Christian Parent and Grandparent - Can You Use These Helps?

Christian Parent and Grandparent - Can You Use These Helps?

As an observer of parents for 64 years, I have concluded that parenting is super difficult.

I have never been a parent so I cannot speak from experiences. Yet as an outsider, I have a different and maybe useful perspective.

There are more than 99 important ways that each parent can impact each child. Some of those ways are obvious and others are not obvious. Most of those ways during the young years are are obvious and out of response to wants or needs. The less obvious ways are the teaching of meaningful lessons.

As a Christian parent, there are additional layers of ways that a parent can impact each child. You have read plenty of Christian parenting books and websites, so I do not need to go there.

But, let us be real. Let us notice our shared reality and the powerful trends that will shape the future. We are in what is called a postmodern times. Some call this post-Christian times.

As each child becomes a teen and then an adult there will be many challenges to their faith. Those challenges will come directly from their peers, teachers, and professors. Those challenges will come indirectly from the media and the policies of institutions.

You cannot shield and protect each child every day for the rest of their life. Yet, by the grace of God, you can be used by our Lord to bountifully sow good seeds into their tender hearts.  While they are very young they are very receptive to your inputs. This will shift as they become teens. So take advantage of this critical season.

My exhortation is that part of your inputs be to give them basic Bible knowledge. Then as those precious seeds of the Word of God will surely grow. In due season they will bear good fruit for the glory of God.

As a watchman on the wall, I am warning you that the forces of darkness are coming. They will target each of your children and grandchildren. Only the Word of God can defeat the sly and crafty forces of darkness. There will be plenty of strange doctrine in the coming decades. The doctrines that are in error will have distorted the basic Bible stories. The way of the enemy of our souls has always been to twist the truth of Scriptures. The ones that know the Word and are prayerful are less likely to be deceived.

So let me get to the practical application of this message. Let me introduce you to some resources that might help you in your Christian parenting.

One of the divine assignments for each Christian parent is to teach each child about God, Jesus, salvation, prayer, and much more of the Christian life. Those lessons need to be rooted in the Bible. But the Bible can be a confusing book.

So I offer you the following proven teaching tools to teach the most basic Bible knowledge for your prayerful consideration.

These are being used all over the world to help people understand the STORY of the Bible.

These are used by a mission agency named Ethnos 360 https://ethnos360.org/ . They had been named New Tribes Mission. They have taken the Word of God to jungle tribes for decades.

I learned about this agency in this video testimony named EE-Taow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjRTBQcf-uc

The agency sends in a couple to learn the oral language and put it into writing. Then they translate the Bible and from that the tell the WHOLE STORY of the Bible. They use dozens of pictures like would be found in a Bible for children. They have just the pictures as print, digital and CD. http://www.ntmbookstore.com/bible-pictures-s/2168.htm

They also offer the Scriptures associated with each picture to guide the teacher or parent.

http://www.ntmbookstore.com/chronological-bible-study-s/2033.htm

Also they offer maps and timelines. Notice that the Bible refers to locations that are not on modern maps. And the events and people of the Bible can be better understood in chronological context. http://www.ntmbookstore.com/bible-maps-and-timelines-s/2169.htm

I exhort you to prayerfully consider purchasing these to help teach each child.

These are generic instructional tools that can facilitate teachable moments. From such teaching as a parent or grandparent will come questions. Those questions can lead to spiritual conversations and prompt both of you into adventurous Bible studies. These resources can lay a firm foundation for the faith of the child for decades to come.

We as in an ongoing spiritual conflict. As ambassadors for Christ, we have the message of reconciliation to share. We need to both reach out to the least of these while also being faithful to pass along to the next generation the faith of our ancestors.

I see my job before God to equip the saints for the work of their ministry. Each Christian parent as a ministry to each child. These are tools to equip not only the raw Bible knowledge but also the meaningful conversations that might happen during and after such teachings.

If you get these resources and use them with your children then let me know how they worked. If you were pleased with the results then please exhort many more parents to use them too.

Shalom

Brother John

P. S. If you know of other similar resources to help Christian parents with teaching basic Bible knowledge then kindly send me the link. I will be gradually creating a blog and searchable database to better equip Christian parents.

Also please forward this to those who might benefit.

You can put this link to the brand new blog on your social media platforms.
http://equippingchristianparents.blogspot.com/2017/09/christian-parent-and-grandparent-can.html