As far as life passions go, promoting biblical literacy is a bright burning flame for me.
I love God’s Word. It’s such an amazing resource.
The King of the Universe wrote us a letter (or 66 letters if you prefer), and we have the opportunity to not only read that letter, but to get really familiar with it. We have the opportunity to learn who God is, to understand his plan for salvation, and in the process, we get to read some truly amazing stories about real people and the things they really did.
How to Enjoy Reading the Bible
Keith Ferrin also loves the Bible–and he wants you to love it too.
His book, How to Enjoy Reading Your Bible (Bethany House, 2015), is engaging and accessible. The format is perfect for middle and high school students. At 155 pages with plenty of white space, it doesn’t take long to navigate the text, and your teens just may find some unique and helpful hints when it comes to Scripture reading.
Each of Mr. Ferrin’s tips begins with a personable story as he directly addresses the reader. This story then leads to his Bible reading tip and a direct personal application. Every chapter also has a study guide with discussion questions, Scripture verses to look up, and a prayer.
I really liked every one of the Bible reading tips. The insights were valuable, and there were a number of things I’d never really thought of doing, or ways I’ve never approached Scripture. The last two tips were clearly outlined Scripture-reading challenges that I’d encourage you to take.
As a side note, Mr. Ferrin is more comfortable with the idea of God speaking to him in quotable words than I am (and I recognize that that may just meet his purpose as he’s writing the book in an informal, narrative manner). Even so, I didn’t have a problem reading the book to my boys in the mornings. I just explain where I see our communication with God a little differently.
All in all, I really recommend How to Enjoy Reading Your Bible. It makes a great family read, and it’s a perfect independent reading assignment for your older students. Teens may find that following the tips in the book really impacts the way they study the Bible.
Purchase How to Enjoy Reading Your Bible
I want to thank Bethany House for providing a copy of How to Enjoy Reading Your Bible in return for my honest review.
Bible Resources for Your Kids
Learn More HereLearn More HereLearn More HereLearn More HereLearn More HereLearn More Here
Martin Luther and the Reformation
Teach your teens about Martin Luther and the Reformation in an exciting, new way with When Lightning Struck!: The Story of Martin Luther!
As Luther’s understanding of the spiritual corruption within the Church grew, and he despaired of true salvation, Luther (now a scholar and priest) sought the Bible for answers. Following his discovery of the true gospel in Scripture, Luther began to preach spiritual freedom to his congregation, and to teach biblical (rather than philosophical) theology at the University of Wittenberg.
It was on October 31, 1517 that Martin Luther penned his Ninety-Five Theses in Latin in response to the abusive indulgence sales practices of the monk Johann Tetzel in a nearby town. Luther nailed the Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church, the scholarly bulletin board of his day, and mailed a copy to the Archbishop of Mainz. Luther hoped to start a scholarly debate about the practice of selling salvation through plenary indulgences. The response he received was greater–and more dangerous–than he imagined it would be.
Luther’s story is exciting. There are death defying moments, epic spiritual battles, narrow escapes, a kidnapping, revolution, and war. As the “Father of the Reformation”, Luther is a vital figure in Church history. His sacrifice and willingness to wage battle against the spiritual, religious, and political powers of his medieval world allowed Christians throughout time to embrace the truth of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone as explained by Scripture alone once again. May all glory be to God alone!
Read portions of the first eight chapters of When Lightning Struck!:
Grab the autographed Reformation Family Bundle!
Books Make Great Gifts!
More Thinking Kids Posts You’ll Love!
Join the newsletter
Get the Family Prayer Box Project FREE!
Teach your children to pray with this fun project that includes 7 printable sets!
