Bible Instruction: All We Need Is the Bible

“I’ve read the last page of the Bible, it’s all going to turn out alright.” -Billy Graham

"The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.” -A.W. Tozer

Photo by Madeleine Ragsdale

There are no curriculums used for instruction in God's word at Maricopa Christian Academy. Yes, we do use some very helpful support materials, but there is no curriculum we use to teach Bible.

Why is that important you may ask? Should we not use a curriculum to guide our teachers as they instruct in such a key component of our school? Do we not use curriculums in everything else you teach?

Good questions. And here is the answer. I want each individual teacher to show her students the love she has for her God, the hope she has for her savior and the example of her faith supported by the Holy Spirit. And I think when a teacher reads the Bible and then has to share the material in a way her students can understand, she grows and her students grow.

I think this is best shown in how we approach our daily time in the Bible. Every day a reading by the teacher occurs after an opening prayer. The reading is usually a chapter from either the Old or New Testaments.

The teacher will then discuss the main points of the reading through questions, discussion and/or a short lecture. The students will then answer questions, usually two to five on paper on the day's reading. Then depending on the morning, students will spend time memorizing scripture, working on Bible map work or coloring a page about the reading.

For grades first through sixth, the only support materials we consistently use are the BIble Study Guide for All Ages and Memlock. The Bible Study Guide for All Ages provides a reading schedule that alternates between Old and New Testament readings, a bank of questions after each reading the teacher has the options to use and some supportive activities a teacher may include after the daily Bible reading.

The goals for the daily Bible readings are simple. We want to support those children who are professing believers in their daily walk with their Lord. And for those students who do not know Jesus as their savior, to provide a daily witness through his word.

Any questions or comments, please contact me.