“We declare the glory of God by being made in His own image and by living out the commands of the creation mandate. And the creation mandate is a call to work.” – Bryan Smith
What if the key to transforming both your teaching and your students’ attitudes toward learning was hidden in plain sight?
Bryan Smith, longtime Christian educator and biblical worldview expert, challenges educators to rediscover one of the most fundamental aspects of education: work itself. But this isn’t about motivating lazy students or managing workloads. This conversation goes much deeper, connecting the very purpose of education to a biblical understanding of what it means to be human.
Bryan reveals how the creation mandate in Genesis 1:28 serves as the educational mandate that explains why math, science, language arts, and social studies matter beyond college preparation. Work predates the fall and serves as a primary way humans declare God’s glory. For students, school isn’t preparation for their future work – it IS their work as children called to exercise dominion.
This perspective addresses both lack of motivation and overachieving as spiritual issues in students. Bryan tackles the tension between engaging learning and constant entertainment, arguing that productive struggle prepares students for real-world work. He also helps overachieving students find identity in Christ rather than performance.
The conversation includes practical wisdom for both ends of the spectrum while maintaining the biblical balance between work and rest that God modeled in creation.
Every day in the classroom is YOUR day to impact and inspire through God’s power and grace working in you.
Go do what God has called you to do!
About Our Guest Bryan Smith has worked in Christian education for over thirty years, having been a classroom teacher as well as a textbook author. Currently, Bryan serves as the director for Biblical Worldview Formation at BJU Press. He is responsible for ensuring that all educational materials produced by BJU Press support the development of a biblical worldview in students. He has led BJU Press in becoming the worldview leader in Christian education publishing. Recently, he authored Biblical Worldview Beyond the Basics (a high-school level survey of biblical worldview thinking and living). Bryan speaks at conferences, schools, and churches around the country. He and his wife, Becky, have six children.
Sponsored By Now, more than ever, children need a learning experience that enables them to think critically, advances them academically, and encourages them to live biblically. BJU Press serves Christian educators with academically rigorous resources written from a biblical worldview to prepare the next generation to be salt and light in society. We are committed to doing everything we can so Christian education can do everything it must. Visit our website today or contact your Territory Manager to learn more. [bjupress.com]
“When you are a child in the third grade or the fourth grade, school is your work. School is what God has called you to as a child when it comes to Genesis 1:28.” – Bryan Smith
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