The RenewaNation Review 2020 The Collingsworth Family Special Edition | Page 11

and how the child lives. While there are many sourc-
es of authority that individuals look to, some of the
most common include science, experience, psychology,
government, cultural norms, or the Bible.
• How does your child live? Just because a child knows
the right answer doesn’t mean the child has embraced
Christ or believes the Bible. A child’s behavior reveals
his or her true beliefs. Pay careful attention to a child’s
passions and priorities, as well as the fruit of the
child’s actions.
One of the central aims of biblical worldview training
is to shape the beliefs of young people using the Bible (2
Tim 3:16). The Bible talks about the importance of helping
young people learn biblical truth to establish firm beliefs (2
Tim 3:14-15), to avoid deceptive philosophy which leads to
wrong living (Col 2:8, 20-23), to receive a parent’s instruc-
tion, so a child is not enslaved by sin (Prov 1:8-10; 3:5-7),
and to listen to a grandparent’s teaching which leads to hope
in Christ and lifelong obedience to God (Ps 78:4-8).
We must train young people to love God’s Word, trust
God’s Word, and live by God’s Word. A child may not know
the answer, but if we teach a child to study the Bible, they
will know where to look to find the answer. A biblical world-
view is developed as we train young people to ask the ques-
tion, “What does the Bible say about ___________?”
Many young Christians are not adequately prepared to
handle the tidal wave of secular views that are presented
to them, and they are often left to discern for themselves
if what they hear is true. The combination can be lethal for
children who are naturally trusting, unsure of the Bible’s
teachings, and lack strong voices that speak God’s truth. As
a result, many children absorb an unbiblical worldview even
while they seek to follow Christ.
Much is at stake. Every child’s eternal destiny depends
on what he or she believes about Jesus, and the major life
decisions every child makes is determined by his or her
beliefs, such as the ones at the beginning of this article. The
missionary zeal of our culture is operating in full force. We
have the critical job of discipling children with a biblical
worldview, which happens as we integrate the Bible into
everything we do in our home, church, and school. Unless
children are well-grounded in Scripture, they will look more
like culture than Christ. Children need the soul-gripping,
life-shaping words of Scripture to develop a deep, lasting,
and culture-transforming faith. ■
Dr. Josh Mulvihill is the Executive Director of Church and Family Ministry at Renewanation.
He served as a pastor for nearly 20 years, serves on the board of Awana, and helps to pro-
vide leadership to the Christian Grandparent Network. He holds a Ph.D. from the Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of Biblical Grandparenting, Preparing Children
for Marriage, and Biblical Worldview. Josh is married to Jen, and they have five children.
Connect with Josh on Facebook at Gospel Shaped Family.
NEW!
Biblical Worldview will equip you to help young
people develop a strong biblical foundation and
doctrinal framework for a biblical worldview.
A biblical worldview is built on the foundation of the au-
thority, inerrancy, and sufficiency of the Bible. This book
will help you establish this foundation in the hearts and
minds of young people so that they trust the Bible, think
about life from a Christian perspective, and live accord-
ing to biblical principles.
Our worldview is developed as we establish beliefs
about four critical topics:
• Creation: How did I get here? What is my purpose?
• Rebellion: What went wrong? Why is there evil
and suffering?
• Salvation: What is the solution? Where do I find
hope?
• Restoration: What happens in the future? How
do we transform lives and change the world?
These four pillars of faith create the framework for a per-
son’s worldview. It is critical that all four pillars are firmly
established and that deep down convictions are devel-
oped around these biblical truths. Biblical Worldview is
a serious call to shape the next generation’s beliefs with
the Bible. The aim of a biblical worldview is embracing
gospel truth for godly living. This book is a short intro-
duction to biblical worldview and will equip you to help
children develop a biblically based view of life that will
transform their homes, communities, and nations.
THIS RESOURCE IS AVAILABLE AT
RENEWANATION.ORG/STORE
540-890-8900
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