There are a lot of books in the world. Few are as exciting to me as the books that help children understand Scripture better.
I don’t think there is any substitute to Scripture itself. However, it can be difficult for children to discern the overall storyline of Scripture when their understanding of the Bible consists of seemingly isolated hero stories. When kids think the Bible is really about the people within its pages — Samson, Ruth, or Noah — they can miss the true meaning.
Part of our job as Christian parents is to help our kids better understand the big picture of God’s Word.
We want them to know:
- Who God is
- Who humans are and why we need a Savior
- God’s great plan for salvation
- Jesus’ commands for his followers
Paul Reynolds has written two wonderful books that help put the whole of Scripture into context! They can each be used in morning devotions, at family worship, or read by older children (8-12) on their own. In fact, 66 Books: One Story is a resource used in Bible Road Trip™.
I want to thank Christian Focus Publications for providing me with a copy of 66 Books: One Story and 30 Prophecies: One Story by Paul Reynolds in return for my honest opinion.
- 66 Books: One Story: A Guide to Every Book of the Bible (Christian Focus Publications, 2013, 2023) is a 235-page overview of Scripture. ~ Each chapter is just three pages long, making it the perfect length for a family devotion. The books of the Bible are covered chapter by chapter with the exception of Genesis and the Psalms, which required two chapters, and 2 and 3 John are combined in one chapter.
66 Books: One Story is a wonderful resource for families. In just over two months, your children can have a deeper understanding of each book of the Bible, and of Scripture as a whole. Most importantly, they would walk away with a new appreciation for Who God is and what His plan for us entails.
The chapters each contain the same structure:- A short phrase introduces the theme of the book.
- A brief introduction explains the storyline, who wrote the book, and when it was written.
- The overview contains a few numbered paragraphs which basically condense the content of the book. These paraphrases initially threw me as the paragraphs are inside of quotation marks, but they are not direct quotations. When Mr. Reynolds does quote the Bible directly, it is in red italics. I suppose this is just a stylistic issue. However, if you plan to hand this book to your child, I think it is important to explain where the overview is directly quoting the Bible and where it is not.
- The “Learning From” section is, in my opinion, one of the gems of the book. Each chapter has three learning points, each of which contains a truth from Scripture (and an explanation of that truth), 3 Bible references to study the truth stated, and devotional questions to discuss with your children. Here’s what I love about the Bible truths that are explained: they focus on God and His qualities. Mr. Reynolds does discuss how those qualities affect us, and how we are called to follow God, but his primary focus is on God’s sovereignty and holiness. The focus is not on biblical characters and their personal qualities.
- There is a “Salvation Thread” section which explains how each book of the Bible points to Christ and to God’s plan for redemption.
- Each chapter ends with a key verse for memorization.
- 30 Prophecies: One Story (Christian Focus Publications, 2019)~ This is such a neat book. At 93-pages, it’s not your typical picture book. Instead, it’s an oversized book with beautiful graphics that covers 30 Old Testament (and a few New Testament) prophecies fulfilled in the life of Jesus. Each prophecy is covered by a two-page (sometimes four-page) spread. I highly recommend this fabulous book for your family’s library. You could even use the book as a unit study for 6 weeks!
Each spread covers:- The prophecy made
- The prophet and date of the prophecy
- The reaction of the people hearing the prophecy
- The fulfillment of the prophecy
- How the prophecy fits into God’s great story of the gospel
- An application of the prophecy to your child
- A prayer for your family to offer after reflecting on God’s great story.
Purchase 66 Books: One Story and 30 Prophecies: One Story
You’ll want both these great books by Paul Reynolds on your library shelf! The author, Paul Reynolds, is an assistant pastor at First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman. He is also a father of two.
Bible Resources for Your Kids
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Puzzle-Based Independent Bible Study for Kids!
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12:2, ESV
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- Observe: They pay attention to what they’re reading.
- Interpret: They figure out what the Bible means in that section.
- Apply: They decide how the truth of God’s Word impacts their life today.
There are a great many truths in life to be found—some interesting, some boring, and some that really matter. You can be the kind of investigator who spends time puzzling out important truth so that you can know all the knowable knowledge that God has given us. That’s right. God, the Creator of the Universe, gave you a great big letter from him to explore and study so that you can discover the truths that really matter to your life!”
Bible Investigators: Creation, (The Good Book Company, 2024), page 7
The Bible Investigators: Creation Bible study for kids, written by Danika Cooley and published by The Good Book Company, is 272-pages of learning, puzzles, and fun activities designed to help your kids become amazing independent Bible investigators–observing, interpreting, and applying God’s Word as they learn what the Bible teaches on a particular subject.
Bible Puzzles for Kids
Middle grade kids, aged 8-12, love puzzles. After all, their brains are just built for figuring things out and memorizing facts. Puzzles are a wonderful way to help kids develop logic skills and retain important information. And, the book is written in a fun, conversational tone your children are sure to love!
What types of puzzles and activities will you find in Bible Investigators?
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- Word Searches
- Crosswords
- Rebus Puzzles
- Dot-to-Dots
- Logic Puzzles
- Missing Letter Puzzles
- Cryptograms
- Word Sudoku
- Mazes
- How-to-Draw Pages
- Matching Pairs
- Word Scrambles
- Journal Pages
Every child is sure to find activities they’ll love!
Elementary-aged kids need hands-on middle grade resources that engage them and equip them to process important truths.
Bible Investigators is the perfect resource to teach your kids about an important biblical doctrine, while helping them apply God’s Word to their lives today.
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