Stuff to Ponder

I had a good block of time this weekend to catch up on my favorite blogs and articles, so I have an overflow of great things to share.  You might want to bookmark these to read later because I think they are all highly worth it.  (I use an app called Pocket to save stuff for reading when I have more time.)

Homeschooling IRL asks the provocative question, "Are You More Committed to Homeschooling or to Your Kids?"  An important question for all of us to ask.  This blog and podcast are definitely worth subscribing to.

Gracy Olmstead blogging over at The Gospel Coalition asks another one: "Should Christian Parents Ban Books?"  See if you agree with her thoughts.

And the always funny and sarcastic Matt Walsh takes on the two absolutely worst arguments against homeschooling.

Finally, a few thoughts from David Platt concerning a popular and sometimes controversial Christian book and movie that is in the news lately, to help us think carefully about how we know if Heaven Is For Real.

10 Ways the Gospel Shapes How We Homeschool

I haven't blogged in awhile and I've been thinking about starting up again.  So I cleaned up a little, deleted a few posts and thought I would re-introduce the blog by reposting a favorite (of mine) that reminds me why this blog is called "Gospel Centered Homeschooling".

How the gospel shapes our curriculum…

1.        The gospel shows us there is one grand story in all of history:  creation, fall, redemption and restoration.  All of our curriculum: history, science, literature, logic and others should be viewed in the light of that grand story. 

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.  Rom. 11:36

…these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31

2.       The heart of our purpose in homeschooling our kids should be to show them their role in this grand story, and to plead with them to become reconciled worshippers of the One True God.

Q:  What is the chief end of man?  A:  To glorify him and enjoy him forever.  (-Westminster Catechism)

3.       The gospel propels us outward in mission, leadership and service.  We should always be seeking to help our kids to discover their gifts and talents and the unique ways that the Lord may desire to use them to bring glory to Him and to serve others.  (Ephesians 2:10)

How the gospel shapes our approach to “The World”…

4.       The gospel tells us that we do not need to avoid the world fearfully, avoiding all contact with the “bad influence” of the lost people around us.

 “He who is in you is greater than He who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

“Take heart for I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)  .

5.       The gospel tells us that we once were those lost people!  Romans chapter 3 reminds us that “there is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.”  We are saved by grace, not by our works, not by our homeschooling, so that no one can boast.

6.       If we protect our kids from the world, it should be for the purpose of preparation to enter and engage the world.  The power to do this comes from the Holy Spirit through the new birth, not by religious observance (See Colossians chapter 2 and 3).  I fear that our protecting our kids can easily turn into becoming judgmental about all the wrong things in the world, so that we fear, hate and condemn the lost instead of having compassion on those who are enslaved to sin.

How the gospel shapes “The Rules”…

7.       The gospel reminds us that we are not saved by multiplying laws to keep ourselves from sinning.  Homeschoolers can be notorious for adding laws to follow, subtlely conveying that God will bless our efforts with our kids if we just keep all these laws.  This is a FALSE GOSPEL.  (See Galatians 1:6-7, 2:19-21, 3:1-14)

8.       The gospel reminds us that we are saved by grace, through faith. I’ve already said this in multiple forms, but it bears repeating, because I am always prone to wander!

For it is by grace, you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves – it is a gift of God, so that no one can boast.  Ephesians 2:8-9

How the gospel shapes our view of failure and success…

9.       The gospel reminds us that our performance is not the basis of our acceptance.  When we fail to live up to our standards, or the standards of others, we don’t have to despair.  Christ has covered all of our failures and imparts to us his righteousness – instead of despair we can have grateful joy.

10.   The gospel reminds us that all our efforts are grace-driven effort.  When we succeed, we are not proud, but humble recipients of grace from a merciful God.  There is no place for boasting in the Christian homeschool. 

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 1 Cor. 15:10

How does the gospel shape how you homeschool and in what practical ways?

You might also like this post:  More Ways the Gospel Shapes Our Homeschooling

 

Myths, Half-Truths and Propaganda Part 2

Last week I posted my list of Top 10 Homeschooling Myths, Half-Truths and Propaganda.  I was being a little silly and sarcastic, but my point is that you need to be aware of these things so that you can be discerning and not base your support for homeschooling on weak arguments or false expectations.   Here are the last five of my Top 10 list, and then I will have some thoughts about why all this is important.

Continuing from last Tuesday...

6. We don’t need no socialization!

Myth. 

If there is one question that homeschoolers get constantly it is, “What about socialization?”  So we have built up lots of arguments against this, almost to the point of refuting that it is even a legitimate issue at all.  Let’s face it, we have all seen homeschoolers who are the “stereotype” of a strange, awkward, unsocialized kid.  Most people I know don’t want to be “those homeschoolers”.  By that I mean, we don’t want to be so removed from the world that we can’t even communicate with it anymore.  And it can be difficult at times trying to find the right activities for your kids to get involved with, trying to balance protection and unrealistic sheltering, and making sure your kids are exposed to non-christian, non-homeschooled kids so they can learn to interact with people who are not like them!  If we ignore that this can be a challenge because we don’t want to acknowledge the repetitive socialization question, then we might be closing our eyes to a legitimate concern.

7.  “Train up a child” is a promise!

Half-Truth. 

Hold on, how can I say that the Bible is half-truth?!  “Train up a child in the way he should go and in the end he will not depart from it.” (Prov. 22:6)  The problem is not with the Bible, it is with the interpretation.  Here is a helpful alliterative phrase to help you with wisdom from the book of Proverbs:  “Proverbs are Principles not Promises.”  This means that it is a true principle that training up a child in the way they should go is a very good indicator that they will continue to follow in those ways.  The reverse principle is also true, if you don’t look to the ways you train a child, you can’t expect for them to follow in those ways.  But Proverbs are not promises or guarantees.  Look to any mature Christian parent and see how many have raised  all their children with exactly the same training and yet one follows the Lord and another doesn’t.  You see, we think that because we homeschool our kids we are then guaranteed that they will turn out great.  This is not what the passage means.  Salvation is of the Lord and if we don’t realize that, we will be trusting in our efforts and not in the power of Christ.

8.       Homeschooling protects my child from evil in the world.            

Myth.

The evil is not in the world, it is in US. We are the problem. Our hearts don't seek God, they are in rebellion against him. If we believe that all we need to do is to keep the external evil away from our children - we will be missing the most insidious evil: OUR attempts to be our own Savior through our own righteousness. I have a great book club going on right now on this subject, if you want to study this more!

9.  Government schools are the enemy.

Propaganda.

It is true that government schools are based on a naturalistic, secular worldview, that many times there is a subtle agenda towards teaching certain subjects according to the prevailing politically correct cause and that prayer and religious expression have all been eliminated from the classroom.  But let’s not be confused.  The enemy is Satan.  There are many public school teachers who  are Christians and who are battling that enemy in their classrooms.  There are Christians in our churches who maintain a high level of involvement as a witness in the midst of this highly secular environment, because they believe they have a calling to that mission field.  Public schools have good resources to offer to homeschoolers in terms of enrichment programs, testing services and sports programs to name just a few.  Many times the assistance offered by the public schools can help a new homeschooling family to transition into homeschooling on their own, or help them with academic resources and experts for free.  This leads me to #10…

10.  Homeschooling is the only biblical way to educate.

Half-Truth.

I think the case can be made (and has been strongly made) by homeschool speakers and advocates that parents are responsible for the education of their children.  I do not believe that we can then extend that to mean that every subject that a child is taught needs to be taught by the parent.  Most homeschoolers will admit that they take advantage of all kinds of resources – tutors, co-ops, computer learning, grandparents, other homeschooling parents to help them to teach their own children.  All of this occurs under the supervision of the parent, even if they aren’t the ones doing the teaching.  Additionally, if we were to say that children should only be educated by their parents then we would have to discount all kinds of biblical examples of children being educated by Rabbi’s in the synagogue.  This is likely the way that Jesus was educated, as all Jewish boys were educated this way.  Finally, if we are so dogmatic about this, what would I do if I were to have a debilitating stroke, my husband were to lose his job and we had no ability to educate our own kids?  We would send them to public, charter or private schools because this is what God has provided for us in that situation.  We would also trust that God would help us to continue to supervise their education, to disciple them in their faith and to help them to discern between truth and error.

