Monthly Archives: October 2013

In a previous post, I made the case and gave suggestions for encouraging biblical literacy in our nurseries. What comes next? Preschool, 2- to 4-year-olds. At the preschool level, children should not only hear the Bible taught, but should also SEE it. What do I mean by that? And what other things can we do to encourage biblical literacy at this age? Read on...

• Use the Bible as you teach, even if you are not reading directly from the text—have your Bible open to the corresponding text. Show the children that the story is from the Bible by pointing to the text that you are going to read.
• Look for opportunities to read directly from the text  even if it is only one verse from the story. When you do this, emphasize that you are reading from the Bible, "I am going to read from the Bible now. This is what God says..."
• Expand and continually review key biblical themes—repetition encourages memorization.
• Make simple connections,

Earlier this spring, Jon Bloom posted an article, “Seven Things to Pray for Your Children,” at Desiring God. Here is a summary of his seven things to pray:

1. That Jesus will call them and no one will hinder them from coming (Matthew 19:13–15).
2. That they will respond in faith to Jesus’ faithful, persistent call (2 Peter 3:9).
3. That they will experience sanctification through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, and will increasingly desire to fulfill the greatest commandments (Matthew 22:37-39).
4. That they will not be unequally yoked in intimate relationships, especially marriage (2 Corinthians 6:14).
5. That their thoughts will be pure (Philippians 4:8).
6. That their hearts will be stirred to give generously to the Lord’s work (Exodus 35:29).
7. That when the time is right, they will GO! (Matthew 28:18-20).

• It makes the lessons more interesting, and therefore helps child to pay attention (easy for their minds to wander if you are doing all the talking)—Students do not get bored if they are actively participating in the learning process.
• Children will often remember the concepts longer if they have been involved in the learning process.
• When children are involved in the discovery of knowledge themselves,  sometimes they can internalize truth better—discovering a Bible truth sometimes causes that truth to be embraced in the heart, rather than just understood in the head.

Because those in the world are so quick to live vicariously through their children, to catalog their successes in conversation and on social media, we Christians are tempted to follow suit. We want to show the world that our following in the pathway of Christ doesn’t make us losers, but that in fact we are empowered for even greater successes. We Christians herald our outspoken

For whatever reason, my 2-year-old grandson David, is afraid of owls—really afraid. His fear of owls has even started to cause nightmares. As far as his parents know, the only owls he's ever encountered have been in Winnie-the-Pooh and Kipper (not exactly your frightening kind of children's literature). You're only 2 years old and you already know that there are scary things out there—things that want to get you in the night! This brought to mind some important thoughts from Dr. Russell Moore. In his message, “No Longer Tossed To and Fro,” he states,

In order for our children to hear and understand the gospel...we do not need to hide from them the dark aspects that the Scripture tells us about. They already know that something is wrong with the universe.

I have really enjoyed Noël Piper's book Treasuring God in Our Traditions . As the holidays are fast upon us, I would highly recommend this resource for every family. Noël not only gives great ideas for celebrating "especially" traditions like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and birthdays, but she also discusses the importance "everyday" traditions that help point our children God-ward. Here is an excerpt:

You shall teach [God’s words] to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (Deuteronomy 11:19) When I get caught up in the biography of a person I admire, my family hears all about this person for days. Whatever someone says seems to remind me of some  event

CDG Graphic Designer Gabriel Leake brought this video to my attention last week. I found it very inspiring and believe it is a wonderful follow up to Pastor Kempton Turner words from yesterday's post. Furthermore, I think that it could be used as a great "spiritual discussion" starter for older children (late elementary) and youth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VBF-1kVGTM

Ever have the Monday blahs? Does the week ahead seem long and difficult? Then watch this short video and be exhorted and encouraged by Pastor Kempton Turner from his message “Your Testimonies Are My Delight.” https://vimeo.com/77154285