source: kikishua
It’s October 16th which means we are basically halfway through our 31 Day series of the best Bible books for kids. We’ve covered high-tech Bibles, rhyming Bibles, baby books and perfect-for-boys books. I hope this series has been (and will continue to be) beneficial to you. I really do believe stacking your shelves with books based on God’s Word and surrounding your kids with His Story will make an eternal difference in their hearts and lives.
What does God’s Word say about…God’s Word?
One of my favorite Scriptures about God’s Word itself is the Parable of the Sower. Remember it? A farmer goes out to plant seeds and some of the seeds fall on the path and the birds eat it up. Some of the seeds fell on rocky soil and although the plants sprang up quickly, they didn’t have any roots so they died. More of the seeds fell among weeds which, of course choked them out. The remaining seeds fell on good soil and yielded a huge crop. (See Matthew 13)
What does this parable mean? Well, Jesus is explicit when he explains it to his disciples:
“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:
When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.
But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
Let’s look at the two types of seed in the middle–the rocky ground and the thorns. The seeds that fall there do not grow because of persecution, worries of life and deceitfulness of wealth. This may be something adults deal with in their everyday life. Children? Not so much.
Now, let’s look at the first and last seeds–do you see a common theme? UNDERSTANDING. When someone hears God’s Word and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches it away!
source: elaine of lotus land
This literally brings a tear to my eye! If I try to plant a seed in my kids’ heart from God’s Word but if they do not understand it, the enemy will come and steal it?! I think of all the boring Sunday School classes, the dry sermons, the long passages read where children’s understanding was not even considered–all the seeds that were snatched from kids’ hearts! It’s a tragedy.
However, when someone hears God’s Word and does understand it? Oh, it grows! It grows 100, 60 or 30 times what was planted! Isn’t that what we want? I want God’s Word to actually grow and actually come to fruition in my kids’ lives!
How do we help our kids’ understand God’s Word?
There is more to understanding God’s Word than delivering it with smiley faces and small words. Being a long-time Children’s Ministry type person, I see this all the time. Someone comes in and thinks if they jump up and down enough or say “underpants” or make silly faces while they talk, then they are communicating to kids. This could not be any further from the truth!
Kids need bite-sized pieces of God’s Word. Not watered down, glitterized versions of the story! They don’t need bits and pieces of a story that give a trailer or preview of the Gospel! No, kids just need God’s Word–the same Word we deliver to adults. Only the bite-sized version.
This is what What’s in the Bible? has done for kids. Whats in the Bible? is a 13 DVD series that takes kids step-by-step through the Bible and explains the stories–rather the Story of the Bible. There’s a great theme of God’s plan, His kingdom and his purposes in every episode.
It’s as if you were going to read the Bible with your own kids and every time they stopped to ask a question, you actually had the answer. That’s pretty much how What’s in the Bible? is structured. They explain books of the Bible, terminology, theology and even unknowns (allowing them to be unknown!) all on a kids’ level.
But this isn’t a homeschool lesson or a children’s church curriculum (although, they do have that!). It’s not a Bible devotion or a small group study. It’s genuinely good TV for kids with hilarious songs and funny puppets.
This is a show you want to sit down and watch with your kids together. It’s one you’ll talk about afterward, refer back to when you’re reading the Bible and use as a resource again and again. What’s in the Bible? needs to be under your Christmas tree this year. Or even better, grab the first episode today to get started on helping your kids understand what the Bible is, what it contains and Who’s story it tells.
Here’s a little taste of What’s In the Bible for you….(subscribers, click over to view!)
Have your kids ever asked a crazy hard Bible question?
affiliate links included
I’m first! Lydia has been studying the beginning of the world at school. She asked me, “So, what happened to all the people who didn’t go on the ark? What happened to their bodies?”
ICK.
a
My son is only two so he doesn’t ask the hard questions yet. I just love seeing his hunger for the word at such a young age. He is learning a lot at bible study each week.
My son is not old enough to ask hard questions yet. Even though I am sure answering them will be challenging at times, I hope he does ask some very hard questions because then I will know he is really engaging with the bible and building a firm foundation for his faith.