Conclusion

Most of the first 5 in my list have been silly and harmless, but these last 5 are a little more touchy.  All 10 of them can have serious implications.  One big implication that comes from over-stating benefits is that it can lead to false expectations and assumptions about what things will be like.  Another implication is that we cannot notice our own blind-spots and weaknesses.  Finally, we can become prideful and exclusionist towards other believers who have not made the same educational choices that we have.  For all these things there is a remedy - Repent and Believe!  Your acceptance in Christ is not based on your performance, but on Christ who was the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Look to him and be amazed that he has given us access to the Father apart from our works, but on the basis of His Work - His life, death and resurrection.

More Ways the Gospel Shapes Homeschooling

I posted earlier this week my take on how the gospel shapes our homeschooling.  I also asked a few friends what their thoughts were on this subject.  I received one response today from a godly homeschooling dad and friend that I greatly respect, one so committed to the gospel he recently spent three years in Zambia sharing the gospel with the unreached Lozi people.  I thought you might enjoy his thoughts as well, so I will share them in their entirety. 
My friend, Shannon Reece, on the gospel and homeschooling....


When I think about how the gospel relates to doing anything, I almost always think of a small devotion by John Piper called "How to drink orange juice to the glory of God." It was ultra practical and helped me to see how the gospel relates to every part of life. I will borrow from some of his ideas below as I attempt to describe how the gospel relates to homeschooling.

First, every little innocent pleasure that we enjoy as a homeschooling family comes to us at great cost. It's free for us but only because Jesus Christ paid for it with his blood on the cross. Life is a gift. Homeschooling is a gift. (1 Tim. 6:17, Rom. 8:32)

Second, we deserve hell because we are all guilty of being rebels and God-haters; but instead we get to enjoy being together as a family, exploring and discovering the world that our God made, his purpose throughout redemptive history, and his unique purpose for us as part of the body of Christ.

Third, homeschooling continues to bring each of us face to face with his own weakness and inadequacy. There is a true and living God and none of us is him! He knows everything and we struggle to learn or to teach (especially higher math and science!). But God created the mysteries of the universe. He speaks math! Therefore we need him enable us to learn and understand. Another example - God never grows weary. We reconsider our decision to homeschool every year because my wife is exhausted or discouraged! So the gospel is not a one-time experience or "decision" that a person made. On the contrary, it's a new life of constant dependence on God, through Christ, for his gracious provision. We come moment by moment as needy children to a mighty and benevolent Father who is happy to supply what we need. (1 Pet. 4:11)

Fourth, we can't lose sight of the very purpose of the gospel; that is, to bring us to God. Jesus death made it possible for us to be reconciled to the very God whom we once hated. It makes it possible for former rebels like us to sit in the very presence of the One we have infinitely offended and fellowship with him! (1 Pet. 3:18) Homeschooling helps us all to know our God better.

 

 

Thanks Shannon!

Gospel Powered Parenting Book Club {Chapter 1}

Today we begin GCH's first ever book club!  We are reading William P. Farley's Gospel Powered Parenting together.  If you haven't got the book yet, you can join us at any point.  The posts for each chapter will remain open for comments until we finish the book - so you can join the discussion as you are able.  Today we are looking at the introduction and chapter one, which are available as a free sample from Amazon. 

 

 

Introduction

In the introduction, Farley explains how three things have affected his approach to parenting, and have prompted him to add to the huge number of books written on the subject of parenting.  Those three things are:

1. A steadily expanding understanding of the implications of the gospel for parenting
2. A realization that success in parenting had less to do with school choice than with the spiritual depth and sincerity of the parents, especially the father and
3. The centrality of the cross and the inner workings of the gospel. 

Also important in the introduction is his definition of the gospel.  He says, "The gospel is the incarnation of God's son, his sinless life, his substitutionary death, his bodily resurrection, and his ascension into heaven, from which he will someday return to earth in glory.  But the cross is the heart and soul of the gospel."

