Today I'm excited to be sharing my review of a GREAT tool AND hosting a giveaway for the same! It's called the Child Training Bible (CTB). I recently received the kit in the mail, made one, and tried it out. I am hooked! Here's why:
A few years ago, I read a very convicting book by Lou Priolo called "Teach Them Diligently". It detailed how to raise and discipline children in such a way that they would eventually begin to use scripture and questioning to examine their own hearts, leading to repentance and resolution of the situation. A parent's important role in this is to provide guidance and direction - looking up verses with your children, discussing how the scriptures apply to what has just happened, asking the right questions, etc.
For many, trying to accomplish such things may sound daunting at first -
BUT IT IS WORTH IT! I was determined to try at the time, but found it very difficult to follow through. It was really hard in the heat of the moment or when some other little one needed me at the same time, to remember what scriptures to use for which circumstance, much less think of what questions to ask at the time to probe my daughter's heart and help her to understand her own sinful motives. I grew a bit discouraged, and often found I would slip into my own reasoning as to why she should or should not do something instead of bringing her to the Word of God and letting
HIM touch her heart.
Then one day, I found the Child Training Bible online. It has been such a HUGE help to me as I have sought to use verses to help my daughter understand her relationship with Christ, how her sin affects others, and how to exhibit a more thoughtful and loving attitude! Here's how it works...
The color coded tabs match items listed on an insert you glue into the front of a 6 x9 Bible (we used a large print ESV one which was slightly bigger I believe, but still seemed to work well). The tabs show you where to search for verses (highlighted in the same color as the matching tab) that address the problem your child is struggling with at the time (complaining, anger, selfishness, quarreling, etc.). AND it doesn't stop there.
Remember how I mentioned it is important to ask your children the right questions - more specifically, ones that will help guide their thinking and resolution regarding a sinful behavior? Well, the Child Training Bible helps with that as well. There are separate inserts you can clip to the back of the Bible and pull out as needed. Each contains a list of the character struggles, heart probing questions to go along with each item, and prayer suggestions.
What a
great resource! If I am rattled or upset by the moment (probably nine times out of ten), I will sometimes send my daughter to a time-out spot to give us both a moment to calm down. I will use that short time to grab the CTB and look up some of the scriptures alone to focus my own thoughts on what I am about to read with her. I can then sit down to go over the verses with Miss A, asking her questions and working toward repentance and resolution.
Yes, it means a sacrifice of time - so does teaching your children how to tie their shoes. But once they begin to learn it on their own, it will eventually become second nature to them. The same holds true here. Once you begin to go over related verses with them, using heart probing questions to get to the root of the sinful behavior and teaching them how God's word applies to their lives, they will eventually begin to think of the verses themselves and know how to examine their motives (holding them up to the penetrating Word of God), and will better understand how to resolve the problem.
Any sacrifice is difficult at the time - but this
IS one worth making. I have already noticed a change in both myself and Miss A through using the CTB. Nothing convicts and directs like God's word - it is the best tool you can use for training your children in the way they should go!
(Note: making a Child Training Bible does require a bit of time initially, but it is important to understand that this
time is a precious heart and soul investment when it is poured into something which will help you guide and direct your children to a closer relationship with the Lord and with those around them as well).
For those of you wanting to learn more or wanting to purchase your own kit and all the items needed for making your own Child Training Bible, please go
here.
AND one lucky reader will also have the chance to WIN a kit here!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
