“Our children and youth desperately need to hear the gospel and be discipled in the powerful Word of God,” said Joseph Parker, AFA director of outreach and intercession.
Christian parents can disciple their children and nurture their children’s faith in a number of ways, such as taking them to church, showing them how to read the Bible and pray, talking openly and honestly about Scripture, and giving them opportunities to participate in Christ-centered programs. But what about getting them involved in a project to help them hide God’s Word in their hearts, understand the Ten Commandments, and shape their biblical worldview?
The challenge
During the month of June, American Family Association is providing such an opportunity by hosting a fresh discipleship challenge for children ages 7-17. What used to be known as the Ten Commandments Speech Contest is now the Ten Commandments Speech Challenge. But the premise is the same: Children are encouraged to deepen their understanding of God’s Word by writing, presenting, and submitting a speech on a given topic.
For this year’s challenge prompt, AFA chose, “Why are the Ten Commandments important?” Researching this topic will help children gain a better understanding of why the commandments are necessary and how they impact all of life.
“We thought it would be good to help participants understand the importance of the Ten Commandments and the authority of Scripture,” said Angie May, AFA director of marketing and content creation. “Each command is important alone, but together, they make our blueprint for living in righteousness.”
“Our children are being attacked from so many directions by the kingdom of darkness,” Parker added. “What is the answer? The answer is found in putting the most powerful weapon in the universe to work in their lives: the sword of the Spirit – the Word of God.”
The updated challenge is designed to walk participants through researching and understanding all of the Ten Commandments, focusing on one commandment per year in the coming years.
“Everyone benefits from knowing and living out the Ten Commandments,” said Wesley Wildmon, AFA vice president.
The charge
Since 2016, Parker and his wife, Birdie, have been involved in various projects that help youth better understand and follow the truths found in the Ten Commandments. He believes understanding the commands is essential for believers of any age, and he is excited to see how the Lord will use the Ten Commandments Speech Challenge across the nation.
“By the power and promise of God’s Word, it can really make a very productive impact in and on the lives of our youth,” Parker concluded.
For more
To participate in the 2024 Ten Commandments Speech Challenge, children and teens are to write a speech in response to the given prompt, record a video of themselves reciting the speech, and upload the video to afr.net/tencommandments.
Speeches can be uploaded June 1-30, 2024. However, participants are encouraged to submit their speeches early in the month, as some of them will be played on American Family Radio throughout June.
The suggested length of each speech is no more than five minutes. AFA encourages parents, grandparents, and guardians to help participants with their speech writing, if needed.
AFA will reward all participants with a Ten Commandments T-shirt, a Ten Commandments bookmark, and a code to use for free shipping on an order from the AFA Resource Center (resources.afa.net).
For more information about the Ten Commandments Speech Challenge, visit afr.net/tencommandments.
(Digital Editor's Note: This article was published first in the June 2024 print edition of The Stand. Click HERE to get a free six-month subscription.)
