I try not to dwell on past regrets because it wastes energy.

You can’t change what you did (or didn’t do) in the past.

But you can learn from it. And so can others.

So I’ve decided to share one of my regrets as a mom in hope that it will help someone do better than I did.

Here’s something I regret: wasting Easter.

Holy Week wasn’t overly holy at our house. And I regret that.

Of course, we had Easter egg hunts in the yard on Easter morning.
We dressed the kids up and took lots of pictures.
(My kids are pictured above, Easter 1997. Weren’t they cute?)
We went to church and ate Easter lunch with my parents.

But I wish we’d used the holiday to focus more on all that Easter promises to those who believe in Christ. Since Christ rose from death to life, it means we will rise too. It means death is not the end, but merely the beginning of a wonderful new life with Christ.

This is really good news, isn’t it?
News worth celebrating in your home and in mine.
But these ideas can be hard for kids to grasp.

So how can you share Easter promises with children?

By spending an entire week on it. Every year.
By calling it “Holy Week.” And treating it accordingly.
For one week, simply read one of the Easter promises with verses and discuss it.

While daily reading may be hard to do all the time, you can do it for 7 days. I know you can.

And I’d like to help you.

Here are 7 Easter promises to share with your children:
1. The promise of God’s love. The Lord loves you more than anybody ever has or ever will. In fact, God loved you so much, He sent Jesus here to save you.

• “I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!” Rom. 8:38-39 CEV.

• “And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.” Eph. 3: 18 NLT

• “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!” 1 Jn. 3:1 NLT

2. The promise of resurrection. The empty grave means your grave will be empty one day, too. Your body will rise like His did, to live again.

• “And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.” 1 Cor. 6:14 NLT

• “But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever.” 1 Cor. 15:51-52 NLT

• “Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.” Jn. 5:25 NIV

3. The promise of eternal life. If God can give you life, then He can also give you eternal life. And that is what He has promised to everyone who believes in Christ.

• “Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” Jn. 5:24 NIV

• “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” Jn. 10:27-28 NIV

• “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.” 1 Thess. 4:16-17 NLT

4. The promise of being known by God. The Lord knows what you’re facing today. He knows YOUR name and everything about you. He even knows how many hairs you have on your head!

• “You have looked deep into my heart, Lord, and you know all about me. You know when I am resting or when I am working, and from heaven you discover my thoughts. You notice everything I do and everywhere I go. Before I even speak a word, you know what I will say, and with your powerful arm you protect me from every side.” Ps. 139:1-5 CEV

• “Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? But God does not forget even one of them. In fact, he even counts every hair on your head! So don’t be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.” Luke 12:6-7 NIRV

• “I have written your name on the palms of my hands.” Is. 49:16. NLT

5. The promise of forgiveness. When you make a mistake, God will forgive you. He promises to take every sin away. Learn to forgive yourself and let it go, as you thank Him and rest in this promise.

• “We have been set free because of what Christ has done. Because he bled and died our sins have been forgiven. We have been set free because God’s grace is so rich.” Eph. 1:7 NIRV.

• “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” 1 Jn. 1:9 NLT

• “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.” Ps. 103:12-14 NLT

6. The promise of God’s Spirit. Even though you may feel lonely, you aren’t truly alone, for the Lord is with you wherever you go.

• “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Heb. 13:5

• “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” Acts 2:38-39

• “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” Rom. 8:11 NLT

7. The promise of a future in Heaven. Believers in Christ have the greatest hope there is!

• “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Cor. 2:9.

• “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.” Rev. 21:6-7 NLT

• “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Rev. 21:4 NLT

These lofty Easter promises are best grasped over time. Talk about them with your kids. Retell the gospel story (click here for tips). Repeat these Easter promises each year. Use everyday activities* and examples to illustrate these truths. If you don’t teach them, who will?

Have a blessed and happy Easter!