“Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates. -Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Paul shared about how he looks for the opportunities to share with his children as they go on the way, but also wants to be intentional about discipling my kids.

What’s my plan for discipling my kids?

Paul shared this outline of what he is doing currently and Bold is what he is currently trying to do in 2023.

• Jesus Story Book Bible
• Watching the Jesus film for 5-10 minutes at bedtime – Ben loved this
• Dinner
  • New City Catechism
  • Read a chapter (or a few verses) from the Bible
  • Share something I’ve read in my quiet time
  • Share spiritual conversations I have with others with them
• Christmas
  • Advent candles and reading
  • Reading the Christmas story from Luke Christmas morning
  • Read Christmas books
• Pray at dinner – let them pray
• Give them their first Bible and talk through how to use it (~8 years old)
  • Encourage them to underline what’s meaningful for them
• Print out a simple reading plan for one book of the Bible
• Saturday mornings we sit at the table and I look through what they read in the Word that week experiencing it with them and talking about it
• Dad Mornings
  • On Tuesday’s our dad morning is discipleship
• Worship music
  • I led a few family church meetings early on in covid
• Experience explicitly Christian media together
  • Torch lighters heroes of the faith show
  • Trial and Triumph – short biographies of people throughout church history
  • A is for Adam – Answers in Genesis spiral book for younger kids
• Serve together
  • Raking the neighbors leaves
  • Handing out Gatorades at a running path with Ben – he loved this
• Evangelism
  • Taking Ben to the farmers market and having him beside me while I engage in spiritual conversations – he often runs off to play
• Pray for my kids
  • Prayer cards in my prayer app
• Send them off in the morning with an encouraging word
  • You are 3rd
  • Remember who you belong to
  • Love God, Love People, Love Squirrels
• Ask ‘what questions do you have?’ at bed time to hear what’s on their heart.
• Bring them to church
  • Around 2nd or 3rd grade I start having them sit in the main service with us
    • Teach them how to use the Bible during a message
    • Will have them take notes eventually
• Take them to conferences/retreats
  • I’ve taken Ben to the Reality Conference in Georgia (youth apologetics)
  • We go to Young Life family camp
  • I have my eye on these for the future
    • Summit Ministries
• Let them see me doing my quiet time/reading the Bible
  • I’ve done my quiet time with Ben and walked him through all the things I do
• I read several good parenting books early on that set the trajectory
• About 7-8 years old I got a couple booklets
  • What is a Christian?
  • I’m a Christian Now?
• Action Bible Guess-It Game (Bible Trivia Cards)
  • I keep these in my truck and Ben will pick them up and see how few clues he needs to guess the answer

Christian Media

• Torchlighters.org
• Trial and Triumph – Book Form – 7 years old min. 20 minutes
• YWAM Biographies
• Prayer Cards for Kids – Prayer Mate App for Phone
• God is first, others are second, you are 3rd.
• Ask them “What questions do you have?”
• Apologetics Conference – Age 11 minimum
• Summit.org student conferences.
• Little Booklets
• I’m a Christian Now
• A is for Adam
• Answers Books for Kids volume 1
• God’s Very Good Idea Book

The following ideas were shared by other fathers.

• Intentional Trips (one on one) – 7 years old 10 years old 13 years old (Jason D)
• Buy food and hand them out to homeless (Jason D)
• Money – 10% Tithe 10% Savings 80% Spending (Jason D)
• NIV Adventure Bible (Chris S)
• Intentional 1:1 time (Andy Beckman)
• Advent, Easter, Sabbath Blocks
• Being hospitable. Raking leaves, giving out gatorade, mow the lawn, bring the food to a neighbor (various)
• The Action Bible – Comic Book Bible
• Help kids process information (Hunter)
• Intentional About Bedtime – 7 to 8 pm is time that they are available (Hunter)
• Letter to Jesus and Gift to Jesus under the Christmas Tree (Todd) – Hope international – Compassion International Gifts

I’m going to be updating the downloadable list on the resource page shortly. Check back for updates!

Tomorrow Nathan C will be continuing his series on parenting in the context of the “Hero Journey.”