I know they have asked some tough ones, but I can’t recall any right now. My oldest did ask if the Bible was complete. He wanted to know if he could be in it. :0)
My 5 year old asks me about heaven. I told her it is the best place, better than she can imagine. Then she asked if there would be unicorns becaue that would be the best. I told her I’m not sure, nobody is sure what heaven will be like exactly but she will love it.
While singing along to one of our favorite cds “Tell sin no, no, no…It’s got to go…If you wanna be like Jesus!” My daughter stopped and said, “But we’ll never be as good as Jesus. So why should we even try?”
I know some of the hardest questions to answer were about heaven. When our dog passed away, our daughter wanted to know if the dog would be in heaven. I think the hardest thing to do is explain Biblical concepts on a level where the child can understand!
One question I remember my oldest asking is if God can see us why can’t we see him?
3 boys = lots of hard questions. Love it when they make me think!
My oldest is 6, and no hard questions yet. I don’t know if it’s from not closely paying attention while I read or if he’s just not a question asking type.
My son is three and hasn’t asked any hard questions yet but I’m sure they’re coming!
Oh my, my five year old is an old, tender soul and constantly has questions about the bible and Truth that astound me. Try explaining the trinity – father, Son, and Holy Spirit – to a four AND five year old! 😉
No super hard questions yet with our 3 and 5 year olds. BUT, teaching them makes me examine myself and see my shortcomings. That is really hard!
My kids are at the age they’re just beginning to ask questions. Last week we started reading the Jesus Storybook you blogged about and they kept asking “what happens next?!” So fun. After hearing about this series, I’m excited about checking it out. Thanks!
Mine are just know getting old enough to start asking some hard questions. Recently we’ve had a lot of questions about heaven, which is getting me to start digging so that I know how to correctly answer her!
4 year old — what is my soul?
My daughter has been asking tough questions, she is 7. She is struggling with friends at school who only pretend to like a friend. She is trying to learn the best way to help them have a change of heart. God’s Word and praying are the best tools we have to help us.
Hardest question and still asked by my 21 year old son, “Why does everyone seem to know that God has a call on my life, but I can’t hear him say anything to me?” Thanks Amanda, these will be a great Christmas gift for my grandson.
Can’t think of hard question that they’ve asked yet, but they are young and I’m sure the questions will come!
As my kids learn and inquire about the word, I also grow in the knowledge of our Lord. It’s really amazing 🙂
My son will be 3 in January, so I’m sure crazy hard is on the way, and his asking to watch Veggie Tales and to read/watch The Ultimate DVD Read and Share Bible (vol. 1 and 2) is confirmation, too.
My 5 year old asks why she can’t hear God. She talks to him but want’s to hear him. It’s hard for her to identify her love for Him b/c she understands human I can hug you and hear you love but not the abstract loving someone you can neither feel or physically hear. She says, “I’m worried b/c I love you more than I love God. I want to love Him more but I can’t.” (She’s also my worrier). I guess that’s not a specific question but more of a challenging stage of understanding for her. There’s also the “I prayed for Jesus to make you (me/him/her) better so why are you still sick?” question.
Sara: your 5yo sounds like Lydia. She always asks about God talking to her. Just as I’m typing this I remembered an Adventures in Odyssey we listened to about Samuel and kinda that same idea about God speaking to us today. Maybe it would be helpful: http://www.whitsend.org/en/albums/57-a-call-to-something-more/727-your-servant-is-listening-part-1.aspx
Thanks so much Amanda. I hope you have a great time at Allume!
My daughter, Alyssa (Age 5), always asks me challenging questions. I wasn’t raised in a Christian home so I don’t always know how to answer . . . I do my best and pray every day that God guides me in the right direction.
Yes! My three year old asked if there were three Gods because he has three Bibles!
After going to Sunday school my 4 year old daughter asks factual recall questions that can be hard to recall on the spot. Most recent is who is John and James dad Mommy? Ughh…ughh…I stumble, then she answers herself, Zebedee! Thank God for godly men and women who pour scripture into the hearts of our children.
