Why We Homeschool as a Christian: Embracing Faith in Education

Letting Scripture Shape the Way We Teach, Train, and Disciple Our Children

Christian families exploring Home Education often begin with a practical question—Can I really teach my kids at home?—but Scripture encourages us to begin somewhere deeper: What has God already said about how children should be formed?

Home Education is not a modern invention. It is the oldest educational model in the world and the one Scripture describes most clearly–and even assumes for all families. For Christian families, the question isn’t whether the Bible supports home-based discipleship but whether we will embrace the call.

This post outlines the full biblical foundation for Home Education, showing how God’s Word grounds the family role, shapes character formation, and gives practical direction for the rhythms of learning in daily life.

Parents Are God’s First and Primary Teachers

Long before formal schools existed, God entrusted parents—not institutions—with the responsibility of forming children’s minds and hearts.

Education happens daily, in the home.

“You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” (Deuteronomy 6:6–7, NKJV)

Learning is pictured as a natural part of family life—woven through meals, work, conversations, rest, and movement. This is the original template for Christian education. Parents shape the direction of a child’s life uniquely, knowing the child, and in love. 

“Train up a child in the way he should go…” (Proverbs 22:6, NKJV)

Training is hands-on, present, and purposeful. It requires relationship, repetition, and closeness—realities Home Education makes possible.

Education Starts with one Subject Area

The biblical framing of education has one primary subject area.

“Bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4, NKJV)

Formation of character, conscience, and worldview is part of Christian parenting. Home Education allows this to be a primary task, not one to be fit in after a long day or week. Families can more easily keep that calling at the center of daily life.

This places heavenly topics as more important, relevant, essential than any topic in the earthly realm. A concept that secularists have a hard time even considering. Yet priority on the heavenly is a command for believers: 

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20, NKJV)

Appreciation for creation (science), order (math), history, and others are all part of a Godly worldview and believers established, advanced, or formalized most of the subject areas throughout history, but to remove the admonition of the Lord is forgetting the source of all learning.  

Home Education Strengthens the God-Designed Family Bond

In Scripture, the family is the primary place of instruction, identity, and belonging.

Children Are a Blessing Placed in the Care of Parents

“Children are a heritage from the Lord…” (Psalm 127:3–5, NKJV)

Raising them closely is not a burden—it is a God-given joy.

Both parents teach:

“My son, hear the instruction of your father… and the law of your mother.” (Proverbs 1:8–9, NKJV)

The Bible depicts parents—not schools—as the first voices shaping a child’s worldview. Even if one parent takes on a primary role, the scriptures have an assumption of teamwork between them. Home Education aligns directly with this biblical priority.

Discipleship is at the Center of Learning

Education is not value-neutral. Jesus reminds us that learning always produces likeness. Students become like their teachers

“Everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.” (Luke 6:40, NKJV)

The question is not whether children imitate their teachers—they will. Even if some of those teachers are good people, we are seeing more and more atheists, secularists, humanists, and even pagan teachers employed by the schools. Where discretion used to be emphasized, laws preventing discretion around applicant worldviews are opening doors to bad role models. 

Home Education lets parents ensure that Christlike examples shape their children’s character.

Scripture was first learned at home (2 Timothy 3:14–15). Timothy’s spiritual foundation came through the faithful instruction of his mother and grandmother. Paul calls this the ideal beginning of Christian maturity. Sunday school, one day a week, will never compete with five full days of scripture-free secularism.  

Dr. Douglas J. Pietersma sums this up well, “The main reason Christian families should home educate is so they can prioritize and synergistically integrate family discipleship into all aspects of child-rearing including the secondary priority of academic instruction.”  

Home Education rightly places academic formation second to spiritual formation, just as Scripture presents them.

Character Formation Begins in the Home

A truly biblical education forms virtue, wisdom, and the fear of the Lord—not simply academic achievement. Wisdom begins with God:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 9:10, NKJV)

Education that omits God cannot produce wisdom. Home Education allows families to start with Scripture and consider all subjects through the lens of a pure worldview. 

Virtue is cultivated in relationship (Galatians 5:22–23). The Fruit of the Spirit grows through consistent modeling, conversation, correction, and encouragement—the relational environment God designed families to provide.

Thought life actually matters and it direction is given to spend our mental time on righteousness, 

“…meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4:8, NKJV)

Home Education allows parents to shape a learning environment filled with truth, beauty, and godliness.

