1. family and parenting
2. children

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Hughes _ Calvary Bible Church
RAISING CHILDREN IN THE MINISTRY
The M aster’s Seminary – The M inistry Home
Selected Scriptures
If you have ever had an aquarium with tropical fish you probably know about a very
common fish, the Neon Tetra. It is a small fish, semi-translucent, with a brilliant red and blue
stripe running down its body. Neon Tetra’s are passive fish, inexpensive, and beautiful, hence
their popularity. But have you ever thought of where Neon Tetras come from? Have you ever
wondered if they know the difference between living in a jungle stream in the Amazon basin or
living in an aquarium at some doctor’s office?
Raising children in the context of ministry is like raising them in an aquarium, out of their
natural habitat. Your children will be looked at, scrutinized, whispered about, and treated
differently just because they are the “Pastor’s Kids” (PK’s or MK’s–Missionary Kids). In
addition to that, God is also watching how you raise your children in the context of ministry.
For these reasons you need to make sure your children are raised properly. In fact, your ability
to raise children is the proving ground for your ability to lead and serve in the church. It is for
these reasons that this lesson will be devoted to “Raising Children in the Context of Ministry.”
I.
YOU MUST HAVE PROPER GOALS FOR RAISING CHILDREN IN THE CONTEXT
OF MINISTRY
A.
Primary goal is your child’s salvation.
B.
Secondary goal is your child’s sanctification.
C.
In the average Christian home, what activities take up the bulk of a family’s “free
time?”
1.
What takes up the bulk of your family’s free time?
2.
If a good portion of your family’s free time is focused on the world and the
things of the world, how do you suppose that will affect your children?
3.
Christian parents tend to gravitate towards two extremes. First, they
either allow their children to be so engulfed in the world, that they become
like the world. Or secondly, they withdraw from the world, thinking that
isolation is the primary factor in producing sanctification. How do you find
balance?
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D.
As a Christian parent, what three areas should constantly be considered in
relationship to your child’s needs?
1.
Your child’s knowledge and understanding of God’s Word should
constantly be evaluated because –
2.
Your child’s walk with the Lord should constantly be evaluated because –
3.
Your child’s character and personal testimony in the world should
constantly be evaluated because –
E.
If you have as your primary goal the salvation and sanctification of your children,
what impact should that have on your home, the time you spend with your
children, and the activities they are involved with?
F.
Consider the final goals of parenting listed below. Why is achieving these goals
so important?
G.
1.
Your child becomes independent of you
2.
Your child becomes dependent upon the Lord
3.
Your child has life skills to live for God in the world as a responsible
citizen
In light of the final goals of parenting listed above, when is the real test of your
faithfulness and success in raising your children “in the fear and admonition of
the Lord” confirmed?
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II.
GUIDELINES TO REMEMBER WHEN RAISING YOUR CHILDREN IN THE CONTEXT
OF MINISTRY
A.
Remember that your life, your marriage, your walk with the Lord i.e., your
example, is the greatest parenting influence in your child’s life apart from the
Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Why?
B.
Remember as your child gets older (2 to 3 years old and up) to make it your
habit of addressing their heart problems as well as their outward behavior. Why?
C.
Remember to be consistent in your discipline, be consistent in your discipline, be
consistent in your discipline, and don’t give up being consistent in your discipline!
Be consistent! Why?
D.
Remember not to discipline your child out of anger, revenge, or exasperation.
You must always discipline your child in love and the fruit of the Spirit. Why?
E.
Remember that as your child gets older (2 to 3 years old), before dealing out
consequences for disobedience your child should: 1) know what they did wrong,
both the action and heart problem, 2) have willfully disobeyed what they know is
wrong, 3) understand why they are being disciplined, 4) know what to do after
being disciplined, and 5) have your love affirmed to them both before and after
being disciplined. Why?
F.
Remember that you must start training your child as soon as they are born by
developing routines and habits. Think about what you are doing because habits
are hard to break. The first five or six years of a child’s life are the most crucial
years of parenting. When your child is six years old, they should know how to
obey quickly, without complaint, and completely. They should have respect and
reverence for you as a parent and should understand the Biblical principles for
the rules and instructions you give them. Children are like cement. When cement
comes out of the truck it is easy to move around, but soon afterward it gets hard.
