Bible Study

The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy: A Net Galley Review

July 30, 2019 Grace-Filled Writer

I love a good Bible resource book! This new title, The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy, from Moody Publishers intrigued me as I’ve found Messianic Prophecies to be of interest to me lately.

I love to study how the Old Testament points us forward to the coming of the Messiah. Messianic Prophecy is sadly ignored by many modern churches, some whose pastor’s have even said that the Old Testament is of no value. This couldn’t be farther from the truth! Having a full understanding of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation is the only way to understand our Lord. I personally think this is said because our society shuns anyone who says certain lifestyles and actions are sinful. While it is hard to stand firm on these things at times when there is so much pressure to give way, studying the prophecies about Christ in the Old Testament can help us to see that it isn’t all about us and what we want. It is in fact about an all-righteous, all-loving God who calls us to a life of obedience to Him, not because our obedience saves us, but because our obedience is an act of love for all He has done to save us.

This title is a compilation of many authors. I like the various perspectives of writing, yet all with the belief that the Scriptures are the inerrant, holy Word of God. This is a heavier read, but absolutely worth the time and effort. I personally like the chapters on the deity of the Messiah (something often called into question by those who do not believe) and the titles of the Messiah found in the Old Testament.

As amazing as it seems to have it all compiled into one book, every prophesy of Jesus Christ as the Messiah is noted and explained. I intend to take each of these passages and study them as a part of my personal time with the Lord. This would also make an excellent resource for a group Bible study on the Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament.

No matter what your role in church (pastor or layperson) or your reason for studying these passages (personal or group study) this is an invaluable resource with great insights into all the Old Testament has to say about the Messiah.

Disclaimer: I was given this title through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Dancing in His Arms: Review

March 10, 2019 Grace-Filled Writer

We are a very musical family. My girls are all learning piano, Rose plays the ukulele and Grace is exploring rhythm and beat with bongos. She’ll start drum lessons online very soon. Beth sings beautifully! Whenever there is opportunity I encourage the girls to participate in leading worship. They sing, play instruments, and find unique ways to serve the Lord.

When I met Becky Lou Eller at a homeschool conference I was immediately drawn to her joy for life and love of music! She has such a passion to share Jesus with children and to pass along the wisdom of God’s Word. Her CD, Dancing in His Arms, is a beautiful compilation of Scripture put to music.

These songs are absolutely charming! They are word-for-word verses set to delightful music of a variety of styles. Pslam 71:3, Lord, You’re a Rock to Me! is set to a bluegrass style and that is my particular favorite. I find myself singing this one to myself quite often! Each tune is quite catchy and very singable. There is also one for the books of the Bible which is always a handy way to teach kids how to locate Scripture. I still find myself singing through the version I learned as a child, especially for the Old Testament.

My girls really enjoyed listening to this CD at night for bedtime as well. They are all sung by the sweet voices of children. While the songs vary in style from lively and upbeat to calming, it was a good fit because nothing is too over the top. It’s also wonderful to be lulled to sleep by the Word of God!

In addition to the songs, there is a wonderful , 5-part Bible lesson with activities and wonderful discussion questions. I’ve been teaching Bible with kids since I was in middle school helping with VBS at the church I attended then. These lessons are simple and easy to follow no matter your experience. I appreciate this so much in Bible teaching plans because sometimes the assumption is the person has taught before and will just know what to do. Other times the activities are complex or structured in a way that doesn’t always make sense. This can leave a new teacher confused and ready to quit! Not so with these lessons. They are simple, but still deep enough for excellent discussion.

We used them for a Bible time together in the mornings. We usually have our family devotion and prayer in the evening, so it was nice to add something together in the morning as well. The girls enjoyed it and we had good discussions! Many times the concepts were ones that we have talked about before, but there were new verses to look up and it is necessary to be reminded of all truth about God over and over, lest we forget.

Our next step will be to purchase the music! I really want the girls to sing a few of these songs in our church service.

I highly recommend this CD and the corresponding Bible lessons for your homeschool or any other group you will incorporate Bible into. It’s a lovely way to memorize Scripture and will be a great encouragement to you!

Disclaimer: I received this product from the author in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Who Was Jonah? & Who Was Mary, Mother of Jesus? from the Kingdom Files series by Barbour Publishing: A TOS Crew Review

September 10, 2018 Grace-Filled Writer

For the last year or so I have included reading a chapter from a biography every day as a part of my daughter’s schooling. They have the chance to choose any person they want and read an age-appropriate biography of that individual. They have had the opportunity to read about a wide range of individuals. Since most of these have been from more recent history, Beth and Grace were both excited to get to read 2 books from the Kingdom Files series: Who Was Jonah? and
Who Was Mary, Mother of Jesus? from Barbour Publishing.