Chapter One:  Intellectual Submarines

Chapter one is also somewhat of an introduction to the book, as it lays the groundwork for the rest of the book by laying out some important assumptions.  He argues that to become a gospel-centered parent, we have to start with a gospel-centered worldview.  These assumptions comprise that worldview:

1. Parenting is not easy. Both children and parents are sinful, so we both need a Savior.
2. God is sovereign, but he uses "means".  In other words, God is the only one who can save our children, and yet he uses normal means of grace, (primarily parents) to reach them.
3. A good offense is better than defense.  Rather than "fear based parenting" which solely seeks to protect children from negative outside influences, we should have an offensive mind set, which seeks to go after the heart of our children through the "overwhelming, all-conquering power of the new birth."
4. Understand new birth.  Point three is further expanded in point four as he explains the importance of not "assuming" the new birth.  This is the section that was most compelling to me, so I will elaborate on that next.
5. Effective parents are not child-centered, but God-centered.  "In a God-centered family, everyone serves God by submitting to the authority over them."

Understanding New Birth

I want to spend some more time on what was, for me, a pretty big paradigm shift.  The idea that the new birth is something miraculous that I can't do for myself or for my children is something I don't think I had ever really thought through the implications of, until just recently in my Christian life.  Here are a few provocative quotes that I underlined that will hopefully spark some good discussion....

"Most Christian parents assume that church attendance or youth-group involvement equates to new birth." (p. 28)

"Even a child's testimony that he 'accepted Jesus' or 'asked Jesus into his heart' means very little.  That is because God initiates new birth.  Of course, the child is responsible to respond to God with faith and repentance.  But a child can go through these steps and not have the saving faith and repentance that point to new birth.  That is why it is foolish for parents to presume upon new birth.   New birth is a radical change of heart that ushers in new desires, new loves, and a new life direction." (p.28)

"The bottom line is this:  New birth is known by its fruits, not by a decision.  The most important fruit is hunger for God himself.  Effective parents assume this, and patiently wait for sustained fruit before they render a verdict." (p.30)

 Does that shake up your Christian worldview a little, or does this ring true with your experience and knowledge of scripture?  When I first started teaching my young son about Jesus, I really began looking forward to the time when he would be ready to "ask Jesus into his heart".  The fact was, I discovered it wouldn't be that hard to get any of my children to the point at which they were ready to do this.  All I really had to ask them was, "Don't you want Jesus to live in your heart so that you can be with him forever in heaven with mom and dad?"  Of course they did!  But when it came to it, I just couldn't present it that way!  It didn't seem like getting them to repeat a prayer after me was very genuine for either them or for me- it seemed manipulative!  There has to be more to being born again than that, right?  Well, yes and no.  Yes it can be that simple.  And no, it's not that simple.  New birth is a miracle and miracles are not simple.  The cause of new birth is God, not a magic prayer.   The evidence of new birth is born out in fruit, which we may or may not see immediately.  So yes, a simple prayer can be evidence of new birth - but a simple prayer doesn't cause the new birth.  So how do we know the difference?  We look for fruit, we don't presume the new birth.  But this is not a problem because both saved people and unsaved people need the gospel every day.  We need to be reminded, and we need to remind our kids, of our need for Christ, of what he has done for us.

The first time I heard the new birth explained like this was in a sermon series by John Piper titled, "You Must Be Born Again", which became the basis for his book, Finally Alive. (I love that title!) It was huge for me in understanding not only my own conversion, but what to look for in the conversion of my children. (I will be posting more on that later next week.) 

Now I want to hear from you! 

Post your thoughts in the comments section, regarding what struck you most in the first chapter so far!  You are free to agree, disagree, or ask questions, or just let us know you are here and reading along with us! I will be moderating the comments, so I will try to get them posted soon after you send them.

A few conversation starters...
What assumptions about parenting have you grown up with?
Which assumption in this chapter is most important to you at your stage of parenting?
Can you think of any other assumptions that would be important to a Christian parent's worldview?

For next Friday, read chapter two of Gospel-Powered Parenting

where the author moves from initial assumptions to presenting the thesis of the book.