The only way to move it is with a jack-hammer and a backhoe. Parenting takes
the most work and commitment while your children are young. Do not neglect to
diligently parent your children in the younger years! (Prov. 19:18) Why?
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G.
III.
Remember you can neither save nor sanctify your child. You can only expose
them to the Word of God, teach them to submit and obey, pray for them, and
provide a strong example in your life, the rest is up to God. Why is it important to
remember this?
BE AWARE OF THE UNIQUENESS OF YOUR CALLING AND HOW THAT RELATES
TO YOUR CHILDREN
A.
I Tim . 3:2, 4 An overseer, then, . . . must be one who manages his own household well, keeping
his children under control with all dignity
B.
Tit. 1:5-6 . . . appoint elders in every city . . . if any man is above reproach, . . . having children
who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion.
1.
If a pastor has incredible teaching and preaching gifts, but his children are
not under control with all dignity, and they can be legitimately accused of
living lives of rebellion, what affect will that have on his ministry?
2.
Let’s just say you are in a growing ministry which God is blessing and
everything seems to be going great, but your children are not under
control. They are not examples of well-trained obedient children. They can
be legitimately accused of regular rebellion and you cannot keep them
under control with all dignity. What do you think the people in your
congregation will do? What do you think you should do?
C.
II Tim . 4:12 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith
and purity, show yourself an exam ple of those who believe.
D.
Tit. 2:6-8 Likewise urge the young m en to be sensible; in all things show yourself to be an
exam ple of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond
reproach, so that the opponent will be put to sham e, having nothing bad to say about us.
E.
I Pet. 5:1-3 Therefore, I exhort the elders . . . shepherd the flock of God am ong you, . . proving to
be exam ples to the flock.
1.
Why is it especially important for those in the ministry to be examples of
biblical parenting?
2.
What is the only way to “prove” your ability to faithfully raise children in the
fear and admonition of the Lord?
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3.
IV.
When a pastor realizes that he has neglected his children in the area of
parenting and he realizes that they are not under control with all dignity
and he thinks of stepping down from the ministry, what kind of temptations
do you think will present themselves?
UNIQUENESS OF PARENTING IN THE CONTEXT OF MINISTRY
A.
Everyone is watching you and your children to see how to parent according to
the Bible. They assume since you have formal Bible education and you are in
the ministry that you will apply what the Bible says about parenting to your own
children.
B.
Unlike other people in your congregation, having disobedient children will force
you to either compromise the Word of God or remove yourself from ministry.
C.
If you have disobedient children, you may never hear about it from the people in
your congregation. Congregations tend to have a great love for their pastor and
are usually willing to overlook their disobedient children for fear of hurting, losing,
or being put on the pastor’s blacklist.
D.
If you do have disobedient children and it is discussed among the elders, you
might discover that the elders are very lenient because it is common for elders to
have disobedient children too.
E.
In the ministry, you are the highest profile person in the church, or at least one of
them. Because of this, your skill in parenting or lack there of, will either positively
or negatively affect those you minister to. People become like their teachers.
F.
Your children have the blessing of being saturated in the ministry and regularly
exposed to the Word of God. This makes them more accountable before God.
To whom much is given, much is required.
G.
Because your children are “PK’s” people will expect them to know the Bible well
and be saved from an early age. Resist the temptation to try and force salvation
or sanctification upon your children. What I mean by this is, don’t think that just
because they are convicted of their sin some night and you get them to pray the
“sinner’s prayer,” that they are saved. You know someone is saved when they
bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance. So, tell them that, don’t encourage
them that they are saved unless their life shows they have been transformed by
God’s saving grace. Remember, unbelievers can learn to obey and follow rules
but they cannot be sanctified. Therefore it is futile to try and get an unbeliever to
live like a believer – and that unbeliever may be your child! You may be able to
enforce the right outward behavior, but you cannot regenerate the heart.
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H.
In the ministry you will have different priorities for your children than the people
of the world. You will be tempted to conform to what the world says is the ideal
parent. As a parent in the ministry you may not be able to involve your children in
piano lessons, ballet, basketball, baseball, soccer, dance, voice lessons, etc.
because you have a different set of priorities placed upon you by the Word of
God. Therefore be careful not to parent according to the world – instead, parent
by the Word.
