Before you begin, grown-ups: This is the last week of the year. Consider saving a few extra minutes to look back together: Which truths stuck? Which weeks do your kids remember? Celebrate what God has done in your family through fifty-two small conversations.
01 · GATHER ROUND
Start with a question.
“What’s the best day you’ve ever had? What if it never had to end?”
Let everyone dream a little. Then get ready—the Bible’s ending is better than our best day.
02 · OUR BIG QUESTION
What hope does everlasting life hold for us?
That we will live with and enjoy God forever in the new heaven and the new earth, where we will be forever freed from all sin in a renewed, restored creation.
New City Catechism · Question 52 · Children’s answer · Official page03 · OPEN THE BIBLE
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Berean Standard Bible · BSB
The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible, BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee. This text of God's Word has been dedicated to the public domain.
Read it slowly together. What words stand out? You can choose the translation your family knows best.
The end of a long trip.
Have you ever been on a really long car trip? Hours and hours of highway. The snacks run out. Someone keeps asking, “Are we there yet?” Then finally you turn onto a familiar street, and there it is: home—or Grandma’s house, with the front door flying open and someone running out to hug you. The long trip is over. You’re where you belong.
The Bible ends with a picture like that. In our Bible reading, John sees a new heaven and a new earth. He sees God’s holy city coming down, and he hears a loud voice say that God’s dwelling place is with people. God himself will live with his people. That’s home.
The Bible’s picture of forever is much bigger than floating on clouds. God will make a new heaven and a new earth—a real place, with real bodies, where everything that’s broken gets fixed for good. It will be this world made new: no more trash in the creek, no more weeds choking the garden, no more things wearing out and falling apart.
And best of all, we will be with God. Not just near him—with him, enjoying him. Everything good you’ve ever loved—a delicious meal, a belly laugh, a sunset, a hug from someone you love—is a tiny taste of the joy of being with God forever.
Listen again to the promise: God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain. There will be no more sin, either—no more choosing wrong, no more hurting each other, no more feeling far from God. Everything that broke will be made new.
This is where the whole year has been heading. We started the year by saying, “I belong to God.” Now we know where that belonging leads: God’s people, at home with him, forever. And the door is open to anyone who trusts Jesus. Until then, we keep trusting him on the long road. We’re not there yet, but we’re getting closer every day.
04 · WONDER TOGETHER
Let’s talk about it.
- What are you most looking forward to in God’s new creation?
- Why do you think the Bible describes forever as a real place, not just clouds?
- Looking back on this year, which big truth has meant the most to you?
Try answering one yourself first. “I don’t know yet” is a fine place to start a conversation.
05 · A LITTLE CHALLENGE
Carry the truth with you.
Throw a little celebration for finishing the year! Make a special dessert, and have each person share a favorite week or truth from Little Faith. Then draw pictures of the new creation—what might a world with no sin, sadness, or death look like?—and hang them up together.
06 · TALK TO GOD
Let’s pray.
Faithful God, thank you for the promise of a new heaven and a new earth, where we will live with you and enjoy you forever. Thank you that one day you will wipe away every tear, and there will be no more sin, sadness, or death. Thank you for walking with our family all year long. Keep us trusting Jesus until we are home with you. Amen.
Then invite everyone to add one thing they want to tell God.
07 · MAKE IT STICK
A little truth to learn by heart.
Make it a Year of Truth review. Each person picks a favorite answer from the year and says it for the family—can anyone guess which week it’s from? Then learn this week’s answer together, and finish with the promise from Revelation 21:4 that God will wipe away every tear.
SAY IT. HIDE IT. TRY IT TOGETHER.
This week’s answer · New City Catechism Q52
That we will live with and enjoy God forever in the new heaven and the new earth, where we will be forever freed from all sin in a renewed, restored creation.
No streaks. No catching up. Just growing together.
Progress stays in this browser.THE END OF THE YEAR · NOT THE END OF THE STORY
Fifty-two weeks of big truths.
You started by asking who you belong to. You’ve ended with God’s promise to make everything new. Take a moment to thank God for every conversation, wiggle, and question along the way—then pick a favorite week to revisit, or begin again together.
Begin again with week 1Question 52 and its children’s answer are quoted from the official New City Catechism resource and were checked on September 29, 2026. The New City Catechism, Copyright © 2017 by The Gospel Coalition and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. Published by Crossway. Devotional, prayer, and activities are original. Scripture translations are supplied through YouVersion when connected. The saved BSB reading matches the official Berean Standard Bible text; the Berean text is dedicated to the public domain.