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Choose a passage of Scripture at least 15 verses long. (Our family is learning Luke 2:1-20.)
Memorize it together as a family (ages 5 and up).
I'll contact you by email on December 31 to see if you memorized it, and your family can be entered to win.
PRIZE: One free year of our Bible curriculum (your choice which one; ebooks only)
DEADLINE (passage memorized): December 31, 2008
To enter the contest, send me a comment today with
your family's last name
the passage you're learning
your email address (so I can contact you on Dec. 31)
Tips for Bible Memory:
It's easier to memorize the passage if you know what it means. Spend the first couple days talking about what it means. Draw pictures, write about it in your journal, make up a story based on it, etc.
It's easier to memorize the passage if it's personally meaningful. Each person could share one thing that is special to them.
It's easier to memorize if you use many of your senses... hear it, read it, jump up and down as you say it, etc. We printed out passage on paper for each person to read as we recite it together.
It's easier to memorize if you use a sing-songy voice! I've found the KJV is easier for this.
It's easier to memorize if you repeat it many, many times. Mealtimes are especially conducive for this.
I'm looking forward to your participation!!
Hugs, ~Anne
I'm finally back to continuing our series on what is known as "The Lord's Prayer" in Matthew 6:9-13. The next phrase is, "Thy kingdom come."
Today is Election Day here in the United States. I've blogged a little bit about the election on my other blog, but as the Big Day is here, I am truly comforted by the knowledge that someday, God's Kingdom will be set up here on the earth (Revelation 20:6).
In Genesis, we read that in the beginning, God set up a kingdom here on earth, and He set up rulers over this kingdom, Adam and Eve.
However, because they sinned, they lost their dominion and became servants to sin. Satan, that evil dragon, has been working to set up his dominion over our earth ever since.
We've been studying the book of Revelation in Sunday school, and I am so encouraged by that study. I know that my King is coming back.
Whoever is voted into office today is only there by the sovereignty of God. I also realize that God might allow this country to have what it wants for a season (and that might not be pleasant for all of us). However, the King is coming to set up His kingdom, and His kingdom will be full of peace and joy and light. It will also be full of righteousness! What a blessing!
So as the apostle John says, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"
This coming week, our family will be joining in on the traditional Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, which means "Rejoicing in the Torah."
As Wikipedia explains, this holiday celebrates the completion of another year of reading through the Torah. A Torah-reading schedule was instituted in the days of Ezra, after the return from the Babylonian captivity. The people of God were resolved to never again disregard the laws of God so that He would have to again send them into exile.
Each Sabbath, the members of a synagogue would read portions from the Torah (the five books of Moses, or Genesis through Deuteronomy) aloud so that all the people would be familiar with God's laws.
We can read about how Jesus participated in this weekly reading in Luke 4:16-21.
We know that the apostles followed this reading schedule in the early church and used it to train new, Gentile believers.
"Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day." (Acts 15:19-21)
The beauty of each person in a congregation reading together is that when they meet together, they now have something to talk about! They are learning together and growing together.
You can click here to download the schedule that we use in our home. We aim to read through the week's portion by Saturday, starting on the next portion on Sunday. It's wonderful to be reading the some thing my husband and friends are! There are five portions to read each week, from various parts of the Bible. I try to read one each day, and I have an extra day or two to catch up if I fall behind.
Here is a fun study on the biblical Day of Atonement! In our house, we took one week to do this study.
Memory Verses – “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement” (Romans 5:10-11, KJV).
Vocabulary to learn – reconciliation, atonement, mercy, grace, restitution, forgiveness
Tabernacle – I found that it’s so much easier to explain the Day of Atonement to my children if we first construct a tabernacle together, then act out the Day of Atonement as we read aloud Leviticus 16.
You can do like we did and make your own tabernacle out of construction paper, being sure to include each of these things:
Brazen Altar
Laver
Table of Showbread
Altar of Incense
Golden Lampstand
Ark of the Covenant with Mercy Seat
Aaron and another man to lead a goat into the wilderness
You can use scraps of poster board or cardboard, or even play-dough or gingerbread. You might have scraps of fabric that could be used for the tents, etc.