I.
Make sure you don’t use your children to hide from your ministry responsibilities.
You need to spend time with your children and at times maybe even indulge
them with your continual presence, but don’t use spending time with them as an
excuse to avoid doing what God has called you to do. On the other hand, don’t
neglect your children and hide from them for the sake of doing ministry.
Remember that we love God by keeping His commandments and God
commands you to diligently love, train, instruct, and discipline your children. Our
ministry is never pleasing in God’s sight if we have to sin against our children in
order to minister to others or sin against God by spending inordinate amounts of
time with our children.
J.
Fathers must keep in mind that though their wife may spend more time the
children, the father is the head of the home and is responsible for the training of
the children. The buck stops with the father of the home!
K.
Make it a point to ask people you trust for feedback concerning your children.
Find people who love you enough to tell you the truth and you initiate their
evaluation of your children. It is much easier for you to ask others how your
children are doing then for them to tell you how your children are doing without
being asked.
L.
Don’t pit your children against the ministry. Explain to them how they are an
integral part of the ministry and why you do the things you do. But don’t teach
them through your neglect to resent the ministry because you cannot say “no” to
a ministry opportunity and say “yes” to them. Sooner than you think, they will
leave home and then you can try to study, preach and teach yourself to death.
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WISDOM FROM PROVERBS
FOR PARENTS & CHILDREN
Proverbs are axioms, truths, or truisms. They are not absolute formulas, but true in a
general way. For instance, you might tell a person that if they cross the street without looking
both ways, they will get hit by a car. This is a truth, but not an absolute. The person may cross
the street without looking several times without getting hit, but that doesn't mean it is a wise
thing to do.
As the verses from Proverbs on parenting below are studied, remember that just
because you apply wisdom in training your children it doesn't mean they will always respond
correctly. Yet, like the illustration above, that doesn't mean you should reject God's wisdom
from Proverbs on how to parent. The wisdom is always right, though the outcome may not be
certain. God's way is always the best way.
It also needs to be pointed out that there is much more for children and parents in
Proverbs than the verses below. In fact, chapters 1-9 were written by Solomon for a teaching
curriculum for young men, hence all of these chapters could be included. The Scriptures below
also make it clear that parents are responsible to see that the children learn the whole counsel
of God's Word, hence every bit of God's Word is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction,
and training in righteousness (I Tim. 3:16), which is one of the primary goals of parenting.
I.
ADMONITIONS TO CHILDREN
A.
B.
Listen To Your Parents’ Advice
1.
Prov. 1:8 Hear, m y son, your father's instruction, And do not forsake your m other's
teaching;
2.
Prov. 6:20 My son, observe the com m andm ent of your father, And do not forsake the
teaching of your m other;
3.
Prov. 23:22 Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your m other when
she is old.
Don't Bend To Peer Pressure
1.
C.
Prov. 1:10 My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent.
Learn From Discipline
1.
Prov. 19:27 Cease listening, m y son, to discipline, And you will stray from the words of
knowledge.
2.
Prov. 23:15-16 My son, if your heart is wise, My own heart also will be glad; And m y
inm ost being will rejoice, W hen your lips speak what is right.
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D.
E.
Seek Wisdom, Speak What Is Right
1.
Prov. 23:23 Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.
2.
Prov. 24:13-14 My son, eat honey, for it is good, Yes, the honey from the com b is sweet to
your taste; Know that wisdom is thus for your soul; If you find it, then there will be a future,
And your hope will not be cut off.
Don't Be Envious Of Evil Men Who Prosper
1.
F.
Don't Be A Heavy Drinker, A Gluttonous Lazy Person
1.
G.
H.
Prov. 23:19-21 Listen, m y son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way. Do not be
with heavy drinkers of wine, Or with gluttonous eaters of m eat; For the heavy drinker and
the glutton will com e to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a m an with rags.
Seek To Please Your Parents
1.
Prov. 23:25 Let your father and your m other be glad, And let her rejoice who gave birth to
you.
2.
Prov. 27:11 Be wise, m y son, and m ake m y heart glad, That I m ay reply to him who
reproaches m e.
Give Your Intellect, Emotions, And Will To Do What Is Right
1.
I.
Prov. 23:17-18 Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in the fear of the Lord always.
