Did you know that you are not only a parent to your children, you can and should be a pastor (or shepherd) to them as well? It is our job as parents to lead our kids to a true understanding of the Bible. God's Word is clear about our role as parents:
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
This is the motivation behind The Dig for Kids, a resource written by Pastor Patrick Schwenk, husband of Ruth Schwenk of The Better Mom, a site for which I am so honored to be a contributor.
The Dig for Kids is a simple, yet in-depth resource for leading your children through the study of the Scriptures. A typical Dig lesson follows this pattern:
1. The Map: The Map tells you and your child where you’ll be going in each lesson. It is a short summary of the study ahead.
2. The Dig: The Dig is the main passage you will be studying. Following each passage will be several questions designed to help conversation and understanding. They are meant to be a guide. You can use them or tweak them to help you talk with your children.
3. The Treasure: The Treasure is the big idea of each lesson. In a short statement, it is what you want your child to remember from the passage you studied.
4. The Display: When an archaeologist finds a treasure, they will clean it up and put it on display for everyone to see. This is the basic idea of the Display. It is the application of the Treasure you have found!
I so appreciate that the Dig for Kids is a resource that takes our families to the Word of God, and not to paraphrased stories of the Bible. God's Word is presented as treasure waiting to be discovered. The greatest blessing in pastoring our own children is that the transformation is not just for our kids...it's for us as parents as well.
I'm giving away a PDF copy of the first in the series, Luke Vol.1, to one of my readers!
Please leave a comment below telling me why you'd like to win The Dig, and I will pick and announce a winner at random on Monday, August 6.
(Giveaway closes at 10pm, August 5, 2012) This giveaway is now closed.
If you can't wait, The Dig is available on The Dig for Kids website or amazon, so check it out!
Have a blessed weekend, friends...and be in the Word with your kids today and everyday!