In looking for a Biblical worldview curriculum for my high school freshman, the Thinking Like a Christian (TLAC) products from GTI Ministries, including 14 hours of video, combined with Biblical worldview study guides, were the answer. We are always looking for resources to prepare our children to refute the lies and false ideas of the culture so they might stand strong no matter what their future holds. We found that here. I received for review the following products: Thinking Like a Christian Video Series 1 and 2, Thinking Like a Christian Study Guide Workbooks 1 and 2 (for use with videos), You Are What You Think Worldview Textbooks 1 and 2, The Christian Worldview of Psychology, Contrasting Christianity and Humanism booklet, and a second booklet titled, Christianity and Society, What Role Should Christians Play?

The very foundation of any proclaimed Christian worldview curriculum should be the Bible itself. This is the case with GTI Ministries, Thinking Like a Christian curriculum. The foundational theme verse is: “Taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5) while learning to discern between good and evil as spoken of in Hebrews 5 and 6. Series 1 and 2 of both the videos, textbooks, and study guides cover twelve worldview topics from a completely Biblical perspective and non-revisionist historical facts. And each session has a bountiful supply of Scripture references. If done independently, this is best suited for middle-high school students, or if done as a family Bible study, it could be suitable for all ages (specifically eight and up).

The basis of the program is to watch a portion of the videos each day and then answer questions in your study guides. The study guides tell the student at what point in the video to stop watching and then answer the study questions. The Study Guide 1 goes with video sessions 1-6. So, Study Guide 1 is broken up into six different sessions with 8 to16 days in each session, for a total of 62 days of video and study. Study Guide 2 has 44 days. So, if you want to complete this in one school year, this course has 106 days with which to work. Of course, as the homeschool teacher, you can break this up into a daily routine, a few times a week, or whatever fits your schedule.

Subjects included in Study Guide 1 lessons are: What is a worldview, and why does it matter? (i.e., what difference does a Biblical worldview make?) The Christian view of history (how reliable is the Bible compared to other books?), The Christian View of Theology (how can we know that there is a God?), The Christan view of philosophy (is truth absolute or relative?), The Christian view of Economics (what the Bible says about capitalism v. socialism), The Christian view of science (what influence has Christianity had on science?)

Study Guide 2 covers six more topics from a Biblical worldview: psychology, ethics, sociology, law, politics, and education.

The complete TLAC Video Series (14 DVDs) with Study Guide Workbooks both 1 and 2 is $164.90. And these can all be purchased separately. If you are not using this as a family study but rather a student-driven one, you may need one Study Guide per student.

The product titled, You Are What You Think, Applying a Christian Worldview to All of Life, is the combined textbook version of the videos and study guides. So, this product can be a stand-alone product with no need for the video component. This textbook has nearly the exact words taken from the videos and put into a textbook format. At the end of each day’s reading, there are study questions for each session similar to the Study Guides. These are broken into two textbooks. Each textbook (covering six topics each) is divided into 8-10 day reading assignments with study questions at the end of each day. Answer keys are available online.

My son and I chose to use the products in a unique way. We watch the video while my son follows along in the textbook version rather than the Study Guides. This helps him concentrate by both reading the text and listening to it at the same time. We then discuss the questions aloud as he answers them at the end of each session. We have had great conversations that may have never come up had we not done this course together.

I love answering his questions and discussing what the culture says versus what the Bible says in every topic covered. We have learned about and discussed the authenticity of the Bible and the historical facts surrounding it. We have talked about the supernatural aspects of having so many writers over so many years but in complete fluidity and agreement. We have learned what a worldview is and how it matters to know why you believe what you believe and that what you believe is absolute truth and trustworthy while also hearing from great men of the past and their views intertwined with Scripture throughout.

Each day will require reading the instructions/introduction, watching the video, discussing/answering the questions, and looking up Scripture references. There is also a section to journal your thoughts related to the subject. Answer keys are provided on the website if necessary.

We have chosen to do this four days a week together. It only takes about half an hour to 45 minutes to watch a session and discuss/answer the questions. If it takes longer, we divide it into two days to answer the questions.

The music playing in the background and the narrator’s raspy voice made this a little challenging to listen to at first, but over time, we were able to get past those things. The content is exceptional, but the videos could use some updating. Overall, we are getting so much out of every session that those things paled in comparison.

GTI Ministries also offers single-subject booklets on separate topics. For example, I received Christianity and Society, What Role Should Christians Play? This small booklet contains eleven chapters and covers the Biblical worldview of sociology. These booklets are extracted from You Are What You Think Worldview Textbooks. Each short chapter includes study questions and Scripture references to look up and explore. In this booklet, you will study the role of the family in society, the role of the church, and the role of the state. You will also examine why the family unit is essential, the reasons for a Biblical marriage, the propaganda of cultural movements, etc. For example, chapter ten covers education, and then one of the study questions is, “How does a private or home-schooled education compare to that of government schools?”

The second booklet I received was The Christian Worldview of Psychology, Contrasting Christianity and Humanism. You will study the Biblical worldview of psychology based on Proverbs 23:7, “As a man thinks, so he is.” The booklet covers psychiatry, suffering, and the mind. It also covers humanism, guilt, and results of godlessness in a mind and society. All chapters are bathed in Scripture, and the study questions are thought-provoking.

There are many choices for the parent in considering these products. You can either choose one small booklet and study that one subject together as a family over a period of time. Or you can select the videos as a stand-alone study to watch and learn. Or you may choose the videos along with the study guides to give your student a full curriculum in a worldview course. Another option is selecting the stand-alone textbook that does not require the video as it is the same content from the video placed directly into the text. Lastly, you could choose to do as we did for our auditory learner, which is to use the videos with the textbooks (not the study guides but has similar study guide questions to answer) so he could read and follow along, which increases his reception and retention of the information.

Whatever option you choose, you will be heartened by your discussions with your child. If they study alone, you will be relieved and blessed to know they are learning why a Biblical worldview matters in every area of life. They’ll learn how a Biblical worldview will help them remain prosperous and successful as they meditate on God’s Word and live God’s way. They will learn from the past in order to face an uncertain but God-ordained future. I recommend these Biblical studies that will help undergird your students to stand firm in their Christian faith as they venture out from your home and into the world. These are the kinds of things we want our children to know before they leave our homes. This is what parent-led home education discipleship is all about.

-Product review by Deborah Wuehler, senior editor, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, September 2022