Teaching bible? Light touch or intensive approach

[ChristyH]

I have been reading up on various approaches to teaching the bible.

 

One approach is to use a lighter touch and not over moralize or preach too much at your children. Let them take what they can from it. Your lifestyle should almost "romance" their hearts to faith.

 

I have thought about that one lots because I want my children to want to be God fearing and Christ following not just say it to please me or their father. They can't ride on the coat tails of our faith after they leave our home to start their independent lives.

 

On the other hand, we can make the bible our main focus, with lots of memory and really talk and preach it. You have seem curriculum which has a lot of bible focus and some with a much lighter approach.

 

I have thought about this approach too and thinking that maybe this guarntees a christian child and I will have to answer to God for my bible teaching. Maybe I didn't teach enough bible.

 

My daughter said she prefers the light approach as she gets a lot of bible at youth group and we do talk about it at home.:glare:

 

So what do you think?:001_huh:

[....]

I am having our 7 year-old read one small passage a day from the NIV Children's Bible (the one written at a 3rd grade reading level, but has complete scriptures). I don't say anything, but I ask her what she understood from the passage. She understands the scriptures that she reads perfectly. I asked her which one was her favorite and she said, "All of them."

 

:glare:

 

Not sure if that is a comprehensive form of Bible study... It's not intense at all...

[dhudson]

We use MFW as our main curriculum and then my kids are in Bible Bowl as well so I would have to say that our Bible is intensive. However, MFW uses great books and lots of hands on activities so my kids enjoy Bible. My kids like Bible time. They enjoy snuggling with Mom and reading Bible out loud. We have engaging discussions and they enjoy sharing with me what they have learned and what they think a particular passage means. I don't preach at them but I ask lots of leading questions. I have been very pleased by the depth of knowledge that my kids have about the Bible and God and have been even more pleased at the way they are beginning to use that knowledge. I have begun to see them stop and think before talking because of their memorization of the Book of James. I have seen my 7th grader turn away when temptation comes his way.

 

I know that my memory of the Bible has held me in good stead. I have often had to turn from a course of action because of a Bible verse and I want my kids to have the same.:001_smile:

[Donna A.]

Well, I don't know... I believe that God is sovereign, yes, even over the hearts of our children, so there is no one "right" way. I believe it's what God convicts YOU and your dh to do, so the way I do it or the way Family XYZ does it may or may not be right for you. For the Christian, I do believe that everything should come BACK to the Word, no matter what. I also believe there are a lot of people who call themselves christian who really don't have a true biblical worldview, or a personal faith in Christ as their Lord and Saviour. So while one "christian" family says it's best to do it this way, another will say it's best to do it that way.

 

As far as academics are concerned, I think you already know what I believe about teaching history and science from a strong biblical perspective, and seeing how God has worked in the hearts and minds of men from the beginning of time as we know it.

 

I just finished reading a biography of Susanna Wesley. That woman never stopped believing that the truth could be found in God's Word. She never stopped trusting that despite many, many hardships throughout her life, and despite a husband who was arrogant, prideful, and made many foolish decisions, that God had a special plan and purpose for her children. She never stopped loving, supporting, and serving her husband. She was diligent to train, teach and discipline her children well.... all within the Church of England. They were incredibly faithful to worship times as a family, and in the church. They knew the scriptures. The children were all baptized. Her sons grew up to be quite scholarly and even went on a missions trip at one point.... but John and Charles never knew Christ as their personal Saviour until they were in their 30's. I do believe however, that God used Susanna's faithfulness to bring them to Him in HIS time, in the perfect timing of the events of Church of England so that John and Charles might have a powerful impact in the world around them. Any sooner than this happening in their late 30's/early 40's, well, it just wasn't their "time". They knew the Word... had the Word in them. Their mother had prayed over them (and all their siblings) from the very day they were born, or even before. They were very diligent in their training. But God spoke to their hearts as adults, after they'd been well-schooled, after they already had quite a bit of life experience. And then He used all that for His own glory in helping to change the world.

 

IOW, I believe that as Christian parents, it's our duty to train and discipline them properly, according to God's Word, and to teach them about Christ's saving love for them. But then to entrust their souls to the One who can save them according to His will, in His way and in His time.

[forty-two]

I have thought about this approach too and thinking that maybe this guarntees a christian child and I will have to answer to God for my bible teaching. Maybe I didn't teach enough bible.

This is *not* the attitude to take. Our kids are, like it or not, autonomous beings, and while as parents we can influence them greatly - for good or for ill - we can't control their hearts. Trying to just causes trouble for everyone involved.

