Teaching the Bible to Your Children
Day after day we sat at the dinner table, steaming dishes of food in the center and squirming children adjacent. And day after day, we pulled out the Bible and stack of memory verses to read and practice as a family. Months piled into years and I started to wonder: Is any of this sticking?
One day my almost-three-year old stood up in his high chair. I was about to correct him when he lisped Acts 3:19: Repent and turn back that your sins may be wiped out. I was astonished! His older sisters were old enough to memorize the Scriptures we rehearsed, but a two year old?! I couldn’t believe what he had picked up just by repetition and presence.
As Christian parents, we know how important it is to teach our kids the Bible. But sometimes even our best efforts feel like they aren’t sticking, or we doubt our ability to teach them… and don’t make the effort our kids desperately need. In this short article, I want to give you the reason to teach the Bible, answer some common pain points and suggest some practical ways to integrate Scripture into your homeschool day.
Why teach the Bible?
The Bible is the very word of God, inspired by the Spirit of God and written down in history. The BIble was not compiled nor written all at once. It is the work of dozens of authors over thousands of years in several different ancient languages. This actually makes it MORE trustworthy, because all these people in all these cultures and times bore witness to the same incredible story: a God who wants to dwell with His people, and will make the ultimate sacrifice in order to do so.
The Bible is not a list of moral behaviors or stories we seek to emulate by willpower. It is the story of a loving God who gave Himself to reconcile humanity’s sin. And that story keeps going to the present day in our lives and the lives of our children! We get to share the hope of Christ from Genesis to Revelation, and we can only do that if we read and teach the Scriptures.
Struggling to Teach the Bible
Though we know the mandate the teach the Bible to our kids, many of us run into struggles along the way. These struggles might come in the form of self-doubt, discipline, or being unsure where to begin. Let’s talk about a few of these.
I don’t know enough.
Whether you’re new to the faith or a long term, second generation Christian, there will be things you don’t know about the Bible. That shouldn’t stop you from teaching! The Holy Spirit equips you where you don’t know the answer. He fills in the gaps with His grace and knowledge. He will even lead you to the right resources and ways of teaching that best fit your family. Knowledge can always grow. You’re on this path with your kids.
2. I am not sure where to start.
There are so many great discipleship resources, it can be hard to choose. I believe less is more. It’s better to choose something simple and do it daily than choose something complicated that you do once a month. Of any subject, Bible should be the most consistent - because it’s not school. It’s the center of all life and wisdom. Choose a resource you can sustainably follow through on with your kids.
3. My kids don’t sit still long enough.
As I write this, my kids are eight, six and three. We’ve been doing a bible time since my oldest was two. This means I’ve been discipling wiggly souls for six years. Sitting still is not innate; no child will naturally want to sit still and listen. It must be taught, and it is best taught through repetition and pleasure (making it a fun experience!). In our home, we disciple at meals. The kids can eat while we read the Bible and recite verses. Other times we do it during morning basket time, which also includes snacks. We do make it fun, but we also use that time as an opportunity to teach them how to sit for periods of time that grow longer as they age.
4. I don’t know where to go with their/my questions.
Kids ask the best questions! They will press a topic from multiple angles, following their curiosity into places our adult minds forgot we could go. Sometimes your child will ask a question you don’t know the answer to, and that’s ok. This is a great opportunity to show them the ongoing walk of faith. “I don’t know, but I’ll research that and find out” is a sentence our kids should hear often. It show them curiosity isn’t just for kids - its for parents too!
No matter where you are on this journey, God has made you the parent of your children for a reason. He equips those He calls! Your knowledge of Scripture will grow as you diligently teach it to your children in the rhythms of your day. And where you fail, God makes the difference. Scripture does not return void - even when it’s taught in the margins of the day!
Guest post by Phylicia Masonheimer, author of Every Woman a Theologian. You can visit her blog here and shop her beautiful children’s books here.
The Good Gospel is an A-Z devotional guide for early learners that will help you to teach them, not only the letters of the alphabet, but also about the Lord and building a relationship with Him. We do this through 26 lessons that include songs, prayer, fine art, crafts, memory verses, and more!
