Most teens and adults I know tell me they have a hard time making time to read the Bible. It’s so common that I am beginning to believe we are simply waiting too long to help people start incorporating God’s word into their lives. We convince ourselves that the Bible is complicated and meant for adults to break down and interpret. We think that when our kids get older they will start reading the Bible on their own but the leap seldom seems to happen. What I am finding is that when my kids engage the Bible they read it with a passion and imagination that most teens and adults have simply lost. Why not help kids engage the Bible as soon as they can read? The Bible is the raw unfiltered story of how our God chose to redeem humanity and it’s an amazing story that is living and needed in our lives. So here is my proposal…help your kids engage with the Bible right now. Here are a few simple ways to start the journey.

• Make reading the Bible a part of your family schedule // Most days our family eats breakfast together and four mornings a week we read a few verses from the Bible together and do a short devotion that our kids ministry provides us. It works because it’s easy and it allows God to influence our family in the flow of our family life. This is just part of who we are as a family and the earlier you start the better it goes!
• Memorize a verse with your kids each month // My wife started this with our kids last year and it has been so much fun. Our kids ministry has a verse of the month and every morning we say the verse. I’m not good at memorizing scripture and yep this has been so cool for me as a dad. I’m learning it and it’s part of our family routine.
• As a parent have a time each day when you read the Bible // If you want your kids to read the Bible you have to make time to do it yourself. When kids see parents read the Bible they see that our faith is more than just a Sunday morning event we attend. You need the Bible in your life everyday if you want to set the tone for your family. There are great tools out there to help you read everyday on your computer, tablet, or smartphone so go for it!
• Challenge your kids to read every day and give them tools // When your kids are old enough give them a Bible they can read and understand then challenge them to find a time to read everyday. No pressure either! When my girls do not feel like reading they take a day off. So far my third graders had tackled John, Acts, and now is working on Genesis! Yes she has asked some wild questions but it has been fun. My kindergartner pretends to read because she watches big sister then draws pictures of God!

If you are a church leader and you want to check out some of the resources we use to help families engage the Bible on a weekly basis at Grace Community Church you check them out for free this month. Check out what the Orange Experience is all about for FREE!