Articles on Home
Schooling
The Opportunity To
Teach Our Children About The Lord
Seven Convictions Necessary For
Success
The Opportunity To Teach Our Children
About The Lord
Deuteronomy 4:9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul
diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest
they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but
teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;
Deuteronomy 4:10 Specially the day that thou stoodest before
the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people
together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me
all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and
that they may teach their children.
Deuteronomy 6:7 And thou shalt
teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when
thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou
liest down, and when thou risest up.
Deuteronomy 11:19 And ye shall teach
them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house,
and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest
up.
The verses above don't
necessarily command home schooling in the since of formal education, but they
certainly do teach the parent's responsibility to teach their children about
God in their homes.
Today many Christian parents
depend on their church to teach their children about God and the Word of God.
This, however, is not adequate religious training and is just plain failure on
the part of parents to do their rightful responsibility to religiously educate
their children. Most Baptist churches have a church covenant of one form or
another, which states in one way or another that we as parents will religiously
educate our children. Many parents may interpret this statement to mean that
they are to bring their children to Church and to Sunday School. Now bringing
our children to Church and to Sunday School is good of course; not to do so as
members of a church would be sin I believe; but is this all that parents should
do to "religiously educate" their children?
Whether parents choose to home
school their children or not, it is the solemn duty of Christian parents to
teach their children about God in their homes. This is done in many ways
of course, the greatest perhaps being by our good examples of living the faith.
But our examples are not enough. We must also teach our children the
Bible in our homes. We should teach our children from the Scriptures everyday
of their lives. The heart of the matter is that many parents are not sensitive
to the importance of their children's spiritual training. They see to it that
their children are trained in all the ways of this world; in all those things
they consider essential to live and prosper in this life; they don't want their
children to lack anything in this regard. While these things are good in there
proper place, what about the eternal spiritual education, and the spiritual
prosperity of our children? Is spiritual education secondary to the carnal? Is
God and His Word less important than history, math, or science? There are
plenty of mathematical geniuses burning in hell right now. But there are many
in heaven who never knew their times tables. I'm not advocating that our
children should not get a good education, but it’s a matter of priorities.
Please do not think or say
that God is sovereign and therefore He will save our children if He wills to do
so, and nothing we do will make any difference anyway; therefore there is no
use wasting time teaching our children spiritual things. Please do not blame
the sovereignty of God for our laziness and for our lack of concern for our
children's eternal souls! Please carefully and prayerfully consider the
following verses:
2 Timothy 1:5
When I call to remembrance the
unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and
thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
2 Timothy 3:14-17
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast
been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures,
which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in
Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all
good works.
Proverbs 8:17 I love them that love me; and those that
seek me early shall find me.
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go:
and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of
thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou
shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
Yes, God is sovereign over all
things, including the salvation of every sinner ever saved. And as such, God is
pleased to use and to honor obedience and faithful, humble submissive service.
Here is the way that I look at it: I should do all that I believe God would
have me to do towards my children's religious education and training,
peradventure God may be pleased in His sovereign plan and purpose in grace to
save them and use them in His service. Do right and do good, and expect good
to come of it!!!!!!!!!!! Shouldn't we have a positive attitude toward God,
and expect His blessings upon our efforts; upon our prayers; upon our tears and
labors over our children. Come on sovereign grace brothers and sisters;
sovereign grace is not fatalism, but rather assurance of God's blessing. Grace
is cause for optimism, not negativism. Let the following verse sink deep into
our hearts and minds:
2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea,
and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
I'm not a "name it, claim
it" Baptist, but I'd rather put my faith and hope in claiming God's
promises than be a fatalist who expects nothing from God. I know God loves me,
and that He hears me, and that He is pleased to answer my prayers favorably. He
has proved His love towards me over and over again in my life. So why shouldn't
He use all His servants' labors to fulfill His sovereign will and purpose in
the salvation of our children? I'll assure you that He does.
