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Christian question... What do you do for devotions/Bible Time?


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We've been a bit erratic with a daily Bible Time over the summer, and I'd really like to get back to it. But I didn't have much in the way of ideas anyway, so I'd love to hear what you do. I feel we should have some kind of Bible focussed activity/reading or something first thing in the morning (before or after breakfast, I'm not too fussed) that the children and I can do together. It doesn't have to take a long time.

 

Bring on the ideas!

 

:lurk5:

Edited by Hedgehog
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We've done a bunch of different things over the years, from formal Bible studies to verses set to music. When my son was younger, I had several Bible story books that had accompanying CD ROM's or audio CD's he could listen to on his own. We've read through various children's Bibles, too.

 

This year, I have him starting out the year reading through a series of missionary biographies.

 

I also own a number of devotionals that are geared toward families or children, specifically. I've read through those on a daily basis in past. These usually include a brief story that is illustrative of the Bible verse given for the day.

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We do our Bible time before anything else. I have told my son it's the most important part of our day, which is why we do it first. I also found that when we do it first, it actually gets done. ;) I try to do a good chunk of things to show it's importance to us, so we usually spend at least 30 minutes to 1 hour on it.

 

Here is what we currently do:

Read 1 chapter from the OT

One chapter from Psalms

One from Proverbs (we rotate through Proverbs - so when we finish, we start it up again)

and one chapter from the NT

 

Then we listen to or read from Keys for Kids (it changes each day)

 

After that I usually read a chapter from a book. Right now we are reading through Prudence and the Millers.

 

Then we do some type of devotional study. We just finished up a study from here: http://ontabletsofhumanhearts.blogspot.com/

 

But we are getting ready to work on the Squire and the Scroll lapbook materials I made, which you can see at my website:

http://www.guesthollow.com/homeschool/printables/bible/squire_and_scroll.html

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Oswald Chambers "My Utmost for His Highest" and

Paul Brand's books....

 

We read the Bible and have scripture memory through church/Awanas and as a family....so sometimes we will use books written by those we admire and do a bit of a comparison of life lessons and biblical truths...we've learned so much from Corrie Ten Boom, Chambers, C.S. Lewis that just augment our Bible time..

 

Tara

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We've been a bit erratic with a daily Bible Time over the summer, and I'd really like to get back to it. But I didn't have much in the way of ideas anyway, so I'd love to hear what you do. I feel we should have some kind of Bible focussed activity/reading or something first thing in the morning (before or after breakfast, I'm not too fussed) that the children and I can do together. It doesn't have to take a long time.

 

Bring on the ideas!

 

:lurk5:

 

I'll share what we do even though it isn't first thing in the morning.

 

Every evening we have a discussion as a family over dinner. DH considers a daily Bible text with us which is followed by a written commentary. We then read one story from a book of bible stories for children. Finally, we read one chapter from the Bible. Our children are memorizing their Bible books and so they take turns each night choosing a book and chapter and they practice finding it in the Bible before DH reads aloud.

 

This has worked really well for our family. :001_smile:

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We do something called SOAP.

 

Scripture

Observation

Application

Prayer

 

We read a scripture and summarize (the children 8, 10 have a notebook for this)

Make observations about the scripture (talk about it)

Apply to our lives

Pray about the application/observation. (ask for more enlightmentment or help with the issue discovered or just thanks!)

 

I felt it best to start at the beginning and as we go we are memorizing the books of the Bible as well.

 

Lara

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Last year we did an OT survey using Greenleaf Guide to the Old Testament. This year we are reading through the NT together.

 

We do it first thing in the morning along with memory work, and then we do church history. It is going well with our Medieval Studies. We are reading Monks and Mystics right now. My high schooler does this on his own using The Church in History. Then they all have some kind of Bible Study or Personal Development book that is age appropriate They do this on their own. For example, my high schooler is reading A Young Man After God's Own Heart.

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Do you do this with your dc?

 

 

I don't have any kids yet (I'm only 21), but I've used it in Sunday School classes before for the children (normally 2nd or 3rd graders), and they seem to really like it. Some of their families would tell me that they modified it for home use by splitting the readings up (one at breakfast, one at dinner, and one before bed). The parents would discuss the readings with the kids and explain anything they had questions about. Some of the kids would write a sentence or two about what they thought about the readings or what they learned from the discussion.

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We do Scripture memory, using a system that, I think, came from one of the Charlotte Mason websites.

 

Over the summer we read daily following a daily, chronological study Bible. We simply read it and discuss.

