Tuesday, March 27, 2007

My sons are privileged...

to have a pastor that takes personal interest in them.  Weekly he meets with all the children, age 7 and up, for a Bible study at his house.  The moms hang out together on the deck for sweet fellowship with one another and the shared care of the little ones.  All of us are thrilled to hear, through the door, the active participation of our children learning and studying the Bible together.  It's certainly a privilege that I did not have as a child.



Not only is the pastor teaching the children how to study the Bible, how to read its truth for themselves, but he is also teaching them how to use Fisher's Catechism as a resource and explanation of Bible truths.  Each child was provided his/her own catechism to read and study.  Each week the boys memorize two memory verses and answer at least 15 questions taken from the Bible and catechism explanation.



For example, this week the study is on question two (with following sub-questions):

Q. What rule has God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him? 
A.  The word of God, which is contained in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us, how we may glorify and enjoy him.



Q.  What necessity is there of a rule to direct us how to glorify and enjoy God?
A.  It is necessary, because, since God will be glorified by the reasonable creature, nothing can be a perfect rule for that end, but his own revealed will, Rom 12:2.



Q.  Can man, by any wisdom or power of his own, ever attain to the glorifying of God, and the enjoyment of him, which he has come short of, by his fall in the first Adam?
A.  No; his wisdom and knowledge in the things of God, are become folly and ignorance, Job 11:12; and his power to do good is turned into utter impotency, John 6:44.

Some of their questions that we've discussed this week are "What is the rule (what you use to gauge whether or not it is right or wrong) of everything you do?"  "Why are the scriptures necessary?"  "How do you know the scriptures are the very word of God?"



To answer these questions, we read through the catechism together and look up the referenced verses.  The catechism explanation gives clarity, and the Bible verses give solid veracity.  Then we phrase an answer together that they can write down. 



My sons are privileged to be learning solid doctrine from the very words of God at such young ages.  My prayer is that this type of study and instruction will give them a foundation of rock and not sand that will serve to sustain them when the storms of life threaten to undo them.  I pray that they will not be as those "tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes." (Eph 4:14b) 

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