Above all else, I love my kids and that is the biggest reason why I homeschool. They deserve the very best that I can give them. I enjoy them, and enjoy having them around, I want to watch them grow up and be a big part of shaping them, and of who they become as adults.
I want them to love eachother and love family more then peers. I want them to grow up watching people who are trying to live for the Lord, and teach them that HE is most important.
I don't want them spending 40 hours a week in a place that deny's Christianity.
I have to stand before God someday and will be judged how I took care of the gifts he gave me, how I discipled them to grow in a relationship with the Lord. If I caused them to sin or if I didn't. I'm responsible for their holiness.
God entrusted these kids to me, they are a gift. Do I know that God loves them more than I do? You bet, but that doesn't mean I can just say, "Oh, God will watch over them at school". I need to do my part in taking care of their faith, helping them grow in the Lord, giving them influences of people that are living for the Lord and not sending them out in a fallen world to find their way when they are young.
I compiled a list of verses to look back on, and some other thoughts, and some quotes from books that I've read to come back to on days when I forget why I am doing this. Days when no one wants to do school, or listen, or days that don't go like I would like them to. I know I will need to look at something that reminds me why I am homeschooling.
Romans 12:2
2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. [a] 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. [a] 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Proverbs 13:20 (New International Version)
20 He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.
20 He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.
Ephesians 6:4 (King James Version)
4And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
( Are a few hours a week sufficient?, when we give our children over to a public school that is constitutionally prohibited from being for Christ, we have made an anti-Christian institution our child's teacher. That is missing the mark- it is likely to cause our children to sin.)
4And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
( Are a few hours a week sufficient?, when we give our children over to a public school that is constitutionally prohibited from being for Christ, we have made an anti-Christian institution our child's teacher. That is missing the mark- it is likely to cause our children to sin.)
Matthew 18:6 (New International Version)
6But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
6But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
2 Corinthians 6:14 (New International Version)
Do Not Be Yoked With Unbelievers 14Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
Do Not Be Yoked With Unbelievers 14Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
1 Corinthians 15:33 (New International Version)
33Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."
33Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."
Colossians 2:8 (New International Version)
8See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. ( youth are taught anti-God, anti-biblical, worldly beliefs all of which contradict the Word of God at public schools!)
8See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. ( youth are taught anti-God, anti-biblical, worldly beliefs all of which contradict the Word of God at public schools!)
John 17:15-16 (New International Version)
15My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.
15My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.
Romans 14:13 (New International Version)
13Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.
13Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.
Psalm 127:3 (New International Version)
3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.
3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.
Matthew 6:24 (Amplified Bible)
24No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be [a]against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon ([b]deceitful riches, money, possessions, or [c]whatever is trusted in).
24No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be [a]against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon ([b]deceitful riches, money, possessions, or [c]whatever is trusted in).
Matthew 12:30 (New Living Translation)
30 “Anyone who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me.
( Christ tells us that we can't claim to be neutral with respect to him, we are either for him or against him. Education is no exception.)
30 “Anyone who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me.
( Christ tells us that we can't claim to be neutral with respect to him, we are either for him or against him. Education is no exception.)
2 Corinthians 10:5 (New International Version)
5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Galatians 6:9 (New International Version)
9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
John 15:18 (New International Version)
The World Hates the Disciples 18"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.
Apart from working out our own salvation, we as Christian parents, have no more important task on this earth than raising our children as the bible commands us. If we are giving our children over to an anti-Christian school for their education, we are failing to be faithful and we are haring our children spiritually, morally, and intellectually.
All public schools teach the irrelevance of God as a fundamental doctrine. Every day for 12 years the content and context of public schooling says there is no God, and even if there is, He does not matter. Ultimately, children learn these lessons from their public school teachers ~ Faith is private, subjective, and compartmentalized. Truth is relative, situational, and individualized. They teach virtues of openness, tolerance of things God hates. public schools are actively and aggressively non-Christian. They are training Christian children to be secularist- unbelieving believers.
The reality that Godless teaching and inappropriate conduct occur daily in public schools across the nation is a fact that is widely known and well documented.
The public school system has implemented policies that require teachers to instruct students that all life and humanity resulted from a cosmic accident that began billions of years ago, this instruction is stated as "scientific fact". According to 2 Corinthians 10:5 this mandatory instruction by the public school which contradicts the word of God is evil and reflects the hatred of God.
When parents place their children in the public school and the door is closed, they relinquish their authority to a system that has expelled God and instead, has embraced the teaching of worldly philosophies that directly contradict the teachings of the bible and the Lord Jesus Christ. Col 2:8.
When we Christian parents send our kids off to public school, we can only attempt to counter the secular teaching and influence to which the children are exposed to daily. They must also work hard to oppose the negative peer pressures brought on by the unbelieving companions who the kids associate with each day. It's not only important for kids to learn what the bible teaches, but it is also important for them to witness a godly lifestyle lived out in front of them on a daily basis. No one leaves a new born baby on it's own, believing it can fend for itself, the same attitude should apply to spiritual babes in Christ. parents are called to disciple their children, we should strive to be living examples of Godly disciples.
