Free Resources for Christian Parenting

Free Resources fro Christian Parenting - Parenting Like HannahIf you are new to Parenting Like Hannah or haven’t looked around in awhile, you may not realize you now have lots of new free resources to help you on your Christian parenting journey. Parenting Like Hannah is actually a part of a much larger ministry called Teach One Reach One. Teach One Reach One was developed to provide free resources for anyone working with children and teens who wants to help them learn how to become Christians and live a Christian life.

On the Teach One Reach One website you can find:

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Teaching Kids About the Bible and Context

Teaching Kids About the Bible and Context - Parenting Like HannahOne of the easiest ways for a false teaching to gain traction is to quote a scripture out of context or make up an entire context that isn’t even there. Yet, we rarely teach kids and teens how to use context to help them understand the scriptures better.

Teaching kids about context is something a parent can easily do at home with even upper elementary aged kids. Train your children to never accept one Bible verse as “proof” of anything. Often a verse is only a piece of a much larger puzzle God puts together over numerous verses, chapters and even books of the Bible.

Encourage your children to look at least at the few verses before and after a verse they are given. Some Bibles have an almost paragraph format to the chapters now. Encourage older kids and teens to read the entire “paragraph” or even the entire chapter. Really difficult passages to understand may require reading the chapter before and after the chapter in which the original verse is contained.

Practice with your child thinking about what information those extra verses add to the original verse. Does it tell us more about what was happening when the verse was said? Does knowing what was happening add additional meaning or change their understanding of the original verse a little? What was the purpose of the entire chapter and not just that one verse? Does what your child was told that verse “proved” fit in with the meaning of the entire chapter?

The other danger with context is something that has cropped up in the last few decades. it is an attempt to totally discount entire, very clearly written scriptures under the guise of some made up context not included in the verse, chapter or even book. You may have even heard someone say, “Of God didn’t mean that for us. It was because thus and so weird thing was happening in that city.” Where they get their information from is never quite clear as it definitely is never in those scriptures or any nearby scripture. Teach your children to not let things quite possibly entirely made up by someone, trick them into disobeying a very clear scripture. Remind them Satan is the father of lies, so be wary of anything not backed up by the Bible.

Taking a little extra time to teach your kids about the Bible and context can protect them from being tricked by false teachings – whether the motives of the teacher or pure or not. It’s just another tool you can give your kids to help make it easier for them to stay on God’s path.

Fun Summer Family Devotionals

Fun Summer Family Devotionals - Parenting Like HannahSummer mornings in many households are much more relaxed than during the school year. Kids (and even parents on occasion!) may get to sleep a little later. Breakfast may be out on a deck or patio and eaten slowly while enjoying the beautiful weather. Many days may have no schedule at all, with family members playing outside, enjoying hobbies or reading fun books.

I want to encourage you this summer to take advantage of those relaxed mornings. Make a family devotional part of your new morning routine. Have breakfast outside or as an indoor picnic on a rainy day. Make it more than only reading some scriptures. Turn it into a godly adventure. Your adventure may last a few minutes or an entire day, but help your children understand the verses you read by helping them live it.

There are so many things you can do, but here are some ideas to get you started:

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Bible Study for Moms

Bible Study for Moms- Parenting Like HannahBeing a mother means you are “on call” twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. You never know when a child will keep you up all night, will have you running all over town for an entire day or will need you by his side for hours at a time. Most mothers put many of their own needs aside if necessary, in order to care for their children.

Unfortunately, one of the first things that often gets cut from a mom’s life is Bible study. Taking the time to read scripture suddenly sounds like a luxury we can’t afford. Yet, this is the time in our lives when we need to hear from God daily more than ever.

When I was a young mom, I found it helped me to be in a weekly Bible study. There was an accountability that made me take at least some time every week to study the scriptures. An added benefit for me was that many of the women in the study were ahead of me in their mothering journey. They could help me in my journey, for they had recently walked there themselves.

As you think about starting or joining a Bible study for moms, one of the first hurdles is what to study. So I was interested when I had an opportunity to review a new Bible study designed specifically to help moms. Walking with God in the Season of Motherhood: An Eleven-Week Devotional Bible Study by Melissa Kruger, which is designed to help mothers walk with God while their children are at home.

As an eleven week study, this book could be used for a personal Bible study or in a group with other moms. Each week is divided into five smaller daily study units. The author shares her own thoughts and experiences as well as scripture and biblical examples. She asks thought questions and leaves room for you to answer them in the book. The back contains additional questions which could add to the discussion if you are using the book in a group study.

The study covers topics with which most mothers would be familiar. From finding time for God to anxiety to training children, she addresses a variety of important topics. Although some if not much of the information could probably be found in other Bible studies, this is arranged in a way to specifically take those scriptures and principles and discuss them in the light of the role of mother.

Although I am not a huge fan of Bible study, fill-in-the-blank books, this one does have value. It is a strong template for examining motherhood in relationship to faith. I only wish the few times she asks readers to think of creative ways to introduce certain things into their homes, she gave more concrete help. Ultimately, I think this study would have been even stronger if the author had taken the time to introduce lots of practical tips and ideas or at least places to go and look for them.

My suggestion would be to use this study in a Bible study for moms, but make sure you have some experienced, godly, creative moms who are part of the group. They can expand the themes the author addresses and hopefully provide more of those practical ideas the study is missing.

Whether you use this book or another, please take the time to study God’s Words. It will help you more on your mothering journey than you realize. The Bible is one of the best parenting tools you have – especially if it is used regularly.

 

 

 

A copy of this book was given to me for free in exchange for my honest review. An affiliate link is included in the post for your convenience.

Helping Kids Enjoy Bible Reading

Helping Kids Enjoy Bible Reading - Parenting Like HannahMy favorite Bible verse of the moment is 2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” Our children are being fed a constant diet of teachings designed to interest those itching ears. Some may be from non-Christians, but even some famous Christians preach what is misguided at best and false doctrine at worst.

It’s almost impossible to predict every bit of false doctrine your children may be exposed to during their lives. The burden to accurately predict and teach against every misrepresentation of God’s Word is almost impossible to bear. Yet, there is one thing you can and must do to protect your children. Immerse them in God’s Words.

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