Homeschooling and the Bible<\/b><\/p>\n
A <\/span>recent New York Times article<\/span><\/a> explored the unique freedom and fulfillment homeschooling provides. An important reason covered in the article is anchoring a child’s education and socialization around a Biblical faith. In two landmark decisions \u2013 Engel v. Vitale and Abington School District v. Schempp \u2013 the Supreme Court declared school-sponsored prayer and Bible readings unconstitutional. These decisions catalyzed a dramatic shift in the American education system. In response, many parents have chosen an alternative path of education.<\/span><\/p>\n The Top 10 Bible Stories for Homeschooling<\/b><\/p>\n We\u2019ve put together this list for parents who prioritize the study and application of the Bible for their children. Along the way we\u2019ll highlight some timeless passages of Scripture that are perfect for homeschooling. Additionally, each Bible story features a link to a Sharefaith Kids family devotional where families can watch an animated Bible story video, read Scripture, discuss application, and download some fun activity pages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Overview:<\/b> In the beginning, there was nothing except for God. God created everything, and everything was good because God declared it to be so. Over the seven days\u00a0<\/span>of creation God did the following:<\/span><\/p>\n Gospel Highlight:<\/b> The Bible teaches that Jesus was present at creation and that all creation happened through\/ by Him (John 1:1-3, 1 Corinthians 8:6, Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:2). In the New Testament, we see Jesus at the center of the new creation where everything tainted by sin is made new by the work of the cross (2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Revelation 21).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Family Devotional:<\/b> Genesis 1-2 The Creation Story<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Overview:<\/b> This Bible story covers one of the most important events in all of human history: the original sin. Everything was perfect in the Garden of Eden until Satan, who hated God, tempted Eve to sin. Eve, in turn, encouraged Adam to sin. Adam and Eve\u2019s sin changed everything for everyone. Both Adam and Eve disobeyed God, resulting in the fall. Even after man\u2019s fall into sin, God provided a hint that He would someday redeem them by sending a savior who would conquer Satan (Genesis 3:15). For those who believe in Jesus, their sin can be forgiven and they can look forward to spending eternity in paradise with God (John 3:16-18).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Gospel Highlight:<\/b> In Genesis 3:15, we find what is often described as the \u201cfirst gospel.\u201d This verse declares that, despite the fall, the Kingdom of God will fully return and Satan will be destroyed. This promise came to pass when Jesus came and crushed the Devil and his demons triumphing over them on the cross (Colossians 2:15).<\/span><\/p>\n Family Devotional:<\/b> Genesis 3 The Fall of Man<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Overview:<\/b> Abraham and his wife Sarah were too old to have children, but that didn’t matter to God. God fulfilled His promise, and they had a boy whom they named Isaac. Later, when God told Abraham to give up Isaac as a sacrifice, Abraham obeyed. As Abraham readied himself to sacrifice his promised and beloved son, God provided a substitute sacrifice.<\/span><\/p>\n Gospel Highlight:<\/b> The imagery of a father offering his only beloved son is central to the Christian faith (John 3:16). In Genesis 22:8 we see Abraham declare to Isaac \u201cGod himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.\u201d While this declaration was literally fulfilled in Genesis 22:13, it foreshadowed the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus giving his life upon the cross. In John 8:56 Jesus testifies to this saying \u201cYour father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Family Devotional:<\/b> Genesis 22 Abraham & Isaac<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Overview:<\/b> Staff in hand, Moses set out on a journey to bring his sheep to safe pastures on what he expected to be another ordinary journey. But when he reached his destination on Mount\u00a0<\/span>Horeb, also known as Mount Sinai, God called to him from a burning bush. \u201cMoses, Moses,\u201d\u00a0<\/span>He said, \u201cI have seen the pain of my people and I have heard their cry. I have come to\u00a0<\/span>deliver them!\u201d Moses was completely in awe but unsure of his calling as he asked, \u201cWho\u00a0<\/span>am I that I should lead them?\u201d; and later, \u201cWhat shall I say to them if they ask me your\u00a0<\/span>name?\u201d And God, who rewards those who diligently seek Him, revealed to Moses His\u00a0<\/span>personal name: \u201cI am who I am,\u201d He said, \u201cThe God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Gospel Highlight:<\/b> In Luke 20 Jesus challenged the Sadducess knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures. Jesus called their attention to the story of the burning bush to show them the truth of the resurrection reminding them that God is \u201cnot the God of the dead, but of the living\u201d (Luke 20:38). Jesus was the voice in the burn bush! He is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25)!<\/span><\/p>\n Family Devotional:<\/b> Exodus 3 The Burning Bush<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Overview:<\/b> This is the story of two Hebrew spies who were received and protected by a prostitute woman named Rahab. Although Rahab belonged to a wicked and perverse nation and lived an ungodly life herself, she was changed by the testimony of God\u2019s power and protection over the nation of Israel. By faith, she protected the spies; by faith, she gathered her family and hung a scarlet cord out the window to demonstrate what she believed; and by faith, she completely left the life she knew to follow the one true God. Because of her faith, she was delivered from the destruction of Jericho and became a part of God\u2019s people.<\/span><\/p>\n Gospel Highlight:<\/b> Matthew 1 gives us the record of Jesus\u2019 geneology. Verse 5 reads \u201cSalmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab.\u201d It is amazing that given Rahab\u2019s past she would be listed in Jesus\u2019 family tree! But Jesus came to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). He is not a distant God who only comes for the perfect. Instead he is a loving Savior who welcomes all who will open their hearts to him by faith.