(Judges 2:10 ESV)

This verse illustrates what often causes a generation to turn away from God–an education gap.  In this passage, the first generation saw mighty wonders from God as He delivered them victoriously into the Promised Land.  However, they failed to adequately pass these great works of God to their children, as it states that they did not “know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.”  This failure to teach their children and grandchildren thrust Israel into a downward spiral of disobedience, illustrating for us today that great importance of properly educating the next generation. Therefore, careful attention must be given to proper Biblical education–in manner, methods, and content.

Since the time of creation, God has chosen to reveal knowledge of the world and of Himself through two venues:  general revelation (those things inherent in nature) and special revelation (those things revealed in by His Word). However, sin has “darkened the mind” and “suppressed the truth” (Rom 1:18 & 21), thusly distorting man’s ability to understand fully either form of revelation. Therefore redemption is needed, which begins the process of “renewing the mind” (Rom 12:1-2) and possessing a clear, enlightened understanding of God, the world, and others.  It is only with a renewed mind that true education can take place, for without it, the mind remains unable to fully understand either special or general revelation.

Scripture teaches the following concerning education:

The Role of God and the Holy Spirit

• God and the Holy Spirit are both described in Scripture as having a teaching function (See: Dt. 4:1, 14 & 14; Ps 32:8; Ps 94:10-12; Is 48:17; Is 54:13; Jn 14:26; Jn 16:8; 1 Cor 2:10 & 13)
• The Holy Spirit is described as the spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of the Lord (Is 11:2-3, Eph 1:17).
• The fear of the Lord is described as “the beginning of all wisdom” (Pr 1:7), and God is source of all wisdom, knowledge and understanding (Pr 2:6; For an example of this see: Ex 28:3 & Dan 1:17 & 20).
• Rejecting God leads to futile thinking and darkened hearts (Ro 1:21).
• Proper instruction can lead to this fear of the Lord (2 Chr 26:5)

–>Therefore, educators (parents and the church), must recognize and pray for the Holy Spirit to be the teacher.

—> Educators must also seek to teach their students in a manner that will lead to the “fear of the Lord.”

Role of Scripture

• Everything written in the OT was for instructional purposes (Ro 15:14)
• Scripture is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Tim 3:6)
• Scripture equips man of God for every good work (2 Tim 3:17)
• God has given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Pe 1:5-9)
• God’s statutes bring more insight than possessed by the Psalmist’s teachers (Ps 119:99)

Need for Integration in Education

• Education is not to be separated from the rest of life:
  • God’s commands are to be taught as you “sit at home and when you walk along the road, and when you lie down and when you get up,” thusly encompassing all of life (Dt 6:6-9, 11:18-19)
  • Much of education occurs through modeling (Pr 23:26; 1 Ki 9:4; Lk 6:40; 1 Cor 4:16; 1 Cor 11:1; Phil 3:17; Phil 4:9; 2 Thes 3:7, 3:9; Ti 2:7; 1 Pe 5:3)
  • “Spiritual” education is not to be separate from “secular” education:
    • “Every thought” is to be captive to obey Christ (2 Cor 10:5). Phil 4:8 provided criterion for proper thoughts.
    • As stated above, the fear of the Lord (which can be taught) leads to “ALL wisdom.”
    • The skill, ability, knowledge and wisdom all all kinds of crafts comes from the Spirit of God (Ex 28:3; Ex 31:2-6)
    • “Intelligence” and scholars and philosophers of this world will be shown to be foolishness (1 Cor 1:19-20); The wisdom of the world does not lead to knowledge of God (1 Cor 1:21); God’s “foolishness” is wiser than man’s “wisdom.” (1 Cor 1:25); There is a sharp distinction between God’s wisdom and man’s wisdom (1 Cor 2:6)
    • All things were created and sustained by Him and all treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in Him (Col 1:16-17, 2:3).
  
  
• Commands for education of God’s people to be distinct from that of the World’s
  • Jeremiah 10:1-3: God’s command to not “learn the ways of the nations.”
  • Romans 12:1-2 Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
  • Colossians 2:8 Hollow and deceptive philosophies depending on human tradition and “basic principles of this world” can take you captive.
  • 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Command to stay away from brothers who do not live according to the teaching from Paul, Silas & Timothy
  • 1 Timothy 6:3-5 “turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing hae wandered from the faith.”

