How to Begin Teaching Your Kids the Bible Starting in Genesis
“Where in the Bible should I begin teaching my kids?”
This is a common question I’m asked by parents—and a question I love to hear because of what it implies! Those who have come to understand that they need to be teaching their kids the Bible at home often want to know where to begin.
If you have teenagers who will be out of the home soon (maybe within only a matter of months), my response would probably be to start in a Gospel. With limited time, you’ll want to get straight to the Person and work of Jesus in His earthly ministry, explaining what Christ has done to save sinners.
On the other hand, if you have a younger child, perhaps around eight years old (with many more years of discipleship available), my response is always the same: start in Genesis!
Why Genesis?
Known in Hebrew as Bereshit (“In the beginning”), the book of Genesis starts exactly there: in the beginning. Though the book of Job was likely written before Moses wrote Genesis, the book of Genesis takes the reader all the way back to the first day of creation. It only makes sense to begin where the universe began. Furthermore, because Genesis describes the foundation of our world, it also provides a foundation for our worldview.
Ken Ham, of Answers in Genesis (AiG), says the following:
“When you build a house, you build from the foundation up—not the roof down. You need the right foundation for everything else to be built upon. The Bible is, in essence, similar in that the first book, Genesis, is the foundation for the rest of the Bible. All biblical doctrines are founded directly or indirectly in Genesis. The first 11 chapters are foundational to the Christian worldview—to all doctrines, including the saving gospel (e.g., Genesis 3:15).”[1]
He further explains that in just those opening chapters, we encounter the framework to rightly understand all sorts of issues like marriage, gender, clothing, abortion, fossils, and the age of the earth.
Beyond those reasons, Genesis is also a great first book for those who have never taught their kids any portion of Scripture. Many parents wouldn’t feel comfortable starting Bible time at home in books like Leviticus, Ezekiel, or Zechariah—and to be honest, I don’t blame them! Those books are vital for our faith, and need to be taught, but Genesis is a much more approachable text. Kids are typically more ready to begin in Genesis too, since accounts like the days of creation, tower of Babel, and worldwide Flood naturally pique their interest.
Two Resources to Help
With that said, I want to recommend just two resources to help you get started:
The first resource (free!) is found right here at Expository Parenting Ministries: A Teaching Outline for the Book of Genesis.
Before the first day you teach your kids, read through the entire Genesis overview on your own, which will only take you around thirty minutes. This will help you get a feel for the entire book, tracking the ebb and flow of the narratives, understanding various theological aspects, identifying any difficult portions, and thinking about the redemptive ways you can point to Christ. Then, when you decide to begin teaching your kids, start with the first section of the outline (titled “The Origin of the World”). Walk them through creation week according to the seven sub-points of that first section, explaining how God made the universe in six literal days followed by a day of rest. Teaching this first section might take around twenty or thirty minutes depending on any discussion or questions your kids have. With that said, if your kids have a shorter attention span (especially if this is their first time beginning to learn the Bible at home) it’s ok to do only part of any given section—just finish it up the next time you sit down with your kids. On subsequent days when you do Bible time, just pick back up wherever you left off, breaking down the text section by section with the outline’s help, telling your kids about our great God.
The second resource is the Answers in Genesis Commentary on Genesis 1-11: Creation to Babel: A Commentary for Families.
This commentary covers the first eleven chapters of Genesis with brilliant insights from the AiG team, covering all kinds of theological and apologetic issues that arise from these foundational chapters. If you aren’t accustomed to reading Bible commentaries, or don’t consider yourself much of scholarly person, no worries! First off, you don’t need to read the entire book in advance; just read enough to prepare for each section you’re going to teach your kids. Second, this book is intentionally written at an accessible level (that’s why it’s called “A Commentary for Families”). Far from being a dry, academic work, Ken Ham uses ordinary language to explain all the ins and outs of these chapters. And he covers a host of questions that maybe your kids will ask, such as, “Are Birds Dinosaurs?” (page 75), “Cain’s Wife - Who Was She?” (page 149), and “Enough Room on the Ark?” (page 182). You’ll be equipped to give your kids the confidence that God’s Word has the answers. As if that weren’t enough, this commentary contains brilliant artwork throughout, which you can, and should, use while teaching your kids! As you sit down with them for Bible time, open up this commentary and show your kids the associated pictures to help them comprehend what you’re saying. It’s a perfect partner to the aforementioned teaching outline!
(My review of this commentary is featured on the Answers in Genesis website here).
Make the Most of It
My hope and prayer is that with these things in mind, you would feel confident to begin teaching your kids the book of Genesis. If you’re asking where to begin teaching your kids the Bible, your heart is in the right place. Hopefully, now your head is, too.
Make the most of your time together. Make the most of the time you have left. And make the most of Christ.
As always, if you need help, just reach out. You’re not alone. May God bless you as you begin.
References:
[1] https://answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham/2016/12/29/genesis-foundation-of-christianity