Pointing Students to Jesus

July 22, 2026 / by Pam Scott

When our children were young, I was greatly influenced by Paul David Tripp’s books Shepherding a Child’s Heart and Age of Opportunity. Tripp pointed to Deuteronomy 6:5-8 as a guide for parenting.

Even in ordinary, mundane tasks, like baking bread, we need to point our children to God, to see Him at work and to be in awe of who He is. I have carried this disciple making principle into my classroom.

When studying a word in my 5th grade classroom, we use a tool called etymonline to learn the history and meaning of a word. The root of discipleship is Latin and means “to take hold of or grasp.” That’s what discipleship is. Pointing others to God in all situations and encouraging them to grasp the gospel. What does that look like in a 5th grade classroom at Cornerstone Christian Academy? It begins with my relationship with Jesus. I must be in God’s Word and be a disciple of Him. Studying and knowing Jesus is essential to being a follower of Christ. Then, my love for Jesus must overflow in my words and my actions.

It is tempting to believe that some aspects of daily life are sacred and others are secular, but that is false. All aspects of life are sacred. God is present in all things, and I should do all things to honor and glorify Him. Even the most mundane activities, like kneading bread dough, are acts of worship. I try to help my students realize that everything we do is an act of worship, even the act of learning involves worship. In Deuteronomy 6, parents, and I would add teachers, are called “to 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.” I seek opportunities to point my students to God, not just in Bible class but always. When students have a conflict, we must be quick to pray and ask God for guidance. When studying language, we talk about how communication reminds us that we live in an intelligently designed world, and as humans made in the image of God, we are responsible for how we use language. In mathematics, we see God as a God of order and beauty. In history, we talk about God’s role in the past and how we can be a part of His work today.

I want my students to take hold of the gospel, not just in their heads but in their hearts. How do I do that? I love God and point my students to Him throughout the day.

Pam and her husband Jon have four adult children and four grandchildren. Pam has taught for 26 years, the last 14 years at Cornerstone Christian Academy. One of her favorite things is to have East White Oak children in her class. Pam and Jon presently serve as two of the co-leaders of the Bridge Young Adult ABF. In her free time, Pam enjoys spending time with family, reading, and taking long walks with friends.