Additional Aspects of God’s Design for Education

• Formal times of instruction (Dt 4:1, 5:1, Joshua 8:35, Ro 10:17).
• Use of traditions, holidays, and symbols (Ex 12:26, 13:8; Dt 6:6-9, 11:18-19; Joshua 4:6-7)
• Recalling history and past experiences (Ex 10:1-2; Joshua 4:6-7; Is 48:19; Joel 1:3).
• Differentiated instruction for ages and life positions (Neh 8:1-8, 1 Cor 3:1, Tit 2:1-10).
• The teacher must be of solid character & godliness (2 Tim 3:14; Tit 2:7-10; 2 Thes 3:6; 1 Tim 6:3-5; 2 Pe 2:3).

God’s Institutes for Education

• The Family (Dt 4:1-14; 6:5-9; Eph 6:4; Col 3:21)
• The Community of Believers (Today, this would be the Church) (Josh 8:35; 1 Ki 12:2; Mat 18:5; Mark 16:25)

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More on A Biblical Look At Children, Families and Education

From Ryan:

Hello! I was asked to write a bit about myself by way of introduction, in order to help you to get to know me a bit.

My name is Ryan Levi, and I was born November 24, 1991, in Temple, Texas, to parents Jeff and Tanya Levi. I have two older sisters, Christina and Mandy. I lived in Belton, Texas for my entire childhood and attended Miller Heights Baptist Church from age 4 until I moved away from Belton when I was 15. When I was six years old, during the Sunday service on February 24, 1997, I went forward and gave my life to Christ. It’s always tricky to know how much you understand or remember about things when you are so young. All I can say is that at that time, I gave everything I knew about myself to everything I knew about Christ.

As I got older and older, I continued in church, and I continued to be a leader in my Sunday School classes and then my youth group. However, the Ryan that was seen on Sundays and Wednesdays at church wasn’t exactly like the Ryan seen during the week at school and around my friends. I never doubted who Christ was or what He had to offer. I simply chose to keep the ‘church’ aspect of my life separate from the ‘school’ and ‘friend’ aspect of my life. The summer before I entered high school, I attended two camps with my youth group and God convicted me of the way I was living my life. He revealed to me that if I was to live my life for Him, then it had to be entirely for Him. I could no longer split my life into different sections and choose which “face” to wear depending on what situation I found myself in. When my first year of High School came along, I was brought to a fork in my life. I could either continue living my life the way I had been, or change and live it solely for Christ. The latter, which I chose, led to the majority of my supposed friends ditching me.  I was forced to make new friends and to re-evaluate what I was striving for to do with my life.

Everything took a huge turn when, during the middle of that school year, my dad quit his job and got another one three hours away in The Woodlands, near Houston. This completely rocked my world. At first, I didn’t understand why God would force me away from everything I had ever known. The move came, and I found myself in a place that I never even imagined I would be. This was a point in my life that I had to make a choice. I had a fresh start… I could portray myself any way that I wanted to… I could be anyone I wanted. I got really involved in the marching band and in activities at my new school. I decided to keep my faith extremely visible before others, always staying vocal about doing the right thing and not compromising my morals. This was a huge step for me. Little did I know, but this was just the beginning of the journey that would lead me to where I am today.

About halfway through my second year of high school, in a new town, away from all of my extended family, away from all my childhood friends, I began to have horrible double vision, and I began to get debilitating headaches. Unsure of what was going on, I went and saw an eye doctor and began eye therapy. Because I was getting headaches along with the double vision, they suggested I go see my primary doctor. When I went into my doctor’s office, I had no clue what to expect. After talking with me and about my symptoms, he ordered a CAT scan, explaining that the symptoms I had coincided with possibly a brain tumor or Multiple Sclerosis. This was terrifying to me. I might possibly die. I did more praying in those next few days then I had done in a long time. I began to think about how precious every second in life was, and I began really thinking about what I was doing with my life. The tests all came back negative, and it turned out the headaches were due to allergies coincidentally coming at the same time as my double vision. I went through eight months of eye therapy and my eyes were fixed. Despite the relatively calm turn of events, I was left with another choice: I could take this experience and continue my lifestyle of “bystander” Christian, simply living my life with my morals and faith, or I could give God my all and give every aspect of my life to Christ.