I can’t remember a hard question my kids have asked right now, but I’ll never forget the horror when I was a new reader and decided to dive into Deuteronomy and encountered the passage where the Israelite’s ate their children. My poor mom got to have an interesting conversation that day.
We were listening the book of Mark while driving, and I forgot how creepy and scary the evil spirits sound when they interact with Jesus before he casts them out. It was just one or two sentences, but my 3 year old looked wide-eyed and said–“Mommy, WHAT was THAT?!?” Then I had to try to explain bad spirits and how we don’t need to worry about them because Jesus is stronger than any of them. Oh my…
Yes! My kids are 13, 8 and 5 and have asked some tricky questions over the years. I think some of the hardest came from my DS13 when his pet bird flew away when he was 11. Lots of “why can’t God just show her how to get home.” and “how do I know God loves me when I’m hurting so much”. Amazingly, after 33 days of fervent prayer, someone found our bird and returned her to us! It was a great faith lesson for my sensitive oldest who now knows that God cares about our hearts and our feelings.
I love this story! God knows the sparrows! 🙂
a
My 5 year old asks all sorts of deep theological questions! Where exactly is Satan? How can he be everywhere like God? Why didn’t someone kill him when he was a snake? For the record…we do NOT place an emphasis on Satan in our home…she just asks.
My daughter was reading Leviticus and asked what sexual immorality meant. Lord have mercy.
My son gets really sad when we read about Heaven. He doesn’t understand why we all can’t go at the same time! Several times he has packed a backpack of toys to take with him when God calls him home. But it breaks my heart when he cries about Heaven just because He cannot grasp how wonderful it will be. Right now all he thinks about is being with Mama, so I don’t mind that part!
My kids once asked me about all of the people and animals that didn’t get onto the Ark.. Their little faces when I told them the truth!!
I’ve wanted to check these out for a long time…this may be opportunity knocking. =)
My son asked what the other criminals hanging on the crosses next to Jesus did wrong. It was interesting because I hadn’t thought about it in a long time, and I think he thought that was an awfully severe punishment for being a thief!
My son asked why Pharaoh hardened his heart against God and if he had ever had a chance to go to heaven. That was a tough one!
My daughter asked how Jesus could be God and God’s son at the same time.
Oh I just love exploring God’s Word and working through the “meaty” questions with both my kids but it is often my 6yo daughter who asks the really tough questions. Just yesterday she asked “if God created everything, and He is good, how did Satan get to be bad?”. Wow!
My kids have asked many tricky questions. I think what I think of most (and pray about most) is that the truths they hear are sinking deep and that the story gets more and more exciting for them the more they hear it.
My oldest is only 2, so we’re not really at the tough questions stage yet… but I know it’s coming. He’s always been so analytical & thoughtful about things that I’m preparing myself for some hard questions coming my way!
My daughter is just 2 and hasn’t asked a lot of questions yet. One of the only ones I can think of is “mommy, does God have glitter glue?”
Our beloved dog died recently and so our almost four year old has been asking lots of questions about heaven and death. Tough to answer and hard on this Momma’s heart too…we all loved our Scooby!
My inquisitive boy is always asking me good stumpers!!!
Um…yes, like every day! My seven year old girl always is asking “Mom, why can’t I hear God?!”
Ooh… I’ve come across these before… But I’m not one to try new things, and risk exposing my children to something that may, or may not be truly biblical, without a good review from someone I trust… Once they’ve seen something, not quite wholesome, they’ll never unseen it 🙁
Thank you for reviewing these! I believe I may need to try them out on our 5 children!
We love what’s in the Bible. My son just cant get over Sampson always falling for Delilah and throws really tough questions about love and deceit.
I’ve had some questions that stumped me but I’m drawing a blank in remembering one at the moment.
Thankfully my kids haven’t had a hard questions as the are 3 and 4. But I am anxious for the day this happens!
We got the Christmas one last year. The kids really liked it!
My 7 year old is full of questions about heaven and why God allows pain and suffering in this world. Tough questions!
Yes, my daughter really wants to know where God lived before There was anything else that He created. Like, what did He walk on, if He flew or floated, how did He relax…wouldn’t He want a comfy bed or chair?