 

I have been thinking about this lately as well, after reading about several parents whose children rejected Christianity - some at relatively early ages. It worries me, too. I think, though, that if anything is a "caught not taught" subject, it is religion.

 

What I am trying to do is work on living out my faith as best I can, and be sure to include my kids in all aspects of it. I am trying to establish good habits in myself and, by extension, in my kids. If I value something enough to want to make my kids do it, then I should value it, and myself, enough so that I do it as well. "Do as I say, not as I do" definitely will fail here!

 

So if I believe that time spent in the Word is valuable, and I do - it is a means of grace - then it is important that I read the Bible myself, not just require my kids to do so. If I believe that memorizing Scripture is important, and I do - you only truly possess that which known by heart - then I should memorize verses, too. If I believe that we are called to serve others, then I need to be sure I am cheerfully doing so - and especially that I not forget to faithfully serve my children.

 

So if you believe that intensive Bible study is valuable, then you should do it in your own life - whether or not you choose to require it of your child. From all that I've read, about parents passing (or failing to pass) on their faith, the key seems to be whether the parents walked the walk, instead of just talking the talk. Parents living a genuine Christian life, one that they include their children in, seems to be the vital component. The nitty-gritty - of what exactly they did as they lived a genuine Christian life - is largely immaterial.

 

That's both reassuring and immensely frightening, huh :grouphug:.

[Pam L in Mid Tenn]

There is no guarantee that a home schooled child trained in "Bible" will become a Christian.

[Chris in VA]

I took the live it in front of them approach--and they heard so much else from the World that one of them chose to go astray. Hopefully God will lead him back.

 

For my dd, we are homeschooling, so she does get more time with us and less of the world. I just did devotional reading with her and she went to Sunday School, but this year (4th grade) we are doing Positive Action For Christ, and it is having an impact. We are also reading a bio of Gladys Alyward, and it's great. There is more in her speech and actions that tells me it's sinking in.

 

Definitely a process and a choice, imo. I'm not a Reform believer, so I do think it's up to us as individuals to accept or reject God, but I definitely believe we should be doing all we can to live authentic, Godly lives in front of our kiddos.

[lionfamily1999]

Older ds and I are reading a chapter in Proverbs every day with discussions. DD does independant reading and we'll discuss whatever she read. Youngest ds and I are working through a children's Bible together.

 

I think reading the Bible is very important. I think prayer is important. From there, you just have to look at what you're "feeding" them spiritually. Are you giving them a good example? Are YOU growing and relying on God?

 

We recently finished 'A Mother's Guide to the Ten Commandments' (edited to include the dcs). That was nice and now the dcs (excepting the youngest) know the Ten Commandments and can use that knowledge to relate to every day situations.

 

It gets daunting, that's a big book and it's all important. I'm not sure there's any 'most' important thing, it all needs to be there. Living it, reading it, praying, all of it :p For my older two, knowing that Mom is working on herself at the same time seems to encourage them :)

 

hth

[Daisy]

Honestly, we do what we would do even if we didn't have children. I don't over think it.

 

We have morning devotions. Sometimes that means I'm reading through Proverbs and the children are highlighting the verse that jumped off the page at them. Sometimes that means I'm reading a Bible story book or a devotional book or character stories (like the Millers).

 

The children have independent Bible reading in their curriculum. Basically this is just Bible knowledge/comprehension. Like reading history. Mostly because we are studying ancients this year but their early readers were Bible content also.

 

They are in Awanas and memorize verses for that.

 

In the evening after dinner, Hubby picks a reading from the Bible and we round robin read it aloud. We pray for those in need.

 

Hubby and I talk all the time with each other about the Bible and our beliefs. We live out to the best of our ability our love for Jesus and pray our children will be among the elect.

 

We take it in snippets. None of the above activities take more than 10-15 minutes each. We want conversation about faith to be informal and frequent.

[Daisy]

So if I believe that time spent in the Word is valuable, and I do - it is a means of grace - then it is important that I read the Bible myself, not just require my kids to do so. If I believe that memorizing Scripture is important, and I do - you only truly possess that which known by heart - then I should memorize verses, too. If I believe that we are called to serve others, then I need to be sure I am cheerfully doing so - and especially that I not forget to faithfully serve my children.

 

So if you believe that intensive Bible study is valuable, then you should do it in your own life - whether or not you choose to require it of your child. From all that I've read, about parents passing (or failing to pass) on their faith, the key seems to be whether the parents walked the walk, instead of just talking the talk. Parents living a genuine Christian life, one that they include their children in, seems to be the vital component. The nitty-gritty - of what exactly they did as they lived a genuine Christian life - is largely immaterial.

 

:iagree::iagree: