From The Village Church Preschool Blog. Of critical importance to me as I relate to, and lead, Malachi

Sons.

Good grief.

Bouncing off the walls, can’t pay attention, forget half the things they DO hear, acting like complete monkeys, disobedient, defiant, rebellious.

Sound familiar? If so, you probably have a son. If not, find someone who does and offer to babysit. They need a break.

But let’s look at those attributes again. Perhaps it’s more familiar than we realize. WE don’t pay attention to the Lord, WE are too busy trying to do what pleases us, WE are disobedient, WE are defiant, WE are rebellious. Perhaps the Lord is trying to show us something in our sons?

As we strive to be obedient in our parenting, the very thing we are trying to war against in our sons is exposed in us – a reminder that we, along with this world, suffer from depravity. In Adam, we are all broken and in need of a savior. We would never have chosen Him without His grace and mercy. “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1 : 3b – 5, emphasis added) The Scriptures tell us again and again that it is the grace and mercy of the Lord that gives us faith. Our hope rests in Christ alone.

So how does that look for our sons? Can we put our hope in controlling their behavior and teaching them morality? As Paul would say, by no means! It is only Christ and His work on the cross that can save them from their own wicked hearts. Make no mistake, their hearts are wicked. Do not allow the enemy to whisper lies to you that your children are inherently good and your job is to prevent the evil from penetrating them. They were born sinful, and only the cross of Jesus Christ can set them free.

Teach your boys the truth of Scripture.

It will require immense amounts of your time. Often, it will require more of your time than it will your daughters. The male mind is difficult to penetrate (sorry guys, you know it’s true), and you must invest the time necessary for your boys to process and grasp the truth – “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – “ (Ephesians 2 : 4-5, emphasis added).

Demonstrate manhood for them.

Show them how you love your wife. Teach them how to love and lead. If you don’t know how, find an older man who does and walk with him. Learn from this man so that the ignorance of God’s instruction is not passed to your sons. Walk humbly and fearfully before your God, demonstrating your understanding of His sovereignty and your weakness. Do this where your son can see. Do not try to be superman for your son. This creates prideful sin for you, and idolatrous sin for him. Let him see your brokenness, and let him watch you lay it at the foot of the cross.

We are called to make disciples, and this starts in your home. Point everything back to Christ. Your son will desire to watch you, imitate you, be like you. Point him to Christ. You will be held accountable for these things, do not take that lightly. Your car, your job, your house – these things must take a backseat to loving, leading, teaching.

Pray with your sons.

Demonstrate for them that prayer is not a “wish list” for God, but an opportunity to praise and worship Him, to confess your iniquities, and to thank Him for the gift of His Son. He is worthy of our time, our energy, our money, our thoughts, our lives. Teach your sons this, and then show them.

For many, this will be extremely difficult, but it is worthy labor. Pray that the Lord would strengthen you and give you an extra portion of grace. Pray for humility and for a biblical understanding of what you are called to do. Pray that He would kill in your heart the worldly idea of a man, so that you can freely pursue biblical manhood. Lead your sons to Christ. You plant the seed, you cultivate, you water, but God will take care of the growth. Christ alone. Christ alone. Christ alone.

“I want to be like you, Daddy.”

“Son, Daddy wants to be like Jesus. “

When I went to the 9Marks Weekender and heard about Capital Hill’s children’s ministry, called Praise Factory, Julie and I were really impressed. Praise Factory has now been released online for, almost, free. It’s available at http://www.praisefactory.org

Praise Factory isn’t silly games to tell kids not to lie. It has systematic theology at it’s heart

Systematic theology is (the) organizing principle of each curriculum in the Praise Factory family of curriculum (Teach, Take & Tell, Big Questions and Answers for little people, and The Praise Factory). This organization shows up as 16 big questions and answers that are categories found in systematic theology.

A systematic theology is an ordered study of who God is, who He has made us to be, His plans for us and this world, His work of salvation for His people, and the things of the world to come. It gives children an opportunity to consider the magnificent way that God has ordered all things to His glory; and, equips them with a strong foundation of God’s Truth to grow and live for Him in this world, with an eye of hope and joy towards the next.

Philosophy of Praise Factory

The philosophy behind Praise Factory isn’t putting a big show, but Two Dead Men and a Diamond

Dead Man #1: Martin Luther

The first dead man is Martin Luther. Martin Luther spoke of theology not being just dry, heady stuff, made only for the scholar, but the foundation of how men live and die. Look at your life and see if this is not so: what you think about God, His character, His plans for this world and us; and the things of the world to come affect how you respond to life each day.

This is why children care about theology, too-even if they have never realized it. The lens through which they see and understand their lives and the world around them is also tied to their understanding of God and His plans. God made children-like us-to know Him and understand life through His truth and character.

Kids care about theology, but they also care how they learn theology. That comes to the second dead man: John Bunyan.

Dead Man #2: John Bunyan

John Bunyan spoke of the gates to the heart: the eye gate, the ear gate and such. Kids are full of gates–perhaps far more than John Bunyan had in mind! They are people on the move, both inside and out. They learn by doing, interacting, experiencing, as well as listening. All these provide gates to their minds and their heart. Praise Factory incorporates thoughtful questions and projects into everything from games to crafts to songs and sign language to drama and even story-related snacks. These do not act as filler, but as the actual gate to the heart and mind.

Praise Factory seeks to employ the energy of the children to reach their hearts and minds with God’s truth through these many activities; and not just truth through only one side, but from many facets. And that comes to the diamond.

The Diamond

The Puritans loved to hold up God’s truth and reflect upon it from different perspectives to appreciate the breadth of its beauty and its applications upon our lives, much like holding a diamond up to the light, turning it in your hand and appreciating the beauty of its many facets. In the two preschool curriculum (Teach, Take and Tell and Big Questions and Answers for little people), the children are first shown the basic beauties of the diamond. They see God’s truth is many-sided and yet fits together into God’s One Big Plan of displaying and glorifying Himself in this world in marvelous and merciful ways. In Praise Factory, the elementary school curriculum, the children are invited to explore the greater intricacies of God’s truth. They learn three different truths are presented that reflect upon the same Big Idea concept: one from the Old Testament, the New Testament and church history/missions, in hopes that the children will see different facets of how God has acted faithfully and steadfastly, yet in many different ways throughout the ages.

Two dead men and a diamond! That sums it up!

Praise Factory’s Spiral of Truth

The Praise Factory family of curriculum is based upon a spiral of truth in the form of 16 big questions and answers.

These 16 big questions and answers are major biblical truths, common to a systematic theology and which provide the framework on which all of the concepts learned in all three Praise Factory curriculums hang.

Twelve of these big questions and answers are introduced from the beginning, in the Teach, Take and Tell curriculum for 2′s and 3′s; and then carry on through the other two curriculums (Big Questions and Answers for little people; The Praise Factory) Four additional big questions and answers are added to these in the elementary school curriculum (The Praise Factory).

This looks like a great curriculum.