Surely there is a future, And your hope will not be cut off.
Prov. 23:26 Give m e your heart, m y son, And let your eyes delight in m y ways.
Respect Authority
1.
Prov. 24:21-22 My son, fear the Lord and the king; Do not associate with those who are
given to change; For their calam ity will rise suddenly, And who knows the ruin that com es
from both of them ?
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II.
REASONS TO BE A GOOD PARENT
A.
B.
Obedient Children Bring Gladness But Disobedient Children Bring Grief To
Their Parents
1.
Prov. 10:1 The proverbs of Solom on. A wise son m akes a father glad, But a foolish son is
a grief to his m other.
2.
Prov. 17:21 He who begets a fool does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no
joy.
3.
Prov. 17:25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, And bitterness to her who bore him .
4.
Prov. 23:24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who begets a wise son
will be glad in him .
5.
Prov. 28:7 He who keeps the law is a discerning son, But he who is a com panion of
gluttons hum iliates his father.
Teach Your Child To Work
1.
C.
III.
Prov. 10:5 He who gathers in sum m er is a son who acts wisely, But he who sleeps in
harvest is a son who acts sham efully.
Teach Your Children To Respect Others
1.
Prov. 15:20 A wise son m akes a father glad, But a foolish m an despises his m other.
2.
Prov. 19:26 He who assaults his father and drives his m other away Is a sham eful and
disgraceful son.
3.
Prov. 20:20 He who curses his father or his m other, His lam p will go out in tim e of
darkness.
4.
Prov. 28:24 He who robs his father or his mother, And says, "It is not a
transgression," Is the companion of a man who destroys.
TECHNIQUES AND GOALS FOR PARENTS
A.
We Reprove Our Children Because We Love Them
1.
Prov. 3:12 For whom the Lord loves He reproves, Even as a father, the son in whom he
delights.
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B.
C.
If We Love Our Children We Will Discipline Them Diligently
1.
Prov. 13:24 He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him
diligently.
2.
Prov. 19:18 Discipline your son while there is hope, And do not desire his death.
Dedicate Your Child For Godliness
1.
D.
Discipline Removes Foolishness From Your Child
1.
E.
Prov. 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom , But a child who gets his own way brings
sham e to his m other.
Give Correction To Your Child
1.
IV.
Prov. 23:13-14 Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you beat him with the
rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with the rod, And deliver his soul from Sheol.
Instill Wisdom Through Corporal Discipline And Verbal Reproof
1.
G.
Prov. 22:15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will
rem ove it far from him .
Discipline Preserves Your Child's Life
1.
F.
Prov. 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart
from it.
Prov. 29:17 Correct your son, and he will give you com fort; He will also delight your soul.
THE VALUE OF DISCIPLINE
A.
Teach Your Children To Receive Discipline
1.
Prov. 12:1 W hoever loves discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof is stupid.
2.
Prov. 13:18 Poverty and sham e will com e to him who neglects discipline, But he who
regards reproof will be honored.
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B.
3.
Prov. 15:32 He who neglects discipline despises him self, But he who listens to reproof
acquires understanding.
4.
Prov. 19:20 Listen to counsel and accept discipline, That you m ay be wise the rest of your
days.
Increased Discipline For Increased Disobedience
1.
Prov. 15:10 Stern discipline is for him who forsakes the way; He who hates reproof will
die.
Fathers and mothers, I charge you solemnly before God and the
Lord Jesus Christ, take every pains to train your children in the way they
should go. I charge you for the sake of your own future comfort and
peace. Truly it is in your interest so to do. Truly your own happiness in
great measure depends on it. Children have ever been the bow from which
the sharpest arrows have pierced man’s heart. Children have mixed the
bitterest cups that man has ever had to drink. Children have caused the
saddest tears that man has ever had to shed. Adam could tell you so;
Jacob could tell you so; David could tell you so. There are no sorrows on
earth like those which children have brought upon their parents. Oh! take
heed, lest your own neglect should lay up misery for you in your old age.
Take heed, lest you weep under the ill-treatment of a thankless child, in the
days when your eye is dim, and your natural foe abated.
