Independant Bible Study

We absolutely keep our family scripture reading on the schedule–it is a non-negotiable in our home. However, I consider that I haven’t really passed on the love of scripture and the habit of personal devotions until I have successfully passed on to a child the habit of his own independent time in the Word. It is a habit that IMO cannot wait to be developed until they are ready to leave home–I want that habit firmly entrenched NOW. All three of my sons do their own scripture reading each and every day, “school” day or no. My 8yo is doing New Testament from Penny Gardner’s Storied Scriptures. Both my 12 and 14yo’s do their own reading, sometimes they ask me for a plan or some guidance and sometimes they just read completely on their own, and study. My 14yo also participates in a youth scripture study program at church that meets weekly. AND also they both read devotional type books in their school schedules.

This is what works for us here. I hope you hear from lots of other moms too!

Michelle D

It’s the list on her website–real scripture portions, just broken down into “story” segments easy to narrate.

Michelle

Hi Heather,

We have a Bible Study time all together which is part of our daily schedule (usually at, or just after, breakfast). My four oldest children, though, have an independent Bible time as well. I don’t like to put this on our ‘schedule’ because I want them to make it part of ‘life’, not just a school topic, so that’s why they do it before breakfast on their own.

My 12 and 13 year olds choose their own readings because they are totally self-motivated with this and they work their way through various books of the Bible. My 10yo is using the ‘One Year Bible for Kids’ which gives a Bible reading each day, a short comment and another related Bible verse. She keeps a journal where she writes a verse from her reading and maybe a prayer or other thought. My 8yo is working through a catechism type book where each day she focusses on a different question and looks up the related Bible verse and writes it in her journal. She then writes a prayer or draws a picture for God, or whatever.

Maybe one idea for your son would be to select a book that is easy to read (like Mark’s gospel for example) and ask him to read one chapter on his own each morning before breakfast. He could choose one verse from the chapter to write in his journal. Then maybe discuss it at breakfast. If you share what you are currently reading and learning from the Bible too, then it could pave the way for your ds to share his reading too.

Just some ideas.

Linda

Oh Heather, I can hear your heart, and I hope I didn’t discourage you by saying that my older two are self-motivated. My 3rd dd hasn’t always been so motivated and she has had more of a struggle to make her Bible time part of her life. She wasn’t as strong a reader for a start, and I guess the Bible can be a little overwhelming if you don’t know where to start. It’s really helped her to have the ‘One Year Bible for Kids’ where each reading is scheduled daily because it doesn’t leave her with a decision to make – she can just pick up and go, and it is all manageable. She is now doing this herself but it has taken ‘outside motivation’ (namely ME) to get her going.

I would just encourage you to have your son start reading a chapter (or other small section) a day from the Bible because it is the Living Word, and as he reads he is having the opportunity to be touched by God. You would have provided the outside motivation and the prayer, and God will do the rest.

Blessings,

Linda