That next summer, I quit band, freeing up many hours of time, and I began praying and searching for what God wanted to do with me. Over the next two years I took on an active leadership role in my youth group, interned with my Youth Minister during the summer of 2009, and I took on a leadership position in the Christian Club at my school. Through it all, God continued to reveal to me that my purpose in life was full time ministry; nothing else I could do would come to anything successful. As a result of this, I enrolled at Ouachita Baptist University as a Christian Ministry major, expecting to go to college for four years and then see where God would lead me after that.

However, this summer I got the opportunity to spend six weeks in Canada as a part of an Exploration Team with the Canadian National Baptist Convention. Our team traveled over 8,000 miles throughout British Columbia, the Yukon Territory, and the Northwest Territories. We visited a few churches, but mostly we went into “uncharted” territory looking for needs, what Christian work was already being done, and we scouted for places that would be most fertile for church plants in order to proclaim the Gospel. We started our journey in Kamloops, BC where we were scheduled to have a few days of orientation at Bridge Baptist Church with Pastor Josh Claycamp. I began to immediately see the need there in Kamloops and the surrounding areas, and this is when God began speaking to me about working in Kamloops. “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” (Matthew 9:37) We left Kamloops for 4 1/2 weeks on the road. We traveled as far north as we could drive, then my fellow teammate Dwight Payne and I boarded a small, four passenger plane and flew to the northernmost community in North America, Tuktoyaktuk. Throughout the 8,000 miles of travel, I could not get Youth Ministry and the Bridge Baptist Church in Kamloops off of my mind. I had never really considered doing youth ministry feeling that I wasn’t cut out for that sort of work. God confirmed that I could not do it, but rather, He could do it through me. After returning to Kamloops, I talked with Josh about further opportunities that might be available for me and told him where my heart was. After quite a deal of discussion over lunch at Boston Pizza, Josh told me that he would look into the possibility of me coming up in order to serve. He promised he would try to help me, and make some phone calls and would get back to me. While there were many things running through my mind, I felt a peace about what was taking place. I truly felt that God was leading me to serve in Youth Ministry in Kamloops with Bridge Baptist Church.

When I got home a million questions were asked of me regarding the trip, my plans for college in the next month, future plans, etc. I had to carfully word my responses in order to not lie, but not let on to the fact that I was looking into going back up to Canada. I didn’t want a lot of people to know before I knew for certain that it was going to happen and I had the chance to talk to my family about it. Long story short, I talked with my parents, sisters, and grandma, who all supported me 100%. With Josh’s much appreciated and needed help, I got approved to be a Semster Missionary through the North American Mission Board from September to May of 2011. I have felt such love and support from those close to me and God has continued to encourage me and confirm to me that this is where He wants me.

So this is where I am. I’m not sure what these next couple of years hold exactly, but I have faith that God has a plan for my life and that He will take care of what needs to happen. I have given Him control and I am excited to see what He does with and through me. My goals for the future are simple: I want to grow in my walk with Christ, allowing God to use me in reaching others for Him and helping others grow closer to Him. I don’t view myself doing anything other than full-time ministry in my future, and I feel a strong pull to Youth Ministry with teenagers. I know what it’s like to be a teenager in some really difficult situations and I have a passion and drive to tell teens about the love, mercy and strength that are found in Christ. So here I go…I’m not exactly sure what this next year will hold…all I know is that I’m going and that God already has everything planned out, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28)!!!

We are currently experiencing wars being fought on three continents, skirmishes and local struggles that dot the globe, massive flooding in Asia, earthquakes in South America, genocide in Sudan, the stubborn insistence to eradicate the nation of Israel, tornadoes in the mid-west, fires raging across BC, economic collapse in the modernized world, and the day to day stabbings, killings, raping, kidnappings, thefts, and general abuses that take place everywhere. Every story carries with it the unmistakable cry of heartache and suffering. 

Man looks upon a world that knows only hardship and misery, and nobody sees it getting any better anytime soon. This leaves us with a cynical -even bitter heart about things. Too many are left stairing up into the night sky wondering where God is in all this mess. The oft cited cliche is dutifully quoted: If God is so good, why is there so much suffering and hurt in this world? To these individuals who take this approach, my response is this: you’re being rather lazy. As I said before, it is easy to be a pessimist.   

I think that our pessimism is the result of a poorly considered eschatology, or to put it another way: we think far too pessimistically about the present because we have forgotten God’s plan for the future. Pessimism doesn’t destroy faith. Pessimism persists because faith is forgotten. But remember God’s plan for the future will strengthen our faith.