Share your testimony – Tell someone else about the atonement that has been given to you! http://5clicks.com/
Bible Drill –
Exodus 29:36
Exodus 30:10
Leviticus 1:4
Leviticus 16:34
Numbers 8:21
2 Samuel 21:3
1 Chronicles 6:49
Nehemiah 10:33
Application – Read the story of Jonah aloud. At the end, list together some parts of the story that remind you of the atonement. (For instance, had Jonah forgiven others before he sought forgiveness of God? How did God show mercy to various individuals in the story? How did God show grace?)
Songs – We found that a wonderful way to close our week of study of the Day of Atonement was to gather around the piano on Friday night and sing every song we could think of that had to do with the atonement. “Power in the Blood,” “Lord, Have Mercy,” “Since I Have Been Redeemed,” and even “Amazing Grace.”
"Hey, Mom! You're right! Habakkuk is in the Bible."
Sure that I was hearing things, I called back to our twelve-year-old son, "What did you say?" His response was a surprise.
"Well, the other day I heard you talking about some book in the Bible called Habakkuk, and I just found it."
My response still shocks me; the words are burned into my memory! "Richard, haven't 'they' taught you the books of the Bible yet in Sunday School?"
God prepares us in amazing ways for His new lessons. His timing is perfect. I had just finished writing a paper for one of my seminary courses on Deuteronomy 6:1-9 which says, "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I am commanding you today shall be on your heart, and you shall teach them diligently to your children...." I knew it didn't say "Sunday school teachers" or "fellowship leaders" or "the great staff at our church" (all of those people are glad to help) -- but the command is to parents. You shall teach them. If God gives us something to do, He will enable us to do it!
At that moment I didn't know where the next step would take us; but I knew from experience that when His instructions are followed, the end for which they are given will be accomplished. The results are God's business. He was calling me to be faithful.
Many questions followed, such as: How? When? Are you sure? -- Me, God? We talked about it as a family. The children's suggestions were helpful and encouraging. It was obvious they were eager and ready to begin a new adventure.
When I started looking for materials to teach "Christian Education in the Home," my search led to the best possible source! Since God said "do it" in the Bible, I reasoned the Bible would tell us what to do. And it did!
[Celebrate the Feasts] has been growing ever since. We have learned a lot, known God's blessing, and had many fun and funny times together! We want to share our adventures, not as a model to copy but as guidelines to encourage you in creatively teaching the marvelous truths of the Old Testament with New Testament understanding....
Habakkuk is in the Bible. So is Leviticus. Chapter 23 is where we started. It was our outline for the family times presented on the following pages....
So who is responsible to teach children anyway? Here are some ideas:
Some people say that it is the government's responsibility to teach kids. They say that the state has the job of making sure all children become productive members of society.
Some say that it is the Church's job to reach and teach kids. We have a mission from God, they say, to reach the world, and that we need to get kids into church where we can teach them the Word.
Others say that it is the parents' job to teach kids. They use Deuteronomy 6 to show that it is the father's job to teach his children.
Who's right?
Your assignment for the week is to post your opinion here in the comments. The only rule is that you need to use Scripture to back up your opinion.
(Also, please refrain from commenting on any other posts. I want everyone to feel free to be honest.)
If you participate, I'll enter your name into a drawing for a free ebook of my Bible curriculum (your choice of the year).
Deadline to enter: midnight, Wednesday, September 24, 2008
I'm thrilled that they understand the NEED to reach kids. One of my pet peeves is that so many parents turn the entire responsibility of teaching their kids over to the church, who only has one or two hours a week to teach. Impossible! (And irresponsible!)
But I also have my reservations.
I'd love to hear your opinions! Tell me what you think...
Just as the sixth day of the week is the preparation for the seventh, the Sabbath, so also the sixth month of the year is the preparation for the seventh, the month of the fall feasts. Well, we've just started Elul, the sixth month of the year. Only a month to go!
What feasts are coming up on the calendar... and why should we care?
