Do Children Love God?

[GodsGrace]

What do we do, as parents, to teach our children about God?
How should we teach them? Any particular methods? Mistakes being made?
Is church important?
Is bible study for them important?

Do you think children naturally love God?
Are they turned off by being bullied by non-believing children?

Is there any remedy?

 

[dianegcook]

Teach them by being an example in their lives.

Bullied?
Some kids get bullied regardless of their beliefs.

 

[Who Me]

How should we teach them?

The most lasting method is by example.
Showing the importance of regular, daily time with the bible and prayers, attending a church that seeks to practice what it preaches, discussing biblical principals that apply to current issues, living a Godly life that is also costly.

Children are great at spotting inconsitent belief and action.

Have a look at this site and see what this writer thinks you and I should know before contemplating marriage:-
https://winteryknight.com/2012/01/3...tell-if-a-woman-is-really-a-christian-or-not/

 

[OzSpen]

What do we do, as parents, to teach our children about God?
How should we teach them? Any particular methods? Mistakes being made?
Is church important?
Is bible study for them important?

Do you think children naturally love God?
Are they turned off by being bullied by non-believing children?

Is there any remedy?

wondering,

What age group are you speaking about?

My children are grown and gone. From when they were infants we played with them, prayed for them when upset, when going to bed and around family devotions.

We had a whole range of Bible story books with pictures that we read to them. Jesus' presence saturated our household so it was natural to discuss Jesus in language they understood.

Of course, they were in Sunday school classes for their age groups.

We dared to send them to evangelical Christian schools.

At some point they had to make a decision to follow or not follow Jesus. We tried to nurture them towards Jesus but knew we couldn't force the Christian life on them.

Oz

 

[GodsGrace]

Teach them by being an example in their lives.

Bullied?
Some kids get bullied regardless of their beliefs.

Hi DGC,
How could we be a good example?

 

[GodsGrace]

wondering,

What age group are you speaking about?

My children are grown and gone. From when they were infants we played with them, prayed for them when upset, when going to bed and around family devotions.

We had a whole range of Bible story books with pictures that we read to them. Jesus' presence saturated our household so it was natural to discuss Jesus in language they understood.

Of course, they were in Sunday school classes for their age groups.

We dared to send them to evangelical Christian schools.

At some point they had to make a decision to follow or not follow Jesus. We tried to nurture them towards Jesus but knew we couldn't force the Christian life on them.

Oz

I had in mind the age group of about 4 to 11 or 12 years old. After that, I fear there's not much we can do since their belief system will be established.

I very much did what you and your wife did except that I didn't have the support of my husband so family devotional time never happened.

I also bought them many "religious" books about Jesus and His life. They had their own bible, suitable for each age group and they attended Catholic school (because I was Catholic at the time), and I also spoke of Jesus a lot as if it were normal to do so.

One of my children I know to be born again but one I'm not sure of. Only God knows.

Let's pray for all these kids that grow up not knowing about Jesus in a relational way.

 

[GodsGrace]

The most lasting method is by example.
Showing the importance of regular, daily time with the bible and prayers, attending a church that seeks to practice what it preaches, discussing biblical principals that apply to current issues, living a Godly life that is also costly.

Children are great at spotting inconsitent belief and action.

Have a look at this site and see what this writer thinks you and I should know before contemplating marriage:-
https://winteryknight.com/2012/01/3...tell-if-a-woman-is-really-a-christian-or-not/

I agree with your first paragraph.

I don't agree with the link you posted.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

wondering,

What age group are you speaking about?

My children are grown and gone. From when they were infants we played with them, prayed for them when upset, when going to bed and around family devotions.

We had a whole range of Bible story books with pictures that we read to them. Jesus' presence saturated our household so it was natural to discuss Jesus in language they understood.

Of course, they were in Sunday school classes for their age groups.

We dared to send them to evangelical Christian schools.

At some point they had to make a decision to follow or not follow Jesus. We tried to nurture them towards Jesus but knew we couldn't force the Christian life on them.

Oz

Pardon me for being a nosy rosey, but I'm really curious now to know what they chose.

 

[dianegcook]

Hi DGC,
How could we be a good example?