In 2 Timothy 2:16-18, Paul makes mention of a couple of guys who had departed from the faith and strayed into ungodliness even badly upsetting the faith of others by engaging in discussions which he refers to as, “irreverent babble.” Irreverent babble is dangerous because it leads people into ungodliness, and it is infectious. Paul makes the statement, “…their talk will spread like gangrene.” It carries within the capacity to become viral. One person may infect and ruin many others.  While it’s hard to pin down precisely what is “irreverent babble,” the idea is that individuals engage in conversation that is careless because it forgets to measure statements and assertions from God’s perspective, and instead, irreverent babble makes confident assertions and conclusions based on a purely human perspective. It is “irreverent” because it does not rely on the truth of God nor is it drawn from the truth of God’s Word. Rather, it depends on a human perspective, and as a result, it is babble, i.e. meaningless.

While there is much suffering in the world, and while much of it appears to be senseless, please don’t be lazy or decieved. Both laziness and deception lead to irrevrent babble. Don’t be lazy and forget the truth of God’s Word and conclude that all of this world’s suffering is senseless. Because God doesn’t think that one bit of it is senseless. On the contrary, He affirms that He is working all things together for good for those who love Him. (Romans 8:28) It isn’t senseless; it’s a beautifully planned symphony. Sure, bad things do happen. And I know that it hurts when bad things happen. I know suffering and pain myself from personal experience. But we can’t be lazy, check our brain at the door, and conclude that that we don’t deserve this, it doesn’t serve a greater purpose, or that God isn’t good, or worse: that God is somehow not God, not in control, not all-powerful or not all-knowing. This is laziness. Pure and simple. The Bible clearly affirms that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and the only sovereign. But, because of so much bad in the world, people get lazy. They refuse to think critically about what God may be trying to accomplish in their life, so they assume faulty premises, which they would know to be false if they stopped and thought about it, and they make irreverent conclusions. This only leads to ungodliness. As they go on with their false assesment of the world and their erroneous understanding of God, their irreverent babble hurts other’s who do have faith in God.

Which brings me to my second admonition: don’t be deceived. Those who engage in irreverent babble are lazy thinkers who quickly discard God’s Word. But you don’t have to be easily deceived by their pretense of superior insight. You have the Bible and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. I encourage you to listen to these voices of truth as opposed to the babblers. God is good. God is in control. God is sovereign. God is working all things toward the goal of ultimate redemption and resurrection. The babblers’ talk is gangrene. Don’t stay seated next to this guy for long!  This poorly considered babble cultivates and nurtures further ungodliness, and the Bible would warn you away from destructive influences that might hinder your progress in sanctification. Paul goes on to elaborate that certain individuals had “swerved from the truth,” as a result of their babble. So don’t listen or pay attention to anyone that cannot back their statement up with book, chapter, and verse. Allow your thoughts on God, life, and the world to be derived from the truth of God’s Word.

Their babble had led them to conclude that the resurrection had already happened.  This is the ultimate pessimism. The resurrection is a part of the Gospel. It is a huge part of making the good news so good. Talking about the reality of the resurrection is not irreverent babble, but necessary to our hope in Christ. One aspect of the Gospel is that it makes sense of our suffering by promising the resurrection, where God will restore the godly to eternal life and the ungodly to eternal destruction. All of mankind’s misfortunes will be properly reversed and justice will be done in the resurrection. Christ is the foundation of the resurrection; since he has been raised from the dead -physically, literally in a new body- we also will be raised if we place our hope in him. This is the truest meaning of redemption. This truth alone should reverse all our pessimism.

But there are some who may say that even if there is a glorious resurrection, even if God makes all things new, somehow it doesn’t make up for all the injustice that we’ve had to suffer through. You’re wrong. Your pessimism has led you to reject the Hope of God in Christ Jesus. You have swerved from hope. The resurrection will not only reverse our fortunes, but in some sense -it will transcend our heartaches.  

Dostoevsky put it perfectly when he wrote:

I believe like a child that suffering will be healed and made up for, that all the humiliating absurdity of human contradictions will vanish like a pitiful mirage, like the despicable fabrication of the impotent and infinitely small Euclidean mind of man, that in the world’s grand finale, at the moment of eternal harmony, something so precious will come to pass that it will suffice for all hearts, for the comforting of all resentments, for the atonement of all the crimes of humanity, of all the blood that they’ve shed; that it will make it not only possible to forgive but to justify all that has happened.

