As we observe the world around us in the 21st century, it’s so important to my husband and me to deliberately teach our kids from a Biblical worldview. We are well aware that if we don’t teach them what we believe, someone else will do it. Christian apologetics for kids should be top priority for every Christian parent.

What is Christian Apologetics?

Apologetics is the reasoned justification of something. Christian apologetics is the reasoned argument or justification of the Scriptures. I like the insertion of the word “reasoned” in this definition. Anyone can argue for a theory or belief. But very few use a reasoned argument.

This is where modern Christians often lack confidence. They know what they believe, but one conversation with an unbeliever or an atheist, and they are left questioning those long-held beliefs. That’s why it is so important to study Christian Apologetics, at every age.

But because the church has mostly failed to teach or uphold the absolute truth of Genesis and stay ahead of the culture on this subject, even Christian parents sometimes feel at a loss to know how to teach their children these truths.

Isn’t it enough to believe the Bible? Isn’t it enough to believe in God, to take our children to Sunday School, and to read them Bible stories at bedtime?

It’s not enough anymore. Long gone are the days when children were taught the Bible in the home and the school, when daily Bible readings with the family were common, and when the Scriptures were used to teach reading, spelling, and grammar. And gone are the days when the world was not bombarded with the evolutionary theories of Charles Darwin. We now live in the era where most everyone believes in some level of evolution, and even Christians are hard-pressed to deny its accuracy. Some churches and organizations even preach a mix of creation and evolution.

I heard someone say one time that if we teach our children about the Virgin Birth and that Jesus was resurrected from the dead, but we don’t teach them that Genesis is true (or even believe it ourselves), we are sending them mixed signals. The dwindling numbers of children who grow up to embrace Christianity is proof that this is true. It is imperative that a Christian parent uphold and defend the entire Bible; it is up to parents to teach and explain the deep truths of Scripture.

“In this day when secular education denies God and encourages rebellion against anything that doesn’t worship the “theory” of evolution, we need a place that supports and encourages parents, grandparents, teachers, and church leaders in their endeavors to provide their loved ones with a strong defense for the Christian faith. True science confirms the Bible.” – Maggie, staff writer at Institute for Creation Research

True Christian Apologetics defends (with reason) the creation account in Genesis, Noah’s flood, the simultaneous existence of dinosaurs and humans; it upholds (with reason and proof) the truths of each book of the Old and New Testaments by searching for and proving the facts of the people, their cultures, and the locations the Biblical events took place.

It is a reasoned defense and justification of the Bible. 

Most Christians accept the Bible on faith; but we also have science to back up the accounts in scripture (did she just use the “S” word??). Scientific discoveries are the backbone of Christian Apologetics. Thankfully, you don’t have to be an archaeologist or a physicist to learn and understand the history, the science, the people, and the places of the Biblical account.

I am beyond grateful for the work of organizations like Institute for Creation Research, who work tirelessly to show the beauty and truth of the scriptures. (You can read their Core Principles here.) Their team of scientists and theologians stay on the leading edge of scientific discoveries and archaeological finds to inform Christians that there is ongoing proof of the validity of the Bible. ICR has an extremely valuable library of knowledge for all ages, and have included some excellent resources for kids.

 

Resources for Kids

Institute for Creation Research is constantly expanding their catalog of great creation science books for kids. This is a God-send for parents, especially when their curious children ask 5,000 questions each day! (Who can relate???) Kids are curious about the world around them, and often ask questions that leave us with a blank expression. (Who else can relate???) That’s why I love the fun, colorful books from ICR that literally answer all the questions that kids will ask about God, dinosaurs, creation, animals, astronomy, and even evolution. With these books it’s so easy to make Christian apologetics a natural topic of conversation.

I was pretty excited to get the chance to review a few of these great books for ICR! We recieved three books in the Science for Kids series, as well as the Creation Q&A booklet.

The Science for Kids books are perfect for the youngest kids, roughly preschool and elementary age. I say preschool, because when my oldest son learned to talk, he was talking about dinosaurs and could pronounce all of those long dinosaur names. Parents of dinosaur lovers will know what I’m talking about!

