It’s so important that we read the Bible to our kids. Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible (Bethany House, 2021) is your family’s crash course to everything you need to know to read, memorize, and learn the Bible as a family. In Bible Road Trip™, your three-year family journey through the Bible, you’ll use the Bible to teach the Bible.
In addition to reading Scripture to our kids, Bible picture books can be especially helpful in our pursuit to teach the whole Bible to our kids. They love the pictures, the simplified explanations, and the strong themes that books about the Bible provide. As parents, we love the structure a book–like a family devotional–can provide during a special season like Easter!
Family Devotional Book
Marty Machowski, a family pastor for more than 30 years and the author of a number of beautiful children’s books, has written an innovative and fun family devotional for the Easter season.
Darkest Night Brightest Day: A Family Devotional for the Easter Season (New Growth Press, 2022) is a lovely flip book. There are 14 four-page family devotions. Each devotion contains a re-told story of Jesus’ journey to the cross, his Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension. The devotions are fully illustrated and there are three to four questions at the end of each one to help your children consider the most important aspects of the reading.
I love the fact that Marty Machowski has not just retold each story straight from one of the Gospels. Instead, he merges the story from each of the Gospels, including information that may have been omitted by one or two of the authors. Additionally, he adds information from other parts of Scripture to show how Jesus fulfilled prophecy or his own teachings. I love that!
Blood and water flowed, confirming his death. John was a witness and later wrote, “These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken’ [Psalm 34:20] and… ‘ They will look on the one they have pierced'” [Zechariah 12:10] (John 19:36-37).
The Darkest Night side of the book covers Holy Week with seven four-page family devotions. Ideally, you’d want to start reading on Palm Sunday. Family devotions on this side include:
- The Triumphal Entry
- The Trap
- The Betrayal
- The Arrest
- The Trial
- The Cross
- The Tomb
On Easter morning, flip the book over to reveal The Brightest Day, seven celebratory four page devotions that tell the story of Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension. Stories covered are:
- The Stone is Rolled Away
- Jesus is Risen!
- The Road
- The Doubter
- The Catch
- The Ascension
- Pentecost
The book ends with a clear presentation of the gospel (via Peter in Acts). It’s a great way to help kids truly understand the meaning of Christ’s Resurrection.
Marty Machowski Books
Darkest Night Brightest Day: A Family Devotional for the Easter Season
Old Story New: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to GodLong Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to GodThe Ology: Ancient Truths, Ever NewWonderFull: Ancient Psalms Ever NewThe Gospel Story Bible: Discovering Jesus in the Old and New TestamentsGospel Story for Kids New Testament Coloring BookGospel Story for Kids Old Testament Coloring BookGod Made Boys and Girls: Helping Children Understand the Gift of Gender (God Made Me)God Made Me for Heaven: Helping Children Live for an Eternity with JesusWise Up: Ten-Minute Family Devotions in Proverbs
Teaching the Bible to your kids doesn’t have to be hard.
The Easter Season | Family Devotional
The illustrations by Phil Schorr are fun with a contemporary 2-D style. Each spread does display a picture of Jesus, so if that’s an issue for you, you’ll want to take note of it.
I love this gift-quality, innovative family devotional. It’s a great way to create a new family tradition in which your kids will better understand the significance of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Darkest Night Brightest Day: A Family Devotional for the Easter Season
You’ll want to check out this fun video in which Marty Machowski shares how to use the devotional with your family this Easter season:
Books Make Great Gifts!
Teach the kids about the Bible and Christian history…
…with fun books they’ll love reading!
Introduce your children to engaging stories written in an engaging narrative they’ll want to read. As they learn more about God’s Word and gain real-life heroes, they will learn to apply Scripture to their own lives. And, give yourself the gift of a book that will help your kids learn and love the Bible.
More Thinking Kids Posts You’ll Love!