 And C.S. Lewis wrote:

They say of some temporal suffering, ‘No future bliss can make up for it,’ not knowing that Heaven once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory.

So avoid irreverent babble. Reject and refuse any form of theology that cannot bring joy out of suffering. Cling to the hope of resurrection. Believe in God’s redemption. Trust in Christ.

Understanding God’s design for education would be impossible without first studying His design and intent for the family.  Therefore, this is where our Biblical look at children and education will begin. After studying the Scriptures pertaining to the family, it is clear that the family is a purposeful institution with a key role to play in the redemptive history and daily discipleship.

On the sixth day of creation, God created man and woman, as husband and wife, and gave them the command to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28).  Thusly, the family is the first institution created by God and the central means of carrying out His purposes for mankind. This high purpose for the family did not change after the introduction of sin, as evidenced throughout God’s redemptive history (such as the selection of a family as His chosen people), the Law, the structuring of His chosen people, the provision He gives to those without a family, and finally the promises He gives regarding families.

Scriptural evidences of God’s high purpose for the family are seen:

• In creation
  • The institution of marriage (Genesis 2:21-24)
  • The first command given to mankind was to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28)
    • NOTE: This was repeated to Noah (Genesis 9:1) and while the Israelites were in exile (Jer 29:6); therefore God’s desire for reproduction in the context of marriage remains despite the introduction of sin into the world or hardships upon the people.

• In the Law
  • Two explicitly stated purposes of the Law are that:
    • the people and their children may know and fear God, and that they may consequently live long (Dt. 6:1-9, Psalm 78:5-8); and
    • Each generation would teach future generations (Dt. 6:1-9; Psalm 78:5-8)
  • God’s design for the important Passover celebration included the key component of children asking questions (Exodus 12:26, 13:8 & 14)
  • The Law required obedience to parents:
    • Within “The Ten Commandments,” the fifth commandment (and the first commandment with a promise) is to honour your parents (Exodus 20:12, Repeated: Dt 5:16, Dt 14:18).
    • In list of “various laws,” respecting parents is listed first (Exodus 19:3)
    • Contempt and disobedience towards parents is listed with other grievous sins such as bloodshed and eagerness to do evil (Micah 7:6)
    • Anyone who dishonours parents is cursed (Exodus 27:16; Dt 27:16)
    • The law included severe consequences for disobedience to the commands to honour/respect parents, as follows:
      • attacking father or mother = death (Exodus 21:15)
      • cursing father or mother = death (Exodus 21:17)
      • being a rebellious son = death, specifically stoning (Dt. 21:18-21)
  • The Shema, considered one of the most significant of the OT laws includes the purpose of deliberate education of children  (Dt 6:6-9, near repeat in Dt. 11:18-19)
  • Command to meet the physical needs of the fatherless and widow (Dt 24:20-21)
  • The command to obey the commandments yourself, and the command to teach children & grandchildren is woven intricately together (Dt 4:1-14; 6:1-9)
  • Command to not marry children off to foreigners (Ez 9:12)

• In Redemptive History
  • The woman’s “seed” would crush Satan (Genesis 3:15)
  • Abraham was called by God for the explicit purpose of commanding his children and household after him to follow the Lord (Genesis 18:19)
  • Pharaoh’s heart was hardened for the explicit purpose of showing God’s signs & that they could tell their children about it (Ex 10:1-2)
  • Recording of God’s word was for the benefit of next generation (Ps 102:18)
  • Jesus came as a baby to a family (Is 7:14)
  • The New Testament provides numerous examples of entire households receiving Christ together (Cornelius-Acts 11:14; Lydia-Acts 16:15, Jailer-Acts16:31-34; Ruler of the Synagogue-Acts 18:8; the household of Stephanas 1 Cor 1:16)

• In God’s structure of Israel for land, battle & worship
  • (see entire book of Numbers!)

• In the analogy of God as Father and His people as a family
  • God calls Himself “Father” to His people (Ex 4:22; Dt 32:6; 2 Sam 7:14; Is 1:2; Jer 3:19; Jer 31:9; Rom 8:14; Rom 9:4; 2 Cor 6:18).

