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This week as we are looking at how to study the Bible, here are some activities that you can use with your kiddos to for reinforcement. These “jots and tittles” can be used however you see fit in your family or homeschool Bible time. 🙂

Monday

Let’s practice some handwriting along with our memory verse from Psalm 119:10.

Memory Verse Practice – Week 2Download

Tuesday

It’s time to get the kiddos in on the learning plan for this year (school year)! If kids have some say-so, then they often will feel more invested in their learning. Talk to your kiddos and take their ideas into consideration. How would your littles like to explain what they have learned back to you? Let them teach the lessons back to you when you are done to see if they have retained the information. Will they act the lesson out? Will they simply narrate? Maybe they would rather draw a picture, or build the scene with Legos? I’ve even been known to let them make a Minecraft world to show me that they understood the material that we were learning. Would your older kiddos rather narrate or maybe write a short synopsis in a Bible study notebook?

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Don’t forget to check out the Pinterest board that includes lots of different ideas on how to study the Bible for you and your littles!

Also, don’t forget to find Jots and Tittles on Facebook or Instagram, and share what you are using for Bible study this year! It is my prayer that these jots and tittles for your littles will help you and your family figure out the best way to study the Bible together.

Sticky

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Happy New Year! This time of year, many are making resolutions for the new year. Hopefully, after reading through the first post, and some self-reflection, you have decided that you (and your family) want to spend more time in God’s Word this year. Next question… How exactly do you do that? How should we study the Bible?

I think the simple answer is…there’s no wrong way to study the Bible! Of course, there may be some techniques or approaches that work best for you and your family. But thankfully, as long as you are spending time in God’s Word, you will reap the benefits. If there was only one approved way to study, then I think it would be commanded in the Bible somewhere, but I haven’t found that. There are only a couple of Scriptures that mention the word study, like we discussed previously. There are a lot more Scriptures that speak of meditation–and I think therein lies the key to how we should study the Bible.

Reading vs. Meditation

Many folks will start a Bible reading plan in January. There are so many to choose from! You can even find websites (like www.Biblereadingplangenerator.com) that let you set the parameters for your plan. There is nothing wrong with this – at all. If it helps you spend time daily in the Word, then that is definitely a step in the right direction! May we all be like the Bereans that are spoken of in Acts 17:11:

These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

Acts 17:11, NKJV

Just beware… reading the Bible is really not enough. Searching the Scriptures, meditating on God’s Word takes things to a different, deeper level. If you are only reading enough verses to check off the required reading for the day, then you may be missing out on a real relationship with God’s Word. Truly dig in, read and then meditate on the passage. Bring those words to life! The Bible is not just an old book of words, it is God’s living Word (Hebrews 4:12).

True Meditation Takes Time

When I say “meditate,” that doesn’t involve a yoga pose and a low humming sound. It literally means “to think deeply or focus one’s mind for a period of time, to think deeply or carefully about something.” (from Oxford Languages on Google) This is definitely a skill that we need to work on diligently. True meditation doesn’t usually come naturally to many folks in this fast-paced world in which we live.

Do today’s Bible reading? Check. Move on.

Not so fast, my friend.

What good does it do for you to speed read through a passage and never even consider what it meant to the original audience or what it means for us today? This is where meditation comes in. And, this takes time.

Instead of just making a resolution to read the whole Bible or some part of the Bible this year, make a resolution to dig in deeper. Resolve to meditate on God’s Word. Set aside some amount of uninterrupted study time. If you need some quiet Mama time, then this period probably means that you need to be up before the kiddos or prepare to stay awake after they’ve gone to bed. But, why not start including your kids in this study? Teach them how to dig in to God’s Word and quietly focus on what it means for us. Of course, not many toddlers I know are going to really be able to do this… but they will learn from seeing Mama do it. Whatever time you decide, do it daily. Search the Scriptures. Meditate on all of the blessings that God provides.

OK…but how??

Back to the original question: how should we study the Bible? There are sooo many choices here. Revel in the liberty that we have. Change it up if what you are doing now does not make you (or your family) excited to sit down for Bible study. You can use a workbook of some sort if you like, you can use a devotional if you want, but I will caution you to let the Bible do the talking. Don’t let anyone (including me!) tell you what the Bible is or should be saying to you–read it for yourself! There are very few passages that are too difficult to figure out if you will put in the time. You may need to get out a dictionary or concordance, but it’s always best to let the Bible be its own commentary.