He Speaks! (Guest post)

I am very blessed and grateful to have several close friends who, when they are pricked, bleed gospel.  It is really encouraging to me to be grounded, sharpened and comforted by these ladies.   Today I get to share with you a guest post by one of them. Enjoy! -Jennifer

He Speaks!

By Sarah Phillips

I’m not sure why it still has this effect on me, maybe because it doesn’t seem to happen often, but when God shows me something in His word I am always surprised. After the shock wears off, I am left humbled that the perfect Lord of the universe wants to teach me something tailored to an immediate need that I wasn’t even aware of. 

This situation happened the other day as I was reading 2 Kings. First of all, I wasn’t really expecting to learn much from 2 Kings, besides some history. Kings is seemingly endless and repetitive to me. Truthfully, I was just trying to finish these books and get to the “good stuff”, which for me is Psalms, Proverbs, and Isaiah. I was beginning to feel like I’d been reading the same thing over and over, and getting really confused with all the names when God spoke through His word. Just like when I’m relaxing on the couch, (a rare thing) and one of my children runs and jumps on my stomach, I couldn’t miss it and it hurt. The lesson here goes beyond the specific verse; however as to not leave you in suspense I will share it with you.

2 Kings 17:15 They went after false idols
and became false. (ESV)

How often I too seek after false idols –

 praise and approval of people,

                things I don’t need,

my children’s good behavior to make me look good,

etc., etc., etc.

 and I am sometimes false as a result.

Do I really want to become false, like so many people I see in this world? Comparisons kill passion for Christ and yet I too often fall into the trap. Whether it’s building myself up as superior or tearing myself down as inferior, I lose my focus. In losing my focus I forget that seeking anything besides Christ is equal to going after idols. If I follow this path enough, I will become false. I’m actually disgusted at the thought. If fakeness in myself and others is disgusting to me, how much more so to the perfect Lord of the universe? I hear the warning and repent, and I am ever so thankful for God’s teaching, love, and patience.

However, as I mentioned, the lesson goes beyond the single verse. First of all, God blesses perseverance. Read His word, even when it feels like He isn’t speaking through it, because He will. Second, it’s ALL “good stuff”. Even in the seemingly endless and repetitive parts, He will teach us. The final lesson: I need to come to His word expecting to learn and not just check it off my list. He may not speak to me so clearly every day, but He will speak.

One verse, four lessons, awesome God!

_________________________________________________________________________

Sarah Phillips is

child of a great God,

wife of a sweet husband,

and homeschooling mother of 3 beautiful blessings.

Join the Club! Book Club, That Is.

I love to read and I love book clubs. So I thought, what would be better than an online book club? (Well, maybe a real book club where we all sit together at each other’s house and drink coffee and discuss our book.) The online book club offers an advantage, though…
• no feeling guilty if you didn’t finish the book (you can still participate along the way, or follow along at your own pace),
• no meetings to miss – (comment at your own leisure),
• no pressure to agree with a book or a comment because we aren’t all in the same room staring at you (we do still have to be nice to each other, though!)

So here is my idea...

I would like to read Gospel Powered Parenting

by William Farley

Gospel-Powered Parenting: How the Gospel Shapes and Transforms Parenting By William P. Farley / P & R Publishing

You can check out the introduction and chapter one using Amazon’s free Kindle Reading app. (You don’t have to own a Kindle, just download the app to your computer and then download the “Sample” of the book to your computer. (Make sure you choose “Send Sample Now” in the Try It For Free box.)
If you like it, you can buy the whole e-book to read on your computer, or buy a hard copy from Amazon or Christian Book Distributors, or your local bookstore. Your local library might even have a copy!

Here is how the book club will work:

• Between now and next Friday, preview at least the “sample” – which is the introduction and most of chapter one of the book.

• Sign up for updates, so you get the Friday book club posts sent directly to your inbox.

• Next Friday, I will post my thoughts about the intro and beginning of chapter one and ask
 “Who’s with me?” Please let me know you are reading along, by commenting!

• After that, our schedule will be basically one chapter a week until the book is finished.
 (Pretty relaxed pace, don’t you think?)

• Comment on the Friday posts on my blog regarding your thoughts, questions, agreements or disagreements!

