BY ROB MARKS
We know that the Bible being central in our children’s lives is important as they grow into mature believers. But as a parent, how do you set that foundation, especially if the words “avid Bible reader” aren’t used to describe you?
The Bible is an interesting book, not just because it is the living, breathing Word of God, though that sets it apart from all other books. The approach you take in reading your Bible is not like any other book either and can be a hurdle, especially for kids who are ready to read their Bible on their own.
Maybe you grew up in church and remember hearing all of the key Bible stories. The Creation Story, Noah’s Ark, Moses and the Burning Bush, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the Christmas Story, and the Fish and Loaves, just to name a few. Our kids need to know these stories, too, but in order for them to grow in their love and understanding of the Bible, we need to help them move from seeing God’s Word as a collection of Bible stories to understanding the one narrative the Bible is telling. When our kids are only familiar with the Bible stories without seeing how they fit together, we run the risk of making the stories lessons on morality instead of the goodness of God and his faithfulness to his promise.
I think building the foundation of our children understanding the one big story of the Bible starts when they are young. Many “read aloud” books do an amazing job of telling this big picture story of the Bible that should be included in the list of must-read books.
Sally Lloyd Jones has a wonderful book called The Jesus StoryBook Bible that does a beautiful job of showing the thread of Jesus in key stories of the Bible. Our own Charlie Boyd has written a children’s book called The Big Picture of What God Has Always Wanted that tells the one big story of the Bible.
I recently discovered a book called The Promise by Jason Helopoulus, that I really like because it helps the reader see their need for a savior through the failure of key biblical leaders and shows how God kept his promise to save humanity through Jesus, who was the perfect fulfillment of what those leaders were trying to be.
Even if you don’t consider yourself a Bible scholar, you can start building your family’s library of great books that help kids and adults alike understand the one big story of the Bible.
Note: The Jesus Storybook Bible, What God Has Always Wanted, and The Promise will be featured resources at the Faith at Home Center.
*We are a church located in Greenville, South Carolina. Our vision is to see God transform us into a community of grace passionately pursuing life and mission with Jesus.*
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Written by Rob Marks