Parents Guard Their Children’s Hearts

God calls parents to actively protect children from harmful influences.

Guard the heart with intent and focus. 

“Keep your heart with all diligence…” (Proverbs 4:23, NKJV)

Also, influence shapes character. It matters who our children spend time with and are influenced by in their formative years. 

“Evil company corrupts good habits.” (1 Corinthians 15:33, NKJV)

Secularists advocate for ‘exposure’ even to harmful, defiant, and corrupt cultural influences, as an ‘expansion’ of understanding others. However they do so without a framework for what is good and what is evil. Believers can easily experience other cultures via travel and community activity, but are not obligated to throw children into corrupting influences. 

Home Education allows families to curate influences with discernment and wisdom, not fear—building a healthy foundation for maturity.

A Home Pace Allows Rest, Peace, and Spiritual Rhythms

Scripture shows that children flourish in an environment shaped by peace, stability, and unhurried presence. God created humanity with daily rhythms and made them for habits and lifestyles of both work and rest.  

Children need stillness and the scripture celebrates devotional or time to be still and know Him. 

“He leads me beside the still waters.” (Psalm 23:2, NKJV)

Busy-ness and abnormal start times force a frantic pace for children that increases anxiety and stress that can actually harm learning. Home education allows for devotional time, peaceful reading environments, even outdoor exposure and enjoying a walk to discuss or assess a topic.  Peace belongs to children who are taught by the Lord.

“All your children shall be taught by the Lord, And great shall be the peace of your children.” (Isaiah 54:13, NKJV)

Home Education naturally creates space for rest, family worship, and meaningful conversation.

Families Can Pursue God’s Mission Together

Home Education strengthens the family as a ministry unit.

“As for me and my house…” (Joshua 24:15, NKJV)

The family that follows God’s ways together becomes a powerful witness. Praying about, choosing, and taking on ministries in and out of the Church can be done together. Practicing and discipling in ministry becomes core for many home educators. 

The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19–20) is God’s mission for all believers, why not spend entire childhoods dedicating time to the mission and training for it.

“‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, [even] to the end of the age.’" (Matthew 28:19-20, NKJV)   

Discipleship begins with the children God has already placed in our care. Home Education allows families to fulfill this calling joyfully and intentionally.

Biblical Education isn’t Burdened

Even many home educators think they have to ‘cover’ all the ‘necessarily’ topics selected by an unelected committee and promoted as ‘common core’. They worry, “I want to make sure my child doesn’t miss anything.” 

This is a loving and concerned parent, but they may be prioritizing secular opinion of a scope of learning over the Biblical scope of learning expressed in the great commission. 

Yes, every child should have taken steps toward marketable workplace skills in order to provide for their day-to-day lives. We are called to work.

Six days you shall labor and do all your work,” (Exodus 20:9, NKJV) 

Yet, thousands of Christian children are graduating knowing neo-socialism and evolution, but never having read the Bible in its entirety. 

“All Scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NKJV)

There is plenty of time in the day to pursue a broad education, work skills, and to be rooted in knowing all of God’s Word. One strategy is to have efficient and complete plans so that time is used effectively and maintain peace.   

Portals Can Help

Portals Education exists to help families live out the biblical vision described above— parents discipling children through rich learning, daily rhythms, and Christ-centered formation. Every Portals student will go through the Word in both elementary and high school AND they will cover traditional subject areas for a rigorous and well rounded education. Effective design still allows for large blocks of time for projects, play, devotion and exploration.  

Portals offers:

• Open-and-go lesson plans that free parents from excess planning

• Integrated faith formation, tying learning to Scripture naturally

• Flexible pacing that supports rest, family time, and discipleship

• A project-based approach that reflects the hands-on, relational model seen in Deuteronomy 6

• Tools that keep families learning together, applying multi-age learning models where most effective

Many use Portals today not because of convenience alone, but because its design supports the Biblical calling of Christian parents: to teach, train, shepherd, and delight in their children.

Conclusion

Home Education is not merely an educational choice—it is a return to God’s design for formative family life. Scripture consistently places parents in the role of teachers, mentors, protectors, and disciple-makers.

For Christian families, teaching children at home is not an escape from culture but an embrace of the role God has given—making disciples right in the heart of the family, with Christ guiding every step.

If you’re exploring Home Education as a Christian family, Portals Education is here to support your journey with tools that keep Christ, Scripture, and family discipleship at the center of learning.