I keep hearing the words, "You (God) must increase, I must decrease" and as a worship leader it is usually our mandate to be invisible, that the people and God meet and we don't get in the way of that. I hope that my words and actions with my girls is similar, that it doesn't get in the way of their experiencing of God.

Seriously, though. When I was a youth counsellor at church I had a standing rule with the riff-raff who had grown up at our church: Never assume that they get Jesus.

See, I live in a world where Jesus subtlety and sometimes with a hammer, pokes and prods, whispers and screams. It's a world fraught with expectation, hope and a large dollop of grace. Kids live in a world of punishment and reward, which a Jesus system just doesn't support. That's what I teach, err… try to show – constantly. Without abandon, even if it would be easier to let some kids just keep following the rules.

And I remember at the ripe old age of 33 that faith and I have had rocky times from high school until now. Kids will always revert back to religion – it's more simple. Actually, that's probably true of most of us adults. But my daughter must learn what I know about Jesus – whether by actions, or words, or fishes on bicycles – she has got to know that Jesus takes all the credit and the blame, is the motivator and the object.

Wow – I'm flowery today!

Seriously, though. When I was a youth counsellor at church I had a standing rule with the riff-raff who had grown up at our church: Never assume that they get Jesus.

See, I live in a world where Jesus subtlety and sometimes with a hammer, pokes and prods, whispers and screams. It's a world fraught with expectation, hope and a large dollop of grace. Kids live in a world of punishment and reward, which a Jesus system just doesn't support. That's what I teach, err… try to show – constantly. Without abandon, even if it would be easier to let some kids just keep following the rules.

And I remember at the ripe old age of 33 that faith and I have had rocky times from high school until now. Kids will always revert back to religion – it's more simple. Actually, that's probably true of most of us adults. But my daughter must learn what I know about Jesus – whether by actions, or words, or fishes on bicycles – she has got to know that Jesus takes all the credit and the blame, is the motivator and the object.

Wow – I'm flowery today!

course, if i had to choose, i'd go with actions over words, in modeling god anyways… my only fear is setting the bar too low, as I can talk about god far better than i can act in any way like him…