Teaching our Kids the Bible

Recently, Pastor Nate kicked off our new sermon series Radiant God: Trusting His Word by introducing how God speaks to us, namely through His written Word, the Bible. The Bible is sufficient for us to know Jesus intimately and abide in Him constantly.

Because of the importance and necessity of God’s Word, Pastor Nate encouraged us to teach our children and grandchildren the Bible so that our kids might delight in God and be equipped to live godly lives before Him. I am reminded of what people used to say about John Bunyan, the man who wrote Pilgrim’s Progress. People said he was so consumed with God’s Word that if someone pricked him, he would bleed the Bible. Oh, may that be true of us and our kids!

But how do we teach our kids the Bible? Good question. We live in an unprecedented time of technological advancement and have many resources at our fingertips. Some good ones, and some really bad ones. So, I asked a few of our pastors what they do or have done to teach their kids the Bible. We hope these tools might be useful to help and better equip you as you seek to bring up your children and grandchildren in the instruction of God’s Word (Deuteronomy 6:4–7, Ephesians 6:4).

For Children of All Ages

1. Pick a book of the Bible, read a chapter at a time and discuss it as a family (On Sunday, Pastor Nate recommended you start with the Gospel of Mark or another Gospel, just probably not Leviticus!).
2. Memorize Bible verses together as a family. There are various ways you can do this. A couple of suggestions to try are “singing” the Bible. Search a music streaming service for several options and find one that works for your family (For example: Seeds Family Worship). Or, each week, write out a Bible verse on a chalk board and place it in a prominent place like the kitchen or living room and practice saying it together.
3. Watch a Bible Project video. The Bible Project produces free, short animated videos on every book of the Bible, and includes key themes in the Bible and other topics.
4. Purchase an episode of “What’s in the Bible?” and watch with your kids. These videos have unique ways of teaching the Bible to kids and they’re even fun for adults!
5. Go on a walk or take a bike ride and discuss all the many beauties of creation that speak of Jesus, our Incarnate Word Who created and sustains them all.
6. Seek to apply and live out the Bible in your own life.

For Younger Children (through Elementary)

1. Work through the Radiant Kids videos and materials we send out nearly every week.
2. The Jesus Storybook Bible helps parents teach children how Jesus is the central focus of the entire Bible.
3. The Ology is a great resource for teaching your kids theology in the Bible.
4. Exploring the Bible helps kids see the overarching storyline of Scripture and it includes memory verses and discussion questions.

For Older Children (through High School)

• Purchase ESV Illuminated Journals on a book of the Bible and work through it together.
• Work through a devotional series together like 31 Day Devotionals for Life.
• Watch a movie together and then discuss what the Bible says about certain themes or situations in the movie. Great questions to ask are: 
  • Are there redemptive overtones?
  • How do the characters point toward their need for Jesus?
  • What themes contradict or reflect the Bible?

I used to travel to England frequently for business and one of the phrases they use over there is, “Make a start.” This is their way of saying, “Time to get started.” So, let me encourage you to grab one of these resources and make a start at teaching your kids the Bible. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” There is no greater legacy to leave your children than one of teaching them God’s Word and being parents and guardians who are seeking to live it out.