Reading God’s Word

Reading The Bible With Children {0-3 Year Olds} & Better Mom Mondays Link-up!!

The Bible is our daily bread, the living Word of God. We know it to be life-changing, but have you ever wondered how to best read the Bible with your child at 2 years of age, or 8, or 15? Every Monday in July our contributors are going to share some tips and resources with you on reading the Bible with your children from 0-15+ years of age! Please join us for Bible Reading Through the Ages. I know you and your families will be blessed!

If you’ve been around a child between newborn to 3 yrs. old, you know the words that characterize this age group: curious, short attention spans, unable to sit still, energetic, noisy, playful, inquisitive. If you tend to think of the Bible as dry, boring, academic, serious, and complicated, then reading the Bible with your infant or toddler may seem like a practice in futility. However, if you know God’s word to be a vibrant, adventurous, humorous, inspired story of God’s redemptive love…well, then you will find reading the Bible to your little one to be a life-transforming investment for both you as the parent, and your children.

The operative word in reading the Bible to the infant to toddler age group is not understanding; it’s IMPRESSION. What impression do we aim to leave with our littlest littles?

-that the Bible is the truth

-that the Bible is exciting

-that the Bible teaches us the character of God

-that the Bible is the manual for life

-that the Bible is more than a story

-that the Bible is powerful

-that the Bible is our authority

Impression is a parent’s opportunity, understanding is the Spirit’s responsibility.

We have five sons. The oldest is 10 and the youngest is 13 months. We have had at least one boy in the 0-3 age group every year for the last 10 years. It is our family’s priority to worship and read the Bible together, so we have had to get creative about ways to engage the littlest ones.

Here are some ways we engage our 0-3 yr. olds with the Bible:

Let them handle a Bible, to hold it in their hands while they listen.
Have the older children read to the younger ones.
Encourage your toddlers to sit with you, or be physically close when you read or listen, reminding them that the Word of God is about relationship, not academics.
Read narrative stories based on Scripture (like The Jesus Storybook Bible, Read-Aloud Edition: Every Story Whispers His Name) to them, but never underestimate how God can use faithful exposure to the whole counsel of God’s Word.
Listen to the audio Bible recordings at mealtime or snacktime, and make it part of the family culture and routine.
Sing scripture verses set to music.

Music, dramatic readings, and repetition are wonderful ways to engage a toddler. Here are some resources our family enjoys using with the littlest ones (and the older ones too!):

Kidz Audio Biblestick, (3 yr. olds can use this during the early morning devotional time and simply listen quietly.) This dramatic recording of the New Testament includes songs for children as well.
Bible.is app, dramatic reading for the whole family in several translations, played from your phone. This is a fantastic resource for the entire family!
Hide Em in Your Heart Vol 1 & 2 (An oldie, but goodie…this Steve Green recording sets scriptures to music for kids to memorize and hide in their hearts.)

These are just a few of tips we have found helpful for engaging little ones with the Word of God. Our little ones are never too young to be exposed to the truth and transforming power of the Bible. Trust Him to plant the seed of that impression, and to grow it into new life.

Sola gratia,

Ruth, www.gracelaced.com

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So now it is time to LINK-UP and join the party!!!!

*****We pin our favorite link-ups on The Better Mom’s Pinterest Board!!*****

Better Mom Mondays Link-up is every Monday!!! Join the fun by adding your blog, and by checking out all of the others listed!! Don’t forget if you join below -please add the Better Mom Mondays Link Up button to your post so your readers can find us here! (Posts can include the topics of mothering, marriage, homemaking, discipleship, recipes, organization and more!) You can find the html code in the sidebar, or “save as” copy, and paste the button below.

Our Need For Community

May 9, 2012 By Angela

The popularity of Facebook shows our desperate desire for community. As women we are created with the longing to connect, to connect with our Lord and to connect with those around us. We are made for relationships.

The problem occurs with the busyness of our everyday lives. The demands of raising our precious children, taking care of our homes, and being a helpmate to our husbands. As we strive to serve and meet the needs of others, we can find ourselves depleted and lonely. If we’re not careful, we begin to neglect our time with other women and especially our time with God…..the very relationship we so desperately need as moms.

God has designed us for relationships, for community……not as lone rangers out in the wilderness without any support or encouragement.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!

What is GMG?

“Good Morning Girls” are a group of Christian women who use email, Facebook, Twitter or text messaging to keep each other accountable for their quiet times. It’s a tech accountability group.

Monday-Friday you email, FB, tweet or text your friends and say “Good Morning” and share with your group what you read and learned through your time in God’s Word. Proverbs 27:17 says “As iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another.” You share with your group how God spoke to your heart that day.

We have 3 3 months sessions a year and provide an online bible study to guide you in your quiet times. We also provide blog posts M-W-F all pertaining to what we are studying to help you dig deeper into God’s Word. On Monday’s we provide a list of additional resources that you can use during the week to help you dig deeper into God’s Word. Good Morning Girls can be as basic or in depth as YOU need. We normally only read 2-3 verses a day, but by the end of the session you will have read and written out an entire book of the bible! Our summer session starts May 14th and we will be going through Proverbs 31 using WomenLivingWell’s free ebook as our guide.

What is the purpose of GMG?

The purpose of GoodMorningGirls is to encourage women to get into God’s Word. This past session we have over 5,000 women from around the world involved in GoodMorningGirls groups. God is passionate about His Word reaching “To the ends of the earth” and he’s passionate about His daughters getting to know Him better and deepening THEIR relationship with him…..no longer feeling alone.

“I have always said that a woman alone in her own home with her own limited self, sinful children and a house that is subject to falling apart, is a target for Satan. Joining hands with other women, having a prayer partner, starting a small group, is a defense against vulnerability.”- Sally Clarkson

GoodMoringGirls is about grabbing your friends or making new friends and coming together in God’s Word. GMG is about developing a closer walk with our Lord so He can change us from the inside out and help us be the best mom, wife, sister, daughter and friend that we can be.

What are others saying about Good Morning Girls?

GMG has been a great tool in the last year not only to help keep me accountable in reading and applying God’s Word but also to get to know some of the ladies from my church in a deeper and more meaningful way.- Jenna

GMG has been great for me. I have met some amazing women and even though we are an online group I feel like I’ve really gotten to know them and learn so much from them. I have noticed a difference in my days when I start with GMG. It has been tough to always start my day with God but with GMG it has been easier to commit to.- Emily

GMG has given me the opportunity to grow while being unable to attend bible study at my church. It has encouraged me with all the comments from other moms.- Elizabeth

Good morning Girls has been a God sent to me. Having children and not being able to leave the house much in the past it had been a very sad and lonely and depressing time for me. Good morning Girls has given me the chance to pull together and this time around help host for the first time online fellowship. It has given me adult communication and structure with Gods words. It has helped me run/ teach/ guide my home, family and relationship with my husbands in ways I never expected. My whole life has changed to the good and I am finally beginning to smile once more and not feel so isolated to the world that is so different in opinions than mine.- Kimberly