Your cart is currently empty!
Teach your child how to study the Bible
My youth pastor in high school was a big Star Trek fan. He also did an amazing job taking a bunch of crazy teens and discipling them. One day as we sat in a giant auditorium in the middle of nowhere Texas, he had us all pull out our Bibles and a sheet of paper. Then across the side of the paper, we wrote -S-P-A-C-E. He spent the next twenty minutes teaching us the SPACE Bible study. Fast forward 20-something years and I’m teaching a Sunday School class of 8-10 year olds and I want to teach them how to study the Bible. I pull out my notes from high school and proceed to teach them the exact same thing I was taught 20 years ago.
Only I added in a few items, because after all at 8 years old, you want some fun to your Bible study.
I have to admit, whenever I read this or say it in my mind I hear Captain Kirk saying the Star Trek prologue………
But back to being serious and on topic and not indulging my ADD.
Getting started with our Space Bible Study
Each week, we send home with the kids who are ready or have asked for it a SPACE page going through the book of Ephesians. To help you better understand it, I’m going to share what I learned from this weeks passage of Ephesians 5:1-14 (parallel passages in ESV (my preferred method and HCSB, my church’s preferred translation).
So, here are my thoughts and study complete with my filthy kitchen table, and my messy handwriting. I’ve discovered I can’t study at the computer I get too easily distracted by other things.
SPACE Bible Study: SINS I NEED TO CONFESS
gossip (verse 4), I’ve run into a couple of times this past week where I wanted more details than I needed and I’ve struggled with this the past week. It’s an area I’ve noticed God continually works on me in. [Future Ticia, I still struggle with this because I am curious and want to know EVERYTHING!]
SPACE Bible Study: PROMISES TO CLAIM
Ephesians 4:14b “Awake, Oh sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
Given the deaths I’ve been through in the past several years, this verse gives great hope for when Christ comes back.
SPACE Bible Study: ATTITUDES TO CHANGE
filthy thoughts (verse 4)> I’ve noticed a negative attitude recently and it’s all due to thoughts I haven’t taken captive. I’ve let my thought life run rampant at times with how I’ve been wronged and how I’ll put that person in their place.
SPACE Bible Study: COMMANDS TO OBEY
imitate God (verse 1)- always one to strive for, but recognize it can’t be achieved
be careful of your speech (verse 4)- I admit I’m more of a speak first apologize for later type of person, so I struggle with this
Do not become partners with your sin (verse 7)- you read example after example of a pastor or someone else who slowly lets one sin take over their life. Fight against it.
Expose the dark (verse 11)- this SOOOOO appeals to the Crusader personality in me, fight the wrongs, overcome evil, CHARGE!
Do not stand aside and let others sin (verse 11)- these last three commands I see come together to remind me to speak up when I see a wrong done, even if it has nothing to do with me. I can’t help but think of the poem (whose name escapes me) that says “I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a communist……… When they came for me who was left to speak up for me?” That’s a rough paraphrase, but if I don’t speak up who will?
SPACE Bible Study: EXAMPLES TO FOLLOW
walk in love like Jesus did (verse 2)> this is a sacrificial love, putting their needs ahead of my own. I don’t like doing this. I like being comfortable, there are times I’m willing to do this, but let’s face it, it’s HARD
For those interested in doing the entire book of Ephesians with your kids, you can download a copy of SPACE Ephesians.
Now when you’re using this method, not every passage will have something for all five categories. Some passages are better studied with other methods, there really isn’t a universal method that works for everyone. Later I’m planning on introducing another method to our students, which I’ll share when we’ve figured out the passage we’ll be using for it.
Get more practical step by step Bible Study ideas
This Bible Study is part of my How to Study the Bible for Kids e-book. In that e-book, I go into a lot more detail on how to do this Bible study, as well as 9 more ideas for you to complete with your kids.
- Day 1: Choosing your Bible
- Day 2: Finding the right Bible study for you
- Day 3: Choosing a children’s Bible
- Day 4: Choosing a children’s Bible study
- Day 5: What to do when you’re spiritually empty
- Day 6: Digging Deeper
- Day 7: Live it Out
- Day 8: Sing it Loud
- Day 9: Act it Out
- Day 10: A week in our Bible Study
Comments
8 responses to “Teach your child how to study the Bible”
I like SOAP.
As I was thinking about it this morning, I tend to use a variation of it as I’m going through the chapters.
Love it, girl!! 🙂 Acronyms are such a huge help for me!
Me too. I was taught this back in high school, and that’s been 15 or so years now. So obviously they stick with you.
This is great! Thanks so much for sharing it. I think I’ll use it with my own boys and myself! 🙂
I’m glad you can use it!
[…] ← Previous Next → […]
[…] Check out this great method over at Adventures in Mommydom: SPACE Bible Study […]
Leave a Reply