Dinosaurs: God’s Mysterious Creatures is a treasure trove of names of dinosaurs, facts about each one, and simple one-page discussions on advanced topics like fossils, rock layers, habitats, radiocarbon, circular reasoning, and more. Each topic is limited to one page and a bright, engaging illustration that will teach young kids some very basic creation science.

 

 

 

Space: God’s Majestic Handiwork is a wonderful introduction to God’s design in the heavens. It covers “Outer Space and the Bible,” famous astronomers, the Big Bang Theory, planets (each one individually), moons, stars, telescopes, galaxies, asteroids, NASA, and astronauts and what they do. It is very comprehensive, but again, devotes one page and with a great illustration to each topic.

(Buy both Dinosaurs and Space together and save!)

Animals by Design: Exploring Unique Creation Features is a genius book for children exploring all of the unique ways that animals are designed. It specifically illustrates so many reasons why these animals did not evolve. It is not like any animal book you can pick up at your local bookstore; those are full of great pictures and fun facts, but are almost always packed with evolutionary theory from beginning to end. If you want your children to enjoy the animal world and learn about God’s amazing design, this book should be at the top of your list!

Each of these ICR Science for Kids books are a great resource for introducing Creation science to your children at an early age, and in an easy-to-grasp manner.

 

 

 

Creation Q&A: Answers to 32 Big Questions about the Bible and Evolution is perfect for tweens and teens. My 12 year old son enjoys reading it. The format is easy to use, with 32 commonly asked questions about Biblical creation or about evolution, with roughly a one-page answer for each. Questions include:

• Was there an Ice Age?
• Did dinosaurs evolve into birds?
• How did Noah fit all those animals on the Ark?
• Is Genesis 1-11 just poetry?
• What about the gap theory?
• Does the fossil record show evolution?
• …and many more

The answers are not over the head of students, and yet this book is also a great resource for young adults (or any adults) who would like an introduction to the Biblical worldview. In most cases, the questions cite books or web links for further study. It’s just 43 pages, and at $2.99 each, it’s an affordable resource to share with others. With the popularity of pseudo-scientists like Bill Nye and Neil DeGrasse Tyson among youth today, it’s so important to provide concrete evidence for Biblical creation.

Some other resources we have loved using with our family include the Creation Proclaims DVD series, Astronomy Reveals Creation DVD with Dr. Jason Lisle, and Taking Back Astronomy by Dr. Jason Lisle. We have enjoyed attending local events held by ICR, and even my youngest children were excited and inspired by listening to the different speakers at these events.

Update: See my Instagram review of God Made Gorillas, God Made You

How to Use these Resources

• Family discussions: I recommend family conversations centered around this topic. In our home, we like to have talks around the dinner table or at bedtime, or if we miss church on Sunday we use books like these for specific studies. My husband or I will read a portion, the kids will look up scriptures, and we talk about what we’ve read vs. what we see on TV or in the news. One thing we find enlightening is to share a news story or meme from the internet that goes against the Biblical worldview, and give the kids a chance to think it over and refute it. This is one of the best ways to teach critical thinking!
• Homeschool studies: This is a perfect daily or weekly read-aloud for science in homeschools. The Science for Kids series can be read aloud daily, with a short discussion following. Even the youngest kids will remember what they hear. When kids are eventually confronted with evolutionary thinking in books or media, you’ll have the perfect opportunity to bring up what you’ve read and discuss the conflicting viewpoints.
• Quick Reference: Sometimes kids hear or see something and want to know more, and as I said above, sometimes they just come up with questions out of thin air!  All of these books are organized in an easy-to-reference manner, perfect for “looking that up.”

Teaching Christian Apologetics to kids while they are young, and continuing it throughout their childhood and teen years makes a profound difference in their adult lives and in their own personal faith. It’s not just colleges and universities where their faith is challenged; it’s in school, many churches, among friends, children’s books, and all over the entertainment world. Its not too early to counteract this culture of evolution, and children’s books from ICR are the perfect way to do it.

Review Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this product from Institute for Creation Research in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC regulations.

Check out my other articles on creation, science, and history, such as:

•  Saving Seeds and Creation Science
• Easy to Teach Creation-Based Homeschool Science Curriculum (Review)
• our study of Isaac Newton 
• In Defense of Christian Homeschooling.