• In God’s provisions for those without a family
  • Through the command to meet the physical needs of the fatherless and widow (Dt 24:20-21)
  • God promises that He
    • “sets the lonely in families” (Psalm 68:6);
    • defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow (Dt 10:18); and
    • is a helper to the fatherless (Ps 10:14) (see also: Ps 27:10-11)
    • “Settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children” (Psalm 113:9)

• In God’s Promises
  • If you curse parents, your lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness (Pr 20:20)
  • Descendants of one who follows the Lord:
    • Will inherit the land (Ps 25:12-13, 37:28-29)
    • Will have great inheritance (Ps 69:36)
    • Will be mighty in the land (Ps 112:2)
    • Will be blessed (Ps 112:2, Pr 20:7, Is 44:3)
    • God will save the children of the needy (Ps 72:4)

• The above evidence is reaffirmed in New Testament:
  • Fifth commandment is repeated, with additional exhortation to fathers to bring children up in the “discipline and instruction of the Lord,” thusly summarizing and reaffirming previous commands of the OT (Eph 6:2-3, Col 3:20)
  • Command to care for fatherless and widow also repeated (James 1:27; 1 Tim 5:4-16)
  • Provision for own house is to be a priority (Lk 8:39; 1 Tim 5:4, 8 )
  • Disobeying parents remains listed among other grievous sins (Rom 10:30-31; 2 tim 3:2-5)
  • Requirements for Elders includes their children being believers and not wild or disobedient (Tit 1:6)

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Part 2: Value, Nature & Responsibility of Children

I don’t want to be one of those pastors that has a church full of eager people, but fails to give proper guidance in a timely manner. So consider the following my 1^st Year Discipleship Guide for New Followers of Christ. I’ve chosen books that are easy to read and steer clear of technical jargon.

1. English Standard Version -Study Bible

http://www.crossway.org/catalog/bibles#esv-study

2. Design for Discipleship Series by NavPress (Books 1 through 7)

http://www.christianbook.com/design-for-discipleship-7-leaders-guide/pd/060061?item_code=WW&netp_id=438326&event=ESRCN&view=details

3. A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller

http://www.amazon.com/Praying-Life-Connecting-Distracting-World/dp/1600063004

 4. Psalms (A Worship Compilation of Worship Songs based on the Psalms, excellent for accompanying a personal devotion time of prayer and scripture reading.)

http://www.sovereigngracestore.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=M4235-00-21

5. What is a Healthy Church? By Mark Dever

http://www.crossway.org/product/9781581349375

6. Why Small Groups: Together Toward Maturity  edited by C.J. Mahaney

http://www.sovereigngracestore.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=B3150-00-11

7. Fifty Reasons Christ Came to Die by John Piper

http://www.crossway.org/product/158134788X

These books are the seven that I’d absolutely recommend for the new believer and follower of Jesus Christ for their first year of being a Christian. The new Christian needs two things: a good Bible and a great church that is faithful to preach the Bible. For those of you who have found Christ and are currently searching for a church to call home, my prayers are with you!

Teach Them Dilegntly, by Lou Priolo

Where “Shepherding a Child’s Heart” provides convincing Biblical evidence of the need to focus on the heart of issues in childrearing, “Teach them Diligently” provides parents with detailed ways to apply the Scriptures to these issues.  Author Lou Priolo shares from his own parenting experiences in providing this practical and Biblically sound model.

Priolo draws primarily from 2 Timothy 3:16 which states that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”  He explains the difference between teaching, reproof, correction, and training, as well as the importance of each in raising children.

This excellent book is available from Lou Priolo’s website (unfortunately, I’ve given my only copy away!). A study guide is also available. For more information on this resource, I also found this excellent book review.

Out of all the resources and books on children that I have read, I can say that this is one of the most Biblically-sound and practical. It will be an excellent read that God will use to equip you for your most important ministry!

Part 2: Shepherding a Child’s Heart; Part 4: Scripture Reference Manual

]]> http://thebridgekamloops.com/http:/thebridgekamloops.com/great-parenting-resources-part-3-of-5/ /feed 0 http://thebridgekamloops.com/http:/thebridgekamloops.com/1463/ http://thebridgekamloops.com/http:/thebridgekamloops.com/1463/ #comments Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:32:44 +0000 Kyla Gleason http://thebridgekamloops.com/?p=1463 April 4, 201010:30 amto2:30 pm

Easter is only a few weeks away, April 4! Last Easter there were six individuals who came forward to embrace a personal relationship with Christ. This is that time of year when individuals begin asking the question:who was Jesus, really? Why did he have to die? What’s the purpose for this holiday?

