Discipling your kids is a way of life, not a one-size-fits-all plan. By integrating into your daily life as laid out by Scripture, you can teach your kids to know and love God’s Word. By His grace, their hearts will be converted and they will KNOW Christ as their Savior, being reconciled to God. These simple ways to teach the Bible to your kids will be your guide.
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 ESV
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Teach the Bible to Yourself, too
After proclaiming the oneness and supremacy of God, this passage gives a directive to the reader. YOU shall love the LORD your God with all YOUR heart, with all YOUR soul, and with all YOUR might. The first and most crucial way that you can teach the Bible to your kids now is by modeling your own love for the Lord. Does this mean that you need to know the answer to every potential Bible and theology question your kids may throw at you in order to teach them? Not at all. Just that you, too, are actively loving God with all your heart, soul, and might.
Teach the Bible to Your Kids, Diligently
God says that we are to be the primary teacher of His commands and Gospel to our children. This isn’t to be solely left in the hands of the Sunday School teacher or pastor. Those Sunday mornings are to support the parents in teaching God’s truths to their children. In fact, I’d say that the pastor preaching from the pulpit is teaching and equipping the saints (you, as a Believer in Christ), to go out (and into your homes) encouraged and ready to share the Good News (teaching your kids of the Gospel of Jesus Christ).
You simply cannot let Sunday morning church be the only exposure and teaching of God’s Word to your children. You have so many opportunities to share truth with them. Don’t let them slip by!
Diligently means: in a way that shows care and conscientiousness in one’s work or duties. This is where personal application comes in. I could tell you exactly one way to diligently teach your kids the Bible, but it may not resonate with your or your family dynamic. Then, you will feel frustrated and perhaps throw in the towel. Instead, I want to share some simple principles and ideas to help you build your own approach to diligently teaching the Bible to your kids.
Teach Them When You Sit In Your House
Whether you are a SAHM or not, you all live under the same roof and at some point during each day you are sitting in your house together. That could be meal times, weekends, bedtime hours. Think about what you are typically doing during those hours you are together. Are you all just sharing the same space but not really interacting? Maybe the tv is on and everyone is just chillin’.
Meal times, bedtime, evening hours, and weekends are perfect times to talk about God. No one expects an hour long sermon or felt board Bible story to take place. Simply open God’s Word together and read. Talk. Pray. The less complicated you make it the more likely you are to do it. And remember, this is just ONE simple way that you are teaching your kids the Bible.
This is commonly referred to as FAMILY WORSHIP. For some families it is a daily practice. For others, maybe one per week. The important things is that you are doing it TOGETHER and with intention.
Teach Them to Make it Their Own
In addition, it is important to teach your kids how to have personal time in the Bible. When they are young, invite them up into your lap as you read your Bible in your personal quiet time. Read aloud to them, talk to them about what you are reading. By letting them participate in the time that you enjoy you are planting a seed for them to also enjoy their quiet time when they are older.
When they are old enough to read on their own, get them started with reading through a book of the Bible, passage-by-passage. A simple way to guide them through this is to ask them to tell back to you what they read. By them telling you in their own words you can get an idea of what they took away from the passage, and even ask them a question or two that gets them to naturally expound their thoughts.
When our oldest was 11 we had him read through the whole Bible chronologically, using The Bible Recap, as his personal Bible time. I had previously done so and really appreciated the way each day’s reading was accompanied by a sound and humble recap of what was read. Our goal in doing this was to let his eyes and ears encounter every word of the Bible in its entirety. It wasn’t about him completely understanding everything he read right then, rather about him having the whole scope of Scripture to build on as he came back through it at a slower pace.
We will do the same for each of our boys as they get to around that age. Yet, we continue to read through Scripture together as a family, and individually as independent readers.
Teach the Bible When You Walk By The Way
This phrase shows action. Movement. The contrast from when you are sitting at home.
This is you teaching your kids as you are coming and going. This always makes me think of the conversations we have in the van, or when the kids see something as we are out and about and ask a tough questions. These are the perfect moments to naturally give your kids a biblical worldview about things they are encountering. Then, you are teaching them to apply the words they are reading in Scripture to their everyday life and experiences. This is teaching them that Bible is good for profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Teach them the Bible as they are navigating their day. Sibling relationships and situations they find themselves in provide perfect opportunities to point them to Christ and the Gospel. Teaching them things like forgiveness, patience, perseverance, honor, respect; all through a Scriptural lens, help them apply the Word in all areas of their life.
Maybe as you work together as a family on something; perhaps a natural object lesson comes into play. Planting a garden together? Share the Parable of the Sower. Building something? Talk about building a foundation on the Rock, not on the sand. You get the idea!
