How to read the Bible with your kids

Some of you read the title of this post and immediately shook in your boots. You may be thinking, "I don't even know how to read the Bible myself, much less help my kids understand it." First of all, if that's you, you are not alone. Secondly, reading a story in the Bible with our kids can really be quite easy and extremely life-changing for many reasons. Let me share a few things that work for my wife and me as parents.

1) Connect the story to what your kids are already hearing in church.

Each week at church, our 5-year-old hears a great Bible story in Kid-O-Deo that is taught in an engaging and age-appropriate way. All we have to do is check her in! The key is what happens later that night. Most Saturday nights, one of us will ask her what she learned at church using the question on the sticker she received. Nine times out of 10, she can answer that question and tell us more about the story and Bible verse she learned. You don't even need to know the story well yourself, just ask the question!

2) Before bed, read the story with your child from a kid's Bible.

I highly recommend this one for little kids. Our daughter loves reading about Jesus, David or Paul and the miracles, battles and journeys they go on. I find that it really helps her connect what she heard at church to "her" Bible, and she loves it. As the week goes on, we come back to that story several times. By the way, if you are not very familiar with the stories in the Bible yourself, this is a great, easy way for you to learn as well.

3) Come back to stories your kids love.

Kids love repetition and actually thrive on it. Repeating the same Bible stories and learning about the same biblical characters is a great way for your son or daughter to continue to grow in his or her faith. Our daughter's favorite story is from Mark 2, where Jesus heals the paralyzed man after his buddies drop him through the roof in an effort to get to Jesus. The story captivates her young mind, and we've probably read it a hundred times.

4) Be creative.

This is much easier than it used to be with the resources we now have at our fingertips. Occasionally, after reading the same story a few times, I'll search for a creative video or song online and my daughter and I will watch that together. There are literally tens of thousands of creative kid's Bible stories on video, all free. Some of my favorite moments with my daughter over the last couple of years have been singing, "Zacchaeus was a wee little man" together right before bed.

These are things that work well for my family. You may find ways to read the Bible together that work better for you. There is not a right or wrong way to do this. But being intentional about actually doing it is the key. I have been amazed at what God has done in our kids' lives as we've committed to doing this, and I think you will be too.