As a result, we encourage you to start praying for friends, family, or neighbors who have never heard the message of Jesus Christ, and to begin thinking about inviting them to Easter Services this year. Or perhaps you’ve stumbled onto our website asking yourself these same questions.  We would like to invite you to join us for our services this special Sunday. Our schedule is as follows:

1. Easter Services will start promptly at 10:30 AM. Come early for coffee. Kid-Mo Kids will remain with us in the sanctuary for the entire service. (Lil’K will continue)

2. A Pot-luck Lunch following Morning worship in the Fellowship Hall. Invite your friends and family to join us. We currently need volunteers to consider cooking a large turkey and/or ham which will be paid for by the church. Everybody can bring side-dishes and desserts (not paid for by church).

3. A giant Easter Egg Hunt following lunch (between now and Easter Sunday we are collecting candy donations to stuff in the eggs).

Shepherding a Child’s Heart, by Tedd Tripp

Scripture teaches us that the heart is the “wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23, ) further explaining that:

“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).

For this reason, it is absolutely essential for parents to focus on their children’s “heart”, not simply aiming for external goals of good behavior.

And this is exactly what Tedd Tripp seeks to teach parents to do in “Shepherding a Child’s Heart.”  Here’s what he has to say concerning the issue:

“Your child’s needs are far more profound than his abberrant behavior.  Remember, his behavior does not just spring forth uncaused.  His behavior–the things he says and does–reflects his heart.  If you are to really to help him, you must be concerned with the attitudes of heart that drive his behavior” (Shepherding, pg. 4)

“Shephering a Child’s Heart” is divided into two parts: Foundations for Biblical Childrearing and Shepherding Through the Stages of Childhood, each with Biblical priniciples and practical applications.  In particular, the second part of the book provides characterics of children at each stage an specific Biblical goals in parenting that age group.  This will be a challenging and beneficial text for parents of children of any age as you learn Biblical perspectives on parenting.  Click here for an Amazon link to the book.  I also have a couple copies of this book that’d I’d be happy to lend out!

Join us on facebook as we discuss this book!

Part 1: Family Driven Faith, Part 3: Teach Them Diligently

Perhaps you’ve been tempted to spare your child heartache through similar means.  But the reality is, death is unavoidable and each encounter with it provides an opportunity to learn, grow, and place faith in our all-loving, all-powerful, Father.

In understanding the answer to this question, we return once again to the three-part story of God’s creation, man’s sin, and God’s redemption.

When God first created the world, it was good, actually He called it, “very good” (Genesis 1:31).  There was no death or decay. Violence, disasters, and heartache were unknown to the world. Man experienced perfect fellowship with their Creator.  However, in man’s deliberate rejection of the Creator, sin entered the world. This sin changed everything.  As God said, “in the day you eat of, you will surely die” (Genesis 2:17), and thusly death entered the world.

This death is two-fold: a spiritual separation from the Creator and physical death (which also brings with it aging and illness).  A few weeks ago at the Oatway Children’s Life Group, we learned about the devastating effects of sin, making a “Death came through sin” collage which included pictures of people, places, and animals demonstrating some of the effects of sin. Pictures included dangerous animals, buildings destroyed by disaster, people fighting, dead plants, families plagued by famine, and signs of war and pollution—all of which were not a part of God’s design for Earth but brought on through our sin.

When facing the issue of death in your family, it is important to explain to children that this is not how God intended the world to be.  As a loving God, His plan was for us to experience paradise—not pain and suffering.  Those came into the picture when we rebelled against His created order. Children (and us adults too!) need to understand God’s love in times of tragedy.  Explaining the underlying reason for death and heartache can be a helpful first step in building trust amidst sorrow.

And it doesn’t simply in there.  As Paul says, “But thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15). Mankind is not left in a cycle of heartache as consequence for our sin.  Although we fully deserve to experience death and separation from the source of life, God provided a solution.  He sent His son, Jesus, to take on our sins through death on the cross and then conquer death through His resurrection. Because of this sacrifice, we can have our sins forgiven and enjoy a reversal of its effects.

Yes, we will still experience pain on Earth, but we have the promise of something more.  We have the opportunity to have a relationship with Him right now. We also have the promise that through accepting this gift, we will be with Him for eternity (Luke 23:43). And one day, He will recreate the Heavens and Earth, restoring it to its original state of perfection; we will have new bodies, ones not subject to death, pain, or sorrow.

Explaining this hope to children can provide comfort in the face of death or fear of their own death.

