pleship, and the goal of learning is Christ-likeness (Col
1:28-29). Like Paul, we should be concerned with what a
child learns.
Paul warns Timothy in verse 13, “Evil people and
imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being
deceived.” Paul warns that deception will become more and
more prevalent, and the only way to discern between truth
and error is by knowing God’s Word (2 Tim 3:15-16). There
is a battle for our child’s heart and a real danger he or she
will be deceived by the world’s lies. We should not expect
children to be faithful to a faith they do not understand and
cannot defend. We must be zealous about what our children
learn so they develop firm belief in the Word of God and the
Son of God.
Every parent, grandparent, pastor, and educator needs a
systematic plan to intentionally shape beliefs by teaching
key doctrines and apologetics to young people. My book
Biblical Worldview will help you train children by estab-
lishing a strong foundation on God’s Word and building
a framework on four critical truths: creation, rebellion,
salvation, and restoration.
CHARACTERISTIC #5: A MULTI-PERSON
DISCIPLE-MAKING STRATEGY (2 Timothy 3:14)
Paul states that firm belief is the result of who a child learns
from. Who did Timothy learn from? Timothy provides an
example of discipleship in Scripture combining the influ-
ences of parent (Lois), grandparent (Eunice), and spiritual
mentor (Paul) (2 Tim 1:5). When a child has all three spir-
itual influences, there is a greater chance for lifelong faith.
God created two great commission institutions for the
evangelism and discipleship of children with a third influ-
ence that operates by delegated authority.
• The family: God gave parents the primary role of
disciple-making and grandparents a secondary role (Ps
78:4-8, Deut 4:9, Eph 6:4, Prov 1:8).
• The church: God gave churches the role of equipping
families to disciple children and a support role directly
discipling young people (Matt 28:19-20, Eph 4:12).
• The school: Paul never mentions the word education,
but he talks a lot about the subject using words such
as “learning” and “teaching.” Biblically, God has given
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