• Share this book club with anyone you know who might benefit from the book!


Here is a quick video introduction to the book to get you curious…


Looking forward to reading with you!
Jennifer

Failing to Plan, Planning to Fail, Part 2

(See Part 1 here)

I have to admit I don't like the title of these posts so much anymore.  They sound pretty legalistic!  I want to remind you that failing to plan is not the same as failing in the task that God has given you to do in homeschooling.  If you have never planned your homeschooling year, or if every plan you ever made seemed to fall apart, your faithfulness to the task and most importantly, your acceptance before God is NOT dependant on how well your plan did or didn't turn out.  It is easy to make faithfulness to a PLAN the same as faithfulness to GOD, which is NOT the gospel!  Here is what the difference between planning and gospel-centered planning sounds like in my head...

"We are floundering so much right now, we always seem to be constantly behind, I wonder if my kids could even pass a standardized test if they had to take it this year!  I hate having to hear what all those other moms are doing at our homeschooling support group, they all seem like they accomplish so much more than me.  If I was just more disciplined!  I made that great plan at the beginning of the year, but I can't seem to stick to it.  Why am I so undisciplined and unfaithful?  How can God use someone like me to teach my kids?"

OR...

"Wow, I feel so behind right now, I don't think we've done science in 6 weeks!  I don't know what happened to that plan I made at the beginning of the year.  Even though I am tempted to compare myself to all the other moms who seem to be doing more than me, I know that my acceptance with God doesn't depend on how well I stick to my homeschooling schedule.  Since I am confident in his acceptance of me, I can admit where I need help - maybe even ask one of those moms to look at my plan and help me identify where I can get back on track or if I am doing too much.  I am weak and unfaithful at times, but Christ was never weak and unfaithful with me - and he desires to be my strength when I am weak!  Thank you Lord for keeping me from a pity party by turning my eyes to you!"

See the difference?  Planning is a tool, but it is not our salvation or our righteousness or our guarantee of happiness or success.  When we fail to plan or our plan fails, we still have an advocate before the Father and a strong helper in the Holy Spirit.  And let's not forget that we can't plan for everything...

Come now, you who say, 'We will enter (and win) the spelling bee, create beautiful dioramas, be fluent in Latin and graduate high school at sixteen'- yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.  What is your life?  For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.  Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.'
James 4:13-15 (H.S.V. - Homeschoolers Version)

I don't know where I got that version of the bible, probably a homeshool convention or something.  Maybe it is a little over the top.  But as ridiulous as it is, are your plans yours or are they God's?  What if God chooses to change school year plan (or even your life trajectory) by serious illness or loss?  Remember that all your plans are subject to the Lord's will and should be God-centered, not Man-centered, Child-centered, Family-centered, or any other centered!

Finally, one more verse... this time I will use my good old ESV...

Commit your work to the LORD and your plans will be established.  Proverbs 16:3

Happy Planning Season!

This post is part of my Homeschooling 101 series, (now moved to Thursdays). 

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That's Just What I Was Going to Say!

As I have been fumbling through writing posts, attempting to articulate my thoughts on what it means to be Gospel Centered in homeschooling, parenting and discipling children, I stumbled upon this post, by Luma Simms over at Gospel Centered Discipleship.  She has written a better post than I could ever write.  I commend the whole thing to you. 

You can find it here:  Raising Gospel Centered Children

Here are some really great quotes:

On what is our job and what is the Holy Spirit's job:

"The Holy Spirit is responsible for conviction of sin and bringing people to salvation. That includes the little people in our homes. When we search out the Spirit, when we talk about Him and hold Him up before our children, we are modeling a life of Spirit-dependence for our children. This is training them to walk in step with the Sprit."

"Make no mistake, our efforts are very important, but our efforts do not have power to save and transform. Nothing that we do will ever eclipse the power and grace of Jesus."

On forgetting the gospel while discipling our children..

"Even worse than merely de-emphasizing the gospel, we started realizing that our children had become judgmental little scoffers. Why? Because we were so busy comparing and contrasting our education, parenting, and worship style choices with those of other parents that we had marginalized the gospel before our kids. We were way more excited about high church liturgy, classical education, “courtship,” family worship times, you name it. We actually believed they were signs of spiritual maturity."

