Bible Topics for Kids

March 31, 2016 by Michelle Leave a Comment

Why Does God Give Learning Troubles?

How do you help your children work through discouragement academically, particularly if they struggle with dyslexia or some other disability? What if they’re just not good readers, and are discouraged with the difficulty?

I love being able to respond to these difficulties as they have them, but sometimes it’s helpful to have something to share with kids that can help them find and evaluate Scripture on their own before you discuss it with them.

If you’re interested, I’ve uploaded a document I wrote several years back on this topic. It’s a worksheet for children in 4-6th grade, although younger children will do fine with it if a parent or teacher reads it with them. Included in the document is a list of ways that God uses learning troubles in people’s lives. I love seeing how God actually turns learning disabilities into assets. What an amazing example of God’s power and love! Here is the disability worksheet ESV. Let me know if you’re able to use it, or if you have feedback!

How God can use my learning problems:

Learning problems help me to be aware of my need for God.
Learning problems help me to be kind to other people because I know what it’s like to feel stupid, feel sad about failing, or be made fun of.
Problems help me learn perseverance.
Problems help me to know how to help others who struggle to learn (That’s because I know the pitfalls and have sometimes learned how to overcome them.)
Learning problems force me to think creatively because the normal ways of learning or reaching a goal don’t always work.
Learning problems teach me that God has great power, and he delights in using anybody.

If we don’t learn to follow God, how can our problems be a burden?

We may have self pity (“I can’t learn the Bible, I can’t read well.”)
We may feel despair (“Every time I try something new I fail.”)
We may feel envy (“Why can’t I be like Julie who is so smart?”)
We may become discontent (“If only I didn’t struggle, I’d be happy.”)

January 11, 2016 by Michelle Leave a Comment

Bible Goals for the New Year

A recurring question that challenges me is, “How is Scripture changing my life this week?”

It’s a challenging question because I can easily read and admire what I’m reading in the Bible without using and applying it. In a similar way, I can think about problems without actually praying about them.

One of my personal Bible goals is to start my Wisdom Wednesday posts up again. I started those awhile back for the discipline of regularly answering and writing down the question of application. I want to get back in this habit of writing down something each week that I’m putting into practice from God’s Word.

I’ve also got some Bible goals for my children. One of the primary long-term prayer requests I have for my children is for them to be developing an independent relationship with God. That’s a complex prayer request that requires action on my part; so I’ve been breaking it up into individual skills that I can teach. Those are the “teaching how” posts that show up occasionally here on as4me. My topical Bible was also born from a desire to help my children interact independently with the Bible.

Lately, I’ve been working on collecting some of the ideas we’ve tried for helping our children become active readers. I have posted a few times some of these ideas, but the last few weeks I’ve pulled them together into one list. (There’s also a pretty PDF file so you can print it out or share with others!)

October 12, 2015 by Michelle 7 Comments

How to Use a Topical Bible with Children

Just exactly what does a person DO with a topical Bible? Are verses in topics intended to be little pills to make a person good? If parents purchase a topical Bible, will their children ever pick it up? Should they require children to read it?

Isolated verses aren’t pills to be taken to make a person good, but neither are verses in the complete context where God put them. Change happens through the power of the Holy Spirit as we obey God’s Word, regardless of the number of words we obey. As long as the portion isn’t applied inappropriately, a small phrase can be of great value.

I really intended Topical Bible for Kids to be used by kids, and not simply for kids. I wanted something that they would be able to navigate, even if their reading skills were still developing. I discovered that my own children use it more when they are familiar with it, or if I’ve given them guidance along with it.

At the same time, my friends who are using topical Bible have found it a great supplement to their family devotions. Many of them faithfully read sequentially through the Bible with their children, and have found the topical Bible to be a perfect way to add variety to their established routine.

Here is an excerpt from the book, with ideas that we have found useful for getting the most out of it.

