Let's be honest. How many times have you buckled your kids into the car after church, asked "What did you learn today?" and gotten a blank stare or a mumbled "I don't know"?
Or maybe they recite the Bible verse they memorized, but by Wednesday, it's completely forgotten. Sunday's powerful sermon about kindness? Gone. That lesson about sharing? Vanished into thin air.
Here's the thing: Church is amazing. But it was never meant to do the heavy lifting alone.
The Gap Between Sunday and Monday
Most Christian parents assume that an hour or two at church each week is enough spiritual input for their kids. We drop them off at Sunday school, sit through service, maybe attend a midweek program, and think, "Okay, we've checked the box. My kids are getting godly teaching."
But here's what actually happens: Your child hears a great lesson on Sunday morning. They sing songs about Jesus. They color a picture of Noah's ark. Then you pile into the car, grab lunch, spend the afternoon watching TV or playing video games, and by bedtime, Sunday's lesson is buried under a mountain of other thoughts.
By Monday morning, it's like church never happened.
This isn't because church is failing. It's because biblical parenting was always designed to happen primarily at home, with the church as support, not the other way around.
What Deuteronomy 6 Actually Means
You've probably heard Deuteronomy 6:6-7 quoted a million times:
"These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."
Notice what God didn't say? He didn't say, "Take your kids to the temple once a week and let the priests handle it." He said to talk about His Word when you sit at home, when you walk, when you lie down, when you get up.
In other words: All. The. Time.
God designed the home to be the primary place of spiritual formation. The church is the community that supports, encourages, and equips families, but parents are the ones meant to disciple their children daily.
This is intentional parenting at its core. It's not accidental. It's not passive. It's deliberate, everyday discipleship happening right in your living room.
The Sunday Evening Secret
Want to know what's been a game-changer in my home?
Every Sunday evening, during our family devotion time, we sit down together and discuss what we all learned in church that day. Not just the kids, everyone. My husband shares what stood out to him. I share what challenged me. Grace and Emmanuel share what they learned in Sunday school.
This simple practice creates continuity and reinforcement between church and home.
Here's why it works:
It shows your kids that church isn't separate from "real life." When you intentionally bring Sunday's lessons into Sunday evening (and beyond), you're demonstrating that following Jesus isn't something you do for an hour on Sunday, it's a lifestyle.
It creates space for questions. In church, kids might not feel comfortable asking questions. At home, over snacks in the living room, they'll ask the deep stuff: "Why did God let that happen?" or "What does it really mean to love your enemies?"
It reinforces what they learned. Repetition is how kids (and adults!) actually retain information. Reviewing Sunday's lesson on Sunday evening means it has a much better chance of sticking.
It models spiritual leadership. When your kids see you engaging with what was taught in church, wrestling with it, applying it to your life, they learn that Christianity is meant to be lived out, not just studied.
But I'm Not a Bible Scholar…
I know what you're thinking. "That sounds great, but I barely understand the Bible myself. How am I supposed to lead family devotions and discuss deep spiritual truths?"
Here's the beautiful truth about godly parenting: You don't have to have all the answers. You just have to show up and be willing to learn alongside your kids.
Some of the best family devotion moments happen when a parent says, "You know what? That's a great question. I'm not sure. Let's look it up together."
You're not trying to be your child's pastor. You're trying to be their parent, someone who points them toward Jesus, even when you don't have it all figured out.
And here's some good news: You have resources to help. Tools like GROWTH – A Family Discipleship Curriculum are designed specifically to help parents lead their families spiritually, even if they feel unqualified.
Making It Practical: Your Sunday Evening Routine
So how do you actually implement this? Here's a simple framework:
1. Keep it short and simple. You don't need an hour-long theological discussion. Start with 10-15 minutes. Ask: "What's one thing you learned in church today?" or "What's one thing the pastor said that stuck with you?"
2. Make it a conversation, not a lecture. This isn't a quiz. It's a discussion. Share what you learned too. Be real about what confused you or challenged you.
3. Connect it to the week ahead. Ask, "How can we apply this lesson this week?" Maybe the sermon was about generosity, so you plan together how your family can be generous this week.
4. Pray together. End by thanking God for what you learned and asking Him to help you live it out.
5. Be consistent. The power isn't in one perfect Sunday evening devotion. It's in the consistency of showing up week after week, making space to talk about God together.
Home and Church: A Partnership
Here's what christian parenting should look like: The church teaches and equips. The home reinforces and applies.
Think of it like school. A teacher presents a math concept in class. Then the student goes home and does homework to practice what they learned. If the student never did homework, they'd never really master the concept, no matter how good the teacher was.
The same is true spiritually. The church presents biblical truths. But if those truths aren't discussed, practiced, and applied at home, they won't take root.
When home and church work together, something powerful happens:
- Kids see that their parents value spiritual growth
- Biblical truths move from abstract ideas to lived reality
- Faith becomes integrated into everyday life, not compartmentalized
- Your children develop a relationship with Jesus that's personal and real, not just inherited
This is how you raise godly children: not by outsourcing their spiritual formation to the church, but by partnering with the church to disciple them at home.
What If We've Never Done This Before?
Maybe you're reading this and thinking, "My kids are already teenagers. We've never done Sunday evening devotions. Is it too late?"
It's never too late.
Start simple. This Sunday, on the drive home from church, ask everyone to share one thing they learned. At dinner, bring it up again. Say, "I've been thinking about what the pastor said today…" and share your thoughts.
Your kids might roll their eyes at first (especially if they're teens). That's okay. Consistency matters more than initial enthusiasm.
Over time, as this becomes a rhythm in your family, you'll be amazed at the conversations that unfold. You'll see your kids start to think more deeply about their faith. You'll watch them connect Sunday's lessons to Monday's choices.
And honestly? You'll grow spiritually too. There's something about teaching (or discussing) biblical truths with your kids that deepens your own faith.
Resources to Help You Lead
If you're feeling overwhelmed and want some help creating a consistent family discipleship routine, here are some tools that have been helpful:
- 365 Days of Praying the Scriptures for Your Children – A year's worth of Scripture-based prayers for your kids. This is perfect for parents who want to be intentional about praying God's Word over their children.
- GROWTH – A Family Discipleship Curriculum – A structured guide to help families grow together spiritually. If you've never led family devotions before, this gives you a roadmap.
- More resources by Oluwapelumi Boluwaji – Practical tools for parents who want to be intentional about discipling their children.
You can also find more tips and encouragement at Intentional Godly Parenting.
Your Home Is the Real Sunday School
Here's the bottom line: One hour at church on Sunday can't compete with 167 hours at home during the week.
The good news? You don't have to be perfect. You don't need a theology degree. You just need to be intentional about bringing what's taught at church into your home.
Start this Sunday. Gather your family in the evening. Share what you learned. Ask what they learned. Talk about how you'll live it out this week.
Do it again next Sunday. And the next.
Over time, you'll create a rhythm where church and home work together, and your kids will see that following Jesus isn't just a Sunday activity: it's a way of life.
That's intentional godly parenting. That's biblical discipleship. And that's how you raise children who don't just know about Jesus( they actually know Him.)