Having said all of this, home
schooling is a wonderful opportunity to teach our children the Bible and about
all the glorious works of our God. Make the Bible a part of the daily
curriculum. In teaching all the regular subjects, teach everything from a
Biblical perspective. Teach math and English, and especially science from a
Biblical perspective. Give the God of all wisdom, knowledge, and understanding
the glory due unto His Name. Glorify God as we teach our children at home. They
will learn their subjects, but more importantly they will learn about God.
Teach them the books of the Bible. Teach them all the favorite Bible stories.
Most importantly, teach them about Jesus our blessed Savior. As we teach, pray
God to save them for His glory, and to take and use them in His service. Like
Hannah, give, as it were, our children unto the Lord. "Take them dear
Lord, I give them to you; please save them and use them for your glory".
By Brother Burke
Seven Convictions Necessary For Success
Home schooling parents must
have strong convictions if they are to have good success in home schooling.
I've known parents who home schooled for various reasons, but who didn't have
strong convictions from the Lord. These parents didn't last long with home schooling
their children. The reason? The trials, difficulties, and demands of home schooling
were greater than their motivating force to continue on. We want to observe
seven convictions that motivate Christian parents to persevere to the end in
their quest to do what is right for their children.
1. Parents are responsible to teach their
children. God has given parents the responsibility to raise and to teach
their children; not the state nor this lost heathen world. Godly parents and
other godly persons should be the ones molding our children's values,
characters, behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes. Do we want atheistic infidels,
evolutionists, humanists, or homosexuals training and molding our children's
young minds and lives?
2. Godly character and attitude are more important
than the "best" education. Perhaps home schooling parents cannot
always provide the best instruction in every subject. But isn't it more
important to have well adjusted children with good attitudes; who respect and
honor authorities; who respect and care about other people? What are we willing
to sacrifice on the alter of secular education? What do we consider to be
success with regards to raising our children? More importantly, what does the
Lord consider to be success.
3. Our children's innocence is our
responsibility. Innocence is a rare and precious commodity among today's
children. What is wrong with innocence? What is wrong with children who are not
filled with and indoctrinated with the ways the this wicked world? Why can't
they grow up and mature in innocence before they are turned over to this wicked
world? Is it essential to our children's proper upbringing to desensitize and
demoralize them with filthy language, lifestyles, and perversions of every
kind?
4. Spiritual training is more important than
secular training. The emphasis in many Christian homes today is on material
wealth, and the education and training to secure it. What is most often left
off is our children's spiritual training. Why is it today that so many of our
children drop out of church when they come of age, and show no interest in ever
coming back? Could it be that parents have trained their children to despise
the Word of God and the Lord's church by making secular education and wealth
top priority in their lives?
5. Christian parents should be training our
children to serve the Lord. By
faith we should train our children to serve the Lord all the days of their
lives. We should plan as though the Lord would save and call our children into
His ministry. There is great preparation that goes into a life of serving
Almighty God. This is not a matter to be taken lightly.
6. Peer pressure is a powerful force that
parents have the responsibility to control. Yes, peer pressure has
destroyed countless children by seducing them into sexual misconduct, drugs and
alcohol, cigarette smoking, perverse language, and all manner of rebellion
toward God and society. Should parents exercise control of the peer influences
during our children's developing years. To say no is to join the devil's
chorus.
7. Love. Love for God and for our children's souls is sufficient motivation to sacrifice our time, energy, and resources to provide our children with the best possible upbringing. Love is the greatest motive, the strongest conviction, and the unfailing power to start the race and to finish the course of home schooling our children. Is our love strong enough to sacrifice our all for the most precious gift that God has put into our trust- our children?
By Brother Burke
One of the great concerns that
the "experts" have about home schooling is that home schooled
children will be deprived of necessary social interaction, and thus grow up to
be social misfits. I know quite a few home schooled children, and most of them
that I know seem like very normal, well adjusted children. In fact, I rate them
above average for being polite, respectful, thoughtful, considerate, outgoing,
courteous, and the other qualities that I consider to be good in people. Now
maybe these are the characteristics of social misfits today. After all, many
parents today are training their children to be "…lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud,
blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural
affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of
those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than
lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof…"
(2 Tim. 3:2-5). So if we are a society that calls good evil, and evil good,
then I suppose home schooled children for the most part are social misfits.