In the Bible, especially in Leviticus 23, you can read about the feasts that God ordained for Israel to keep. The fall feasts include
The Feast of Trumpets
The Day of Atonement
The Feast of Tabernacles
These feasts are not only fun; they are also a great opportunity for parents today (just as then) to teach their children about God and His ways. Exodus 12:25-27 says,
"And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD'S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses."
Following are some links that you can use to learn about the fall feasts and how to celebrate them with your children.
This writer shares a great plan for praying for missionaries every day of the week. At our house, we tape pictures of the missionaries we know on the front of our refrigerator. (We used to put them on a bulletin board, but now we have TWO refrigerators, so we have plenty of room for missionaries' pictures there!)
I wrote these daily prayer ideas on a 3x5 card, and we taped it right by the pictures. Now we can be reminded to pray each time we walk by. Today is Friday so we're praying for their Families today.
Please share your missionary prayer ideas in the comments below!
While I was surfing the Internet this morning, I saw an ad for Scripture memory. God's Words to Live By is a company run by a homeschooling family. They provide simple books and music CDs that you can use to memorize entire chapters of the Bible. What a great tool! I hope you'll stop by their website and look at their products. (Their prices are very inexpensive as well.)
http://www.godswordstoliveby.com
It's encouraging to see so many good businesses, isn't it?
To review, "hallow" means "to set apart." Something can be set apart for a good use or an evil use. For instance, we can set apart for God (the typical understanding we have of holiness) or our lives can be set apart for evil purposes (how the word is used in Isaiah 66:17).
We are to pray (as it says in Matthew 6:9), "Hallowed by thy name." Why would we pray that God's name be set apart? How would my prayer change a single thing about God's name? (These were the thoughts going through my head as I was studying for this.)
It could be, as many believe, that we simply aren't as respectful of God's holy (set-apart) name as we should be. I've been following this train of thought all week, researching and reading (too much) about the history of God's name, why we call Him what we do, the origins of these names, etc., etc., etc. I learned a lot about our language, and how many of our words have pagan, idolatrous origins (such as the names of the week being named for idols).
Exodus 23:13 says, "Make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth." I'm not sure how to do this, since the words God, LORD, Jesus, and Christ in English all come from pagan origins. The only thing I can think of would be to use the Hebrew words for God, such as YHWH, Elohim, Adonai, Yeshua, and Messiah. But scholars even disagree as to how to say these and what their meanings are. Aaagh!
So is this what is meant by the prayer, "Hallowed by thy name"?
I also think of the third commandment, to "not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain" (Exodus 20:7). We've had a lot of discussions about this in our house this week, too. We don't say, "Oh, my God" in our house, nor do we allow minced oaths such as "Oh, my gosh." But my conscience has been pricked by how often I say, "Oh, my goodness" (isn't only God good?) or "Oh, my word" (see Matthew 5:33-37). Surely all of this is included in "hallowed by thy name."
Another possibility is that we when we pray, we need to remember God's attributes, the unique characteristics for which He is set apart and esteemed in our eyes, such as His omnipresence, His sovereignty, His love, and His mercy. Prayer causes me to take my eyes off myself and my needs, or even off my plans for serving God with my energies and time; rather, I need to place my eyes upon the greatness of my God and worship Him. I really like this interpretation of "hallowed by thy name" because it changes me.
Finally, I need to remember that Jesus' model prayer was based upon the prayers that were said in the synagogues by all devout Jews in His time. (Read more about these at http://www.hebrew4christians.com). Much instruction and understanding can be gained by learning the Hebrew roots behind Scripture and Jesus' commands.
What do I learn? I learn that sometimes I don't understand all of the reason behind why the Bible says to do something. I learn that prayer is more for my heart than because God somehow needs my prayer in order to act. An online friend has written much more eloquently about this on her blog.
I apologize for taking so long to finish this post, but I'm thankful for the numerous conversations we've had in our house about making God's name set apart. It's a good lesson that we mothers learn more by teaching our kids than our kids probably do!