I have gathered many ideas into one Pinterest board for you to look at. There is absolutely nothing wrong with just using your Bible and a notebook (or notes app). If you need more ideas, feel free to peruse the ideas collected on Pinterest or elsewhere. You will find various iterations of the inductive method, Bible marking or coding, verse mapping, and a myriad of cute acrostic methods (like the IDEA method or SOAP method or REST or SALT, etc.). Maybe you want to do Bible journaling or outlining for you or your kids. If they are old enough, let them choose what they think will help them learn the best. Whatever you decide, just do it. Set aside the time daily, and dig in. You won’t regret it, that’s for sure.

Extras:

Memory Verse: “With my whole heart I have sought you; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! (Psalm 119:10, NKJV)

Jots and Tittles for Mamas – some meditation/ journaling ideas for this week

Jots and Tittles for Littles – reinforcement activities for the littles in your life

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2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV – “Be diligent to present (KJV-Study to show) yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

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Hi, there! Here are a few ideas for Bible activities for littles as you work to implement more Bible study time for your kids. Your bigger kids may use some of these ideas also, but they can also jump in with you in this week’s “jot and tittles for mamas” page.

Monday

Do you know any songs about reading the Bible?

Pick a song that you can sing all week! It can be a “kid’s song” or a hymn. Some ideas are “The B-I-B-L-E” or “The More We Read the Bible.” If you don’t know any songs, then check out one list here, or search YouTube for songs that you can learn! I especially like the song “Read Your Bible and Pray Everyday” to go with this week’s theme. Singing songs and hymns can play a very integral part in Bible study for kids.

Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday

The memory verse for this week is a little long, so I’ve divided it into three parts for memory and writing practice.

Research has shown that the more that you interact with a reading or a subject, the more likely you are to remember it. By listening to a memory verse, then saying it, and then writing it (if your littles are of writing age), they are much more likely to remember it. Bonus points if you can put the words to music or use hand or body motions to help cement those words in their minds. Who am I kidding? These options aren’t just helpful for the littles, but tired mama brains can use them, too!

Friday

Keep singing your song and keep practicing your memory verse. Talk to your family about why you think it is important to learn more about God’s Word. It is so great that you are learning from the Bible at a young age because it will help you for the rest of your life! I’m proud of you!

Final thoughts for the week

Finally! We made it! These are just some examples of Bible activities for littles. You can check out our Pinterest board for more ideas that you can use in Bible study for kids. Most importantly, keep reading your Bible and praying to God this week and beyond!

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Here are some daily Bible journaling prompts to go along with this week’s theme. If you aren’t the journaling type, or if you are using this study in a family setting, I hope that you can use these as thought and discussion question prompts. If you don’t have a Bible journal, you can use this printable: My Bible Journal

Monday

Just take a minute to think about your “why.” If you are the Bible journaling type, this would be a good time to think about why you want to make Bible study part of each day and set a goal for yourself. Write it down. This is only for you, unless you choose to share it with your family, so set a reasonable goal. If you are starting from scratch, start with something that you know you can and will do. Maybe it’s reading your Bible for 5-10 minutes a day, maybe you’ll just follow along with us here, maybe you’ll read one chapter a day. If I could make a suggestion, choose a goal for reading the Word (how God talks to you) as well as a goal for praying (how you talk to God). A relationship with God takes both. 🙂

Tuesday

We are talking about studying, but other Bible versions may use different wording. In your journal for today, take a minute to look up 2 Timothy 2:15 in your Bible and write it down. I usually use the New King James Version (NKJV), but there are many versions to choose from. The NKJV says to “be diligent to present yourself approved to God.” Some versions mention “doing your best.” When you write the Bible verse, take the time to look up any words that you are unsure of. Take time to write a definition of what the word(s) means to you.

I’m going to think about what diligence means, and how I can be more diligent in my study of God’s Word. Looking back at the goals that we wrote yesterday, is there anything that you need to change?

Wednesday

A synonym for study is meditate. One of my favorite Bible verses is Philippians 4:8:

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things.”

Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

In your journal today (or maybe on a note card or sticky note), write out either Philippians 4:8, or some other Bible verse that talks about meditating on God’s Word or on the lovely things of this life. Along with our memory verse in 2 Timothy, meditate on this verse going forward this week. 🙂

Thursday

Why does the Word of God matter so much? What is the Word? Who is the Word?

For today, write these verses from John 1 and meditate/discuss/journal about the Word that is mentioned here. How do these verses make you feel? I hope that they bring you the joy and comfort that they bring to me!

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1: 1-5, 14 (NKJV)

Friday

As we go out into the world, we’re not alone. We are also not defenseless. I hope that you find comfort in your study of God’s Word, because you will be more prepared to deal with all of the problems that come along with this world. We can be confident that this world is not our home, but that we are working to make it to our final home with God!

Remember that God has provided his children with a coat of armor to help us fight against the evil that surrounds us. It is up to us to put it on and use it correctly. As you read through Ephesians 6:10-18, familiarize yourself with the armor that God has prepared for you. Write these Scriptures in your journal or meditate on them today, especially paying attention to the ONE piece of this armor that is both used for defense and offense.

“And take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;”

Ephesians 6:17b (NKJV)

Final Thoughts

At the end of the week, I hope that you have decided to become more diligent in your Bible study. If you are working through this study with your littles, make sure to keep singing the song that they picked out for this week, and keep practicing the memory verse.

If you are looking for other ideas for Bible study or Bible songs for the kids, I hope that you’ll check out our Pinterest boards for some ideas.

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Introduction

Have you seen the meme going around that says something to the effect that there are 2 types of friends–one who is ready to go anywhere and do anything (no questions asked) and the other who wants to know where we are going, who is going to be there, why we are going, etc.? I’m definitely Friend #2! With anything new, I think that it’s really important to start with the big picture and answer the big picture questions first. So, why should we study the Bible anyway? What is the point of spending time in God’s Word on a daily or weekly basis? Why should I want to make this a habit in my life (and the lives of my kiddos)?

Finding your “why”

Let’s start this week by deciding why you should start or add to a daily or weekly Bible study time for you and your family. There is a trend among entrepreneurs, influencers, and other celebrities sharing their “Why”. Why do they do what they do? This may include a “who” also…who are they working for? This actually seems like a pretty good place to start this study…

So, what is your why? By the way, this is not just a question for you, Mama. Ask your kids (big or little) why they think it’s important to study God’s Word. This is not something that we are doing to our family, it’s something that we are doing with them and for them.

Why should we study the Bible anyway?

What if you are starting from scratch? What if you don’t really know why? And, what if you and/or your kids haven’t really learned much about God before now? Well, there is a reason that you are reading this blog post today. I’m not sure why, but I sure am glad that you are here!

So, why are we studying the Bible at my house? I want my family to feast on God’s Word. How can you hunger and thirst for something that you’ve never tasted? (Matthew 5:6) It’s too easy to walk in from one church service and put my Bible on the table, only to grab it when walking out the door to church the next time. Just like a menu plan for my family, or a homeschool lesson plan for my littles, I need a Bible lesson plan, too! I want Bible study to become a part of every day… that way we’ll realize that we are missing something if we skip it – the ultimate FOMO!

Jots and Tittles for the Week

Memory Verse – 2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV – “Be diligent to present (KJV-Study to show) yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

I’ve created some daily journaling/ thought prompts for mamas (and big kids) to go along with this week’s focus here.

You can find some activities for your littles here.

Though you can find all of this information on this website, you can also follow along with the weekly themes on Facebook or Instagram.

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Welcome! This blog has been many years in the making, and I’m so glad that you are here!

This blog will serve as a place for me to share with you the Bible study that I am doing, as well as the study that I am having with my kids each day during our homeschool time. Even if you aren’t a mama, if your kids aren’t homeschooled, or if you are only looking for a weekly Bible study (as opposed to daily), I think that you will find something here to help you on your journey. That is my prayer for us all!

As a mom, my goal is to teach my kids everything that they need to know about the Bible. As a New Testament Christian, it’s important to me that they understand the nature of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. I believe that the Bible is God’s inerrant Word, and therefore I prefer to study the Bible alone, letting the Word provide its own commentary. If this resonates with you, I sure hope that you will stick around so we can study and grow together.