 

You can also find more from Luma Simms on her blog, Gospel Grace

Homeschool Idol

What are the reasons that you decided to homeschool?  If you are like me and many other parents who have chosen homeschooling, it may be a combination of any of the following reasons...

·         To provide more individual instruction and choice in academics

·         To cultivate Godly character

·         To protect from worldly influences or unhealthy cultural trends

·         To instill a Christian worldview

·          To nurture family relationships, authority of the parent and bonds between siblings

·         To instruct them in the principles of your religion

I’m sure there are many others I could list; you probably have a few others that were important to you.  But would you say that these things are the center of your homeschool?  I don’t think that many of us would state it that way.  If you are a Christian home educator, you would most likely say that Christ is the center of your own life, your family and your homeschool.  In my own life, I would say this is what I want to be true; however, I have found that my heart is really prone to wander.  In fact, as C.J. Mahaney has said, my heart is an idol factory producing all sorts of objects of worship and substitute saviors.  All these good things that are part of our choice to homeschool can end up functioning as idols that we serve and look to for our salvation.   Ken Sande defines idolatry this way:

 “An idol is not simply a statue of wood, stone, or metal; it is anything we love and pursue in place of God, and can also be referred to as a ‘false god’ or a ‘functional god.’ In biblical terms, an idol is something other than God that we set our hearts on (Luke 12:29;1 Cor. 10:6), that motivates us (1 Cor. 4:5), that masters or rules us (Ps. 119:133), or that we serve (Matt. 6:24).”  

Richard Keyes steps on my toes a little more when he states,

“An idol is something within creation that is inflated to function as God. All sorts of things are potential idols, depending only on our attitudes and actions toward them...Idolatry may not involve explicit denials of God’s existence or character. It may well come in the form of an over-attachment to something that is, in itself, perfectly good...An idol can be a physical object, a property, a person, an activity, a role, an institution, a hope, an image, an idea, a pleasure, a hero - anything that can substitute for God.”

Christian counselor and author David Powlison has helped me to diagnose my functional idols with what he calls “X-ray questions”.  Here are a few that really struck home to me…

1.       What do you love? Hate?

2.       What do you want, desire, crave, lust, and wish for?

3.       What do you seek, aim for, and pursue?

4.       Where do you bank your hopes?

5.       What do you fear?  What do you want?  What do you tend to worry about?

6.       What or whom do you trust?

7.       How do you define and weigh success and failure, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable?

8.       What do you talk about?  What is important to you?  What attitudes do you communicate?

9.       Where do you find your identity?  How do you define who you are?

Do you see how these questions can really reveal a heart that depends more on our choice to homeschool as the salvation and security of our children than on Christ, the power and wisdom of God?  I want Christ to be the actual, functional center of our homeschool, our family and my life, not just the “mascot” on our flag.  But how does that happen, in real life?  Should the Bible be our curriculum, should I post the 10 commandments on our walls, start the day with prayer, copy bible verses for handwriting?  Well, I could do those things, but they would probably just be external religious trappings, and they don’t have any power to change my idolatrous heart or the hearts of our kids. 

What I need is the Gospel- the good news of who Christ is, what he came to do and what it means for me, not only upon my entrance to the Christian life, but throughout my Christian life- in my marriage, my parenting, my homeschooling, my blogging, and every other area.

Without the Gospel….academic excellence results in knowledge without worship.

Without the Gospel…character training is simply moralism that either produces Pharisees or rebels.

Without the Gospel….protection from the world results in isolation not mission, fear and not compassion.

Without the Gospel…worldview training produces dead orthodoxy.

Without the Gospel…family centeredness bears autonomous family units disconnected from the larger body of Christ.

Without the Gospel…religion training is worthless, powerless, and results in death.

That is why I have chosen to name this blog “Gospel-Centered Homeschooling”.  I want to attempt to work out what that means, what it looks like and how it works in the trenches.  I don’t have the answers to all of this, but I want to figure it out.  

Any other “center” will result in idolatry.