Bible Night

Tonight we did something new as a family.  A little background:  while I was working at church, it was evident ministry has the potential to siphon away quality time that should be spent with my wife and kids.  There were times when I would be in the church building at least 6 days a week, hosting high school events and studies, meet with kids for discipleship on my off-day, and on and on the list would go.  After about six months of seeing our family time dwindle down to nothing, we decided to create "Family Night," a night we would guard for quality family time.  We might watch a movie, play board games, work a puzzle, I would read a book out loud, or bake a special treat.  It was a huge success, and it was not long before the kids were looking forward to the next Family Night.  Monday is our typical Family Night and it is not uncommon for Tuesday to also be Family Night because, as Abel sometimes claims, "Last night didn't seem like a real Family Night."  Two Family Nights are great, especially when the kids are begging for them!

Today I had an idea that I am excited about, especially since we were able to put it in practice tonight.  Since Wednesday night Bible study at church extends past my kid's bedtime and Laura usually attends the morning study, I've been thinking and praying about if I should attend (alone) the Men's Bible study on Wednesday evenings.  All the sudden a thought crossed my mind:  since my family is my first ministry, why not have "Bible Night" on Wednesdays?  This would give my children a chance to be in the Word, a kind of kid's apologetics course.  It would be an interactive time of flipping through scripture, learning to study the Bible, and reading it together.  Praise the LORD, my kids lit up as they looked up verses, read them, and we had a great discussion.

When I entered into college, I realized instantly that the vast majority of my Sunday School lessons never answered the questions people ask outside of church.  I was taught the who, what, when, and where, but rarely "why."  Tonight our subject was, "Why is the Bible so important?"  This is a question that neither of my kids answered immediately.  Then one gave the pat answer:  "Because it is the Word of God."  I asked, "How do you know?"  "Ummmmm...."  I can't blame the boy.  I never told him that the Bible is historically, scientifically, geographically, and prophetically true and proven.  That's my fault, a fault by God's grace I hope to rectify.  It is critical that our children be armed with the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.  Teddy Roosevelt said that a working knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.  It seems these days we are sword collectors, gathering up translation after translation, Bible computer programs, commentaries, and concordances.  Just because a man collects Samurai swords doesn't mean he knows how to wield one!  How terrible it would be to assume my children know how to use the Word of God because they have heard from the Word!

No one becomes an expert swordsman through buying swords, and no one becomes a man of purity, holiness, and righteousness by listening to another person tell him about God when he opens the Bible on Sunday for 30 minutes.  When you went to school did you learn more:  through lecture or lab?  Which is more interesting:  discussion or dissection?  Instead of getting our hands dirty, thorough study of the Holy Bible will wash us clean with the "water of the Word."  It does not cleanse us from sin (only the blood of Christ by grace through faith can do that!) but it does have a purifying effect upon our hearts and minds.  When we store away God's Word in our hearts we will be less likely to sin.  It is not just hearing, but through taking heed to God's Word that cleanses a young man's way.  There is a way to dissect scripture through the power of the Holy Spirit, and that is way more valuable and practical than cutting open a frog.

Teaching my kids to cut their own meat has been a long, tedious process.  Just tonight the boys both struggled with using a knife and fork.  Between straining, grunting, and food literally flying off the plate, it was amazing food ever made it to their mouths!  But they have come a long way in a relatively short time.  It is our duty, privilege, and job as parents to ensure our children have been trained to cut their own spiritual meat, to break their own spiritual bread, to pour their own spiritual drink.  This cannot be accomplished without the power of the Holy Spirit, and He will guide us into all truth.  God is willing to bring us through that same slow process of maturity so we might lead others.  The same Spirit who teaches us teaches our children if we are in Christ.  I am responsible to feed my children food and the government has agencies which enforce this.  How much more will God hold accountable those to whom He has committed precious children He created?  Let us embrace this joyful endeavor.  It is when we admit our ignorance that God supplies His wisdom and knowledge without measure.  If God is for us, who can be against us?