking transformation as well as retention.

Pharisees were champion memorizers, and Satan himself could beat most of us in a game of Bible Trivia. Simply parroting words does little to bring about spiritual growth.

But when you connect kids with passages they find meaningful, the Holy Spirit can use that to shape their hearts and minds—that’s pure gold.

Following is a handful of short (easy to memorize!) Bible verses I love seeing kids encounter. Why? Because these verses help kids discover who God is, who Jesus is, and who they are in Him. They help kids know how to grow closer to God and to entrust themselves to Him.

How you integrate these passages into your teaching is up to you—but please consider making it happen.

See what amazing love the Father has given us! Because of it, we are called children of God. And that’s what we really are!
(1 John 3:1a)

One approach is to occasionally reserve a few minutes at the end of a lesson to share one of these passages. Read it aloud (even better: recite it from memory!) and briefly explain why it’s important to you. Shining a spotlight on passages in that context will make them important to your kids, too.

Oh, and there’s this: If you should happen to stumble over a word or two while reciting a Bible verse, come see me. I’ll have a buck for you anyway.

Bible Verses for Kids

God is love. (1 John 4:8b)
See what amazing love the Father has given us! Because of it, we are called children of God. And that’s what we really are! (1 John 3:1a)
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay. You are the potter. Your hands made all of us. (Isaiah 64:8)
The Lord is my shepherd. He gives me everything I need. (Psalm 23:1)
But God is faithful and fair. If we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins. He will forgive every wrong thing we have done. He will make us pure. (1 John 1:9)
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
When you sin, the pay you get is death. But God gives you the gift of eternal life. That’s because of what Christ Jesus our Lord has done. (Romans 6:23)
Look to the Lord and to his strength. Always look to him. (1 Chronicles 16:11)
Don’t worry about anything. No matter what happens, tell God about everything. Ask and pray, and give thanks to him. (Philippians 4:6)
Always be joyful because you belong to the Lord. I will say it again. Be joyful! (Philippians 4:4)
So obey God. Stand up to the devil. He will run away from you. (James 4:7)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)
Your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a light that guides me. (Psalm 119:105)
In peace I will lie down and sleep. Lord, you alone keep me safe. (Psalm 4:8)
The Lord is my light, and he saves me. Why should I fear anyone? The Lord is my place of safety. Why should I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)

66 Short Bible Verses Perfect for Kids to Memorize

Memorized verses are the rails the Spirit’s instructions run on. How much track have we laid? Download this guide on Short Bible Verses. With 1 verse from every book, kids will learn to hide God’s Word in their hearts!

Download your free guide