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Family Devotional:<\/b> Joshua 2 The Story of Rahab<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Overview:<\/b> Forty years had passed since God miraculously brought Israel out from\u00a0<\/span>under the slavery of Egypt\u2014years of unbelief, rebellion and wandering. But the moment of\u00a0<\/span>truth was finally at hand, and the people of God were about to realize the promise they\u00a0<\/span>had once refused to believe. God called Joshua to lead the children of Israel into the land,\u00a0<\/span>but there were obstacles to overcome first. One was directly in front of them: the Jordan\u00a0<\/span>River. During the harvest time, the river was at its fullest and strongest, but just like God had\u00a0<\/span>done before when he parted the Red Sea, He held back the raging river so that the people\u00a0<\/span>of Israel could safely pass to the other side. Twelve large stones were collected from the\u00a0<\/span>riverbed, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, and used to memorialize the great event!\u00a0<\/span>God had done this amazing work so that everyone in the world would know of His power,\u00a0<\/span>and so that His people would fear and respect Him as their God forever.<\/span><\/p>\n Gospel Highlight:<\/b> The crossing of the Jordan river was an incredible story displaying God\u2019s mighty power to save. Many years later Jesus would step into those save waters to be baptized by John the Baptist (Matthew 3). In this moment Jesus powerfully identified with those he had come to save. He would be baptized into our sin and suffering and then he would call us to be baptized into his righteousness and life (Romans 6:3-7)!<\/span><\/p>\n Family Devotional:<\/b> Joshua 3 & 4 Crossing the Jordan River<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Overview:<\/b> The Philistine army had amassed troops on a hillside and were preparing to go to battle with King Saul’s army. Jesse sent his son David to take food to his brothers who were in Saul’s army. When David arrived, he heard Goliath, one of the Philistine soldiers call out a challenge to the Israelites. Goliath, who was nearly 10 feet tall, said that if anyone of the Israelite soldiers could beat him in battle, the entire Philistines would be Israel’s slaves, but if the Israelite soldier lost, the Israelites would be the Philistines’ slaves. None of the Israelite soldiers were willing to fight the giant. David went to King Saul and told him that he would face Goliath. David told Saul that he could do it because God had given him the strength and courage to fight off lions and bears so he could save his lambs. Saul outfitted David in his armor, but it was too big and heavy for him to use. So, without armor and armed with only his shepherd’s staff, a slingshot, and some stones, David went to fight Goliath. David hit Goliath in the forehead on his first shot. Goliath went down, and David cut off his head. The Philistines ran away<\/span><\/p>\n Gospel Highlight:<\/b> While David\u2019s actions in this story are heroic they are meant to point us to the ultimate hero in God\u2019s story Jesus Christ! In Satan we face an enemy whose power is beyond our ability to conquer. Sin has made us all it\u2019s slaves. But Jesus fulfilled the imagery of David and Goliath by crushing the head of our enemy (Genesis 3:15). And like David, Jesus\u2019 victory became our victory. By his death on the cross he has set us all free from our slavery to sin (Romans 6:18).<\/span><\/p>\n Family Devotional:<\/b> 1 Samuel 17 David & Goliath<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Overview:<\/b> God called Jonah to preach to the foreign city of Nineveh, Israel’s enemy and the scourge of the ancient world. Jonah flatly refused and ran the opposite direction. God sent a storm that threatened to sink the ship on which Jonah was sailing. When the sailors discovered that it was Jonah\u2019s fault that they were in peril, they asked him what they could do. Jonah told them to throw him overboard. As soon as they threw Jonah off of the boat, the sea became calm. A huge fish swallowed Jonah, and for three days and three nights, Jonah sat in the belly of the great fish. Jonah prayed, and God made the fish spit Jonah out onto dry land. Jonah eventually went to Nineveh to preach, where the people received his message, and the people there repented of their sin and turned to God.<\/span><\/p>\n Gospel Highlight:<\/b> In Matthew 12 the Pharisees demanded that Jesus provide a sign to prove that he was indeed the Messiah. Jesus responded by saying \u201cA wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. (Matthew 12:39-41)\u201d In this response Jesus declared that Jonah pointed to his future crucifixion, burial, and resurrection.<\/span><\/p>\n Family Devotional:<\/b> The Story of Jonah<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Overview:<\/b> King Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of the Babylonian people, had a giant golden statue of himself made. He commanded all the leaders in his kingdom to come worship the statue. A group of men noticed that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not bow down to worship the statue. The king was furious, and demanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be thrown into a fiery furnace. King Nebuchadnezzar went to the furnace to look in and was amazed to see that the three men were untied and walking around completely unharmed. And even more amazing there was a fourth person in the fire with them!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Gospel Highlight:<\/b> Many scholars believe that the fourth person in the fire was an Old Testament appearance of Jesus! Just like the three Hebrews Jesus was captive under a pagan world empire (Rome). Later, he was put to death because of his faithfulness, and then he walked away from death three days later. Jesus walked through the fire of death for us to secure our salvation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Family Devotional:<\/b> Daniel 3 The Fiery Furnace<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
\n![\"Homeschooling](\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Homeschooling-The-Creation-Story-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThe Creation Story | Genesis 1-2<\/b><\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nThe Fall of Man | Genesis 3<\/b><\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nAbraham & Isaac | Genesis 22<\/b><\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nThe Burning Bush | Exodus 3<\/b><\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nThe Story of Rahab | Joshua 2<\/b><\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nCrossing the Jordan River | Joshua 3 & 4<\/b><\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nDavid & Goliath | 1 Samuel 17<\/b><\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nThe Story of Jonah | Jonah 1-4<\/b><\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nThe Fiery Furnace | Daniel 3<\/b><\/h2>\n
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