Kingdome Files Who Was Mary Mother of Jesus

Biblical biographies are a lovely way to continue our historical study of Scripture. Materials like these are an excellent way to reinforce our worldview that Scripture is 100% historical. These fantastic little biographies are quite engaging! They are structured in a modern way and are written so that even early readers could enjoy them. As long as your students can handle small chapter books, they can read these on their own. If they are not quite there yet, or you would like to engage with these titles as a family, they would also make very nice read aloud selections.

These two read through the books in less than a week! Even though I only assigned one chapter a day, they eagerly read much faster. They also decided to take a chance to read each other’s books.

The books are illustrated beautifully inside and out. The color cover invites the reader to dig in and learn more. Within the pages are beautiful drawings which feel like sketches. The pages art structured like a notebook “clipped” notes which are shadowed to give a 3D appearance.

As far as the information, it is historically accurate and completely compatible with Scripture. I love knowing I can send my girls off to read material which will supplement and never contradict God’s Word. That is a rare find in children’s literature and it is important to know a company is trustworthy. Barbour Publishing has proved themselves to be a trustworthy resource in our household time and time again.

My favorite part is the “Power File” section towards the end of the book. This creates greater substance beyond just the facts. We are a family who wants to study God’s Word as a historical text, but also as the living, active Word of the Lord. It should and does teach us if we are willing. There are 10 life application lessons directly written to kids so they see that God’s Word is for them too! This is such an awesome feature.

Seeing my girls snuggled up reading is one of the greatest blessings of homeschooling. They get great pleasure reading and learning from what they read. Including biographies in our daily structure. These are great resources for your family to start the habit as well!

The best news is, these are not the only books in the series! Take a look at all these great titles available in the
Kingdom Files series…

WOW! Check out what my Crewmates have to say!

Advanced (5th & 6th grade) & Intermediate (3rd & 4th grade) from Bible Study Guide For All Ages: A TOS Crew Review

July 9, 2018 Grace-Filled Writer

Discipleship has been a part of our home since my children were born. One of my first things my husband did as he held our girls in the hospital was tell them how much he loved them, and how much God loved them. He told them of Jesus and sang Jesus Loves Me as he rocked them to sleep. We have always implemented family Bible time as a part of our regular routine and have graduated from using the sweet children’s Bibles when they were young to the girls each having their own Bible. Sometimes it’s hard to find Bible material that is suited to their background. Simple devotions are really not going to cut it for my kids, but they also need to be reminded of the historical facts of Scripture. The Bible Study Guide For All Ages is a wonderful tool for my kids. We used the Advanced (5th & 6th grade) for Rose and Beth and the Intermediate (3rd & 4th grade) for Grace.

We used materials from this company about 5 years ago and one of the really awesome things was when they saw me pull this out they got very excited remembering how much they enjoyed it! 5 years is quite a length of time for kids so that was a good indication of how much they liked it the first time around. Grace had missed out before because she was too young, so she was super excited to get to participate.

I love the way the characters are drawn and the study is laid out. It almost looks like a comic book with the little boxed which is one of the reasons it is so very kid-friendly. Each box is numbered so it is easy to stay together if you are working in a group. We don’t usually do very much “together” learning as I like the girls each placed uniquely at their own levels. Bible study like this is a little different in that I love having the opportunity to discuss. I did have to call on them to answer because they just wanted to shout out all the answers!

The absolute BEST part about this curriculum is kids use their actual Bibles to learn. They look at short passages (just a few verses) and then answer questions or fill in blanks on the page. What a beautiful way to begin teaching your children to study God’s Word for themselves! This is truly kid-friendly inductive Bible study in that they dig in to understand what is going on in the historical accounts. I personally liked the Bible Summary Cards the best. Each book is summarized with pictures to help recall what each book of the Bible is about. This is excellent for all ages, even up through adult! I put these into plastic sheet covers and into a 3-ring binder for easy storage. The back of each card has a series of questions to help you remember the key ideas and important structure of each one.

There are also beautiful wall maps and timelines for young and old which are fantastic teaching aids if you have the room. Our home just doesn’t have the wall space, but it is a great idea for a church setting or if you have empty wall space in your home. One interesting aspect is that this study starts in Genesis, jumps to Daniel, and then to the New Testament. This is a bit different from others I have used, but I like how it ties the whole Bible together. It really is a logical progression for the way it is laid out even if it isn’t a traditional progression. My girls were absolutely in love with this. They looked forward to doing Bible time together for a change of routine and really enjoyed the work. It only took about 15 minutes each day and they were left with solid Bible teaching when they finished. Using 2 different levels was not at all difficult. The Intermediate level was just a bit more simplified. In the future I would probably get Grace the older level because she is more advanced and could totally hang with her sisters for this aspect of learning.
This comes highly recommended from our family whether for your homeschool or Sunday School at church! Make sure to click below to see what my Crewmates have to say!

