How would you handle a child, grandchild, or some other young person displaying serious doubts about the Bible? What can practically be done to empower this generation with the real-world truth of God’s Word?
Just like nurturing a young plant in a greenhouse, bringing up the next generation “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” requires putting some key elements in place. What elements are needed so that hearts and minds have the best chance to flourish and bear fruit?
In our latest podcast, Jennifer and I expound on these seven practical steps that can be taken to help Christians anchor their faith to the real world:
1. Teach your children how to properly read their Bible. Help them understand that the Bible is a “book of books”, written in different literary styles. (Our ministry exists to demonstrate with an abundance of evidence that the early accounts in the Bible are historical narrative.) The Bible is not simply a book of Sunday morning stories and Veggie Tale cartoons, taking place in a land far, far away, but an ancient book of record, history, action, direction, wisdom, all in this real world–the same earth you and I are part of today.
2. Present a cohesive timeline of history. Begin to provide “historical orientation”, connecting biblical and secular history. There should be no divide between the two. The Bible is real-world history.
3. Use maps and photos to provide more context.
4. Arm them with facts. Demonstrate to your children where the biblical accounts took place (using those maps, photos and timeline), and when they took place. Our ministry offers unique, real-world facts about Noah’s Flood, the manna, the pillar of cloud and fire, water from the rock, the Red Sea crossing, and much more.
5. Understand that science is not the “bad guy.” All true science is God’s science, and we don’t need to be afraid of it. We are after the truth.
6. Guard against the mindset of “Christi-an-i-ME.” This is a scourge within Christianity in our day, completely opposed to the true biblical message. Go against the modern “counsel” and advice, and teach your children not to constantly look inward, but to live for something much bigger than themselves.
7. Teach them what it means to take dominion. The same commission God gave to Adam and Eve at the beginning of creation is also for you and your children. Implant a desire in your children to have a fruitful life at their time in history, seeing it as a continuation of a big, big story. Real-world Christianity permeates every corner of this globe; the God of ancient history is still at work today!
We must close the divide between the physical world and the spiritual world, so that we come to see God’s workings in the world (past, present, and future) to be as real as the dirt we stand on, the water we drink, and the life we live everyday.
The points discussed on this episode are valuable for Christian parents and teachers… or anyone who desires to be ready to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you. (1 Peter 3:15)
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