Review Night

About three months ago, we started using the Engraving Heavenly Truths program for our Bible class curriculum. I'm not sure how much you know about the system, but in short, you journey through the Bible eight times in four years, looking at it from a different perspective each time.
At the end of each quarter, the last Wednesday night is a "review night." Last night was our first chance to try this out. We assembled all of the kids in the auditorium, grouped them by their class

, and went through each of the 106 cards from the whole quarter's study. I think that out of all of the questions asked, there were only three or four that some child wasn't able to answer correctly. In fact, those three or four questions likely could have been answered if I'd only opened the floor to whoever wanted to speak up. It was amazing and encouraging to see what our children had learned, and more importantly, retained!

Since last night was the first of its kind, I decided to focus my devotional time on our adults having the right attitude toward the review night. You see, they weren't actively participating in the review process. Yes, they had covered the same material, and they were following along on a "study sheet" as we asked the questions. But it seemed that last night was more about the kids.

Now I'm all for putting effort into teaching the Bible to our children. I'm always amazed at just how smart they are, and at the results that come from them being challenged and disciplined in their study. Sadly, our adults don't always follow suit.

I know that adults try to brag on kids by saying things like, "They know a lot more about [insert some Biblical subject] than I do." I understand that comments like that come from a good place in their hearts. Sadly, those comments are also almost always true.

Why?

Why would we expect our children to learn, and know facts about the Bible, but we won't take the time or energy to learn the very same facts for ourselves? What example of mature Christianity does that set for our children?

To me, it's akin to learning something just for a test that you have to take on it. I know thousands of college and high school students survive this way. They learn information simply to be able to answer questions, and not for practical application. I know, because I've been guilty of it, and I'm sure you have, too.

But God expects our mindset to be different when it comes to our Bible knowledge.

Passages like Hebrews 5:12-14 and 2 Timothy 2:2, 15 ought to really make us stop and think about ourselves. Are you really mature? What is your measure of maturity; Age or useable knowledge? Are you really approved of God? Should you not know more about the Bible (after years of being a Christian) than the children you are teaching and influencing? Can you really be effective in raising them in Christ if you don't have knowledge yourself?

You see, my prayer is that you won't look at our sweet, intelligent children's Bible knowledge as simply being something that is "cute" and endearing. If that's the way you look at it, it's the same way they will look at it someday, too. Is that what you really want?

Knowing God's Word is not a cute parlor trick, it's a life skill (cf. Philippians 2:16). Please, treat it as such.

-Daniel