Parents, Teaching Your Child the Bible Isn’t Hard

You care and want to teach your child the Bible. You want them to know the truth but coming through is not so easy. It can be intimidating, but teaching your child the Bible isn’t hard as we make it.

In college and seminary, while training for ministry, I initially thought I might be called to family ministry. I took every family, marriage, and children’s ministry class I could. I’m reminded of this anytime my wife and I get in a disagreement. I hear, “Jake, is that what you learned in ALL those marriage classes?”

Along with learning great marriage practices, I don’t always put into practice, I also made lofty plans of all I would do to raise my children up in the Lord. We were going to have family devotionals in the morning and family worship services at night—every night. My children were going to be lil’ John Pipers. They were going to be able recount the Westminster Catechism, have all the Bible memorized, and be able to explain the Trinity.

Eventually, I had my firstborn, and it was time to start on the endeavor I had planned several years earlier. It was also time for me to hit reality. It was not so easy. Not easy to fit in all that Bible teaching to my daughter. And life was busy. Also, newborns aren’t too interested in reading Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology.

I had spurts where I tried, but I was not consistent—my wife was consistent though. Each night she made sure one of us read our sweet Andrea three books, one of which was always the Bible. She would stack two books and a children’s Bible by the rocker. Then she would tell Andrea that not all these books were the same. She would say, “Although the two ‘random’ picture books, might tell a story that could be true, they were mostly just stories that had been made up. But the Bible was a special book. Everything it said was true. God guided people to write it.”

Every night. Three books, maybe a fourth. Always that children’s Bible. There was always a comment about the specialness of the Bible. Always reassurance of the Bible containing truth. Always a reminder the Bible came from God.

I wish I knew exactly how many times we have been through that one hundred story children’s Bible. It’s close to twenty times. In future posts, I want to share the benefits I have found through this system with children receiving a foundation of the Old Testament. A foundation of the Bible stories themselves. And especially hearing them in chronological order.

Although, I have not even scratched the surface in accomplishing my lofty goals I made for my future family while in seminary, the Scriptural foundation my daughter has is beyond my wildest dreams. It’s not hard. One brief page a night. One story a night. Consecutively. Chronological. Consistent. Powerful.

If you have young kids start this today. Seriously, 5-10 minutes a night. Make it part of the “night routine.” It’s easy. It’s far easier than we parents make it—just do it.

If you have older kids, then it is more difficult, but once you bridge a way to start, again one passage a night. Then watch God work because–parents, teaching your child the Bible is not as hard as we make it.

Jake McCandless

Executive Director of Stand Firm and lead pastor of Epic Church NWA in Springdale, AR and multiple award-winning author, Jake has a B.A. in Bible and Pastoral Studies from Central Baptist College, and an Advanced Masters of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Former regular contributor to the Baptist Press and WND News with popular conservative voices such as Pat Buchanan, Ann Coulter, Ben Carson, Chuck Norris, Greg Laurie, Ben Schapiro, Joel Richardson, and others. He now is a weekly contributor for Israel, Islam, and the End Times and Armageddon News. He has authored books such as the, award-winning Spiritual Prepper from WND Books. Award-winning devotional books, Invincibleand For Uncertain Times, he authored the ground-breaking children’s book, Jesus and His White Horse from CrossLink Publishing. He is also a regular guest on national and international radio and streaming web shows, along with hosting his weekly live streaming program Talking Stand Firm and weekly podcast Stand Firm Parents.