The first is an open relationship between the parent and child.

Second, you need a catalyst — an event or object that illustrates the spiritual point. A catalyst is the conversation starter, the reason the teachable moment is occurring at that specific time and place. Often the catalyst is an everyday object like a bridge or a mousetrap. Or it can be some big milestone in your child’s life, like baptism.

Third, a teachable moment requires a biblical truth. The truth can be a Bible fact, a truth about God’s character, or insights into living a life of faith. You can gather a lot of truths through personal Bible study.

Here’s an example. A family of six went on vacation (ingredient #1 — a good relationship with time for fun) and the father found a billfold in a hotel parking lot. (The billfold is the catalyst, ingredient #2.) The billfold had money in it but no identification. The father took it to the front desk, tossed it on the counter and told the clerk, “In case someone comes looking for a wallet, here it is.”

His children witnessed the event, and he could have left the matter there but chose to talk about it instead. As a family, they discussed the virtue of honesty and why the father turned in the money instead of keeping it. He wasn’t trying to impress them with his virtue; he was impressing them with biblical truths. Perhaps they would have learned the lesson just by watching, but he couldn’t be sure without asking them what they were thinking.

The father wasn’t preaching. No one got a lecture; no one left feeling inadequate, overwhelmed or bored. It took only a couple of minutes to make the point (ingredient #3): “Each of you should look not only to your own interest, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4).