Bucket List of Faith Questions for Kids

It is common to have a bucket list of activities that we want to do, but I was particularly touched by one blogger’s list of conversations she wants to have with her children before they leave home.

It is common to have a bucket list of activities that we want to do, but I was particularly touched by one blogger’s list of conversations she wants to have with her children before they leave home.

She came up with 60 must ask questions, which she divided into five categories: (1) The Bible, (2) Prayer, (3) Church, (4) Serving, and (5) Christian Living..  Here are a few of my favorites and why I like them so much:

 

The Bible:

“What should the role of the Bible be in a Christian’s life?”— I think most children in Christian homes understand that the Bible is important, but helping them formulate in their own words why it is important and how the Word of God affects their life will go along way toward helping them value it more.

 

“How do you study the Bible beyond just reading it?”— All too often people read the Bible as if they were “cherry picking.” They take the bits and pieces they like, but fail to grasp how it relates to the whole. Knowing how to study the Bible is an essential part of maturing in the faith (for a helpful book on Bible study see Howard Hendricks’s Living by the Book).

 

“What are some of the most noted apparent contradictions in the Bible and what are possible explanations?” — There are so-called ‘problem passages’ in Scripture, and unfortunately Christians have often had the reputation of glossing over them or even ignoring them completely. This should not be. Our faith, as well as the faith of our children, should be strong enough to be able to ask the difficult questions. Through asking the difficult questions our faith will grow more, as will our ability to think critically and with keen wisdom.

 

“What is the difference between descriptive and prescriptive passages in the Bible?” — Some passages list specific commands, but many passages are simply descriptive of particular events. We shouldn’t force more out of text than the Bible itself does. I’ll never forget the time that I heard a pastor use a narrative in the Bible to tell his congregation how long a woman’s dress, skirt, or shorts should be. But it is not just an interpretive error made by Christians, I recently heard some non-Christians making fun of the Bible for “endorsing” polygamy based on the on account of King Solomon’s numerous wives. Needless to say, God never commanded Solomon to marry several women. In fact, Scripture says quite the opposite and records that his wives brought about his downfall.

 

Prayer:

“What should you pray about?”—This is one question you can ask even young children. Developing a healthy prayer life starts young. This is a simple question that can yield profound answers.

 

“What are ways to use a prayer list to bolster your prayer life?” — Okay, to be honest, this is a question that I should probably ask myself as well.  We can always improve our prayer lives, and working together with your family is a great way to do this.

 

Church:

“Why does it matter if Christians go to church?” — In today’s fast-paced world, it seems easier and easier to skip church or perhaps even attend a virtual, online church. Others have been badly hurt or wounded by fellow believers and are scared to set foot in another church. Addressing some of the pros and cons with your children about participating in a local congregation of believers versus avoiding church is a helpful way to talk about these issues with your family.

 

“What should a Christian look at in selecting an appropriate church?” — Let’s face it. More than likely, our children are not going to attend their childhood church their whole lives. They’ll go off to college or move to another state and need to select a new church. It will help them now by discussing what things they appreciate about your current church and what things they think they should look for in a church.

 

Check out “6o Faith Questions I hope To Answer Before My Kids Leave Home” for the rest of her questions. If you have questions to add to the list, I’d love to hear them as I compose my own personal bucket list of questions for our family.