164: Survival Guide: Biblical Literacy

For our children to believe and follow the Bible, they are going to need to be able to understand the Bible. Today I cover the sixth key principle in our survival guide for young people: Biblical Literacy.

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Show Highlights

Biblical literacy is not just being able to read the bible. It’s understanding what the bible is about.

Foster a robust foundation and understanding of what the bible is so that you and your children can have confidence in it. This is important because it is God’s word and the bible says the word of God is living and active.

The bible is not just one book. It is a collection 66 books written by 40 different authors over a span of about 1,000 years! It was inspired by the Holy Spirit, through the words of men.

The bible has so many different types of literature – poetry, prose, letters, allegory – and it could be difficult if you don’t understand the context. It is the story of God from many different human perspectives, but also a unified story of the redemption by Jesus of a people of God.

There are several resources that you can use to instill biblical literacy in your children. Among those that I’ve found useful are:

• 66 Books in the Bible – a super catchy song that will help them memorize the books of the bible.
• The Bible Project – one of the most powerful tools for older kids to adults. They have a seven to ten minute animated overview of every book and themes of the bible.
• The Radical Book for Kids – a good resources for talking to especially inquisitive kids who have questions about faith.
• The Jesus Storybook Bible – is great for younger kids, covering all the major stories from the old and new testaments and it ties all the stories back to Jesus.
• Blazing Trees – you can find several helpful resources including a series of stick figures drawings that can help teach bible stories and bible themes. Your children can also draw their own bible stories with stick figures and you’ll be surprised how easy it becomes for them to recall the story based on their drawings.

Kids today are less and less familiar with the bible. The younger your kids memorize the books of the bible, the easier it will be for them to explore and study it.

Resources Mentioned

• Things for Thursday: Text THINGS to 66866
• Song: 66 Books in the Bible
• Website: The Bible Project
• Book: The Radical Book for Kids
• Book: The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name
• Website: Blazing Trees