(CC) What to cover for short Bible lessons?

[KathyBC]

My kids have gone to school (sniff), but I would like to keep some form of Bible in our week. (We're an un-churching family :D .) I have a short time a couple mornings a week for a relaxed reading/discussion time. What would you do? What topics would you cover?

 

I went to private high school for grades 8-12 where Bible was a required course each year, and got a pretty thorough education by the end. DH has four-years of Bible school. I feel like right at the age where our kids could get a more thorough grounding in faith, the time to do that is dwindling as they are gone to public school and life outside of that time is pretty full. I just can't seem to turn

“You shall teach God’s Word to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up.†– Deuteronomy 11:19

into anything tangible on my own.

 

[FriedClams]

My favorite time is bible time with my kids (and DH when he's home)!! We are working through a Sonlight schedule, but you can use any book. We read a chapter a day - splitting it up between the three (or four) of us. Then we SPECK it out: Sins to avoid? Promises of God? Example to follow? Command to Obey? Key application? (There are other definitions of SPECK, but that's what we use.) After discussion we read a psalm and pray using that psalm as our guide - using the ACTS method. It's been an awesome experience. Since you don't have a ton of time, I'd stick with the bible. Get them familiar with it and in the habit of reading it. Some commentaries or devotionals are great - but when in doubt - I always stick with the Bible.

[KathyBC]

My favorite time is bible time with my kids (and DH when he's home)!! We are working through a Sonlight schedule, but you can use any book. We read a chapter a day - splitting it up between the three (or four) of us. Then we SPECK it out: Sins to avoid? Promises of God? Example to follow? Command to Obey? Key application? (There are other definitions of SPECK, but that's what we use.) After discussion we read a psalm and pray using that psalm as our guide - using the ACTS method. It's been an awesome experience. Since you don't have a ton of time, I'd stick with the bible. Get them familiar with it and in the habit of reading it. Some commentaries or devotionals are great - but when in doubt - I always stick with the Bible.

You read a chapter a day of ... ? The Bible? I have old cores 6 and 7 and could use those as reading schedules, true.

[KathyBC]

We use Penny Gardner's Old and New Testament episodic reading lists (links are here).  I read one reading to the kids each day (we alternate OT and NT) and then we discuss.  Since they're younger, I ask them questions about the reading to make sure they were listening and then we talk about anything they don't understand or have questions about (e.g. This morning my dd asked me if you could go see the Tower of Babel ;) ).  It generally takes 10 minutes.

We've been through the Catherine Vos Story Bible a couple of times and the Golden Children's Story Bible once. We've done a couple other things over the years, too.

 

A friend posted these links on Facebook recently and they have me pondering the "enoughness" of what we have done:

http://christianmomthoughts.com/6-ways-you-may-be-raising-your-kids-with-an-oversimplified-faith/

http://deeperwaters.wordpress.com/2013/03/22/when-youth-arent-prepared/

 

On the plus side, they've inspired me to keep going though the kids are not homeschooled anymore.

[FloridaLisa]

If this is the only Bible you're doing on a daily basis (they aren't doing separate devotions), I would read the Bible and not a study book or devotional guide.  I think you're right that they are ready for meat and the Bible will definitely give that.  

 

We like to read a chapter a day chronologically.  We usually ask

• 1) What is going on here?;  
• 2) What does this tell us about God and who He is?;
• 3) What does this tell us about how He relates to man (us); and
• 4) What application does it have to us (me) today? 

We usually read chronologically through the narratives (most of the Old Testament except the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecc, Song of Solomen, and some of the prophets) and the Gospels & Acts. At the age of your boys, I'd switch back and forth between a narrative and one of the NT letters or Revelations.

 

Just open and go! Let the Holy Spirit speak to you and your boys and lead you. The more we do it, the more we are able to dig out of it on our own. 

 

Lisa

[FriedClams]

You read a chapter a day of ... ? The Bible? I have old cores 6 and 7 and could use those as reading schedules, true.

Yes. The bible. Chapter a day to SPECK, Psalm a day to pray through. Love it!!!!

[SilverMoon]

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Edited September 6, 2023 by SilverMoon

[KathyBC]

 

I also really, really like Training Hearts Teaching Minds for protestant catechism. It has 6 short lessons for each question of the shorter catechism.

That looks interesting! Thanks.

[KathyBC]

The first link particularly, where the blog author mentions kids may know a lot about what's in the bible but not a lot about the bible, goes beyond where I feel comfortable starting from myself. Her 65 apologetics questions are also challenging. I think the shorter catechism is a good place to start making what we read have a structure tying it together. (In case my signature isn't showing up, my kids in question are 14 and almost 12.) Thanks so much, Moon.

[SilverMoon]

Ah. I'm usually on the mobile version, which doesn't show signatures at all. THTM is good for all ages. Your kids could double/triple the little lessons if they have time, or just do one on busy days. They are short 'n sweet, and very effective.

[SilverMoon]

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Edited September 6, 2023 by SilverMoon