 

In about a week we start Bible Study Fellowship International (BSF) and will be completing a 30 week study of Isaiah. I'm a Children's Leader for their school program...my boys will be doing the study with me. (If you're unfamiliar with BSF, it's a 7 year - actually, now 8 as they just added Isaiah - 30+ week/year, program.)

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We sing a hymn (without piano usually), have a prayer then read a scripture from any of the standard works, yes, we use the Bible. Like another pp stated, application of the scripture, what it means to you or something to ponder over; plans for the day, we're done. Usually less than 15 minutes.

In the evening we have family prayer and scripture (reading at least one chapter). We allow ourselves to miss once a week due to schedule conflicts, etc.

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We are reading through the Psalms this year. There are 150, but some are long, so I divided the longer chapters so that we read something all 180 days of school. We talk about the verses, what they mean, and how we can use them to help us pray our own prayers. Our pastor did a teaching for the adults on "Praying the Psalms". We also have prayer time together.

 

We still have devotions at night with dh. We are reading a family devotional book together and pray together.

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We use Catherine Vos' book "A Child's Story Bible" (nice hardback book/keepsake-worthy). I saw your kids' ages and I'd be PERFECT for them. It's available on amazon for around $20.00. Mine ASK to be read to out of it DAILY and NIGHTLY. I've sampled SEVERAL Bible Story books and it's fabulously written/engaging/theologically and biblically accurate. It came highly recommended and I see why. It explains things in terms they can easily understand. I promise you'll be SOOOOOOO glad you got it. Each reading selection is of a perfect length also. We read it before bed as it's the last thing I want in their little minds to think on before bed. They ASK for it during the day, but it's rarely a daytime book.

 

I also purchased John MacArthur's (paperback/affordable) Daily Bible which is set up for you to go through/read entire bible in a calendar year. It has four reading selections daily. This keeps me "on track." I generally read 2 sections first thing in AM at schooltime, then read another section at lunch and read the last section after supper/before they get ready for bed. It has a few notes also (if I need them). Oh....and if we forget a section during the day, we make sure we read it before the Child's Story Bible at nighttime.

 

Best Wishes!

Edited by PygmyShrew
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We just started reading from the book Sword Fighting and the bible verses it leads us to. Thats about it...except for random discussions that take place at random times. God moments!

 

 

Highly recommend the book...very user friendly!!!

http://www.amazon.com/Sword-Fighting-Karyn-Henley/dp/0842334653

 

We love Sword Fighting too! Here are some other things we use to study the Bible too. We haven't been doing much of the stick figuring through the Bible, but both of my kids really enjoy it.

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Read 1 chapter of Bible (today we just finished I Sam.) Discussion

Pray aloud together

Each child, DW & I recite a memory verse (we have committed dozens to memory)

Sing 2-3 songs.

 

This all happens during breakfast or just after. Times that we have skipped now feel all wrong, like not brushing your teeth. It's become a good habit for us.

 

What is hilarious, is that the dog barks loudly while we sing, usually in time with the music!!! While I'm praying, I can hear the dog quietly growling, anticipating the singing! I guess we're in a well worn rut! But happy to be there.

 

I've added evening reading aloud with the older 3, some sort of appropriate Christian book...we completed The Hiding Place (Corie Tenboom), almost now done with Mere Christianity, next will be Pilgrims' Progress. On my list is The Heavenly Man and Through the Gates of Splendor as well. This does not happen every evening, sometimes due to sports practice or other 'aloud' reading DW is working on...so it can take a month or two to complete a book this way.

 

Finally, I'm planning to add a more comprehensive Bible study when the weather gets lousy, for late afternoon / evenings, twice a week, for about 1 hour, for our older 3 girls.

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We try to tie in with our Bible read some various devotionals and books that I have found along the years:

The Victor Journey Through the Bible

Who's who and Where's Where in the Bible?

International Children's Bible Field Guide

500 questions and Answers from the Bible

Sheep Tales

 

This year, I am having them read Do Hard Things....they are not crazy about it...sort of slow. I haven't found one this year that I am crazy about for upper middle school/high school.

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For our family devotions at night, we only use the Bible. We read a chapter each night and discuss it with the kids. A commentary or reading from a Life Applications Bible would help if you are having trouble with the meaning of the chapter. Maybe a Bible Backgrounds book. But to me, more important than a devotional book with stories, is just becoming intimately familiar with scripture.

 

In the mornings, the girls have a selection to read from the Bible, and they keep a prayer journal. We've also been trying to work our way through Remembering God's Awesome Acts by Susan Mortimer, but we just aren't feeling it..lol.

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