Love God with all your heart, love your neighbors as yourself.
Follow the 10 commandments.

When my kids were little they went to preschool at a church, or regular Sunday School.
They had to be able to quote one verse a week.
I taught them what it meant.
Different things Wondering, Lol.
Prayer before eating, forgiveness, teach right from wrong....etc...

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

I will say this, just like everything else, children learn from example for one, and for two,.. if they're never taught that they should love the Lord then how will they know that they're supposed to? They're taught how to dress themselves, wipe themselves, feed themselves, and clean up after themselves otherwise they wouldn't know how. Same difference in my book. That doesn't mean that they won't find the Lord in some other way, but still if you want your children to follow Jesus then you should be the one to teach them imo.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Oh and even if they do decide to reject Him later that's on themselves since you already did your part by guiding them and praying for them.

 

[dianegcook]

Prov.22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Prov.22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

That's a good saying don't get me wrong but what exactly does that mean because that doesn't always seem to be true.

 

[dianegcook]

That's a good saying don't get me wrong but what exactly does that mean because that doesn't always seem to be true.

Like you said before, it is on their head.
All you can do is lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink.

Yes, I have noticed myself that most Preachers' children are the wildest.

Also, I believe when they get older, have children of their own, they want the best for them.
To teach them from right from wrong, etc.

 

[GodsGrace]

Love God with all your heart, love your neighbors as yourself.
Follow the 10 commandments.

When my kids were little they went to preschool at a church, or regular Sunday School.
They had to be able to quote one verse a week.
I taught them what it meant.
Different things Wondering, Lol.
Prayer before eating, forgiveness, teach right from wrong....etc...

Yes, all of the above.
I just want to add that we have to talk about Jesus a lot and make Him be respected by our kids and to make sure they understand that He loves them.

I mean, any moral person could be a good example.
We have to make sure that they understand we do what we do for God and that there's more to life than "just" being moral --- that we have to be moral because God said so and how only HE knows what's right and wrong.

I really dislike all this subjective stuff going on today - I can't even remember what it's called anymore. Subjective Morals?

God is the objective truth and truth can only BE objective or it's not truth.

 

[GodsGrace]

I will say this, just like everything else, children learn from example for one, and for two,.. if they're never taught that they should love the Lord then how will they know that they're supposed to? They're taught how to dress themselves, wipe themselves, feed themselves, and clean up after themselves otherwise they wouldn't know how. Same difference in my book. That doesn't mean that they won't find the Lord in some other way, but still if you want your children to follow Jesus then you should be the one to teach them imo.

Good points.
Some kids learn everything except the most important thing.
Some parents leave it "up to them" to decide what religion they want to be when they grow up. Some feel it's a burden on kids to tell them about God. Some even believe it's child abuse, but that would be the atheist religion.

Kids could go to Sunday School all their young life...if what they learn is not confirmed at home by beliefs and behavior, they'll only be confused....but it's still better to go to Sunday School.

 

[GodsGrace]

That's a good saying don't get me wrong but what exactly does that mean because that doesn't always seem to be true.

This is what it means to me:

A McD's motto from years ago:
"Get me a kid before the age of 5, and we'll have him forever".

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Good points.
Some kids learn everything except the most important thing.
Some parents leave it "up to them" to decide what religion they want to be when they grow up. Some feel it's a burden on kids to tell them about God. Some even believe it's child abuse, but that would be the atheist religion.

Kids could go to Sunday School all their young life...if what they learn is not confirmed at home by beliefs and behavior, they'll only be confused....but it's still better to go to Sunday School.

Whoa wait, hold on a second there! I do believe that teaching your children about Jesus but still letting them choose whether or not they want to serve Him are two entirely different things.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

This is what it means to me:

A McD's motto from years ago:
"Get me a kid before the age of 5, and we'll have him forever".

Huh? What exactly do you mean by that?

 

[GodsGrace]

Whoa wait, hold on a second there! I do believe that teaching your children about Jesus but still letting them choose whether or not they want to serve Him are two entirely different things.

Those that say kids should decide for themselves do NOT teach them about God as they are growing up.