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Welcome to the 10 Days of Teaching God’s Word series, sponsored by iHomeschool Network. In all there are 28 bloggers participating, so be sure to look at the bottom of this post for a list of each one and her specific topic.
Here at Homeschool Creations, I’ll be looking at ways that we can teach God’s word to our children. Over the next 10 weekdays from April 16th – 27th, I’ll be sharing my thoughts, printables and other helpful resources that we’ve found as a family.
Impressing God’s Word on Our Children
Before you all get an idea in your head that our family has it all together and life is all sunshine and roses, let me just adjust your glasses and let you know that we are not. Every single one of us has our issues, we are far from perfect and have a plethora of room to grow and develop in our relationship with God.
When I was mulling over my topic for the 10 Days Series, the subject of Teaching God’s Word kept coming back to me over and over again. These verses from Deuteronomy 6:4-7 have been playing in my head daily over the last few weeks:
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Impress them on your children. Talk about them…
What am I doing as a mom in the time that I have with my children each day to impress God’s word on their hearts? What are we doing as a family? What tools have been effective in helping them remember God’s word?
Leading By Example
The most influential thing in teaching our children is that of EXAMPLE. When we are modeling what it means to study God’s word and need His word, they will see what we are doing. As much as I love to tunnel myself away and find a space with complete peace and quiet, I have learned that it is equally important for my kids to see me spending time doing my devotions and reading God’s word.
I can tell my kids that they need to read their Bibles until I am blue in the face. If I am not modeling that behavior for them, it’s a bit pointless isn’t it? Children learn by example. Last year when I was reading through the Bible in 90 Days, my consistency in following the reading sparked a desire in one of our children to do the same {on a moderated schedule}.
When I am consistent in reading God’s word and in having a dedicated time each day, it not only changes my outlook on things, but it effects my children. My children, better than anyone, know and see my shortcomings on a daily basis, so when I am fully relying on HIM and walking in His strength, it is most evident.
No More Excuses
There are so many things that I know I can do to incorporate God’s word and truth into our daily lives…and so many excuses that I’ve put together not to do those things ~ including putting aside a time for me to just be quiet before God each day.
What about you? Are you consistent in your quiet time? Do you notice a difference when you are consistent? Does your family? Leave a comment and share with us!
Over the next two weeks I’m planning on sharing various resources that have been a help to our family in teaching God’s word to our children {and even me!}. Today I want to leave you with this verse:
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me.”
John 15:4
I hope you’ll come back tomorrow when I’ll be sharing some preschool helps for memorizing God’s word.
Other Posts in the 10 Days of Teaching God’s Word Series
- Love God and His Word {Day 1}
- ABC Bible Verse Flashcard Printables {Day 2}
- Learning Scripture Through Music {Day 3}
- Illustrating Bible Verses {Day 4}
- Raising Rock Stars Preschool and Kindergarten Program {Day 5}
- Making God’s Word Come Alive {Day 6}
- SOAP Printables for Studying Verses {Day 7}
- In My Heart Printables {Day 8}
- Preschool Bible Verse Printables {Day 9}
- The Honest Truth {Day 10}
The 10 Days Series is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutually beneficial projects. Visit us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. And of course, click the image below to visit all the 10 Days posts from these homeschool moms of the iHomeschool Network. You’ll be blessed with tips on how to handle bad days, cultivating curiosity, teaching with Legos, and much much more!
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The printables shared on this site are FREE of charge unless otherwise noted, and you are welcome to download them for your personal and/or classroom use only. However, free or purchased printables are NOT to be reproduced, hosted, sold, shared, or stored on any other website or electronic retrieval system (such as Scribd or Google docs). My printables are copyright protected and I appreciate your help in keeping them that way.
If you download and use some of my printables and then blog about them, please provide a link back to my blog and let me know - I'd love to see how you are using them! Please be sure to link to the blog post or web page and not directly to the file itself. Thank you!
Jolanthe, I used to get up and have my quiet time before my children got up…and then, just read to them. I have learned…that they do need to ‘see’ us having that time. So, I still get up and I still enjoy a true quiet time with God…and we still read at the Kitchen table together. However, I have implemented another quiet time so we can sit down with our Bibles…and have our quiet times together…Thank you for this reminder!