The Memorization Study Bible: A New Book Review Crew at NLPG Review

June 29, 2018 Grace-Filled Writer

One of the most important disciplines of our Christian faith is memorization. Unfortunately, it may very well by the least practiced. I sadly must confess it is not a discipline I have practiced as often as I should. For some people memorization comes easily, but I am not one of those people. I find memorization of anything difficult and tedious. Sadly our facts-in-an-instant society does not help any. We don’t feel a need to memorize because we have such easy access to Scripture. Since this is the case, does it even matter? It does indeed!

The Memorization Study Bible by Thomas Meyer from New Leaf Publishing Group is truly a unique resource for effective memorization. I greatly appreciate how the author supports the importance of Scripture memorization with Scripture. Looking at both Old Testament and New Testament verses I was reminded of the commands given to early believers which should not go by the wayside. If I truly believe the Bible is as applicable today as it was when it was first written, I must abide by these same commands.

Thankfully this book doesn’t merely state the need to memorize, but also gives resources to do so effectively! The author’s own personal technique is clearly outlined in a usable way. This particular Bible does not appear as most do because it is intended to be used as a tool for memorization. It’s unique layout intends to make the memorization techniques outlined easy to implement.The entire New Testament is broken down in small line segments in order to help aid your memory.

I especially like the introductory page for each book which gives a brief historical background, themes, and purposes. There are also several appendices which include passages with which to begin memorizing as well as the historical development and traditional memorization techniques of both the Jews and Christians. I found these sections to be particularly fascinating.

The only disappointment I had was that only one Bible version is available. Other than that, I think this is an incredible resource and highly recommend it as a unique and important study Bible.

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the New Book Review Crew at NLPG in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

Weave Your Word in Me — Part 1 from Kid Niche Christian Books: A TOS Crew Review

October 23, 2017 Grace-Filled Writer

Our family has committed to raising our daughters with God’s Word as our guide. We don’t want our children to merely modify their lives to a list of rules. We don’t want them to follow God because we do. Our greatest desire as parents is to see them grow in their relationship with the Lord and serve them with their lives because of their individual desire to follow Him. We are constantly looking for creative, new, and fun ways to make this a reality. Weave Your Word in Me — Part 1 from Kid Niche Christian Books intrigued me. It is geared towards pre-teens (Grades 4-6) which is the exact season I find myself in with my daughters. This study is a beautifully crafted 36-lesson set which studies the Lord’s Prayer in great depth. I was amazed at just how detailed this study was. Most of the time studies for students in this age are not as deep as I have found this to be. I was very impressed with the biblical detail and while the teaching and explanations were incredibly kid-friendly, they were not in any way watered down.

I had Beth, 10, use this exclusively. She was right in the center of the target age-range and was also very excited to give it a try! She is no stranger to Bible study. As with all of our daughters she has been a part of family devotion time since birth. Beth has studied Scripture in our church and through our children’s program as well as a consistent part of our homeschool. She dove right into this study and right away told me she liked it. When I asked her why she said it was because she could do it herself and that it was easy for her to understand.

This is a self-paced course has an answer key for the 6 most popular translations. My husband uses NASB and the girls memorize their verses out of the NKJV. I really liked that there were several options included with this study. Most other curricula either doesn’t provide a key or requires a particular translation. This flexibility is absolutely wonderful. I love that it is simple fill-in-the blanks for most of the lessons. This is less intimidating and still provides plenty of learning.

Beth was fully engaged while she worked through this study. She often asked if she could do more than one lesson in a day which is a good indicator that she enjoyed what she was doing. I love how Scripture is used to interpret and explain Scripture. This is one of the best indicators of an excellent, in-depth study for adults and I believe this is the first time I’ve seen it applied to a study for children. In addition to the fill-in-the-blanks there are illustrations, cartoons, scripts, multiple choice, true/false, and more. This covers just about every learning style imaginable. While Beth worked on this independently it would be great for a group study either in home or church setting.

My favorite part was having the opportunity to read Beth’s responses in prayer after her time in Scripture. It was such a blessing to have these recorded responses! Sometimes it is hard to know how much of our discipleship and training is reaching the girls’ hearts. These little glimpses inside my girls heart and mind were such a precious thing and this will be something I treasure forever.

