Seven Tips to Help Children Understand and Defend Their Faith
1 : Utilize questions to grow the faith of future generations . Your goal is twofold : become an askable parent or grandparent and become skilled at the art of asking good questions . Use questions to create serious spiritual dialogue , encourage critical thinking , and discover what children believe .
2 : Take objections from a child seriously . Do not mock an objection or dismiss a question . Instead , spend as much time and energy as needed to fully explore a topic with a child .
3 : Anticipate attacks and arguments that a child will face in the teen and adult years . For example , after teaching a biblical truth to a child or grandchild , present the faulty argument , prove why it is false , give reading material that establishes the truth , and continue to point out the erroneous arguments through conversations over the years .
4 : Build an apologetics library for each child . These suggested books make great gifts : Cold-Case Christianity by J . Warner Wallace , Tactics by Gregory Koukl , Answers Vol . 1-4 by Answers in Genesis , Quick Answers to Social Questions by Bryan Osborne , Demolishing Supposed Bible Contradictions by Ken Ham , Debunking Evolution by Daniel Biddle , True For You But Not For Me by Paul Copan , and The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel .
5 : Expose children to the truth in real-life experiences . For example , allow older children to see a live ultrasound , so they learn the horrors of abortion , or visit the Creation Museum in Petersburg , Kentucky , to teach the truth of creation and then visit a natural history museum to show the error of evolution .
6 : Look for examples of false beliefs or erroneous messages in movies , music , books , and television . Point them out , ask questions , and discuss why something is problematic . Always point back to Scripture so that it is not your opinion but based on the authority of God ’ s Word .
7 : Utilize the truth method . The truth method is intended to teach a biblical truth , identify a message from the world , and analyze it to determine the good and reject the bad using five steps :
• Teach a biblical truth through instruction and discussion . What biblical truths do your children and grandchildren need to be taught to stand firm in their faith ?
• Recognize the idea or concept the world is communicating . What lies or half-truths threaten their faith today ?
• Understand the claim by analyzing it . What is actually being said ?
• Test the idea according to the Bible . What does the Bible say about the topic ?
• Hold fast to what is good , and reject what is bad . What should be rejected and why ?
Rise up , parents and grandparents ! We are in a battle for the hearts and minds of our children and grandchildren . The battle of ideas is real , and it ’ s taking no prisoners . Helping a child detect errors and discern truth in the age of fake news , social media , and conspiracy theories is critical , and you are uniquely positioned for such a time as this . ■
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 provide 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 . Josh blogs at GospelShapedFamily . com .
16 THE RENEWANATION REVIEW