As for ideas about keeping the good news fresh… I can think of a few things:

- Try to understand your own level of wonder in Christ first. Are your own emotions and intellect unmoved by Christ? If so, your children will know it. Remember that they pick up cues about what’s important by viewing what gets you excited. Are you excited by the Super Bowl, but bored at church? They’ll know it. The Bible is your starting place, but you might benefit from reading some good books. I’ve found that J.C. Ryle’s Practical Religion is a wonderful book that cuts to the heart and lifts up my thoughts about Christ.

- Slow down and focus on intelligibility. There may be theologically rich words, even biblical words that you’ve become comfortable using, yet somehow aren’t taking the time to internalize. Even words like “sin” and “Savior” should be unpacked for your children. A children’s catechism (like this one) will also help you in this task.

- Use examples from their daily experience. Think of how our Lord so kindly used earthy parables to speak to the agrarian society in which he walked. Likewise you can do this for your kids in age-appropriate ways.

- Let the Bible guide your family’s discussion. You’ll find all these marvelous dimensions of how God relates to you as a King, Brother, Counselor, Father, Friend, Judge, Redeemer, Creator, Shepherd, Priest, and Prophet to name a few.

- Pray that God would help you as you speak to your children. The task is mammoth, so we can be thankful for God’s grace in it.

Lastly, I’ll recommend a particular Bible that has been a great resource for my own family. The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones is fantastic and has great illustrations. Its genius is how it tells the “big story” of the Bible (namely Jesus) in a beautiful, poetic way. It does the best job of “storyteller” of any child’s Bible I’ve seen. I’ve read one person criticizing it for an incomplete description of sin and repentance, but I think he was missing the point of this book. Its mission is what the subtitle says, showing children how “every page whispers his name.” It’s not a replacement for your Bible, but it’s a great helper.

As long as we keep Jesus in a safe box we will never learn that He is good.
At a testimony at my church the founding pastors wife described her journey as a winding river. She longed to be on the safe and calm sand on the side. But, she learned that true life was in the rapids. Jesus is gracious enough not to let her stay on the river bank.
That is what life is about, living moment by moment trusting on Christ. We become dull because of our unbelief and lack of trusting on Christ in each moment, trial and struggle. Treating Jesus as the one who is supposed to keep us on the river bank where it is safe, and something is wrong if we are in the throws of the rapids.

Rob