If ever you wish your children to be the restorers of your life, and
the nourishers of your old age, – if you would have them blessings and not
curses – joys and not sorrows – Judah’s and not Reuben’s – Ruth’s and
not Orpah’s, – if you would not, like Noah, be ashamed of their deeds, and,
like Rebekah, be made weary of your life by them: if this be your wish,
remember my advice betimes, train them while young in the right way.1
1
J. C. Ryle, Duties to Parents, pgs. 36-37.
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FURTHER RESOURCES FOR PARENTS
Books on Parenting
1.
Raising Your Child to Love God; Andrew Murray, Bethany House Publishers
%
Nuggets on parenting which every parent can glean and apply.
2.
The Godly Family: Essays on the Duties of Parents and Children; Soli Deo Gloria
%
Gems from Puritan writers on parenting. Great devotional reading.
3.
Worldly Saints; Leland Ryken, Zondervan
%
A book that focuses on the Puritans and how they lived. It has very helpful
sections on Puritan family life.
4.
Successful Christian Parenting: Raising Your Child with Care, Compassion, and
Common Sense; John MacArthur, Word Publications
%
Sound biblical principles for parents from one of the world’s foremost Biblical
expositors.
5.
The Duties of Parents; J. C. Ryle, Old Path’s Gospel Press
%
From my reading, one of the best books on parenting that can be had. Its
strength lies in presenting Biblical principles in a clear, concise way. The only
shortcoming of the book is that the reader longs for more.
6.
A Good Start; Charles Spurgeon, Soli Deo Gloria
%
A collection of sermons addressed to children, young men, and young women.
Good for adults too.
7.
The Things You See; Lawrence Lucas, Self Published
%
Practical observations from a father of a large family on how to raise godly
children.
8.
Teach Them Diligently; Lou Priolo, Timeless Texts
%
A good resource for parents wanting practical ideas on how to teach their
children the Bible and sound doctrine.
9.
God’s Call to Young People: Sermons for the Rising Generation; Soli Deo Gloria
%
A collection of sermons by famous Puritan preachers of New England.
10.
The Improvement of the Mind; Isaac Watts, Soli Deo Gloria
%
Isaac Watts, a Puritan of the Elizabethan era, is considered the founder of
hymnology. He was a brilliant writer, poet, preacher, and theologian. In this work
Watts discusses how to teach children.
11.
Shepherding Your Child’s Heart; Tedd Tripp, Shepherd Press
%
One of the better books on parenting in recent years. Tripp does a good job at
explaining the reason why parenting should go after the heart of a child, which
drives their actions. Provides sound and needed advice for parents today.
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12.
The Heart of Anger; Lou Priolo, Calvary Press
%
This book is a great source for parents whose children struggle with anger. It
clearly and simply explains how to deal with the internal source of anger –
improper thoughts and misguided motives. This book will also help parents who
may be struggling with anger themselves.
13.
Polished Cornerstones: Projects for Daughters on the Path to Womanhood; Pam
Forster, Doorposts
%
This resource is full of great ideas that will challenge parent and daughter alike.
It is designed to be used with daughters of all ages.
14.
Plants Grown Up: Projects for Sons on the Road to Manhood; Pam Forster, Doorposts
%
This resource is full of great ideas that will challenge parent and son alike. It is
designed to be used with sons of all ages.
15.
For Instruction in Righteousness: A Topical Reference Guide for Biblical Child-Training;
Pam Forster, Doorposts
%
This book is valuable in the sense that it gives you a categorized grouping of
verses that are related to a particular sin.
16.
Our 24 Family Ways; Clay Clarkson, Whole Heart Ministries
%
A nice little tool for teaching your child about biblical values and Christian
character. It contains pictures, questions, memory verses, etc. It also comes
with a chart that can be hung on the wall (or refrigerator) for easy reference.
17.
Family Night Tool Chest; Jim Weidmann and Kurt Bruner, Chariot Victor Publishing (a
division of Cook Communications)
%
The entire series is a wonderful resource to assist parents in conducting their
very own family devotion. It has some wonderful ideas in communicating some
awesome truths, but one should not build their theology from it!
Bibles
1.
Gold and Honey Bible; by Melody Carlson; Gold n’ Honey Books
&
Good for older preschoolers who are ready to digest more details of the Bible
stories.
2.
