Do you ever ask, where should I start reading the Bible with my kids? Here are two great places to begin reading through the Bible with kids.
You can. It’s doable.
Do you wonder, though, where you should start?
Where should I start reading the Bible with my kids?
When parents ask me, Where should I start reading the Bible with my kids?, I typically give one of two answers.
First, let’s take a quick look at the structure of the Bible.
Reading through the Books of the Bible:
Old Testament
- Books of the Law Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
- Books of History Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
- Books of Poetry Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
- Books of Prophecy Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
New Testament
- Books of the Gospel Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
- Book of History Acts
- Paul’s Epistles Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon
- General Epistles Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1 & 2 & 3 John, Jude, Revelation
Now that we’ve talked about how the Bible is structured, let’s talk about where to begin reading the Bible as a family.
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Reading through the Bible with kids… faithfully.
We wouldn’t start reading a story to our kids in the very middle of the book. Scripture separates into two main sections: the Old and New Testament.
When you’re wondering, Where should I start reading the Bible?, I suggest choosing either Genesis or Matthew to begin with. Reading to your kids from Psalms and Proverbs while reading through the Bible is a great option, and can be repeated–but as a story, begin in the beginning of either the Old or New Testament.
Begin reading through the Bible with kids in Genesis.
The books of law and history are largely narrative. There are some wonderful things about beginning to read the Bible with your kids in Genesis:
- Your kids get introduced to several main themes of the Bible through God’s great story of salvation: who God is, our sin nature and need for a Savior, God’s plan for salvation.
- The Old Testament is largely narrative, and kids can relate to the stories in it.
- Kids will more fully understand the significance of who Jesus is when your family reads the New Testament.
Or… begin reading through the Bible with kids in Matthew.
Likewise, there are great reasons to begin reading through the Bible as a family, starting in Matthew:
- Children meet Jesus through his Word right away. The stories about Jesus are understandable for kids.
- Children will hear the gospel–the good news of Jesus Christ–quickly.
- The epistles help us understand very clearly how to live for Jesus today–another main theme of the Bible.
- When you finish Revelation, you can start in Genesis and read the Bible from cover-to-cover.
Where should I start reading the Bible with my kids? is a question you will have to answer for yourself. I suggest, though, that you begin in either Genesis or Matthew and read the Bible as a story, looking for God’s overarching themes.
Bible Resources for Your Kids
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Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible
You want your kids to learn and love the Bible.
You want to teach the Bible…
As parents, we deeply desire the best for our kids. We look for the right schools, we make them eat right and exercise, and we get them involved in extracurricular activities. We take our job as parents seriously.
But are we also putting our time and energy into
teaching them the Bible? Giving them the life-changing, soul-nourishing words of Scripture is not only doable, it’s an essential part of parenting kids for Jesus. And the good news is, studying God’s Word as a family doesn’t have to be difficult!
2 Timothy 2:15, ESV, says:
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,
a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Our job, as parents who love Jesus, is to help our kids become approved workers, unashamed and rightly handling the word of truth.
The good news? Teaching the Bible isn’t hard. Your family can learn the Bible together.
…and you can!
A Crash Course in Teaching the Bible to Your Kids
Danika Cooley’s book, Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible, will give you the tools and confidence to study the Bible as a family. It will help you identify and overcome your objections and fears, give you a crash course in what the Bible is all about and how to teach it, and provide the guidance you need to set up a family Bible study habit.
You will finish this book feeling encouraged and empowered to initiate and strengthen your child’s relationship with the Lord through His Word.
Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible will equip you with everything you need to know to teach the Bible to your kids!
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