I highly, highly recommend this study. I have used and observed more Bible studies than I can recall for both kids and adults. I can this study is not only one of the most engaging I have come across, but also the most thorough.

Check out what my Crewmates have to say!

The Good Book for Kids: A NetGalley Review

May 26, 2017 Grace-Filled Writer

One thing I desire for my children is that they want to learn the word of God on their own. I pray for their souls to hunger for His truth. As children this often just looks like enjoyment from going to church on Sundays. As they grow older it is important they spend time studying God’s Word alone. My oldest two already do this as a part of their homeschool studies and I appreciate the habit it is building. I am always looking for solid resources and The Good Book for Kids is exactly the kind of tool they can use!

This engaging title invites pre-teens and older to dive deeply into the Word of God for themselves. Larger passages are assigned for reading, there is some thoughtful devotion, and then there are questions intended for the reader to use to seek more about what is in the Scripture. The theology is solid while the writing is geared toward the correct audience. It is not simplified down in anyway, but written in what I like to call kid-speak. The author does not attempt to emphasize theological terminology, but rather just teach what truth is in the Word.

My oldest daughter has begun using this and told me just how much she has enjoyed it. I love that it contains a sweeping overview of the Bible so she can see how it all relates together. In addition to getting into the text of the Word, the author also seeks to give historical and cultural context to the Bible. This is incredibly important as we learn more about the Word of God. We must know the full context of the words written centuries ago.

I highly recommend this title to anyone with a child who is ready to study the Word of God more deeply.

Disclaimer: I received this title from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other way. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

The Beautiful Word Devotional: A BookLook Blogger Review

May 24, 2017 Grace-Filled Writer

Because of the grace and creativity of our Creator we can express our faith in a variety of ways. Not everyone enjoys writing. While it is encouraged to take notes during sermons, Bible studies, and personal quiet times, not everyone retains information that way the best. I encourage my daughters to use their church journals to write or draw pictures based on the sermon their daddy is preaching. They love this and I love seeing what they draw! There are times when their illustrations bear great insights for ones their age. The Beautiful Word Devotional is one way to help you creatively express while studying God’s Word.

I’m not personally into the drawing-inside-of-your-Bible craze. I’m somewhat artistic, but this has never appealed to me. Drawing what I’m learning in my faith, however, is appealing in many regards. It is a different way to engage with the Holy Spirit and if we believe all creativity comes from God, then this is a lovely way to express oneself.

This particular devotional correlates with a Bible by the same title. Just as with the Bible there is room for journaling or drawing on the sides of each page. I really like this option. The devotions are short and simple, focusing on one or two verses at a time. This is not what I would use for my only source for time with God, but on the days when I’m rushed or unable to spend my normal time this is an excellent option.

While I don’t draw in my Bible, the idea of artistically showing what God is teaching me is a fresh thought. So often we read through Scripture hurriedly. Using a devotion like this can be beneficial to force us to slow down and really ponder what we are reading.

As with many devotions, I would like there to be options for further reading. While I definitely see value in focusing on a short passage for the devotion, I like when I have handy references to see what else the Word has to say on the same topic.

Disclaimer: I received this title through BookLook Bloggers. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Drive Thru History – The Gospels: A TOS Review Crew Review

April 27, 2017 Grace-Filled Writer

Our family adores learning about history. Whenever we go on vacation we look for historical sites and museums to visit. If you ask the girls what their favorite part of school is they will all tell you that history is at the top of the list. My husband and I enjoy watching history documentaries. Unfortunately much of what is readily available has a world-view slanted away from Scripture. I could not wait to watch the new series from Drive Thru History®, Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels”. We had only watched one episode from this company previously in preparation for our trip to Washington DC a couple of years ago, so having the opportunity to watch an entire series was exciting!

This was an excellent series to watch leading up to Easter. We watched this as a family in the evenings during our regular devotional time. We watched at least one episode each night, although we often watched more than one because the girls would beg for another!

The series is simply captivating. My husband commented several times on just how well done each episode was. I also overheard him telling others how great these were and recommending them to families we know. This is a huge endorsement! My husband is in full support of our homeschooling and quite active in the learning process, but he rarely gets this excited about our curriculum.

I loved that the episodes took you to actual sites in the Holy Land. We will not be able to travel there and tour with our children, so seeing the traditional locations for many of the historical biblical events was fascinating. Our girls were excited every time we watched another episode and disappointed on the evenings we couldn’t because we were out late for church.

