“I didn’t know the Old Testament could be relevant to my life today!” She was a homeschool Mom, a good friend of mine, and a long-time believer. I was really excited to share some scriptures with her from Jeremiah that were confirmation and guidance for a spiritual battle she and I were going through together. I was floored. Could there be a Christian within my sphere of influence who did not know the power of the entire Bible? How could a believer today not depend on the wisdom of the Old Testament to supplement the grace of the New Testament? The lesson I learned that day was that I should readily share my love of God’s Word with my friends as well as with my children so that they may learn a better appreciation for its timelessness.
Short, spontaneous lessons applying scripture to daily life help our children see that the Bible touches all areas of their lives. Even if I do not know the verse perfectly from memory, I can still give my children the benefit of seeing that God’s Word is living and active by paraphrasing the verse until I get my hands on the concordance software to find the actual quote.
Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.”(NASB) The New Living Translation says it in a way I like even better: “Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it.” I am not raising children; I am training adults: productive citizens, valuable members of society. What are you making for dinner? Water, meat, and vegetables — or soup? Children are the raw materials — responsible adults are the goals. Children are very anxious to grow up, and they will be equally anxious to learn when they realize you are trying to help them grow up.
I Samuel 15:22 “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.” Yes, it is a very nice drawing, and I can tell you have worked very hard on it. However, what I had asked you to do was to pick up all your Legos and put them away. You did not obey. Do you understand the difference? Now you go back and pick up the Legos while I put this picture on the refrigerator.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event [delight] under heaven…” Do not get so wrapped up in schedules that you miss taking “gorgeous days” off. If this lesson just is not working, put it away for now; in 2 days (or 2 weeks, or 2 months) things will be different and it may work just fine.
Luke 15:4-7 “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” We usually think of salvation with this parable, but we can also apply this to teaching: if one child is straggling behind, the lamb’s wool is caught in a thicket, that student is stuck on a lesson — go and find where that lamb is stuck and help him get free to move on. Find the way to help him gain understanding.
James 1:5 “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” ‘Nuff said.
I may not have an impressive amount of Bible verses memorized verbatim, but I do know what the Bible says about many different topics. God has stirred my heart on many occasions with the perfect Bible story to share with the day’s events. Sometimes I know exactly where the desired verses are located, and sometimes I have to spend a little time searching for them, but in the end, I can read the passage with my family and show them where God’s Word speaks to today’s circumstances. The Bible is relevant to our lives today.
Guilt-Free Homeschooling is the creation of Carolyn Morrison and her daughter, Jennifer Leonhard. After serious disappointments with public school, Carolyn spent the next 11 years homeschooling her two children, from elementary to high school graduation and college admission. Refusing to force new homeschooling families to re-invent the wheel, Carolyn and Jennifer now share their encouragement, support, tips, and tricks, filling their blog with "all the answers we were looking for as a new-to-homeschooling family" and making this website a valuable resource for parents, not just a daily journal. Guilt-Free Homeschooling -- Equipping Parents for Homeschooling Success!
Dear Carolyn:I agree with your article. And with all my profound respect to all readers beliefs or religion, it is important to highlight Holy Scriptures' great wisdom and life saving advice for every aspects of our family life.Few people have recognized the importance and relevance not only to read but to ENJOY reading the Holy Scriptures to our children. Reading the Bible should not be a heavy or tired task for anyone (parent or child). It must be a pleasant experience even for the kindergarten reader who become acquainted with God's Name in Deuteronomy 6:4, or the young man who deepens in Revelations' prophecies.In my case, as a family, our lives are centered in what Matthew 6:33 said about “seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these [other] things will be added to YOU."Memorize biblical texts should not be the goal rather than be "shrewd". Proverb 22:3 "Shrewd is the one that has seen the calamity and proceeds to conceal himself, but the inexperienced have passed along and must suffer the penalty." My humble opinion is that with God's guidance we can help grown our children into insightful and mind balanced adults. As you write, and I partially quote -"Even if I do not know the verse perfectly from memory,[you]can still give [your] children the benefit of seeing that God's Word is living and active by paraphrasing the verse until [you] get [your] hands on the concordance software to find the actual quote."As our Home School motto read: "And all your sons will be persons taught by Jehovah, and the peace of your sons will be abundant." -ISAIAH 54:13. Thanks for your article.Jossie.