What do you do in the car with your kids? What about at breakfast or at the dinner table? How about in the backyard when you’re throwing the ball with your boys or playing “chase” with your daughters?
Scripture provides a great idea in Deuteronomy 6:6-7:
“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (ESV).
One of our most important objectives here at Focus on the Family is to equip parents to feel confident in the spiritual training of their children. Research shows that 83 percent of Christians make their commitment to Jesus Christ between the ages of 4 and 14. And most who make that decision do so before they turn 18.
Childhood is a crucial time in the journey of faith, and parents are the biggest influence throughout those years. There’s nothing more important than teaching our children about the Lord. Reaching them at a young, receptive age can make an eternal difference. They may stumble, but that foundation will help them get back up when they do.
It takes intentionality. We have to watch for teachable moments – opportunities in everyday life where we dialogue with our children about what they’ve seen, heard or done, and what God’s Word has to say about it.
How can you teach your children how to deal with the world around them? That’s what we’re talking about on the Focus on the Family Broadcast “Making the Most of Teachable Moments.”
Kara Durbin will be with us. She has a degree in elementary education, two children of her own, and has written a book called, “Parenting with Scripture: A Topical Guide for Teachable Moments.” You can hear our broadcast on your local radio station, online, or on our free phone app.
Kara shares from her personal experiences about how to utilize Scripture in everyday teachable moments to help children develop in Christ. Her practical examples offer encouragement to parents who want their kids of all ages to draw upon the Bible for answers throughout their lives.
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