For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8–9

So much in life tells us that it is our performance that makes us who we are. This is especially true for kids. Chore charts, report cards, standardized tests, recitals, and athletic banquets all give the overwhelming message that, “If you do well, you will be rewarded; if you do not do well, you will lose your reward, and you may even be punished.” Performance—work and reward—is one of the basic structures of our lives. As a result, kids grow up thinking, “I am what I am because of what I do . . . or because of what I’ve failed to do.”

Have you ever thought about how different this message of performance is from the Bible’s message of redemption? In 1 Corinthians 15:10, Paul says, “By the grace of God I am what I am.” In this PROOF Pirates curriculum, kids will explore Ephesians and learn about how God saves scallywags like you and me.

What better message for our children to hear than the PROOF of God’s grace! This exploration of Ephesians 1–2 reveals five never-to-be-forgotten elements of God’s grace:

God’s grace is Planned: God mapped out salvation for his people (Ephesians 1:4–5).
God’s grace is Resurrecting: When we were dead, God made us alive (Eph 2:4–5).  
God’s grace is Outrageous: God gives us Jesus as a free gift (Ephesians 1:7–8a).
God’s grace is Overcoming: God changes our rebellion into surrender (Eph 1:13a).  
God’s grace is Forever: God’s people never drift away from his love (Eph 1:13b–14).

We want our kids to know their Savior—to know that it’s God’s grace that makes them who they are. We want to show kids that discovering God’s grace is a great adventure that should overwhelm them and fill them with a sense of wonder. Our hope is that our children will never cease to be amazed that God reached down and saved scallywags like us. We want them to know Jesus as their greatest treasure.