The Bible Tells Me So: The Beginner’s Guide to Loving and Understanding God’s Word;
by Mack Thomas; Gold n’ Honey Books
&
This book combines a story with Bible facts. Children will learn about the books
of the Bible, its divisions and authors. It explains the authority and inerrancy of
God’s word.
3.
My Little Bible Picture Book; Chariot Books (a division of David C. Cook Publishing)
&
Nice little devotional type book for 2-4 year olds.
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4.
The Tiny Tots Bible Story Book: Bible Stories for Preschoolers; by John and Kim
Walton; Chariot Books
&
Combines bright, bold pictures with simple Bible text, but doesn’t sacrifice biblical
meaning. Excellent Bible for training your little ones how to sit still for Bible
reading time (6 mos. to 3 years).
5.
The Picture Bible; Chariot Victor Publishing
&
This classic book tells the events of the Bible in comic book format, also includes
background information to the books of the Bible, people and events. This is a
great favorite for 5-10 year olds.
6.
Read With Me Bible; An NIV Story Bible for Children; Zondervan Publishing House
&
Engaging illustrations captivate children. The Bible stories are good though it
skips over details and provides the big picture in the Bible stories. Parents can
supplement the left-out details as they read this Bible to their children. Ages 3-8.
7.
The Rhyme Bible Storybook; L. J. Sattgast with illustrations by Toni Goffe, Zonderkidz
(the children’s group of Zondervan Publishing House)
&
This Bible tells each of the major biblical stories using rhyme. It also contains
colorful pictures that are sure to catch the attention of younger children. A great
way to introduce your child to the wonderful stories that are found in the Bible.
Books for evangelizing your child
1.
I Believe in Jesus: Leading Your Child to Christ; by John MacArthur; Tommy Nelson
Books
&
John MacArthur explains salvation as he traces God’s plan from the beginning of
time to Heaven. Simply done and easy to understand.
2.
Leading Little Ones to God; by Marion M. Schoolland; William B. Eerdmans Publishing
&
A good book for family devotions. Explains the attributes of God, salvation, and
the Christian life in a complete way. Includes a helpful “lesson plan” for parents
with each section.
3.
The Gospel for Children; John B. Leuzarder, Calvary Press
&
A simple yet complete guild to help parents teach their children the gospel of
Jesus Christ.
Books for teaching doctrine
1.
A Young Person’s Guild to Knowing God; Patricia St. John, Christian Focus
Publications
&
Stories that illustrate different aspects of God’s character and the Bible doctrines,
includes questions to think about. Written in the United Kingdom, so some
vocabulary may not be familiar. Ages 5 and up.
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2.
The Big Book of Questions and Answers: A Family Guide to the Christian Faith; by
Sinclair Ferguson; Christian Focus Publications
&
Provides a systematic way to teach children about the Christian life. Designed to
help parents talk with their children about the Bible. Ages 4 and up.
3.
A Faith to Grow On; John MacArthur, Nelson
&
John MacArthur teaches children about key doctrines and spiritual disciplines.
4.
Jesus is Coming Again; by David R. Reagan; Harvest House Publishers
&
The Rapture, Tribulation, and Return of Christ simply explained. This book is a
must for all parents desiring to help explain end-time events to their children.
5.
In the Days of Noah; Gloria Clanin, Master Books
&
A well-illustrated book that teaches sound biblical doctrine about the time of
Noah, the flood, and dinosaurs.
6.
Dinosaurs of Eden; Tracing the Mystery Through History, Ken Ham
&
A well-illustrated book that teaches sound doctrine about dinosaurs by one of the
world’s foremost experts.
7.
What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs?; John Morris and Ken Ham, Master Books
&
Two of the world’s leading Creation Scientists give sound Biblical instruction
about dinosaurs.
8.
Noah’s Ark and the Ararat Adventure; John D. Morris, Master Books
&
A well-illustrated book that has beautiful pictures of Mount Ararat, the mountain
believed to be the resting site of Noah’s ark. John Morris, one of the leading
experts on the ark and Creation Science, teaches about the ark from the Bible
and from the history of Mount Ararat.
Books which tell stories that teach biblical principles
1.
Young Reader’s Christian Library; (4" by 5 ½"); Barbour Publishing, Inc.
&
An entire series of Bible stories, classic stories, and biographies which teach
Biblical principles.
2.
