In what ways can we teach our children to "keep My testimonies"? Grounding Our Homes in God’s Word Deuteronomy 6:6-7 commands, “These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts. And you shall teach them diligently to your children…” • Establish a regular, non-negotiable family Bible-reading time—morning or evening—so Scripture frames the day. • Read aloud consecutively through books of the Bible; children absorb context when they hear whole passages, not isolated verses. • Let every family decision, celebration, or trial be filtered aloud through Scripture. Children learn that God’s Word is the lens for life. Modeling Obedience Before Their Eyes James 1:22: “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” • Speak respectfully to your spouse, pay bills honestly, drive courteously—then connect those actions to verses you’ve read together. • When you fail, confess quickly to your children. Repentance shows them how a believer returns to God’s testimonies. • Invite them to watch you serve at church or in the community so they see faith in action. Planting Scripture in Young Hearts Psalm 119:11: “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” • Choose one verse a week; chant it at breakfast, write it on sticky notes, sing it to a simple tune. • Use hand motions or drawings for younger kids; review older verses on long drives. • Celebrate milestones—ice cream night when a chapter is memorized—so hiding the Word is joyful. Telling the Stories of God’s Faithfulness Psalm 78:5-7: God “commanded our fathers to teach their children, so that the coming generation would know… that they should put their confidence in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.” • Recount biblical narratives at the dinner table—crossing the Red Sea, David and Goliath, the empty tomb. Connect each story to God’s testimony of faithfulness. • Share your own testimonies: answered prayers, providential provisions. Mark them on a family “faith timeline” posted on the wall. • Celebrate biblical feasts or create family traditions (e.g., annual “Ebenezer night”) to remember what the Lord has done. Training Through Loving Discipline Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” • Set clear, biblical house rules rooted in specific verses (e.g., Ephesians 4:32 for kindness). • When discipline is needed, open the Bible; show the principle violated, administer correction, then reassure with Scripture about forgiveness. • End every discipline moment with prayer for heart transformation and renewed obedience to God’s testimonies. Engaging Heart, Mind, and Voice in Worship Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” • Play Scripture-rich music during chores and car rides; children memorize verses effortlessly through song. • Encourage them to journal or draw what a passage means to them after family worship. • Involve them in corporate worship early; let them see adults treasure preaching and singing truth. Serving Together to Cement the Lessons Ephesians 2:10: “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works…” • Visit shut-ins, prepare meals for new parents, volunteer at food banks as a family. • After serving, discuss which verses motivated the action (e.g., Matthew 25:40). • Children remember truths far longer when their hands and feet have carried them out. Keeping the Long View 2 Timothy 3:15: “From infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” • Pray daily for their future faithfulness; only the Spirit enables lasting obedience. • Trust the promise of Psalm 132:12: “If your sons keep My covenant and My testimony that I will teach them, their sons will also sit on your throne forever.” • Persevere. Seeds sown today may sprout years from now, but God’s Word never returns void (Isaiah 55:11). |
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