Read the Bible, not someone’s thoughts about the Bible. The best devotionals make the Bible the primary source and keep the gospel central to each section of Scripture.

The practice consists of reading the Bible as a family, praying and praising God through music. If you have not developed the habit of regularly reading and discussing the Bible with your grandchildren, then this is a high impact priority for you to implement.

God instructs grandparents to teach grandchildren the truths of Scripture. Deuteronomy 4:9 states, “Teach these things to your children and children’s children.” In Psalm 78:5 God commands grandparents to teach multiple generations to obey God’s commands.

Throughout church history the primary method to teach and disciple young people has been called family worship. Family worship is the means of introducing children to the truths of Scripture and preparing children for the Christian life.

Consider a Few Practical Thoughts

Read the entire Bible to children. The pattern of Scripture is to teach children the deep truths of Scripture. For example, children were not excused when theologically weighty topics were covered in the Colossian or Ephesian church. Children were present to be told to obey parents and therefore were taught everything contained in these two books.

Read briefly. Remember, they are children. The younger a grandchild is, the shorter their attention span will be. Don’t expect your grandchild to study the Bible like an adult. Try to keep your family reading concise and to the point, but meaningful. Ten minutes is a good amount of time to begin.

Your goal is to explain the Bible passage clearly and biblically, engage grandchildren in the process, and help them apply God’s truth to life.

Teach Grandchildren the Core Truths of Christianity

Grandparents should teach grandchildren of all ages the core truths of the Christian faith with a zeal and consistency that follows the pattern of the Bible. In 2 Timothy 3:15 we read of Timothy, “From childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.” Psalm 71:17 says, “Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.”

The pattern of Scripture is for children of all ages to be taught the core truths of the Bible so that they will be firmly rooted in Christ and established in their faith (Colossians 2:7).

Big Picture of the Bible

The Bible is not a random collection of people or events. It is a unified whole with one main storyline pointing to, revolving around, and fulfilled in Jesus. There are four major parts of the Bible: creation (Genesis 1–2), rebellion (Genesis 3), salvation (Genesis 4 – Revelation 20), and re-creation (Revelation 21–22). As you read through the Old Testament, help grandchildren see how it points to Jesus and his covenant of salvation. Jesus himself did this: “And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, he explained to them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:27).

The primary aim of the Bible is to glorify God and this happens in salvation and judgment found on every page of the Bible. Read and reread the stories of the Bible to your grandchildren with this in mind. Familiarize them with the main stories, people, and events of the Bible, but not in a way that detaches them from the overall storyline of Scripture.

Teaching the big picture of the Bible accomplishes two things. First, it answers the big questions of life such as: Where did I come from? What is the purpose of life? Who am I? What went wrong in the world? Why is there pain and suffering? What is the answer to all the problems? What happens after I die?

Second, it trains young people with a biblical view of life so they have the ability to detect and reject the world’s big lies.

Core Truths of the Christian Faith

Doctrine is simply a word to describe what the Bible teaches. The two most critical doctrines for grandchildren to learn center on the Word of God and the Son of God. It is a mark of successful grandparenting to teach grandchildren the inerrancy, authority, and sufficiency of the Bible.

It should be a high priority for all grandparents to train grandchildren to embrace the supremacy, exclusivity, deity, and Lordship of Jesus Christ.

In addition, grandparents must repeatedly, with greater depth as grandchildren age, teach topics such as the character and existence of God, God’s design for marriage between one man and one woman, biblical manhood and womanhood, Christ-honoring sexuality, stewardship of time, talents, and treasures, and wise choices based on godly character.

Paul challenges young Timothy to “watch your life and your doctrine closely” (1 Timothy 4:16). Every grandchild needs to understand the core truths of the Christian faith to grow into a man or woman with convictions to follow God.

An Example: Lois

Lois was the grandmother to Timothy and played an important role in his spiritual life (2 Timothy 1:5). The apostle Paul suggests that Lois taught Timothy the Scriptures from an early age, which became foundational in his following Christ (2 Timothy 3:14–15).

Grandparents might consider three principles of instruction for teaching grandchildren: early instruction, frequent instruction, and biblical instruction.

Research reveals that upwards of 80 percent of individuals become Christians before age twelve. The early years are important because children are most moldable at this stage of life.

There is no substitute for Scripture-based teaching as it is the means God uses for salvation of the young.

Key Tools

Donald Whitney has written a concise and practical book called Family Worship. It provides a quick overview of family worship in the Bible, in church history, and covers the three primary components of family worship.

Scripture references are in English Standard Version (ESV).