When You Rise Up: A Covenant Approach to Homeschooling

I really appreciated the perspective in this book. I've read many books on homeschooling, and am familiar with many of the "arguments," pro & con. What I liked about this book was the idea of seeing homeschooling as a responsibility given to us by God, and as such, we don't need to defend it according to wordly standards. For example, if someone argues against homeschooling because they believe the children cannot be as well educated at home, homeschool proponents immediately cite the cases where homeschooled children have gone on to ivy league colleges and become "successful," according to worldly standards. The author reminds us that our first goal as Christian homeschoolers is to teach our children to love God & others, and the rest is secondary to that. If we do that, we will be successful. The point is, our standards and goals are not the same as the world's. The author also opened my eyes to the many untruths I was believing about education simply because I was educated by the state school system. We do not need to model our homeschool after the failing public school model...we don't have to do "school at home." It's pretty obvious to most Americans that the current public education system is lacking, at best, and failing miserably, at worst, so why try to emulate it, or whitewash it by taking out the "bad" stuff, and adding a Bible course? Again, our goal isn't the same as their goal. We teach our children history because it is God's story...we teach them science because it opens their eyes to the world God created, & thus to the God who created it. God gives children to families as a trust, a stewardship, and expects us to raise them up to love Him & do His will. How can we do that if we send them out to be raised by people who won't even acknowledge Jesus, or even allow our children to do so in the school by praying or reading a Bible? Let's stop rendering to "Caesar" what is God's...let's stop delegating our God-given responsibilities out to a system that doesn't even acknowledge the God who created these kids.

Any Christian who is considering homeschooling their children or who has already made that decision should read this book. It is liberating to have God's truth put forth so succinctly, without equivocation. I believe reading this book can make Christian homeschooling parents more discriminating, including that it can help them to be more wise consumers of homeschooling curricula.In this somewhat slim volume (142 pages), R. C. Sproul, Jr. distills from the Bible why Christian parents not only should, but must, homeschool their children. Moreover, drawing primarily from Deuteronomy 6, he draws attention to how God says this is to be done (the methodology); namely, teaching our children continuously through conversation and living. The covenant of Christian parents -- Christian families -- is to raise godly seed, warriors in the spiritual battle between God's seed and Satan, with some key differences between raising boys to be godly men and raising girls to be godly women. The core Christian homeschool curriculum must cover the "three Gs": Who is God? What has God done? What does God require?Part way through the book, I had a concern about a strong statement the author had made, so I stopped then and there and sent him an e-mail about it and within a few days received an open and gracious response from him that satisfied my concern.This book contains what some may consider strong spiritual meat. As a homeschooling grandma, this book has helped me; I will probably cite it when I write my own book or books on homeschooling; and moreover, I plan to read most, if not all, of the author's other works and expect to consider the time spent doing so as a wise investment in the ongoing growth in wisdom of my family members, young and old, four generations now living.

Awesome. Truly inspiring. It's a quick read but it's also deep at the same time. If I didn't have four kids to teach when I rise up and when I lay down, I would have read this in one day because I didn't want to put the book down!I appreciate his simple explanation of covenant theology and how that applies to education. I was homeschooled myself but I was raised under Armenian antinomian theology, therefore his whole approach to and philosophy behind homeschooling is very different to me and I agree whole heartily with it, since it makes so much more logical sense than just giving them an education at home with some God thrown in every now and then.Highly recommend this, even if you're not a Calvinist.

I love this book- I gave it only four stars because I found it a bit slow at the beginning, making a case for homeschooling which I think is important and helpful, just not what I needed. This is full of practical understand and scripture. It hits home the importance of raising Godly children! It has been a very encouraging read!

I can't recommend this book enough! By having my children with me all day, we naturally fall into conversations about everything around us. What a revolutionary thought that my children learn from this! I have recommended this book to all my homeschooling and non-homeschooling friends. Whatever your 'school' choices are, you are still the primary teacher of your children, and you are ultimately responsible for their education. Wonderful inspiration for everyone!

I love this book. It explains perfectly clearly why Christians should seriously consider homeschooling their children, and then also gives you the tools and the guidance about how. The only part I don't like much is its deterioration into telling women how to live toward the end, but the earlier parts are so good, I've overlooked that.

I love this book! It explains the Biblical mandate to educate our children with and in God's word and is also enjoyable to read. I bought this book for all of my children to enourage and help them as they raise my grandchildren.

I've been homeschooling four children for nearly six years now, and in that time, I've read hundreds of homeschooling books, all about why and how and details of curriculum, etc., but none get down to basics like Sproul's book. If you're a Christian, then you'll be inspired by his call to teach your kids by The Book, using Deuteronomy chap. 6 as the basic framework: talk about God's word when you rise up, when you lie down, when you walk by the road. That is, talk, talk, talk about the Bible. Share stories, witness to them its truths and influences on your life today.As easy as it sounds, it's also profoundly shattering to today's standards and the world's view of things. You'll have to re-think and re-learn most everything you've been taught about school and spirituality and parenting. His basic premise is that God puts the responsibility on teaching our children squarely on our shoulders, and we can choose to delegate it or we can choose to accept the challenge and teach them as He would have it.I make it a point to read this book once a year, and it always gets me back on track when I've been sweating over whether to purchase this or that curriculum, use this or that method, and wondering why we're drifting from my primary aim: to teach my children to fear the Lord, since that's the beginning of wisdom!

I have always wanted to home school my own children so nothing changed in this respect, however it gave me better understanding of the reasons I want to home school, I now feel better equipped to answer people's objections.It has also changed my view from thinking that home schooling is a personal choice that all Christians should consider but may not necessarily be for them. I now think that every christian should be home schooling.I wish though that the book had addressed the issue of widowed or disabled parents, I would like to have know R.C thoughts on this.

This book succinctly argues the case for homeschooling as a Christian. Practical issues are addressed and Sproul uses scripture, not conjecture, to back up his well made points. Highly recommended.

I give this book a three star rating. I agreed with the author's approach that as parents, we are to submerge our children in the teachings of God's Word. It's not the Sunday School's job and it IS more challenging to talk about the Lord throughout the day when your children are gone for most of the day (away at school). However, the author did not address if there comes a time in your child's life where you begin to give them more opportunities outside the home, to allow the Gospel to take root in their hearts, not just something they hear all the time and are continually watched over to obey. He never stated that kids should be home schooled all the way through their school years, yet he did claim there is no other way for children (from a Christian home) to be schooled.R.C. Sproul Jr.'s style of writing was a bit "heady," like he enjoyed throwing in these archaic words, just to prove homeschooling makes you smart! I felt I could have enjoyed his book a lot more with less wordiness and being more to the point.

I am very happy with this book I can't wait to read it. It is in good condition and I received it right on time ;) thanks