Helping Your Kids Know God Better

Parents often believe three common myths about discipling their children in the Christian faith:

“The perfect environment will guarantee that my child will become a Christian.”
“The ultimate goal of my Christian life is to have children who follow the Lord.”
“My child’s salvation is all up to me.”

The truth is discipling children isn’t like following a recipe where the right ingredients mixed together the right way guarantees success. Children have free will to embrace or reject wisdom. Even those raised in loving, godly environments will test boundaries. Some will rebel.

Although there is no formula for teaching children about God, certain approaches are more beneficial than others. On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Helping Your Kids Know God Better,” author Chap Bettis is with us to examine the vital role parents have in sharing the Gospel with their kids.

Did you know that the word “Christian” only appears in the New Testament three times, but “disciple” appears 269 times?

Thousands of years ago, the discipleship approach to education was common. The goal of a disciple was not only to learn from his teacher, but to imitate his way of life and become like him. Jesus modeled this approach with his 12 disciples.

Chap has some good observations about how discipleship does and doesn’t work effectively in today’s world and explains the value of discipleship for your family.

Listen to our conversation on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or take us with you on our free phone app.

Before I close, I’d like to extend an invitation for you to become a special partner with us through our monthly “Friends of Focus on the Family” program. When you do, I’ll send you a copy of Chap Bettis’ book The Disciple-Making Parent: A Comprehensive Guidebook for Raising Your Children to Love and Follow Jesus Christ as a way of saying thank you for touching others with the love of Christ. You’ll also receive member-exclusive benefits. To make your pledge, or for more information, visit our website or call 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).

And while you’re online, why not take our free parenting assessment? It will quickly give you an overview of how your family is doing in several key areas. It also offers suggestions for improving the relationships in your home.