The best child training book ever written and how to use it in your parenting

it will change your life-it's the Bible

Introduction
*I struggled with memorizing scripture my whole life and was sure it was just not mentally possible.
*When my first child was one I realized I was memorizing entire children's books. I decided to try
memorizing scripture by repeating it over and over, out loud. It worked and the best part was my now
2 year old was saying them with me.

WHY should we teach our children verses and the benefits?

*I asked my oldest son If he liked doing memory verses and why and his answer was “because it is
God's truth in my head and I like things that are true”
1. It is my #1 parenting tool!!
a. As I taught my son bible verses I was amazed at how I was able to use them in my parenting.
My son would be struggling with a particular behavior and God worked it that the bible verse
we were memorizing that week needed to be applied to our life. I have been so encouraged by
how much more powerful God's words are compared to mine.
b. I back my expectation of my children with scripture. Now when my oldest son struggles
with temptation and sin(anger, fear, sharing, obeying, ect.) he is driven to prayer because God is
the center of my parenting and it is His words that echo in my children's heart. They know that
God is the source of mommy's strength and theirs.
c. I am much more calm as a parent knowing God is in control. I don't yell at my children most
of the time. They do see mommy's sin of yelling occasionally. However, my oldest one time
looked at me after I had yelled and told me “mama you shouldn't yell, that's unwholesome talk”
He was quoting Eph 4:29 for me (Eph 4:29 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your
mouth”). He knew it was wrong because it was in the Bible.
2. God tells us to.
a. My children are a gift from God and it is my responsibility to teach them about their Savior.
The world will not teach them or be an example to them of what God desires for His children.
b. God says in Matthew 22:29 – Jesus mentions that men are in error/mistaken because they do
not know/understand the scriptures.
3. It is our children's internal defense against Satan's lies!
a. Jesus defeated Satan's lies with scripture. An example is in Matthew 4:4 Jesus quotes Deut
8:3 “man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of God”. I want my children to live
the victorious fruitful life that God has for them.
b. Psalm 119:11 says “ I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
c. Our jobs as moms is to equip our children so that they have victory over evil. I help my
children check their behavior with what the bible says. We compare Gods truth with Satan's lies
to determine if we are living and believing truth. The fruit of the Spirit is great scripture for a
heart check and is found in Gal 5:22-23
* story about Conner's lack of love, joy, peace, kindness, patience, ect. Him praying that God
would help him do what the Bible said so that he could have the fruit of the Spirit in his heart
and he found his smile after that and his kind words :)

HOW do I teach my children to memorize scripture?

1. I have to believe that I can teach my children and that they will be better because of it.
2. I have to believe that they can learn it.
3. I have to make it a priority and incorporate it into our day.
 a. We repeat it, we sing it, we clap it and stomp it, we even rap it (kids have different
learning styles to be sensitive to).

What does it look like?

1. Repeat, repeat, repeat, We always start my saying the verse 5-10 out loud together. I keep a
bookmark in the car and we say it driving from place to place.
2. My children's favorite part is when they get a chance to earn jellybeans. For each verse they
say (with one word help) they get a jellybean. It is the ONLY time that they get to have
jellybeans. This encourages then to remember past verses so that they can have more
jellybeans. If friends come over and wants jellybeans they have to say a verse to get a jellybean
and/or my children will “win” jellybeans for them as well.
3. I started with verses I needed. One of my boys struggles with anger and so his first verse was
James 1:19b “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.”
My other boy struggled with obeying my words and so we started with Col 3:20 “Children obey
your parents in everything for this pleases the Lord.”

What does it not look like?

1. It is not discipline! It is training. This is not an expectation I have of my children it is a

rewarded behavior. They don't have to memorize verses but they will not receive their reward
(jellybeans, getting to participate at the toy store at church, what every you come up with as a
reward)
2. Regardless of them memorizing the verses I use it in my parenting and have it as an expectation
in their behavior. I teach them at times when they are not in trouble and I'm upset. It is a routine
in our day not a discipline method. It is premeditated parenting, giving them the tools to make
good decisions.