Parenting with Scripture: A Topical Guide for Teachable Moments

"Basically, this title says it all. This book is a parenting guide that uses the Bible as a teaching tool. I found it very interesting and useful. The author, Kara Durbin, goes over some of the ways she has used the Bible, even when her kids were very young, to teach them what the Bible teaches on different topics, not just about right and wrong. Kara even uses a passage from Deuteronomy to explain what teachable moments are; anytime you and your child are together.

What I found the most useful, was the way the book is set up. This is a book you will use on a daily basis if you have kids, long after you have finished reading it. After you read the intro and the teachable moments chapter, Kara lists 15 fabulous verses to memorize, they cover a broad array of topics that you may need/want to use when teaching your kids on a regular day, such as; Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.—EPHESIANS 6:1. Kara even gives some methods to help both you and your kids memorize the scripture verses, breaking it down by age. Kara also talks a bit about praying and how to pray with your children.

But, the best chapter, in my opinion, is the Topics chapter. In this chapter Kara lists almost anything you can think of that you may need to parent a child on, for example, anger, in alphabetical order, like a dictionary. First, she gives the definition of the word, then she lists verses where anger is discussed in the Bible, and lastly she has some discussion questions to use with your kids and a take action part that gives some real life reinforcement activities you can use.

I know that this will be a book that I will use when I have kids. It is a great tool if you want to teach your kids how to interact with the Bible in their daily lives and what the Bible teaches us about almost everything under the sun. I highly recommend this book to parents, Sunday school teachers, or even to teachers at a private school where you can talk about the Bible." Reviewed by Sarah Inserra, Net Galley April 7, 2012

"This book has become indespensible in my house! We have tried for several years to connect God's word to behaviours we exhibit, both good and bad. That means a lot of time looking up verses and a lot of times I say "God tells us in His word......." but I can't remember the exact verse. This book makes it quick and easy to find verses that relate to everything from sharing, to anger, to compassion, to honesty, to so much more!

Before you start thinking this is just a compilation of Bible verses, let me fill you in. Each quality includes a definition to begin with so that you and your children really know what the word means. This is especially important for little kids. Then there are several Bible verses that include the quality. This is followed by a few discussion questions and then a Take Action section that encourages you to do something with what you have learned. Then there are parenting tips for both young and older children. This is followed by a listing of any related topics that are also in the book so you can cross reference them.

The design of the book lends itself to topical family Bible studies. We used the Family Character Assessment from We Choose Virtue  to identify our weak spots and started studying from there using this book as a resource. It has really helped me to lead my children and myself towards more biblical behavior." Reviewed by Ginny Blankenship, Net Galley April 8, 2012

"I love this book.  I don't like very many parenting books because they can be such a beat down but this book is so refreshing.  Perhaps because it uses the Bible instead of quotes from famous parents.  There are so many reasons I love this book.

First up, it is topic based, alphabetically so if you are in frantic state needing assurance immediately you can quickly locate the chapter on, say, "Stress."  The first page of each chapter starts with a definition of the word then followed by the quoted scripture.  The second page has discussion points, take action suggestions, a parenting tip, and ending with related topics if you need to read more. 

The second part of this book I love is what comes after the topics:  Scripture Appendix, giving you a quick list of Be Attitudes, 10 Commandments, etc; 15 Fabulous Verses to Memorize, memorization methods for all ages of children, and how to pray scripture for your children. This book should be on every parent's bookshelf!  Buy your copy today." Reviewed by Cary Plunkett, Net Galley April 9, 2012

"Parenting with Scripture is literally the best way to describe this book.  Ms. Durbin takes scripture and teachable moments for parents to use as a reference.  She does a great job at using situations that could come up in a child's life and using verses to help guide the child on his/her path of faith.  She recommends that parents use this for children two years old and up.  Heck I'm sure that if I gave my mom this book she would use it for me :-)

Ok I'll admit, upon first starting to read this book, I felt an immense amount of guilt.  I was thinking my goodness I'm an educator and I haven't thought of using scripture to teach my kids in moments that they need it most. Thank goodness Kara Durbin thought to write a book for parents, because I don't think I would have thought of this on my own.  I'm not very good at memorization, so having scripture at the tip of my fingers when a teachable moment occurs is great.  This book is a great reference book, read it through once, but always have it on hand for that moment you need a verse to help you parent your child in a Godly way.  I should note that there is a section of verses that Ms. Durbin highly encourages the reader to memorize.  I plan on do that!" Reviewed by Breanna Parker, Net Galley April 28, 2012

"Parenting With Scripture is geared toward parents of children ages two through teens. It defines a teachable moment: how to find one and what it actually is. Discussion questions are designed to help the parent grab a hold of those teachable moments with his or her children. Different ideas can help you tailor each lesson to fit the individual situation. Included are verses that fit a variety of situations. Parents are encouraged to discuss the situation, pray about it with their children, and to memorize those verses." Reviewed by Andrea Coventry, Net Galley July 11, 2012 

"I’m so excited about this  book!  I loved the “Wise Words for Moms” wall chart, I only wished it were more in-depth — but Parenting with Scripture is.  As much as I want to parent with the living, active words of Scripture, it’s awfully hard to recall the correct ones to memory for every occasion.  Parenting with Scripture is well-organized, with indexes and cross-references, as well as points of action and discussion for all sorts of teachable moments." Reviewed by Gretchen Acheson, Net Galley August 15, 2012

"Parenting with Scripture is an easy to use topical resource that parents with young children can use when teachable moments arise. This effective guide helps teach young children how to think and apply God’s Word in their daily lives. Kara Durbin’s revised book helps parents capture those teachable moments and use Scripture to shape their children’s behavior. The 101 alphabetically sorted topics address behavior, attitude, emotions, and actions. Examples include Forgiveness, Humility, Anger and Procrastination. Each topic includes scripture passages, discussion questions, action items, and parenting tips. Questions and tips are written so older children can teach younger children. This new edition of Parenting with Scripture includes detailed help for parents to quickly identify teachable moments, and what to do when they appear. " Reviewed by Rachel Steffen, Net Galley September 28, 2012