I believe that social
interaction is only good and wholesome to our children as it is good and
wholesome interaction. The Bible teaches us: "Be not deceived: evil
communications corrupt good manners." Much of social interaction that
children receive in the public school systems is not good and wholesome to
their proper upbringing and social development. I believe this is true of much
of the teaching curriculums, where sinful lifestyles and sexual perversions are
taught to be acceptable and even praiseworthy. Children are confused between
what their God given consciences tell them and what our perverted public school
curriculums teach them in response to the popular trends of our ungodly
society. Much of the peer interaction is not good or wholesome either. Children
who are reared in ungodly, wicked homes bring their wicked and perverted
attitudes, behaviors, and habits to school where they expose our children to
them. They don't call it peer pressure for nothing! These wicked children are
bent on pressuring our children to practice their ungodly ways; to listen to
their ungodly music; to smoke their ungodly dope; to take their ungodly pills;
to lose their virginity for sensual pleasure. Yes, this is what the experts say
our children need in order to be normal, well adjusted citizens. What, may I
ask, do the experts consider to be "normal and well adjusted"?
On the other side of this
argument, some Christian parents say that our children need to be in public
schools so that they can be an influence and a witness to this wicked world.
This sounds pretty good on the service, however, the outcome is usually the
reverse. Dear Christian parents, this is a lie of the devil. Don't let Satan
sell you this lie, that your children are needed to influence this wicked
world. The truth is, Satan wants a hand in raising and corrupting our children,
and if the laws of the land won't mandate it for him, then he will use more
subtle tactics. Don't think for a minute that our little, weak, frail, innocent
children are going to have the wherewithal to counter the powerful onslaughts
of their cruel ruthless enemy. We are merely throwing our children into the den
of lions, and into the fiery furnace; just hoping that God will deliver them.
Oh yes, God may deliver them; but if God doesn't choose to do so, who will be
held accountable for their fall into corruption and away from the things of the
Lord?
Finally, those of you
Christian parents who are considering home schooling for your children, don't
be afraid that your children will become social misfits. Take them to church
every time the doors are open. Take them to special church meetings and church
functions. Be a major part of their social development yourselves. They will
become better adjusted socially and better fit for society than children who
attend public schools all their lives. My four children are not social misfits.
The two of adult age have strong Christian beliefs, values, and opinions, yet
they are outgoing and well equipped to be a good witness for the Lord in this
world. At the same time they are properly equipped to work and function in
society as a much needed Christian component to bring praise to the glory of
God's grace.
My oldest daughter (20 years
old) just came in from work a few minutes ago as I was writing this paragraph
(what a coincidence). She told me that her boss called her aside today at work
to tell her that the company sales have increased 20-30% because of her! He
told her that people come back because of her! Her job is not a big important
job, but it is her first public job since she's been out of school. She works
with a lot of lost people who desperately need Jesus. While being a good
employee, she has also brought coworkers to church to hear the gospel. That
doesn't sound like a social misfit to me. I am not boasting, please don't
misunderstand me, but God will bless our efforts as Christian parents if we are
willing to do what is right in His eyes.
May the Lord Jesus bless you
and give you the strength you will need to be a good home school parent!
By Brother Burke
This is a very important home school
article. Most home schooling that gets accomplished is owing to, for the most
part, the dedicated wives and mothers of our children. I, for one, am one
father/husband who contributes very little to the home school cause in terms of
time and effort in the daily routine. JoAnn, my wife, does it all! I want to
give some credit to her in this short article, and to you other wives who are
primarily responsible for home schooling your children; credit that you get far
too little of through the day to day home school grind. Now, my wife is not a
glory seeker by any stretch of the imagination, but she does like to be
appreciated occasionally for what she does. Well, sometimes she doesn't even
get appreciation shown for all that she does, especially with regards to home schooling
our children. Such is often the case of home schooling mothers. They learn to
give their all and expect little in return.
