Discipling your children and teens is no easy task, but it is something that you must be actively doing. God has given you the responsibility of being the leaders of your kids faith. Teaching them how to read and study the Bible is incredibly important. The Bible; reading and studying it should not be a struggle, it should be something we enjoy and desire. Question is, how can I help my kids to study and to have the desire to read their Bible?
Let start by looking the Bible and its text delivery method; the different formats and resources that you can use with your family. Then we will look at some How To’s and hopefully give you some new ideas that you can use in or add to your family’s current Bible study time.
The Actual Bible:
Children and teens (and adults too) need to be able to receive information in a way that is clear and does not create unnecessary confusion. The Pastor on stage is unlikely to read the Bible in its original Greek form as it will create a barrier to their congregation’s understanding and learning. Many adults have a Bible translation that is their favourite and they tend to choose to read only from that translation. Whatever translation you have picked as your favourite doesn’t matter if your kids can’t understand it, so be conscious of your family’s needs with relation to the type of Bible that you choose.
There are so many different translations of the Bible that are aimed at people who speak/read all different languages at all different levels. There are also so many different styles of Bibles that include explanations or commentaries aimed at specific ages or reading levels. Take a look around at the different Bibles and decide what your family needs. Side Note – your family’s psychical Bible needs will and should change as your kids grow and their reading/comprehension levels increase.
Screens:
Although screens can seem odd to some and reading an Ebook Bible a little foreign, they are a great tool to be added into Bible Study. Some kids find reading on a screen easier and the convince of flipping between translations or commentaries can be faster and more engaging when used correctly. Take some time to check out a few different websites or apps and see if there are any that you can incorporate into your family’s study. There are many videos, commentaries, interactive games, and more out there. Here are a few of Rock City Kid’s favourites:
https://bibleappforkids.com/
https://kidscorner.net/bible-stories
https://bibleforchildren.org/languages/english/stories.php
How to Study:
Choosing how to study should depend on the age and level of your children and teens. There are many different ways to study the Bible and everyone will have a different opinion on each method/approach. Here are a few that are most appropriate for the age 8-16 range, but can be modified for younger or older.
Paper & Pen Method (sometimes called the Swedish Method)
This method allows everyone some time to interact with the text in a physical way and makes discussion easier for some as they have their thoughts written down.
Print a copy of the passage for each person
As you read through it, either out loud together or in your own heads, highlight things that stick out and write down your observations and questions.
Discuss your questions and observations together.
SOAP
This method includes four parts and is done always in the same order.
S. Scripture – read and write down the verse or passage that you are reading
O. Observation – discuss about what you see in the verses; the who, what, when, where, why, and how’s
A. Application – discuss how this can apply in your lives and what you have learned from the verses
P. Prayer – spend some time praying about the verses and how you can apply them to your lives
4 Questions
Every time you read or study a passage, ask the same questions. You can use these 4 or make your own. This helps your kids to slow down and study, as well as look for key information.
What is the big/main idea?
What did I already know?
What have I learned?
What is the Bible trying to teach me?
Questions
Kids thrive on questions and answers, they like asking and answering them, use this natural curiosity to engage them in the Bible.
Ask questions that they can answer (How many people were in? Did anything bad happen?)
Ask questions that require them to look deeper into the story and won’t come to mind right away. (Is there someone else in the Bible that said something similar?
Ask questions that make them think about their life and apply the teachings to themselves. (Who do you know that sometimes behaves like this? Have you ever thought about how your actions might affect other people? How can this story help you to do X?)
There are many more methods/approaches and way more resources than could ever fit into one blog post, but I would like to leave you with the most important idea. Try to not allow yourself to become overwhelmed by the task of discipling your children. Allow God to lead you as you lead them and be faithful to Him in all things so that your children will see your example and follow in it. Although the how does matter and you have to be intentional in your discipleship; your honest and intentional pursuit of God will impact your children in incredible ways.
