Teaching Kids the Truth

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." (Proverbs 22:6)

It's true that we all make concessions in our hectic lives, and we don't always make time to read God's Word with our children. Reading the Bible daily with your children is a great goal to aim for. It will help your children learn to love the teachings in the Bible from an early age.

If you aren't in the habit of reading regularly, start with one or two nights a week and go from there. For kids that haven't been exposed to the Bible or think that it is boring stuff, you may get some protests at first. Meet the groans with a variety of study methods that will keep everyone interested and engaged.

Start off telling a familiar Bible story. If you have younger children, keep it short and simple. You can use hand puppets or act the story out to keep the kids' attention. Have them retell parts of the story. Always follow up by talking about what you want you kids to learn from the story. For example, after telling the story of Jonah and the whale, talk about how we should follow God's plan instead of our own; after reading (or telling) the story of David and Goliath, talk about how God helps us do amazing things if we trust him.

If you have older children, help them see connections to real problems or issues they may face in their lives. Teach them to trust God. Teach them what God's love feels like. Remind them that God can hear and answer their prayers.

Whatever their age, your children will benefit from learning God's Word.