1. Home schooling is a
stressful and difficult job. Besides trying to teach several children at
different grade levels at once, and provide them the necessary discipline,
instruction, and individual help they need, JoAnn also has to keep up-to-date
and accurate records, and also order and/or purchase all the necessary
materials. Additionally, she attends the monthly home school meetings that are
a part of our home school requirements in the state of Florida. Needless to
say, performing all these home school tasks on top of doing all the regular
duties of a housewife and mother, makes daily life a major undertaking for my
wife.
2. As already implied, home schooling
is a major sacrifice of JoAnn's time. I think some people who don't realize
just what all is involved in home schooling, probably think our wives have it
easy. Well, they should try it for about one day and they will change their
minds. Not only is home schooling very time consuming, but there are a lot of
other things that my wife can't do because she home schools. Many Christian
women go out into the workforce every day and work a secular job. Well, that’s
another subject altogether. But even if my wife desired to work out of the home
she couldn't do so as long as she home schools our children. As a result, she
and the kids go without some of the material things in life that the extra
money could have provided. Many other Christian women, on the other hand, enjoy
a social life with their friends. They go shopping and eat out, or just get
together and talk. JoAnn barely has time to talk on the phone occasionally with
our church members. And when she has the time for extra things, she is so tired
and worn out, she just doesn't feel like it! This may seem strange, but JoAnn
just doesn't have much time left for friends!
3. The burden of the
children's education is on JoAnn's shoulders for the most part. She is the one
who has to worry about whether the kids are learning, and whether they're
getting all the right things that they will need to function in life, or to go
to college if they so desire. She doesn't pass her teaching failures onto the
next grade teacher like public school teachers do; she is the next grade
teacher! She is the "fall-guy" as they say. This is a major burden to
bear for my wife, and for you other wives out there who can relate to these
things. If a child isn't learning a subject, you have to try and find a
motivator or another teaching method. And if a child still has difficulty after
all options seem to be exhausted, it is you that has to live with the fact that
your child isn't a mathematician, or a scientist, or whatever the discipline
may be. Often times the special news articles we see show home schooled
children as excelling far above the public school children. Well, there is no
magic in home schooling. Our children are still just regular children. Some
learn better and quicker than others. Some learn some subjects better than
others. Some kids are just average kids. Some kids are slow learners. But who
bears most of the burden when a child isn't a miracle kid. It is our wives!
4. The wife often doesn't get
the support and help that she needs and desires, especially from some of us
husbands. Sometimes we husbands are very supportive. We say "home schooling
is great and wonderful; keep up the good work!"; but we won't lift a
little finger to lighten our wives' burdens. I'm guilty as charged! We have
been home schooling for a long time, and I just haven't helped like I should
have. And you notice I said "We have been home schooling"; I still
get glory and credit while JoAnn does all the work. She still manages somehow
and gets things done. She gets up sometimes at 4:00 o'clock in the morning to
catch up on goal charts and journals, etc.; and stays up late in the evenings
occasionally, when she has the energy left in her, in order to keep up with
things.
Conclusion:
I'm sure that I have only
barely scratched the surface of all the labors that my wife performs, and of
all the things that she sacrifices in order to home school our children. On the
other side of the story, however, there is always a reaping of that which is
sown. JoAnn, and all you other dedicated home schooling wives, will be able to
reap the joys of seeing the blessings and benefits that will result from all
your faithful labors that you have bestowed upon your little ones. One day your
efforts will be rewarded- in this life, as well as in the life to come. Right
now you may be scratching your heads and wondering if this is really true. But
I assure you that it is. God will bless your labors of love. He doesn't soon
forget your works of faith that you do in His Name. After all, you are doing
these things as unto the Lord, because you believe that this how the Lord wants
you to raise your children. You're not just home schooling for the fun of it!
You're not a sadist; you are not home schooling just because you love pain and
stress; but you are home schooling because you desire God's blessings upon your
children, and therefore you are willing to sacrifice for Him and for them. You
are home schooling because you believe that God is "a rewarder of them who
diligently seek Him" and who seek to know and do His blessed will.
May the Lord give you the
strength and the will to continue on in this worthy work for Him. When the
going gets tough, and the way gets hard, just remember the Bible admonition:
"And let us not be weary
in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."
Galatians 6:9
By Brother Burke