What does the word "hallowed" mean? Webster says that it means "sacred, reverenced" or "consecrated to a sacred use." When I was growing up, I somewhere learned the definition "set apart."
I've spent many hours the past two weeks studying this word. I knew that hallowed had something in common with the words holy, sacred, and sanctified. But how would I hallow God's name? (What an adventure! How fun to learn something new!)
When my children were learning this part of the prayer, I simply told them that God's name was special and that it must be treated with respect.
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (Exodus 20:7)
However, the adult in me is profiting greatly from studying this in greater depth.
The Greek word hagios is used in the New Testament and is the equivalent of the Hebrew word qodesh. Let's look at these two words first. (By the way, I simply used e-sword to discover this, and it's a great tool to teach your children how to use.)
Qodesh (Hebrew) is defined in Strong's Hebrew Lexicon as "a sacred place or thing." It comes from a root word which means "to be clean."
Imagine my shock when I read this verse and found the word qodesh included:
They that sanctify [qodesh] themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD" (Isaiah 66:17).
What does this mean? How can idolaters "make themselves clean" by doing things that are an abomination to God?
I checked into a history book and found this quote:
“Most scholars nowadays prefer to render the Hebrew and the Greek words as “set apart, set-apart and apartness.”With this true meaning of “set-apart” or “separate” we can now understand why qodesh is used in a positive sense, a good sense, and that it can equally be used in a negative and evil sense.Someone is, or something is set-apart unto [God], or he/it is set apart unto evil cultic prostitution.Thus, the word qodesh applies to both.”(Come Out of Her My People, C.J. Koster, 2004: South Africa, Institute for Scripture Research, p. 37)
Good morning! My heavenly Father woke me up early this morning, earlier than I had intended to get up. I'm glad, because we've had a special time together and I was able to get a few extra things done as well. Today is one son's eighth birthday, and he's so excited. We're off to shoot some rockets off that they've built this summer, then finish his cake and wrap his presents. We're celebrating with some close friends this evening, so I know the day will be full and fun.
Before I get any busier, I wanted to let you all know that our series on "The Lord's Prayer" will be continuing next week, Lord willing. My husband has been doing research to add some new interest to our understanding of "hallowed be thy name," so stay tuned for that! We had a barbershop quartet visit our church last Sunday, and they sang a barbershop version of "The Lord's Prayer." My kids looked at me with big eyes, as if to say, "Other people know that prayer?!" :-)
Be sure to hop over to http://www.HomeschoolingBible.com and see our new look. My husband has been working hard on the design of all our websites. We have quite a bit more work to do, but I think he's wonderful for helping out!
Is heaven a difficult concept for kids to understand? I don't think so. I remember loving to think about heaven when I was a child. (Maybe we adults make it hard?)
A concept I'm studying in Scripture these days is whether heaven is mankind's eternal destination. Revelation 21:1 says that God will create a new heaven AND a new earth. Will I live in heaven with God, or is He creating a new, perfect earth where humanity will live and reign? It seems that heaven is where I go now when I die... "absent from the body is present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). But Jesus is preparing a new place for us (John 14:1-3), and in that wonderful day when He makes all things new, I will dwell with Him in the new earth and new Jerusalem.
I don't think we'll be sitting around in heaven on clouds, playing harps and singing with choirs for all eternity. Rather, I think we'll be given responsibilities based upon how we served Him here during this lifetime (Matthew 25:34).
Author Myles Munroe writes that earth is our domain, but heaven is the domain of God. From heaven, He reigns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords over all realms, all principalities, and all creation. He is God of all and in control of all.
So when I pray to my father in heaven, I recognize His rulership, His sovereignty, and His power. I recognize that He created all... and that He created me. I am acknowledging that He has the right to reign in my life and my circumstances.
If you or your children struggle with fear, this is a great concept to think about during your day. Teach your children to commit their ways to the Lord. When problems surface in your day, kneel with them by the couch or bow together in your car. Bring all your requests, worries, and anxieties to your Father which is in heaven.
Every word of this model prayer given by Jesus to His disciples is loaded. I love it!
