One of the greatest joys we have as parents is to train up our kids in the way they should go, as Proverbs 22:6 states. Practically doing this can be challenging when faced with distractions, a busy schedule, the conflicting personalities of children and relating Scripture in a practical way to our kids’ lives.
Levi Lusko, pastor of Fresh Life Church, just released an amazing new devotional for kids called Roar Like a Lion. This 90-day devotional is beautifully illustrated and provides practical application and insight on Bible verses and also fun facts about history, the animal kingdom and much more.
In my conversation with Pastor Levi on the Everyday Discernment podcast, he shares with me how this was a passion project years in the making. His entire family was involved in the process and his kids gave feedback to the illustrator as they would receive concept art in advance.
Why Roar Like a Lion? There is power in our shout and in our unity as Christians. Levi shares how our roar of faith, our roar of worship and our roar of even posture and body language can help not only us but other Christians in the “pride of lions.”
There are many ways to have family devotions with your kids and no one right answer. As parents, we need to understand the individual needs of our children and also make it fun for the younger ones.
Pastor Levi says he encourages that his kids participate in devotions by looking up Bible verses. He says that as parents, we have an obligation to pray out loud over our children for them to hear us and plant seeds that they will remember later on in life. He even allows his kids to get energy out during devotions. For example, they may march around “Jericho” or construct shields of faith.
Levi also says to model reading with your kids. Read to them, for them, with them, any way that allows reading the Word of God and other great books to be fun and engaging. Pastor Levi also says, “Don’t be afraid to bribe.” He says how he is proud of his younger daughter, who read 86 books this summer, and how he will be rewarding that dedication. For his older daughter, he picked out specific books for her and if she reads them and does a verbal book report, they will pay her a set amount of money.
Personally, I have a copy of Roar Like a Lion devotional and I love it. It is fun and engaging, and I can’t wait to go through it with my kids. For more on my conversation with Pastor Levi, listen to the episode on Everyday Discernment podcast and get his book today on Amazon. {eoa}
Tim Ferrara has grown up in the church and has held various leadership positions both in business and in the church. Tim is currently the executive pastor at LifePoint Church in Arizona. He has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Arizona State University, along with a MBA from University of Phoenix. He has had a career in business management for over 20 years and has worked as faculty for two different colleges. Tim started the ministry of Discerning Dad (www.discerning-dad.com) as a way to write and encourage Christians to grow in discernment and make better decisions that honor God. He has a book called Everyday Discernment: The Importance of Spirit-Led Decision Making and well as multiple YouVersion Bible plans. Tim also has a podcast called Everyday Discernment, which is a top-ranked Christian podcast on the Charisma and Edifi podcast networks. Tim lives with his wife Jamie and their two children in Arizona.
Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.
