Teaching�Our�Children
"Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you." — Robert Fulghum
Question: What is one specific habit or reaction you’ve noticed your child "mirroring" back to you recently?
Teaching Our Children
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01
The Constant Classroom
02
Getting God’s Word Into Their Hearts
03
Teaching Children That We Are Different From the World
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Teaching Core Life Lessons
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Case Studies from the Bible
Section 1: The Constant Classroom
Always on Duty: Whether you realize it or not, you are always teaching your children. They copy your actions, tone, and priorities.
The Goal: Give them something good to imitate.
The Biblical Blueprint: Instead of looking at Deuteronomy 6:7, let's look at another verse
Deuteronomy 11:19: "You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up."
A similar thought is found in Deuteronomy 4:10.
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Words of Encouragement
Parenting is Tough but You Can Do This!
God chose you to parent your children.
You do not need a Ph.D. in education or child psychology, or 20+ years of experience.
Philippians 4:13 reminds us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
4:13
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Philippians
The Essentials:
You don’t need a perfect pedigree; you need love (as a verb)!
God supplies what we need through His Spirit and His Word.
2 Peter 1:3 …seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness…
The Bible may not directly address your exact situation, but the guiding principles are always there.
Do you agree with this statement?
"The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it."
– Norman Schwarzkopf
Why is it so hard?
?
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God knows we are imperfect parents—but imperfection is never an excuse to stop trying to do better.
Kids are amazingly resilient.
Stick to the script: You will have to keep repeating the same things to your kids (Deut. 11:19). Do not grow weary in well-doing (Galatians 6:9).
Don’t be taken in by the "flavor of the month" quick-fix parenting approaches.
Questions:
• Are there parenting trends today that don’t match biblical principles?
• Why do we often look for a new method instead of trusting basic biblical guidance?
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Section 2: Getting God’s Word Into Their Hearts
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The Math Problem: We cannot depend solely on church Bible class. That provides 1.5 hours a week at most. The math simply doesn't work if that is our only strategy.
Home-Field Advantage: We must actively teach them at home and while out in public.
• Read a story from an age-appropriate Bible storybook at bedtime.
• Pray with your children during natural daily transitions: meals, bedtime, and other critical times.
• Actively look for teaching moments in everyday situations and the current events happening around you.
• Set a regular time for a devotional/prayer.
• Talk about what God has done in your life, and make sure they see you actually living it. It must be a non-negotiable priority.
Questions:
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Besides meals and bedtime, what are some unconventional times or triggers during the day where we can pause to pray with or for our kids?
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How can we share our personal struggles or instances of God's faithfulness in our lives with our kids without over-burdening them with adult worries?
The Madison Bible Bowl Program
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Leverage church resources to build scripture habits.
Study with your children.
It is a shared journey, not an independent assignment.
The Power of Prayer:
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Pray—pray—pray!
James 5:16 reminds us that "the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."
Pray for yourself
Ask God for:
Wisdom (James 1:5)
Courage (Joshua 1:9)
Patience (James 1:19, 1 Corinthians 13:4)
Pray for your children
That they will choose what is right
That they will not be led astray by Satan's lies
That they can overcome temptations
What else?
Questions:
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FOR YOURSELF
Between wisdom, courage, and patience, which fruit do you find yourself needing to pray for the most in this current phase of your parenting?
FOR YOUR CHILDREN
What are the specific "lies of Satan" that you feel your children are most vulnerable to right now based on their age group?
BRAINSTORM SESSION
What are some other unique, practical ways you have found to successfully get God’s Word into your children’s hearts?
Section 3: Teaching Children That We Are Different From the World
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The Counter-Culture Friction: This is a challenging concept to teach, particularly for older children and teenagers who desperately want to fit in with their peers.
We have to buy into this as parents.
The Scriptural Standard:
Romans 12:2: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind..."
1 John 2:15: "Do not love the world nor the things in the world..."
James 4:4: "...friendship with the world is hostility toward God..."
1 Peter 2:9: "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation..."
Holiness Defined:
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Leviticus 19:2 commands, "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy."
What does "holy" mean?
It means set apart for a specific, sacred purpose.
Questions:
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1.
Romans 12:2 warns against being "conformed." What are some subtle ways the secular world tries to mold our children's minds that parents might easily overlook?
Why do you think it is so terrifying for our children (especially teens) to be viewed as "different" or "set apart" by their peers? How can we help build their identity in Christ to withstand that pressure?
Why This Is Hard: It forces our kids to embrace being outsiders.
2.
How do you handle the conversation when your child asks, "Why can all my friends do/watch/wear this, but I can't?" How do we communicate boundaries without sounding like legalistic rulers?
Strategic Boundaries:
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Be intentional and highly consistent about your family boundaries. Don't just say "no"—take the time to explicitly explain why your family does not engage in certain activities.
Section 4: Teaching Core Life Lessons
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Core Competencies of Life: True spiritual teaching must include learning these truths:
1.
Obedience: They must learn this now, as they will need respect for authority throughout their lives. (Titus 3:1-2)
2.
Consequences: Actions always have consequences. (Galatians 6:7)
3.
Reality: Life is not always fair. (John 16:33)
4.
Patience: Learning to wait is a spiritual discipline. (Romans 12:12)
5.
Resilience: We have to learn to deal with an imperfect world. (I Corinthians 15:58). You cannot be a "bulldozer" or "helicopter" parent forever.
Questions:
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Which of the five life lessons listed earlier (Obedience, Consequences, Fairness, Patience, Resilience) do you find the most challenging to teach consistently? Why?
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It is hard to watch our kids suffer or fail. What is the danger of being a "bulldozer parent" (clearing every obstacle out of their way) or a "helicopter parent" (hovering over every move) to their long-term faith?
Section 5: Case Studies from the Bible
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Examples of Good Parents:
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Joseph and Mary: Raised Jesus in favor with God and man.
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Eunice: Timothy’s mother, who passed down a sincere faith.
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Abraham: Isaac’s father, who commanded his children after him.
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Hannah: Samuel's mother, who dedicated her child to the Lord.
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Noah, Jonadab, and Job: Exhibited intentional, faithful family leadership.
Examples of Bad Parents:
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Eli: Failed to restrain his sons even though he held the office of high priest. His sons practiced flagrant wickedness as priests. (1 Samuel 3:13)
Athaliah: A mother who actively counseled her son to do wickedly. (2 Chronicles 22:3)
David: Exhibited parental neglect, passivity, and indulgence.
Amnon and Absalom: David was furious about Amnon's crime against Tamar, but his apparently took no action. Absalom harbored bitter hatred, eventually murdering Amnon in revenge. (2 Samuel 13:21)
Adonijah: Near the end of David's life, Adonijah exalted himself saying, "I will be king" (1 Kings 1:5). His father had never crossed him at any time by asking, "Why have you done so?" He apparently raised an entitled child through a complete lack of confrontation.
Questions:
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1 Kings 1:6 notes that David had never crossed Adonijah. Why is an environment of "zero confrontation" and total indulgence actually a form of parental neglect rather than love?
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Looking at the tragedy of David's parenting, how does a sense of personal moral failure paralyze a parent from disciplining their own kids? How can we parent effectively despite our past mistakes?