The subject of death does not need to by shied away from and may be a topic to consider discussing with your child before faced with it personally, as it provides a great opportunity for you to speak openly and honestly with your child, helping them to see God’s bigger picture, including His love and mercy. Explore the Scriptures with your child, discovering His promises about Heaven.  A book I highly recommend on the subject is “Heaven for Kids” by Randy Alcorn (the adult version is fantastic as well).  In this book, Randy Alcorn builds hope and anticipation through understanding the realities of an eternity with our Creator, something that we all need a good reminder of!

If truth is real (and I know that it is) then that means that there is a singular valid understanding of reality, i.e. truth is absolute and exclusive. All other understandings of reality which do not correspond to the truthful understanding of reality cannot be valid. They are false. God doesn’t have to prove to us that He is trustworthy. He could just as easily wipe the universe out of existence and be done with it all. God doesn’t have to argue with us that He really does exist. God isn’t bound or constrained by anything to make His case to us for His existence. And yet- God is love. This means that while God doesn’t have to prove anything to us, He chooses to offer concrete undeniable evidences of His existence because He is a loving God and He knows that we are better off knowing Him then not knowing Him. God wants us to trust in Him, to believe in Him, and to consider that He is truthful. So He chooses to show us that He is truthful. Though God is not required to show us that He is truthful, for the sake of love, He decides He will demonstrate that He is true to us. Now, God claims that He created the universe miraculously from nothing. And God wants us to know that we can trust Him when He makes this claim. God intends for us to observe the creation and from the creation, He intends that we should come to a realization of Him. This is for our benefit because of His love for us. How do I know this is the case? God says so in Psalm 19:1-4, and this is the same argument that Paul makes in Romans 1:20.

This means that God desires us to observe His handiwork in nature because He loves us and wants us to find Him truthful and trustworthy in the created order. This means that whatever God says about nature or the world or creation must be true. God says that He supernaturally created the world. And there is a mountain of data that demonstrates the validity of this claim showing us that God is true. If man is trustworthy then man’s claim that we came from apes and evolved from monkeys should correspond with scientific data. Yet there is very little evidence to support this claim (virtually none, in fact).

A man’s faith doesn’t have to be illogical. For faith to be truly faith it will require that you embrace the unseen and those things which are hoped for (Hebrews 11:1), but this doesn’t mean that faith is illogical. Are there things in this world that are true and are not explainable? Absolutely: the parting of the Red Sea, the Incarnation of God, talking Donkeys and Serpents, and raising people back to life after they have been dead awhile. The miraculous is mysterious.  God refuses to be placed into a neat tidy little box. He always demonstrates His authority over creation and is never bound to the rules of physics or whatever else may govern our physical universe. There is a great deal of mystery when you embrace the infinite Father and come to realize that His manners and methods are way higher and way smarter and way better than our own (Isaiah 55:9). He is in many regards incomprehensible, yet He is a person that chooses to make Himself known, and He chooses to demonstrate that He is true and that what He says is true. And one area that He chooses to make this argument about Himself is in the area of creation verses evolution.

So when a person indicates a desire to believe and trust in God, yet expresses reservations because they’ve been deceived with a bunch of so-called “evidence” that proves the so-called truth of “evolution” or that the earth is trillions of years old, I wholeheartedly engage in the debate. If I am able I will destroy every lofty opinion that is raised against God. I will tear down and annihilate, if I am able, every argument for evolution (2 Corinthians 10:5). I will not hesitate in the slightest regard. Some say that you “…just have to have faith.” I agree. There are things about God that are mysterious that you must accept and embrace by faith, and I will never dispute that. But I will not lay down in front of the bull-dozer of academia and stand idly by while scientists suggest a multi-trillion year old evolved planet is the mother of us all when there is good data that supports the Biblical account of creation and defies the evolutionary hypothesis. I will not put good logical arguments on the shelf in the face of academic ridicule, and say to my struggling friend “You just gotta have faith.” This misunderstands the nature of a relationship with God that is based on trust, and it makes all of the extreme efforts that God goes through in the scriptures to show us that He is trustworthy somewhat confusing. The nature of the struggle is that my friend wants to trustin God, but is wondering if God is trustworthy. And in this arena I know that God has given full license to Christians to pursue that argument to the very end, to defend His honor, to stand for His truthfulness, and to call others to trust in Him. He gives us license to do this in that He did it himself all throughout the history of Israel and most specifically in the person of Jesus Christ.