Rest

Dalat students reason biblically by understanding and applying God’s word.

This Student Outcome Statement (SOS) has two main components: understanding and applying. At school, Bible classes focus on helping students to understand God’s word. The Bible class for each grade level has a specific focus, such as the names of God, the Old Testament, or Foundations of Faith (theology). Most of this is what we call “head knowledge.” The students learn what the Bible says and how to interpret its meaning.

The second part, applying God’s word, means putting into practice the things they have learned from the Bible. We focus on this at school during chapels, extra-curricular activities, mentoring, and small groups. In fact, we do our best to help the students apply God’s word to every subject they are learning in school.

The true understanding and application of God’s word is really a lifetime endeavor.

I have read through the Bible several times, and I still learn something new each time I re-read a passage. One of the key practices for me in applying God’s word is to specifically ask God, in prayer, for guidance and direction. The book of James (1:5) says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” This is foundational for me in understanding and applying God’s word.

Even though we do many things at school to help students apply and understand God’s word, it is even more important for parents to model and engage their children in this. Here are just a few ideas for you to try at home:

• Read the Bible together as a family. Some families create a group on a Bible app where they can discuss online even when they are far apart. Other families set aside a specific time in the day when everyone is together to read and discuss a verse or passage. Even if you only start with once a week, that time will still be valuable.
• When kids have decisions to make, guide them with biblical truth. We know that kids are always asking questions. It’s easy to direct them to Google, but try directing them to the Bible for the answers to life’s big questions.
• Model understanding and applying God’s word. Talk to your kids about when you ask God for guidance and direction. Let them see you reading the Bible.
• Pray with your children. Help them to pray in gratitude, for direction, and also for God to meet their needs. One practice I do with my middle school SAT group is to have them all share prayer requests. Then, I have the students each volunteer to pray aloud for a specific request. We take turns then praying aloud for each request. It is a real blessing when the kids pray for you, the parent!

I hope this gives you some ideas and inspiration to help your kids grow.

James 1:22 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”