The Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach: Bible Based Homeschooling

I hold three teaching degrees, and this book upended them all. When we began homeschooling, I tried to recreate the classroom in my living room. Surprisingly, it didn't work very well. Someone recommended this book to me, and it totally revolutionized the way I teach. The author clearly describes the differences between the Greco-Roman philosophy of education and the Hebraic philosophy of education, and I found myself, in my heart of hearts, in the Hebraic way of thinking rather than the G-R philosophy I studied in college. **I learned more about educational philosophy from this book than I did in college.** I wasn't even aware of all I had absorbed by way of my own public schooling as well as the teacher education courses I paid for. It wasn't a sudden transformation, but slowly our homeschool became much more relaxed, comfortable, and yes, much better intellectually and spiritually. It enabled us to serve more than just ourselves with our children's educational years. Truly, what does it profit a person to gain a PhD in whatever academic field and yet lose his/her own soul? I would highly recommend this book to any Christian wanting to homeschool. You will save money on curriculum hunting, time on switching curriculums, and heartaches untold. I didn't use all of the author's curriculum suggestions, but we did approach the curriculum we did use with the changed mindset. She gives you the tools to evaluate and set goals for more than just the three-Rs. An absolute necessity. This is my third copy of this book because I keep loaning it out.

I am SO grateful to have found this book. I bought it about six months ago but it sat on the shelf. Last year was our first year of homeschool. We put our son through what amounted to a state education with some Bible thrown in. We were stressed. He was stressed. It was way too much academic pressure for him. He was in tears. We were frustrated. Then this year, I was thinking about going to a classical education model. I was going through some of the curriculum and my spirit was saying, "What are you thinking? False gods, mythology, humanism?" I quickly picked this book up off the shelf. It was an answer to prayer.Through much prayer and seeking, I have found this: Our kids are not wards of the state. If we're just shoving curriculum or classics or Latin down their throats, we might as well put them back in public school. That's the knowledge of the world, which God says is folly. True wisdom and knowledge comes only from God. It's an entire paradigm shift. It's RADICAL! True wisdom is taught through daily discipleship in God's Word, mentoring and showing our children how to walk. That's what homeschooling for Christians is all about. It's about character, not knowledge. I seemed to have forgotten that. This book set me straight and showed us a path to get there.Thanks Robin!

The book opened up my eyes that the bible should be the basis for learning everything, be it learning about God’s word or God’s world.Now, as we incorporate the bible as the basis for our studies be it science or history.. my eyes is opened that God is truly the centre of everything

Let me first say that I absolutely agree with the other reviews in regards to the premise of this book. The premise is that we are to teach our children the Word of God in everything we do. I wholeheartedly agree and for that, I give Mrs. Sampson five stars on that! The other reviews do a fine job explaining that part of the book, so I don't feel the need to elaborate.However, where I disagree with Mrs. Sampson, is that she clearly considers her brothers and sisters in Christ who adhere to the Covenant Theology doctrine, as heretical, and I dare to say she blames them for the atrocity committed by Hitler and his soldiers in the holocaust.I am slow to consider someone heretical, unless I have a firm grounding in scripture to do so. She fails to do such, but gives her opinion on the matter, which is hardly an explanation as to why she would make such an extreme claim. Without quoting her book, you are welcome to go to her blog and find her same opinion written there on this matter. Type in, "Replacement theology", and you will find what is found in this book. You can decide from there if you agree or disagree with her stand.Replacement theology is what it is commonly known among those who disagree with the belief, but the proper term is Covenant Theology. The reason for this distinction is clear; a misunderstanding of what Covenant Theology is. Those against CT call it Replacement Theology, because they wrongly understand what CT is, accusing it as saying Christ has replaced Israel and God has broken His covenant with Abraham. However, the right understanding is not that Christ replaced it, but fulfilled it (I have not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it -Matthew 5:17). CT says that Christ fulfilled the covenant, He did not replace it. The Covenant was fulfilled in Christ and continues today through God's people, the body of Christ.She goes on to say those within the RT camp (though, remember, it is properly called CT) are anti-semetic (and are the reason for the holocaust). This couldn't be further from the truth. I have great compassion for my Jewish friends and I love them dearly. However, Jesus said He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, NO ONE comes to the Father but through Him. Jews do not believe in Christ, but deny their Messiah has come. Salvation is of the Jews, because Jesus was a Jew first, because He had not died yet, so He came to obey the Law in EVERY way, so that He could be the fulfillment of the Law. He is our Jewish Messiah. He is our High Priest! There isn't any more shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sins, because Jesus has fulfilled that requirement. Now we take communion, because we remember that very fulfillment in Christ through the breaking of his body and blood shed he paid upon the Cross through His death, burial, and resurrection. Again, Jesus said only He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father, except through Him. If a Jew today is saved, but denies the deity of Christ and is still awaiting a future Messiah, is Jesus a liar? Paul was saved, because He believed and repented of his sins through Christ. In Acts, they called themselves, Christians; however, they were previously Jews. The Pharisees, teachers of the Law, who refused to bow to their Messiah, will receive their reward...and Jesus didn't make that sound like it was Heaven.Covenant theology agrees that there is one way to God and that is through Jesus Christ alone. Anyone who refuses to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and repent of their sins, will not be saved. It's clear in the scriptures. I will witness to my Jewish friends, just as I witness to anyone else of whatever belief they have. If you don't have Christ, you don't have eternal life. It isn't anti-semitism at all. (If you claim to be a Christian and are anti-semitic, you need to examine your heart before God and repent. You are commanded to lovingly reach out to them with the saving faith of Christ, just as you would anyone else!) CT believers reach out to Jews, just as they reach out to an atheist. Both are lost without Christ.And that is the breaking point with this book. If you disagree with that, you will love this book wholeheartedly. However, if you are like me, and agree that Jesus is absolutely the ONLY way to God, you will absolutely gleen wisdom from this book in the sense that we are to teach the scriptures in everything we do with our children, but you may be put off by the strong use of the word "heretical" for those of us who believe Christ fulfilled the covenant with Abraham.I would rather recommend teachings from Voddie Baucham Jr. on this matter. Family Driven Faith is an excellent resource on how to live out the principle of Deut. 6. Answers in Genesis has a great resource from Diana Waring on teaching the history of the church, so that your children can see God in every aspect of history. I know there are other resources, but those come to mind.And one more thing to note, the whole OT is filled with stories that point us to Christ. All fuzzy pictures of something to come...Jesus Christ, the coming Messiah! Abraham and his son on the altar, the Passover, Jonah in the belly of a fish for three days and nights, David...the King, et cetera. It is all riddled with Christ in it. I thought I would mention that, as it is hard to "replace" something that was already there. :) Jesus has always been and will always be. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He is the author of the covenant and He is the finisher. Everything, absolutely everything, wraps around Jesus. And for that, I am not ashamed to say that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to Him, except by His mercy and grace alone to grant you repentance and faith in Him.Be good bereans and search the scriptures to see if these things are true. May the Lord bless you! :)

I am very pleased with this purchase! The book arrived very speedily, and it was in very good condition, as described. Thank you!