Other things that can aid you in teaching your kids as you walk by the way include practicing scripture memory together, singing hymns that teach biblical truths and doctrine, listening to an audio Bible, podcast or theology book together, or singing the worship songs you sang with the congregation last Sunday.
These are the kind of things that make the Bible and your faith part of your family culture and atmosphere; sitting in your home AND as you walk by the way.
When You Lie Down
This is one of my favorite hours of the day. No matter what was said or done during the day, the bedtime hours seem to create a sweet space for forgiveness, encouragement, and love. When our boys were younger our simple bedtime routine included space for talking about anything they needed to share or ask, reading a book, or a chapter of a book, and then singing a hymn while we tickled their backs. We have learned many a hymns by adopting them as our bedtime hymn. One child’s favorite is Be Thou My Vision. What great thoughts to be in his head as he drifts off to sleep. Each of them have their favorites that they ask for.
As the kids get older and more independent about putting themselves to bed, you can still make it a time of ending the day with truth and worship. Your teen may be too cool to have his back tickled and be sung to, but I bet he would absolutely value you sitting on the edge of his bed and asking his thoughts about a passage or verse, or just giving him space to share what is on his mind. These are moments that naturally make room for discipling your kids through life situations. Primarily LISTEN, don’t talk at them, but be sure to point them to the Gospel in the end.
These lie down hours are precious. I can hear you say, “but I’m tired and want to go to bed myself.” Trust me, I say them also. But we don’t get these years back. Being available gives our kids security.
Teach the Bible When You Rise
Rise, and shine, and give God the glory! Glory!
This is the day that the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad in it.
Do you remember singing these songs as a child in church?!
They are true, though! We can wake up rejoicing and grateful for the day that God has made, giving Him all the glory. My teen would argue about the necessary amount of physical enthusiasm as he groggily walks into the kitchen in the morning. However, beginning our day with worship and truth brings so many blessings into our day.
This is another opportunity to make your atmosphere and family culture reflect your faith. Play worship music in the morning as everyone is waking up. At the breakfast table, read a family devotional together. Practice catechism questions and memory verses together. In addition, talk about what lies ahead for the day and offer Scriptures to help encourage them.
Bind Them as a Sign
In the Old Testament, binding God’s Word to the hands and head of the Israelite men was an outward obedience to this verse. The New Covenant, we know that our obedience is in Christ and His righteousness. However, looking at the whole counsel of God’s Word, you need not bind boxes to your head. The law does not save, it reveals our need for the Savior. This would be where I say catechism and memory work is a blessing.
Catechism is not strictly a Catholic church practice, but is rather a summary of the principles of Christian religion in the form of questions and answers, used for the instruction of Christians. By teaching our kids the Bible using clear questions and answers, they are building a solid faith foundation on which to build as their faith becomes their own through the grace of God’s salvation. This is “binding them as a sign on their hands and foreheads”, by securing them in their hearts.
Write Them on Your Doorposts of Your House
The most straightforward idea is to pepper your home with Scripture. From beautiful printables to biblical paintings, even a verse written on the bathroom mirror in dry erase marker.
Keeping Scripture visible in all areas of your home is another way to make teaching your kids the Bible part of your atmosphere and culture.
Great Resources to Help You Teach the Bible to Your Kids
Again, I say the more simple you keep it the more consistent you will be. There are SO MANY devotionals, studies, and books that you could use. We have used some ourselves. But I would like to share with you the simple things we have used to teach the bible to our kids. Share these resources with your husband as you decide together what ways you can help teach the Bible to your kids. He may have some other ideas!
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Simplest:
The Bible
Happy Hymnody – a hymn of the month resource
Scripture memory
Simple Still:
The Ology by Marty Wachowski (as well as Long Story Short, and Old Story New)
Truth and Grace Memory Books: 3 Book Set
The Bible Recap, w/book or podcast
Less Simple:
NotConsumed Kid’s Bible Studies
The Very Best, Hands-On, Kinda Dangerous Family Devotional
You don’t need a lot to effectively teach the Bible to your kids. Make Scripture a part of your family culture and atmosphere, your personal guide in every conversation. What you come back to at the end of the day. Remember, this is a way of life that you are building. As keepers of our home we work with our husbands to teach our children the truths of Scripture and point them to the Gospel. Because we spend so much more time with our children we naturally have the ability to build it into the day. Have fun sharing your love for the Lord with your children. Your faith is personal, but not private!
Rest in Christ momma. He is your peace and righteousness.
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