Reading Mario’s Golden Locket with children
We hope that Mario’s story will open up conversations and be a springboard for teaching important Biblical concepts to the children in your life. Here are suggestions to help impress some of the truths contained in the story
Mario had a wonderful life in Green Valley with food, friends and games; however, the best times were spent with the King. Encourage your children to spend time with God, developing their relationship with Him. Help them discover that they can be real with Jesus, sharing their fears, joys, struggles and hurts. What else do I have in heaven but You? Since I have You, what else could I want on earth? Psalm 73:25
Mario treasured the golden locket given him by the King. Help them to recognize that the gift of God’s unconditional love is a priceless treasure and that it never changes. I have loved you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3
Mario didn't respond unkindly to others with his words. Encourage your children to guard their tongues and be careful with their words: building others up, not tearing them down. Thoughtless words cut like a sword. But the tongue of a wise person brings healing. Proverbs 12:18
Mario opened his heart locket when Bully spoke a lie to him. Encourage your child to protect their hearts from the careless words of others and teach them that their true identity is not who other people say they are, but who the Eternal Almighty God says they are in His timeless, unchanging Word, the Bible. How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. 1 John 3:1 (See our free downloads for A through Z truths about the
Mario allowed the King to erase the lie and write the truth on his heart once again. If your child has heard negative, unkind words that are bothering them, spend some time talking and praying about the experience together. Help them to see that the words of others are temporal, but God’s words are eternal. One of the ways to experience healing is to go to Jesus and ask Him what He says about the lie. This can be done by looking at His written Word, as well as by listening to His Spirit speak to us. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27 Also encourage, exhort and teach them to forgive others. Forgiving is an extremely important way to guard our hearts.
May you be blessed as you love and nurture the children in your life.
Gary and Cathy Stallings
Here is a printable version of this page: Reading Mario's Golden Locket to Children
If you're not certain the children in your life have trusted Christ as their Savior and would like a simple way to help share with them, here is a link to The Story of the Wordless Book, a simple but thorough presentation of the gospel.