Topical Bible for Kids can be used as a tool for family devotions. Children or parents can pick a topic for discussion, and then read, discuss, or memorize the verses for that topic together. Any of the following recommendations can also be implemented as hands-on family devotion activities.
My friend Emily secretly chooses a topic, does a sword drill of the references with her children, and has them guess the topic. Then they discuss the verses. (This is a great way to use the book with different Bible translations.)
During mealtime discussions or car trips, ask children to identify topics and verses that they like. I like to ask, “What is God teaching you? What are your favorite verses on that topic?” Sometimes I bring up a topic to start the conversation: “What verses comfort you when you are sad?” “Would you like to find some verses together that will be a help to you?” These questions and follow-up study help them see that the Bible is an enjoyable resource for life and delight, and not a club of punishment.
Using this book as a starting point, help children write out favorite verses in a handmade book, or on index cards to tape on their wall next to their beds. They may enjoy making and printing “business cards” with topics, verses, and clip art. These also make good gifts.
Help young children find and highlight verses they have memorized. These are the easiest verses for new and struggling readers to find in the Bible and read. Read the topics from the table of contents and ask them to stop you when they are interested in finding verses on that topic. Then, encourage them to highlight their favorite verses in their Bibles.
Consider allowing children to stay up late, if they are reading or listening to their Bible in their rooms. Teach them that a child doesn’t have to be a good reader to love and obey the Bible!
If children are looking for topics not included in this book, show them how to search for new topics online (such as at biblegateway.com), or with a concordance. Help them collect verses on their interests.
Help children make a chain of verses in their Bibles by writing the next reference on a topic in the margin. Making connections is one way children (and parents) learn to be active and happy students of God’s Word.
Help children identify Bible synonyms and key words for topics by circling the words in the text that correspond to the topic. (For example, in the topic “Fighting,” Bible words include strife, wars, contention.)
Help children identify Bible opposites as they study: fighting and forgiveness, complain and contentment, and so on. Many opposites are already given as cross references in the text.

October 7, 2015 by Michelle Leave a Comment

Making Your Own Topical Bible

On November 1, the Topical Bible for Kids will be for sale. I hope you will read it and love it, but I’m pretty sure there will be verses and topics you won’t find!

Did you know that I’ve included five blank pages in the back to add your own topics?

I want to share the process I used to come up with my list of topics and verses. The process of compiling the verses was so valuable for me and my children I hope you’ll try it on your own.

Making Your own Topical Bible Lists

Write your topics as they come up in daily life. When I had a child expressing fear of being baptized, I realized I didn’t have a baptism category. When another was wrestling with loneliness after a friend moved away, I realized that my verses were inadequate for that struggle. I kept a running list, and added to it as needs arose.
When I started a new topic, I asked myself what verses I knew of that might relate. Sometimes I could think of several verses right away, and other topics I had a harder time thinking of. I used www.biblegateway.com to find verses that I knew parts of, but didn’t know the reference or the whole verse.
I also googled “what does the Bible say about _____” and found the open Bible website (http://www.openbible.info/topics/hope). I found a lot of verses here!
I also asked myself “Are there any Bible people who wrestled with this problem or had this quality?” Again, sometimes I could think of someone right away, and other times I drew a blank.
I asked my friends! “What verses did you think of when teaching your children to share?” When the Bible talks about multiple counselors, I think that comparing Scriptures together surely follows the spirit of that passage! We all have Scriptures that we understand better than others, because of our different backgrounds, the translations we use, and different teaching we’ve heard along the way. Sharing Scripture together is a delightful way to fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Finally, there is the Nave’s Topical Bible. You can find it online for free. You can also buy a print copy. I learned about Nave’s Topical Bible when I was a teenager, but when I shared it with my children, I realized it was too detailed for them to use. That’s when I started thinking about making a topical Bible just for my children.
There is also the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. It works a little differently, but it’s also a useful tool for making connections in the Bible. You can buy this in a print version, too.

Do you have any more ideas or tools for finding verses on a particular topic?