Adam Raccoon; A series by Glen Keane; Chariot Books
&
Simple stories about Adam Racoon and King Aaron the lion which teach Biblical
principles.
3.
What Would Jesus Do?; By Mack Thomas; Gold n’ Honey Books
&
This story provides an excellent way for parents to remind their children to live for
the glory of God. The companion book In His Hands continues the same
themes.
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4.
Pilgrim’s Progress; by John Bunyan, retold by Gary D. Schmidt; William B. Eerdman’s
Publishing Company
&
An abridged version of Pilgrim’s progress, very well done, with incredible
illustrations, one of our family’s favorite editions. Has a couple pictures that
might be scary for younger ones.
5.
Pictorial Pilgrim’s Progress; by John Bunyan, Moody
&
A good beginner version for small children with pictures on every page. Story is
heavily abridged.
6.
Pilgrim’s Progress; Cheryl V. Ford, Tyndale
&
The best unabridged modern English edition of Pilgrim’s Progress and the sequel
which tells of the journey of Christian’s wife and children to the Celestial City.
Has Scripture references that relate to the allegory and questions for discussion.
7.
Treasures in the Snow; Patricia St. John, Moody Press
&
Great book to read aloud to your children ages 6 and up. This book teaches the
consequences of anger and unforgiveness and the sweetness of a clean heart
before God.
8.
The Christopher Churchmouse Treasury; Barbara Davoll, Sonflower
&
Short stories that illustrate biblical truths. Engaging reading for ages 4-8.
9.
My Heart Christ’s Home; Rober Boyd Munger, with Carolyn Nystrom, Intervarsity Press
&
A masterful story that explains how Christ wants every part of your life. All ages.
10.
The Priest with Dirty Clothes; R. C. Sproul, Nelson
&
A story of God’s love and forgiveness.
11.
Tales of the Kingdom; David and Karen Mains, Cook Communications
&
First in a series of three allegorical story books which teach Biblical principles.
Our family really enjoyed this series (best for ages 7 and up.) It contains some
scary moments. I personally like the first book the best.
12.
Tales of the Resistance; David and Karen Mains, Cook Communications
&
Second in a series of three allegorical story books which teach Biblical principles.
13.
Tales of the Restoration; David and Karen Mains, Cook Communications
&
Third in a series of three allegorical story books which teach Biblical principles.
14.
The Little Preacher; Elizabeth Prentiss, Calvary Press
&
The story of a boy who grows up with a very harsh father, a loving mother and
who just doesn’t seem to fit in. Teaches important lessons about life’s struggles
and God’s providence through those struggles.
15.
Wise Words: Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life; Peter Leithart, Legacy
Communications
&
Well-written stories that teach proverbial truths. For children, 7 and up.
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16.
Big Thoughts for Little People; Kenneth N. Taylor, Tyndale House Publishers
&
Colorful pictures fill each page as your child is exposed to each letter of the
alphabet. Unlike other ABC books, this book brings a spiritual truth and offers
Bible verses to learn.
&
Other books in the series:
Giant Steps for Little People - emphasis is on the sermon on the mount
and the ten commandments.
Wise Words for Little People - emphasis is on the book of Proverbs.
Good News for Little People - emphasis is on stories about Jesus.
17.
God’s Wisdom for Little Girls; Elizabeth George with paintings by Judy Luenebrink,
Harvest House Publishers
&
Wonderful pictures and flowing rhyme help to teach your daughter about the
Proverbs 31 woman.
18.
God’s Wisdom for Little Boys; Jim & Elizabeth George with paintings by Judy
Luenebrink, Harvest House Publishers
&
Wonderful pictures and flowing rhyme help to teach your son about the character
of a proverbs man.
19.
The Princess and the Kiss; Jennie Bishop, Warner Press
&
A great story that will help to teach your daughter about the importance of purity.
20.
The Very First Christians; Paul L Maier with illustrations by Francisco Ordaz, Concordia
Publishing House
&
The highlight of this book is the pictures, but the writing gives a very accurate
account of what took place.
21.
Little Pilgrim’s Progress; Helen L. Taylor, Moody Press
&
This story is adapted from John Bunyan’s classic and does a wonderful job of
putting it in simple language. The majority of the characters are children, thus
enabling your child to picture themselves in the various situations.
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