Our
He's my father. He's the father of the Jew and the Gentile, the rich and the poor, of all who have put their faith in Jesus Christ and been adopted as sons into His family.
Father Father means source. If you want to do a word study with your children, look up father in both Hebrew and Greek. I've heard that father means source, but I can't find proof of that. (Please tell me in the comments, if you know where this comes from!)
Before you can begin to pray as Jesus intended, you must settle the question of whether God is your Father, and you are His child. Nothing is more important. Are you a child of God? Are you part of his family, his mishpachah? Just as you were born physically into an earthly family, so Jesus said you must be reborn spiritually into a spiritual family (John 1:12, 3:3). This happens by faith -- by believing that God loves you as a Father and cares for you as His child. (source)
If I am a child of the King, a member of His royal family, an heir to the promises, this has so many ramifications.
I must also remember what Hebrews 12:4-11 says:
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (NIV)
I think we should also remember that we are to address our prayer to God the Father. I incorrectly taught my children to pray, "Dear Jesus..." Now I'm trying to change that to "Father..."
I'm also learning to do that personally. "Abba, Father."
What a blessing to call such a great God my Father! May I take this seriously and bring all my requests and petitions to Him in faith, like a little child.
Our family has been memorizing the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) this summer.Our method is simple.We recite it together each morning at breakfast.Daddy or I say it all the way through once, then we ask all of the children to join us as we say it two or three more times.The first few days we worked on it, their lips mumbled along with us, very unsure of what to say next.However, in no time, they could say it with us.
Within a week or two, we would ask them to begin saying it without us adults.By the end of a month, the older children can easily recite it by themselves.By the end of the summer, I expect that even the younger children will be able to recite it alone.
After reciting, Daddy and I discuss just a few words of the prayer with the kids, being sure that they understand the meaning.In the coming days on this blog, I’ll walk you through each phrase of the prayer, and I welcome your comments and helpful suggestions.
We also discuss ways to word each phrase in our modern English.We do this because this is a model prayer that Jesus gave His disciples to guide them as they prayed.Our goal in this memorization project is not simply to memorize words but to help our children learn how to pray.In our family, we were concerned that our children were just mindlessly saying words at mealtimes and other prayer times, rather than talking to a real God in heaven.
Finally, we close by reciting together the entire prayer one more time.It takes us about 10 minutes to do all of this at the end of our breakfast each morning.Join me again on Wednesday as we discuss the first phrase of the Lord’s Prayer together.
Hi, everyone,
Sorry we didn't start our new series on the Lord's Prayer on Monday as I had hoped! We've been traveling, and the floods in the Midwest altered our travel plans a bit. But late last night, we arrived home. Ahhh... my own bed! It's nice to be home and getting unpacked. I should be posting as promised within the next few hours.
When God tells us to remember the Sabbath day, He gives us the command to "remember" and "observe." These words give us the reasons behind His command. They also give me two great ideas for parenting.
First, while not all my commands to my children will contain the reason, it's helpful to be sure that I don't exclude the reason completely. My children must obey, whether or not I give a reason why. But if I never give the reason why, then how will my values and beliefs work their way into my children's hearts? My children will know what to do, but when they are on their own, they won't know the reason why, which is what will direct their behavior and thinking when I'm not around to guide them personally.
Secondly, as God gave commands to His people before they needed them, I should prepare my children ahead of time with commands and reasons. In other words, I don't wait until I catch them in the act of wrong doing, then tell them what I expect and why. Rather, I think proactively, and I teach at a moment that they're being good, in preparation for later. This doesn't ensure that they will always obey. This ensures that I'm teaching and nurturing, however, rather than yelling and fussing.
In a week or two, we'll look at the two reasons God gave for His Sabbath and how those relate to parenting as well.
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is essential for our children (in fact, for all people).
That's why, several years ago, we developed a Bible curriculum
specific for homeschooling. Read more...
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writes that earth is our domain, but heaven is the domain of God. From heaven, He reigns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords over all realms, all principalities, and all creation. He is God of all and in control of all.