It's the parents whom God addresses in the training up of their children . (Proverbs 1:8 and 6:20, and Psalm 78:5, and Ephesians 6:4)
Proverbs 1:8- Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching
Psalm 78:5- 5 He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children
Ephesians 6:4-Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
The schools are deliberately de-christianizing, did you notice that Christmas isn't Christmas anymore? It's "winter break" or "winter party" Or there's no Easter party or Easter break anymore? Now it's "spring break" "spring party" .
Quotes from a book~
***" We are starting with the wrong question when we ask: Is it a sin to attend public schools? Better questions are- How will public schools disciple my children? How will public schools influence the lifestyle and worldview I am transferring to my kids? How will the content and context of public schools honor the Lordship of Christ in the education of my children?
Because the anti-Christian bias in public schooling is often subtle and implicit, many parents think it is also harmless. These moms and dad's may get concerned when teachers start handing out condoms, but they do not bat an eye when secularism saturates every book and class."
"Many concerned Christian parents are now "trying" Christian education with the caveat that they can always return to public school if it gets too hard or costly. This is similar to entering Christian marriage with the conscious thought that one will get a divorce if things do not work out. Christian parents should see choosing a public school as analogous to choosing a divorce, a grievous, heart breaking decision made only as a last resort. Public schooling is simply the wrong answer for Christian families. We should not line up at the public school trough just because the swill is familiar, convenient and free"
" We are to cast down every high thing exalting itself against the knowledge of God. (2 Corinthians 10: 4-5) Therefore, we must recognize and treat public schooling for what it is- a modern day Tower of Babel."
"When Christians educate their children in the same manner as non-Christians, they send an undeniable message of agreement with non-Christian values, beliefs, and practices taught in public schools. Conformity does not witness to the lost, but falsely reinforces their unbelief.
Instead Christians should reflect God's grace and truth by demonstrating biblical alternatives to the bankrupt philosophies around us. "
"The biblical injunction to be "salt and light" in a dark unsavory world is not fulfilled by embracing the public school but by engaging the public square. We are responsible to give an account for the hope within us, and this includes being able to explain and demonstrate our principled rejection of public schools. Presenting a gracious antithesis to the secular confusion around us is a bold and necessary witness."
*** " The technicality of having no 11 th commandment explicitly prohibiting the use of public schooling is a sad defense for poor biblical exegesis. Notable passages such as Deuteronomy 6 and Ephesians 6 clearly make Christian education a biblical imperative and parental responsibility."
Yet most Christian parents behave as if there are passages in the bible instructing them to give the education of their children over to anti-Christian government schools and telling them that exposing their children to Christianity tow or three hours a week is good enough.
Clearly there are many ways to lead a Christian child to sin, but none is surer then placing them under false teaching.
Every passage that mentions education of children makes it clear that parents are responsible. In Deut 6:6-7 the Lord tells PARENTS to teach their children. In Proverbs 22:6 PARENTS are told. Ephesians 6:4- FATHERS.
Proverbs 1:8-9 children are told to hear the instruction of their PARENTS.
When people say that my children should be "salt and light" in the schools, I think they are wrong. They can be salt and light in the neighborhood, or at the Y, or go to visit old people in a nursing home, anywhere in the community I take them.
Christ was not speaking to 5 year olds, 10 year olds or 15 year olds when he gave the Great commission, or when he described his disciples as "salt and light". Christian adults bear this responsibility, not children. In fact, the bible is quite clear that children require nurturing, training, and yes, even being "set apart" for a season. As Psalm 144:11-12 tells us.
Kids need time to grow and develop before facing a hostile and sinful world on their own. Child hood is a time of discipling.
Children don't have the experience to be evangelists for the Christian faith, given the onslaught of secular humanism, and demand for conformity in public schools.
Our God is a jealous God. We may not put other gods before him, and we cannot be double minded in the way we live our lives. As Jesus said in Matthew 12:30, "He who is not with me is against me." an education that attempts to distance itself from a commitment to Christianity, and to treat all religious beliefs as equal, is profoundly anti-Christian.
It's proven that homeschoolers outperform public school kids, hands down. Colleges seek out homeschool kids.
The World Hates the Disciples 18"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.
Apart from working out our own salvation, we as Christian parents, have no more important task on this earth than raising our children as the bible commands us. If we are giving our children over to an anti-Christian school for their education, we are failing to be faithful and we are haring our children spiritually, morally, and intellectually.
All public schools teach the irrelevance of God as a fundamental doctrine. Every day for 12 years the content and context of public schooling says there is no God, and even if there is, He does not matter. Ultimately, children learn these lessons from their public school teachers ~ Faith is private, subjective, and compartmentalized. Truth is relative, situational, and individualized. They teach virtues of openness, tolerance of things God hates. public schools are actively and aggressively non-Christian. They are training Christian children to be secularist- unbelieving believers.
The reality that Godless teaching and inappropriate conduct occur daily in public schools across the nation is a fact that is widely known and well documented.