Thanks for this thought-provoking post. My husband and I were just talking over the weekend about our lives when we were single and how easy it was to lose track of time and spend hours in God’s Word. I, too, like to steal away to a quiet place to study. I hate the times (true confession) that I have been sitting with a Bible in front of me and have become irritable because one of my children was being, um childish, and I was too distracted to hear myself think. (I was not exactly spilling forth grace and gentleness as I asked them to calm down and get along.) I also remember my sweet grandma at her dining room table every single morning at the same time when I was visiting her…from the time I was a little girl until my college years. Powerful. Also, I remember getting up late at night in high school to read in the living room because I had read that when you can’t sleep at night it’s better to get OUT of bed and read elsewhere until you’re sleepy. I was giving it a shot so I got up and took my book into the living room. As I walked through the door and found my dad on his knees in our living room with his Bible spread out before him, so I quietly tiptoed back to my room. It was in the middle of the night. That image will always stay with me. I think in my desire that my kids know that my relationship with God is not a box I check off or a rote thing I do, I haven’t intentionally placed this on the schedule for when they are around. Maybe I should rethink and give that a try again now that they are a bit older and can usually play independently for a bit while I do other things with fewer interruptions.
On a related note, I not so patiently said something to my husband one night when his head was buried in his phone for a long time. I assumed he was checking scores for his college team, but learned that he was reading the Bible! Oops! It made me think about the kids. I like the YouVersion app and use it sometimes. My husband uses it more often, but I am thinking about that, too. When my kids just see me having screen time, they don’t know that I am digging into and studying God’s Word….hmmmm…..
Ohhh…the hubby on the phone got the same reaction from me and then realized he was reading his Bible! Balancing screen time is hard now that so much is ‘digital’ these days. For the most part, I’ve decided to use my own Bible rather than the ipad, etc…because I can still visualize where things were a page when I underlined or made notes. :)
LOL on Saturday I was reading the bible on my phone and Sammy asked what game I was playing. I told him I was reading my bible he laughed and told me I was silly.. I don’t think he understood.. might need to drag my real bible out just so he believes me! I can’t wait to see what you suggest tomorrow.. Sammy sadly has never memorized a verse.. he is a perfectionist and wont even try unless he knows he can do the whole thing.. It actually makes him cry (imagine that) when we try stuff so I hope you have some good ideas for me!
I struggle with quiet time- because I am tempted to use it for writing! But I notice a huge difference between when I am relying on the Lord for my strength to get everything done, and when I am trying to juggle it all on my own.
I think God gave me my daughters because they often show me how I need to slow down and rest in God’s presence.
great post Jolanthe! I’ll be posting a testimony this week – to go live on Monday about the fruit of some of teaching your children God’s word – we just had an incredible breakthrough in our home- with my adopted son- and God is working mightily in my oldest boy- I got to hear him witness and pray with the younger one- God is so good – it just blew me away! He is faithful if we offer up the truth in our homes – He does the rest! (it started from a horrible no good terrible bad day until my 10 yr old hit his knees and asked God for wisdom and strength) then he led his our of control little brother – to Jesus. (the little guy is a bit young to grasp it all – but there is a battle going on for him – and God had the victory that day for sure) long story – great experience. Thank you for doing this 10 day series – I’ll be reading along.
that is such an amazing story, Kelli!!! :) Thanks for sharing!!!
Excellent and thoughtful read. This is a subject that needs
to be elaborated upon and enhances growth and discipleship in Christ. Be
blessed…
Wonderful!!!!!!!!
Looking forward to teaching my kids using your teaching aid
It really makes a difference if we start and end the day with God. Taking everything to the Lord in prayer and spending time reading His Word allowing ourselves to be informed of His promises, commands, and making room for us to be reformed by it. Thank you so much for your encouragement and the resources you provided to help us minister and encourage my little one to let the Word of God dwell richly in us as we continue to grow in the knowledge of God’s amazing love