Family Time with God

For Christian parents, integrating faith into family life is a top priority. One of the best ways to model a living, active relationship with Christ is to emphasize the importance of the Bible in your family's day-to-day life. You can hide God's Word in your own heart and the hearts of your children by learning verses as a family and discussing together what those verses mean in your lives. These calendar pages from Awana will help you do just that!

How to use these pages:

If you and your family are not in the habit of learning Scripture, today is a great time to start. Scripture memory is vital to the spiritual health of a family because:

1. It keeps us from sin (Psalm 119:11).
2. It gives us the tools we need to share the message of salvation with others (Romans 10:17).
3. It gives the Holy Spirit room to work in our hearts (1 Corinthians 2:10-11).
4. It helps us focus our lives and the lives of our family on the things of the Lord (Hebrews 4:12).

To help make this a family project, we've divided the verses into three parts. Preschoolers memorize the words printed in bold. Elementary kids memorize the words in bold and italics. Older teens and parents learn the complete verse.

Memorizing is not always easy. As you work through each week, figure out the ways each member of your family learns best. Here are some ideas that have worked for Awana Club members:

"I say my verses about two times a day"
(Jaclyn, age 8)

"I say five words at a time over and over again"
(D.J., age 11)

"I write them down three times"
(Amanda, age 11)

"I say them three times a day"
(Nathaniel, age 9)

"I say them in my head 20 times"
(Dylan, age 9)

Once you've learned the verse for the week, continue to repeat it so it will truly be "hidden in your heart." Repeat the verse with your children as you sit at the breakfast table, ride in the car, take a walk, make supper, get ready for bed—or any other time you find yourselves together. Help your children do any or all of the activities listed to bring home the message of each verse.

What is Awana?

Awana is a nondenominational youth ministry committed to reaching boys and girls with the gospel of Christ and training them to serve him. Each week, more than one million kids in over 110 countries attend Awana clubs where they play games, memorize Bible verses, and learn practical truths from God's Word. From preschool through high school, Awana offers a fun environment in which children and youth hear the life-changing message of the Bible. To learn more about Awana and locate an Awana club near you, visit www.awana.org/about.asp.

SundayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday

Copyright © 2002 by the author or Christianity Today/Christian Parenting Today magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Christian Parenting Today.

Winter 2002, Vol. 15, No. 2, Page 19

Read more articles that highlight writing by Christian women at ChristianityToday.com/Women