All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.
Isaiah 54:13 New King James Version (NKJV)
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Bible is a subject that can easily fall to the wayside in a busy homeschool family’s day filled with “necessary” curriculum, field trips, music lessons, sports, and even Awana. Satan loves that.
How rich and precious is time spent feasting on God’s word together with your children! They ask such deep, important questions. The Holy Spirit is there.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. – Matthew 18:20 KJV
We read the Bible as a group, dividing up the number of verses and taking turns reading. We are reading the New Testament, one chapter at a time. I started there because we tend to get a lot of Old Testament through other books and church.
(I buy the kids their own adult Bible from the Christian book store when they get baptized. It’s a gold-edged, leather- front, King James Version, engraved with their name, just like the one my Dad gave me as a youth.) We have various other versions we add to the mix, too, to enhance understanding. (Even an Italian Bibbia I picked up at Goodwill.) 💘
We also read a story a day out of the wonderful old series The Bible Story by Arthur S. Maxwell. We are still only in Book Four, in the Old Testament. I’ve found that nearly every story shows how the story points to Jesus. I love this series.
Dangerous Journey (a beautifully illustrated Pilgrim’s Progress for kids) was also a deep and thought-proving family read-aloud.
We also pray together, and often sing a hymn. (I love the ones the moms over at Ambleside Online have selected!) Each of us has our own personal time during the day as well, to read a chapter of the Bible and pray alone. (I LOOOOOVE the app “Bible.is” on my iPhone! I selected the KJV audio drama version, and enjoy listening to multiple chapters a day while I get ready in the morning and tidy my room or take a walk.)
My favorite Bible times with the kids are ones when we also end up pulling out the Adams Timeline book and diving in to all the things it reveals. I just spread out the section we’re in on the floor.
All these amazing things don’t happen every day. No worries:
Take my yoke upon you … and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:29-30 KJV
Speaking of light, we have the full collection of the fantastic, fun “What’s in the Bible?” DVDs, by VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer. They are silly, yet brilliant, and enjoyable for all ages. I can’t recommend them enough. The entire Bible set is deeply discounted right now at www.whatsinthebible.com.
Caveat:
All this important, amazing Scripture knowledge you are gaining alongside your children means nothing if it isn’t rooted and covered in love. Remember:
The Way of Love
13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;[b] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13 English Standard Version (ESV)
So my final thought on all of this is that not one of us is perfect. We mess up this parenting gig and this homeschooling gig often. I forbid you from beating yourself up about it.
Forgive yourself, APOLOGIZE SINCERELY TO THE LITTLE HUMANS YOU’VE OFFENDED and to God, and move on in complete peace and joy. Accept and give forgiveness freely. Love yourself and your family unconditionally. That helps them understand Christ’s gospel message most of all.
I love you! You’re doing great!
What a Wonder-full World 