2 Timothy 3:14-15 says, But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

 

Paul is encouraging Timothy to stand firm in the Word of God as He lives for Christ. Did you notice something about when Timothy began being taught the Word of God?  Since his childhood years. And what was the result? This resulted in him knowing the Word of God. What a gift that his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice had given him (2 Timothy 1:5); a gift that is able to make a person wise unto salvation through faith in Christ. This is a treasure worth giving.

As parents, we too want to give our kids the gift of knowing God’s Word. Life, however, can get busy and as we seek to train our kids in various life skills, there may be times where diligence in the Word of God wanes. Below are a few tips for ways that we can use to help our kids be in God’s Word so that they too would know it from childhood just like Timothy.

Demonstrate a personal love for the Bible

If we are going to help get our kids into God’s Word then we as parents need to be modeling a love for God’s Word for them. We need to be reading, studying, meditating upon, and memorizing God’s Word. It should be in our hearts if we expect to help get it into our kid’s hearts.

Use the Bible in everyday conversations when instructing your Children

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Therefore, let us use it when we are talking with our kids about relating to others, doing school, doing chores at home, etc. This shows your kids the importance of knowing God’s Word and seeing how it intersects with our daily lives. It also shows them the sufficiency of God’s Word for our lives.

Have your kids bring their Bible to Family Worship times

As a family, when you sit down to read and study God’s Word together each family member should have a Bible with them. This simple act lets your kids know that the Bible is central to your devotion time. And since they have their Bibles with them let your kids participate by reading the passage(s) being discussed.  This will help engage them during that time together and help them learn to read God’s Word out loud for the benefit of others.

Have them read their weekly Connections Scripture Memory verse from their Bible

As you rehearse their weekly Bible verses, show them where they can find the verse(s) in the Bible. This helps them see the context of their memory verse. It also helps show them that the verses from class are coming from God’s word and not just their Connections Class review page.

Have your kids bring their Bibles to the Sunday Morning Service

On Sunday mornings we have a great opportunity to help our kids participate and engage in the service by having them bring their Bible and turn to the passage being preached that morning. This helps instill in them an expectation of hearing God’s Word being taught.

Read through a Book of the Bible with your kids

If you are not sure where to start, try reading through the book being taught on Sunday Mornings at church. Not only will this help them read Scripture in context but it will also help them (and you) gain more understanding of what is being taught on Sundays.

These are just a few ideas to consider as you seek to help get your kids into God’s Word so that they are acquainted with it from childhood. Here is another blog post with tips for helping your kids read God’s Word.