Meet the Thinkers!
Our Mission & Values
At The Biblical Thinker, we are committed to supporting Christian education by offering faith-based resources that inspire students and uphold Biblical principles. Our goal is to equip Christian educators, homeschoolers, churches and schools with trustworthy materials that foster spiritual growth and academic excellence.
Our Story
Margie and Max Lyons were called into Christian education in the late 1970s. Max served as teacher and administrator at three Christian schools from 1979-2014. He worked as Director of Teaching Services at the Foundation for American Christian Education (FACE) for 11 years. Max ministered at StoneBridge School, a Demonstration School for the Principle Approach® philosophy and method for 19 years. Margie taught kindergarten at Rock Church Academy for two years and homeschooled her four children for 25 years using the Principle Approach, creating numerous teaching documents. She trained many homeschoolers in her support group on how to research and write lessons using Biblical principles. Max and Margie’s children, Rachel, Chris, and Judah finished their Principle Approach education at StoneBridge School, where Max was the Head Administrator. Their daughter, Arielle graduated from Atlantic Shores Christian school when Max served as Guidance Counselor.
After many years of teaching the true, original history of holidays like Reformation Day, Thanksgiving, George Washington’s Birthday, Valentine’s Day and First Landing Day, and creating plays and skits for the various holidays, one day Rachel said to her dad,
“Why don’t you publish these teachings in a book for other teachers and homeschoolers to enjoy and use?”
Max responded, “I don’t know how to do this, and it sounds expensive.”
Rachel responded, “I can help you! I’ve done this for 10 years at FACE.”
Max realized what an important resource he had in his daughter and soon his first book, Celebrate Our Christian Holidays Like You Were There, was published.
The Biblical Thinker is now a family business. Margie, Max, Rachel and Judah comprise the current Biblical Thinker team.
Over the past 20 years, the Lyons have published nine books and curriculum–all practical and field-tested. These resources are not just the result of academic research but are kid tested, teacher approved.
Today The Biblical Thinker team is focused on serving the field of Christian educators, including homeschoolers, Christian school teachers and headmasters, Church Christian educators and those seeking to be Biblical Thinkers.
Meet the Team
Dr. Max Lyons
Writer, Speaker, Consultant
A promotor of Principle Approach® Education, Dr. Lyons will serve you based on decades of practical experience in the classroom and in Christian school administration
Dr. Max Lyons served as teacher and administrator in three Christian schools since 1979. He has served as Principal at the elementary, middle and high school levels, and was the Head Administrator and CFO at StoneBridge School. His last school position was Director of Guidance at Atlantic Shores Christian School. He has extensive experience in all aspects of Christian School management, including curriculum development, teacher professional development, recruiting and admissions, fundraising, business management, board development, and guidance and counseling. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Virginia Wesleyan College, a Masters in Christian School Administration from Regent University, and a Ph.D. in Christian Education from Whitefield Theological Seminary.
From 2014-25 he served as Director of Teaching Services at the Foundation for American Christian Education. Max is a teacher, coach, curriculum writer, consultant, and conference speaker, specializing in the areas of Bible, history, government, economics, and Biblical worldview. He has taught a Biblical worldview Sunday school class for over three decades.
His nine publications include the Student Worldview Dictionary, Celebrate our Christian Holidays Like You Were There, Government Takes All…What’s Left for Me?, Sons and Daughters Walking in the Truth, How to Establish a Christian School to Restore the Republic, The Seven Pillars of Liberty, Free Men and Free Markets, The Principle Approach to Teaching Bible and The High School Student’s Complete Guide to College Planning. He and his wife Margie co-authored an upper elementary Bible curriculum entitled Thinking and Acting Like Jesus. He is co-author of Odyssey of Faith, a children’s book and Virginia history curriculum. He has several books published in Portuguese that are used by a network of Principle Approach schools in Brazil. Government Takes All…What’s Left for Me? and Free Men and Free Markets are published in Spanish.
Max currently serves as President of The Biblical Thinker, and In his spare time Max writes and produces publications with Margie and Rachel, enjoys outdoor activities including pickleball, and remodels properties owned by his children and family.
Max and Margie have four children and eight grandchildren, and they attend Kempsville Presbyterian Church.
Testimonials
Margie Lyons
Seasoned homeschool teacher and FACE Teaching Fellow
Margie is passionate about making Principle Approach education doable for you.
Margie P. Lyons holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Old Dominion University. She served as teacher in a Virginia Beach Christian school for two years. She has served as a home educator for 24 years, as a teacher in home school cooperative schools for over 7 years, and a Sunday school teacher and curriculum developer. She served as Worship Leader for two churches and currently leads worship in a life group. She composed a worship album, King of Love in 2019. She currently writes music and has a YouTube channel for children to learn Bible verses put to music.
Born and raised in the history-rich state of Virginia, Margie looks back and sees that God was Providentially preparing her as a young girl for her life’s callings. She had a love and interest in home, family, and education from her earliest years. Her Episcopalian background gave her an awe and reverence for God. Her salvation at age 13 gave her a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ when she dedicated her entire life to Christ and His purposes.
When she met and married Max, they sought the most Biblical educational philosophies and curriculums for their future children. She discovered a philosophy and method of education that our American Founding Fathers naturally knew and implemented, a principled, Biblical way of thinking, acting, and living. The Bible came alive and inspired Margie like never before. She instructed her children in the value of researching and reasoning Biblical truths in their curriculum subjects, seeing the Biblical origins of topics, discovering God’s Providential hand in all of history—His Story—set on God’s geographical “stage.” With daily Biblical reasoning and application, Margie grew more in love with her Lord and Savior and was able to inspire her children. As a musician, she was inspired by God to write Biblically-principled songs of home, family, Christian character, and America’s Christian history.
Margie co-authored an upper elementary Bible curriculum entitled Thinking and Acting Like Jesus. She and Max taught this curriculum to their 4th grade Sunday school where the children developed their own notebook binders, researched in their own Bibles Scriptural truths and then applied them to their own lives. She also brought to life historical Christian figures, stories and Bible characters in plays and re-enactments the children performed. These plays are published in Celebrate our Christian Holidays Like You Were There. She is also co-author of Odyssey of Faith, a children’s book of Virginia’s early history.
With two of their four children married and raising their own children, Margie and Max are now teaching their grandchildren in God’s wonderful truths and ways. What a blessing and privilege to raise children in the Lord and be used by God to diligently train them up in the way they should go for their own life’s calling! It is Margie’s sincere hope that The Biblical Thinker will be a tool that Christians can use to take Christ’s yoke upon them and learn of Jesus, Who is the embodiment of truth.
Rachel Lyons Plumley
Writer, author, researcher, thinker, book designer
Rachel’s own Principle Approach education, college work and work at the Foundation for American Christian Education prepared her for her unique contribution to Biblical Christian education.
Rachel Lyons Plumley serves The Biblical thinker as graphic designer and editor. She worked for a decade at the Foundation for American Christian Education where she learned book layout and design. Passionate about Christian education, she loves teaching children Jesus’ truth.
Rachel considers it an honor to serve as a military spouse, supporting her husband Jason wherever the Coast Guard sends them. She can be found tying herself into a harness to belay her sons on a rock wall or in the mountains of Virginia. connect with Rachel at www.RachelLyonsPlumley.com