I also appreciated that the episodes were always pointing us back to Scripture and the historical accuracy with which it was written. We even learned about some of the seemingly contradicting passages some try to use to say the Bible isn’t true. It was like allowing my girls to read a good commentary on the Gospels, but presented in a way they could understand and engage with fully.

This DVD set comes with a book with even more information! After each of the shows I would use the study guide to ask the girls questions. This was a great way to review. If I ever forgot to do this the girls were very quick to remind me to get them.

The only episode which was difficult to watch was the crucifixion. I appreciated that it was honest and accurate with what actually happened to Jesus leading up to and during the crucifixion, but it was a little too intense for my younger two. I told them they could skip this one episode. For my oldest, who is 11, it was a great way for her to see the reality of what crucifixion was like in an age appropriate way. My younger daughters left the room for the actual crucifixion description, but came back to learn about the burial of Christ.

Take a minute to watch this trailer and you will get a taste of just how good this series is!

Our entire family recommends this 18-episode series for anyone looking for a way to spice up their Bible lessons or just to have a new perspective and way to learn about the life of Christ. I am thrilled that the last episode clearly presents the gospel and how to find salvation through Jesus. It also acknowledges that not everyone will believe and this is a personal choice we must each make. After watching the full life of Christ this is a powerful ending to an incredible series. Each of our immediate family members have already professed belief in Christ and accepted the gift of salvation. This series was an incredible reminder of our need for a Savior and just how miraculous salvation is.

We also are looking forward to exploring even more series from Drive Thru History soon!

Don’t forget to see what my Crewmates have to say!

The Beginner’s Bible from Zonderkidz: A TOS Review Crew Review!

January 5, 2017 Grace-Filled Writer

I’m so excited to start this new year off with a review of The (BRAND NEW!) Beginner’s Bible from Zonderkidz! This will be our third version of this wonderful children’s Bible and the updates are just spectacular.When my girls were little we found this to be our favorite for Bible story time and we used it for history as well when they first started to read. I was very excited to get my hands on the updated Bible, as was Grace! Grace is 7 and is in 1st grade. She is reading at about a 3rd grade level so this was an easy, but not too childish version for her to read from. Growing up in a pastor’s home you can imagine we receive A LOT of children’s Bibles. We have the tradition of reading a Bible story or devotional together before bed on nights we do not have church. The girls take turns choosing the book and Grace most often chooses The Beginner’s Bible. I love that the pages of this Bible are sturdy. So many of our children’s Bibles are rather flimsy and just can’t hold up to the wear and tear of young readers. We have always encouraged the girls to pick up the Bible or Bible stories on their own to read anytime they want, but this means I’ve had to use a lot of book tape to make repairs. The pages in The Beginner’s Bible are thicker and glossy. The binding is also much sturdier than most children’s books are made. This will absolutely hold up to use be little hands, which is exactly how a children’s Bible should be made. We want them to explore God’s Word on their own so they can begin to deepen their faith even at such a young age. I assure you they will beg for just one more story between the beautiful storytelling and whimsical illustrations!

Since were in the Christmas season the very first stories we read were about the birth of Christ. Familiar as this is to our kids, they still loved to hear as I read aloud. The illustrations are darling, but also very accurate. One of my favorite parts about this particular story is that they showed the Magi visiting Jesus Christ as a child, not a baby in the manger. While we absolutely include the gift-bearing men in our nativity scenes (almost as numerous as Bibles in our home!) this isn’t exactly what is described in Scripture. It was wonderful to see a more accurate presentation in The Beginner’s Bible. One more aspect that I appreciate about this particular Bible is that it includes such a wide range and large amount of stories. There is a feeling that it is a complete account of the Word of God, just written in a way that very young children can absolutely understand and even read for themselves. It includes some of the standard stories we are used to, such as Daniel and the Lion’s Den, Jonah and the Big Fish, and Lazarus Lives Again, but in addition there are also others not always found in children’s Bibles such as Earthquake in Prison (Paul and Silas’ escape), Deborah Leads the Way, and Jesus is Coming (Revelation). This full presentation of the Word of God is a uniquely important feature of The Beginner’s Bible. Watch below to see a sample story… Also included is a dictionary of potentially unfamiliar terms and even a map of Paul’s missionary journeys. The terms are clearly defined in “kid-speak” and even gives multiple definitions for words such as “heaven” which in Scripture refer not only to where God lives, but also the sky itself. I highly recommend The Beginner’s Bible if you are looking for a solid children’s Bible told in story form for your own children or as a gift. I encourage you to start your own tradition of reading the Bible together to help your little ones’ learn the habit of the importance of consistently learning from God’s Word. I can think of no better way to introduce a little one in your life to the Word of God as this new year begins!