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Instill a Deep Love for God?s Word

During Jesus? earthly ministry, he encouraged people to bring their children to him, and he praised the qualities of childlike faith. More than 50% of Christians choose to follow Jesus between ages 5 and 9. So it?s never too early to nurture this most important relationship. And you don?t need a theology degree to help your children love the Bible. Here are some easy steps to spark a passion for Scripture:

Provide age-appropriate resources. Look for books and materials that encourage spiritual development. Take advantage of your local and church libraries, as well as experts at Christian bookstores.

Read to children and let them see you reading the Bible. Reading aloud is one of the best things parents can do for their children?s development. So why not use that one-on-one time to read from God?s Word? Also, model a love for Scripture by letting children see you read (and live) it regularly.

Partner with your local church. Parents and churches can work together to help children discover God?s message of love and salvation. Talk to your pastor or children?s pastor for ideas about nurturing your children?s relationship with God.

Adapt as your children grow. Watch for cues that children have outgrown Bible storybooks. After reading with your older children, ask questions that encourage them to dig deeper into God?s Word.

Ask God:

1. To give your children a hunger for his Word.

2. To help your children hide his Word in their hearts (see Psalm 119:11).

3. To help family members apply the Bible to their daily lives.

The Good Book

In national surveys of adults, the Barna Group found:

· Most Christian adults rated themselves as strong in relationships but below average in Bible knowledge.

· Two-thirds of adults said they accept six well-known Bible accounts as literal truth. These include God creating the world in six days, Moses parting the Red Sea, Daniel surviving in the lions? den, David slaying Goliath, Jesus walking on water, and Jesus rising from the dead.

April 2009

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Parenting Insights

Use these age-appropriate ideas from Children?s Ministry Magazine to help tailor the Bible?s message to your children?s learning skills:

Ages 2 to 5

Preschoolers? attention span is only two to 10 minutes. They learn by touching objects and by repetition. Paraphrase Bible stories and highlight only main points.

Ages 6 to 9

By this age, children?s attention span is 10 to 20 minutes. They think concretely and focus on people?s actions. Provide more details and then let children share the passage in their own words.

Ages 10 to 12

By this age, most children have heard many Bible stories a lot. They need to know, ?So what?? Offer modern-day applications because children learn more when they see how God?s Word applies to them personally.