ABOUND: Biblical Integration in the Academic Subjects

Using Biblical Integration in the Academic Subjects to Point Kids to Christ

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ- to the glory and praise of God.  Philippians 1:9-11

Philippians 1:9-11 are verses that I used to pray over our academic program and students as an administrator.  They speak directly to my heart for Christian education and its purpose, so they became my theme verses.    

Let’s break them down and see how they might apply to Christian education.

The Heart of Christian Education

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more…

Isn’t that the heart of Christian education in a nutshell?  

Our desire is that our students’ love- for God, for each other, for the lost, for his creation, for knowledge and learning- will abound more and more.  Let’s look more closely at that word- abound.

ABOUND (verb)

1. to be present in large numbers or in great quantity
2. to be copiously supplied

Synonyms: brim, bristle, bulge, burst, bustle, buzz, overflow, swarm, teem

Imagine our students’ hearts and minds being filled to the brim or bursting with their love of Jesus and their love of learning.  Can you sense the excitement they’d feel?  How it would radiate out of them?  Or think of them buzzing with a love that swarms those around them as they go out into the world and represent Christ.  They’d embrace the lost and hurting and gain influence through excellence. Isn’t that exactly what we want for them?

Towards that end, we integrate the Bible and biblical themes throughout our conversations- not as awkward add-ons, but because they are integral to who we are.  We can’t help it!  The Holy Spirit’s work in our lives has given us a worldview that permeates all we do.  It is our identity.

So we don’t just teach the academic subjects.  We teach students how the academics point to Christ.  

When we teach LITERATURE, we see the conflicts and characters with an eye to Scripture.  We see depravity and grace, people lost and found, problems that could have been tackled with biblical wisdom and imagine different outcomes if the characters knew Jesus.  

SCIENCE becomes the study of creation where we find God’s intelligent and intricate design.  We’re amazed at the details he’s fashioned and the creativity that emanated from words in Genesis like, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds,” as we look around and see beautiful flowers, delicious fruits and vegetables, and the giant redwood tree that towers over us.  Laminin amazes us and we’re fascinated by the expansive universe whose intricacies we don’t yet know.

WRITING instruction is pursued with excellence so our students become champions of the faith, able to clearly articulate and defend a Christian worldview.  We desire for our students to be the very best communicators as a means of gaining influence through excellence.  Learning the craft of writing also helps them identify propaganda and cleverly-written articles that contradict Scripture.  

HISTORY is approached as the story of what God has done in the world and how man’s decisions have influenced societies and cultures.  We see his blessing over those who follow him, and we see the destruction that surrounds those who do not, whether through divine judgment or man’s folly. We learn to value human life and see when men have not, and we tackle tough topics like equity and race through a biblical lens.  Studying history helps make us better people.

MATH demonstrates the order and pattern in God’s design.  We learn to persevere through challenges, and we see how he has infused mathematics our world.  We see how math, done correctly, leads to strength through engineering projects, and we use it to create things, a reflection of the God in whose image we’re made.  

The ARTS allow us to express ourselves in the ways we’re made in his image, and they give us new mediums through which to show our love of our Savior.  We see and create beauty, and we learn skills necessary to be lifelong worshippers.  

ATHLETICS allow us to compete and train, providing important lessons in persistence and growth mindset. We learn to push our physical limits for a collaborative good as we practice teamwork.  Athletics also give us an area in which to demonstrate excellence and win influence that will be used to point others to Christ.

In Christian education, all subjects are pursued with vigor so that we can send our students out into the world like Daniels, standouts from their peers in such a way that they positively impact the world for God’s glory.  

Using Biblical Integration and Best Practices to Increase Knowledge, Depth of Insight, and Discernment

…in knowledge and depth of insight…

To help them abound in knowledge and depth of insight, we teach like our lives depend on it.  We use the very best methods we know, and we continuously work to grow in our craft.  We ourselves are perpetual students, researching the latest trends and methods so that our instruction can have the biggest impact on our students. We attend professional development conferences and seminars, read professional literature, and join Professional Learning Networks (PLNs) online to learn from and collaborate with others. We desire to be the very best we can be in our field for God’s glory.

Then we take the best of what we’ve learned, and we use it to fuel our passion for instructing our students so that they, too, fall in love with learning.  Our students feed off our zeal and grow in knowledge at exciting rates as God strengthens our hands and multiplies our effectiveness.  

…so that you may be able to discern what is best…

We integrate our worldview into all we do, and this helps our students develop discernment and insight. More, we intentionally teach them God’s Word as well as how to identify prevalent worldviews in our culture.  This helps them discern truth and recognize when something they see, or read, or hear doesn’t line up with Scripture.  We desire for them to be wise and not easily swayed by the trends and beliefs of the world, instead growing like “mighty oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor” (Isaiah 61:3b).

This is the good stuff. The exciting part of what we do. We are called and gifted to share all we know about God and his creation with the next generation.  What a tremendous gift and responsibility!  The God of the universe chose us, and he promises to use us to his glory and fame!

Through Christian Education, We Fill Our Kids up with God’s Word and Model Relationship with Jesus

…pure and blameless for the day of Christ…

Of course we are not responsible for the decisions our students make, but by filling them up with God’s Word and working hard to model relationship over religion, we can strive to raise up a generation of believers who faithfully serve our Savior.  It is our desire and goal to be able to, like Paul, say, 

“I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.  For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you.  Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.  He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:4-9.

The WHY of Christian Education: Using Biblical Integration to Glorify God

…to the glory and praise of God…

Here we find our big WHY. 

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17

This is why we’re in Christian education- whether in a traditional school setting or at home, oftentimes making less than our peers with more responsibility (and preps!!!)…because of our love for Jesus.  This love is what compels us to show up each day with a smile on our face so we can lead our students not for the paycheck or the praise, but for God’s glory.  

As you do this important work, my prayer is that you- and your students- will ABOUND in your love for God, for each other, for the lost, for his creation, for knowledge and learning, and for the blessed calling of Christian education.  

By integrating a biblical worldview, we point students to Christ and help them abound in love and knowledge as we teach the academic subjects.

Want to Go Deeper?

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