The public school system has implemented policies that require teachers to instruct students that all life and humanity resulted from a cosmic accident that began billions of years ago, this instruction is stated as "scientific fact". According to 2 Corinthians 10:5 this mandatory instruction by the public school which contradicts the word of God is evil and reflects the hatred of God.
When parents place their children in the public school and the door is closed, they relinquish their authority to a system that has expelled God and instead, has embraced the teaching of worldly philosophies that directly contradict the teachings of the bible and the Lord Jesus Christ. Col 2:8.
When we Christian parents send our kids off to public school, we can only attempt to counter the secular teaching and influence to which the children are exposed to daily. They must also work hard to oppose the negative peer pressures brought on by the unbelieving companions who the kids associate with each day. It's not only important for kids to learn what the bible teaches, but it is also important for them to witness a godly lifestyle lived out in front of them on a daily basis. No one leaves a new born baby on it's own, believing it can fend for itself, the same attitude should apply to spiritual babes in Christ. parents are called to disciple their children, we should strive to be living examples of Godly disciples.
It's the parents whom God addresses in the training up of their children . (Proverbs 1:8 and 6:20, and Psalm 78:5, and Ephesians 6:4)
Proverbs 1:8- Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching
Psalm 78:5- 5 He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children
Ephesians 6:4-Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
The schools are deliberately de-christianizing, did you notice that Christmas isn't Christmas anymore? It's "winter break" or "winter party" Or there's no Easter party or Easter break anymore? Now it's "spring break" "spring party" .
Quotes from a book~
***" We are starting with the wrong question when we ask: Is it a sin to attend public schools? Better questions are- How will public schools disciple my children? How will public schools influence the lifestyle and worldview I am transferring to my kids? How will the content and context of public schools honor the Lordship of Christ in the education of my children?
Because the anti-Christian bias in public schooling is often subtle and implicit, many parents think it is also harmless. These moms and dad's may get concerned when teachers start handing out condoms, but they do not bat an eye when secularism saturates every book and class."
"Many concerned Christian parents are now "trying" Christian education with the caveat that they can always return to public school if it gets too hard or costly. This is similar to entering Christian marriage with the conscious thought that one will get a divorce if things do not work out. Christian parents should see choosing a public school as analogous to choosing a divorce, a grievous, heart breaking decision made only as a last resort. Public schooling is simply the wrong answer for Christian families. We should not line up at the public school trough just because the swill is familiar, convenient and free"
" We are to cast down every high thing exalting itself against the knowledge of God. (2 Corinthians 10: 4-5) Therefore, we must recognize and treat public schooling for what it is- a modern day Tower of Babel."
"When Christians educate their children in the same manner as non-Christians, they send an undeniable message of agreement with non-Christian values, beliefs, and practices taught in public schools. Conformity does not witness to the lost, but falsely reinforces their unbelief.
Instead Christians should reflect God's grace and truth by demonstrating biblical alternatives to the bankrupt philosophies around us. "
"The biblical injunction to be "salt and light" in a dark unsavory world is not fulfilled by embracing the public school but by engaging the public square. We are responsible to give an account for the hope within us, and this includes being able to explain and demonstrate our principled rejection of public schools. Presenting a gracious antithesis to the secular confusion around us is a bold and necessary witness."
*** " The technicality of having no 11 th commandment explicitly prohibiting the use of public schooling is a sad defense for poor biblical exegesis. Notable passages such as Deuteronomy 6 and Ephesians 6 clearly make Christian education a biblical imperative and parental responsibility."
Yet most Christian parents behave as if there are passages in the bible instructing them to give the education of their children over to anti-Christian government schools and telling them that exposing their children to Christianity tow or three hours a week is good enough.
Clearly there are many ways to lead a Christian child to sin, but none is surer then placing them under false teaching.
Every passage that mentions education of children makes it clear that parents are responsible. In Deut 6:6-7 the Lord tells PARENTS to teach their children. In Proverbs 22:6 PARENTS are told. Ephesians 6:4- FATHERS.
Proverbs 1:8-9 children are told to hear the instruction of their PARENTS.
When people say that my children should be "salt and light" in the schools, I think they are wrong. They can be salt and light in the neighborhood, or at the Y, or go to visit old people in a nursing home, anywhere in the community I take them.
Christ was not speaking to 5 year olds, 10 year olds or 15 year olds when he gave the Great commission, or when he described his disciples as "salt and light". Christian adults bear this responsibility, not children. In fact, the bible is quite clear that children require nurturing, training, and yes, even being "set apart" for a season. As Psalm 144:11-12 tells us.
Kids need time to grow and develop before facing a hostile and sinful world on their own. Child hood is a time of discipling.
Children don't have the experience to be evangelists for the Christian faith, given the onslaught of secular humanism, and demand for conformity in public schools.
Our God is a jealous God. We may not put other gods before him, and we cannot be double minded in the way we live our lives. As Jesus said in Matthew 12:30, "He who is not with me is against me." an education that attempts to distance itself from a commitment to Christianity, and to treat all religious beliefs as equal, is profoundly anti-Christian.
It's proven that homeschoolers outperform public school kids, hands down. Colleges seek out homeschool kids.
