I have a little saying that sums up my goals for my children’s Bible lessons: Get the Word in your children and your children in the Word. The first part of that goal—get the Word in your children—is done through short, daily Scripture Memory. The second part of that goal—get your children in the Word—reflects my desire to help my students know their way around the Bible and learn how to study it for themselves, accurately and effectively.

The elementary years are a good time to give your children the great stories in the Bible. As they grow older you can add some gentle instruction in the principles of Christian living from the epistles. And when they reach seventh grade or so, that’s a great time to begin teaching them how to study the Bible on their own.

We are excited to announce the new “In the Word” series of Bible study guides designed to help you accomplish that goal for your own student in grades 7–12.

Life in the Word is a step-by-step guide designed to teach your grades 7–12 student how to perform several types of interesting Bible studies: a book study, a word study, a topical study, a doctrine study, a character study, and a narrative study. In the first half of the guide, the different types of studies are introduced; in the last half, the student walks through those same types of studies again with less guidance. When he has completed the book, he will be very familiar with the steps involved in those studies and feel confident that he can study the Bible accurately and effectively.

This Bible study guide—now with a beautiful new cover—can be used independently or in conjunction with the lesson plans given in Middle Ages, Renaissance, Reformation & Epistles, Second Edition. The epistles that are covered in the new Family Bible study lessons written into the history plans are the same as those used for the studies in Life in the Word: James, Galatians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Corinthians. This pairing makes it simple for older students to participate in the Family Bible study and then dig deeper into those same or related passages on their own using Life in the Word.

Growth in the Word is the second Bible study guide in the new series. Its step-by-step lessons walk your student in grades 7–12 through different types of Bible studies in several epistles. Similar in format to our popular Life in the Word, the new Growth in the Word guide reinforces some of the Bible study skills previously learned and introduces some new ones. Your older student will complete a word study in Philippians, a doctrine study in Colossians, a narrative study of Philemon, a character study of Timothy, and a book study of Titus. He will additionally learn how to do a GOAL study in Ephesians and a Compare and Contrast study of Hebrews; plus he will learn how to pray through Scripture in 1 Timothy and do text marking in 2 Timothy.

Growth in the Word can be completed independently or paired with the Family Bible studies written into the Early Modern & Epistles, Second Edition, lesson plans. Those of you who are familiar with the old study, Jesus Is Better: Lessons from Hebrews, will be happy to know that nearly all of its content has been included in the new Growth in the Word.

Strong in the Word, the third guide in the new series, is designed like Life in the Word and Growth in the Word. Your student in grades 7–12 will work through the remaining epistles of 1 and 2 Peter; Jude; and 1, 2, 3 John. As he completes the lessons, he will learn and use several Bible study skills to perform a book study, a character study, text marking, a word study, a narrative study, and praying through Scripture. The final lessons put many of those study skills together and walk your student through an inductive study of the book of Revelation. (Nearly all of the content of the old study, Come, Lord Jesus: Lessons from Revelation, is now included in Strong in the Word.)

Strong in the Word can be completed independently or paired with the Family Bible studies written into the Modern Times & Epistles, Revelation, Second Edition, lesson plans.

With Life in the Word, Growth in the Word, and Strong in the Word you can help your older student learn to study the Bible accurately and effectively for himself. Get your student in the Word!