Tag: Bible

I Can Learn the Bible: A BookLook Blogger Review

Grace-Filled Writer

Ever since my oldest daughter was just an infant we have made an effort to teach our children biblical truth. Rose was barely old enough to sit on her own when we started having family devotions with her. I remember clearly the sweet little board book devotional I picked out from a Christian Bookstore which was going out of business. It had just a few sentences on each page and a song to go with each of the devotions. It was great for tiny tots and we enjoyed starting out with this. We also have multiple children’s Bibles with pictures and stories and questions that we have used as they grew.

I have loved these previous resources, but I am ready for something more. Each of my girls has professed their faith in Christ and I have wanted something for our devotional time as a family which addressed more areas of discipleship.

I was so very excited to have the opportunity to review I Can Learn the Bible by Holly Hawkins Shivers. This children’s version of the Joshua Code has been exactly what my husband and I have been looking for to use with our girls. The cover of the book struck me as being adorable, but I wasn’t sure if it was going to really challenge my girls or grow them further in their relationship with Christ. They already know most of the Bible history by heart and I really wanted them to begin to engage more personally with Scripture. This sweet cover does not even begin to express the depth of truth my girls are gaining from it!

Subjects ranging from world view to your purpose as Christian are covered in a very real, yet understandable way for elementary children. Many of the topics were not ones I had really thought about addressing with my daughters who are 9, 7, and 5. I love answering their questions, but with this devotional we have been able to have a more direct, proactive approach to discussing certain topics. A key Scripture verse is included for each week as well as discussion questions and challenges for you as a family. It also ends with a suggested prayer to help you guide your children to know how to pray about what they are learning.

We are at war with our culture for the hearts of our children. I need as many weapons, both defensive and offensive as possible. Through resources like this we are more prepared for the battle and are preparing these sweet little hearts to know how to live godly lives.

Disclosure:  I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook.com® <http://BookLook.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Moses Leads the People: A BookLook Blogger Review

Grace-Filled Writer

My girls are always excited when I get new books for them to review. This time I received Moses Leads the People, an I Can Read book from Zonderkids. This book is part of the Adventure Bible series. She also reviewed the bigger kids full version of the Bible which she absolutely loved. This shorter version of the history of Moses is perfect for her and right on her reading level. 
This is a great series of books to use with early readers because for many kids they are already familiar with what happened. Grace was so proud of herself to be able to read this on her own. She was quite giddy as she ran off to her room to read during her afternoon quiet time. She returned about 20 minutes later and said, “Mommy! I read all the words by myself!”
The beautiful pictures only add to the loveliness of this book. The artistry engaged my daughter as well. She spent quite a bit of time gazing at all the lovely illustrations while she was reading. I loved watching her because she would turn a page and take in the entire illustration before starting to read the words. She was so sweet about it!
I highly recommend any books from this series for your early readers. There are several in this series from the Adventure Bible. You can find these books at Christian bookstores and online retailers. If you’re looking for a last minute Christmas gift for young readers, look no further! 

Adventure Bible for Early Readers: A BookLook Bloggers Review

Grace-Filled Writer
When I was younger I remember having a hot pink Adventure Bible. I loved that Bible and all the fun little extra’s it included. I was really excited to see a new, update version for early readers. My sweet little Grace was excited too! She’s turning 5 soon and we have finished up her initial reading curriculum. She’s reading on an early 1st grade level and this has been the perfect Bible for her. 
The bright cover immediately started her jumping up and down. She was so excited to get her hands on it when I pulled it out of the box. I could hardly keep her from jumping up and down when I took this sweet little picture on the first Sunday she took her Bible to church. 
She was so very surprised she could read it when she opened the Bible. Her first verse of choice was Genesis 1:1, a verse she had memorized in Cubbies at Awana. The NIrV version is nice for kids who are beginning readers. They need words and phrases which are more manageable. I’m honestly not a big fan of the NIV translation, but I love how my daughter is excited about reading her Bible and other versions are just not accessible to her right now. 
Every Sunday morning and Wednesday night Grace calls out, “Daddy? What are you going to preach about today?” Then she and I find the Scripture passage in her Bible. She marks it with a bookmark and makes sure she opens her Bible while listening to her Daddy preach. She doesn’t understand what he is saying most of the time, and I don’t expect her to, but I’m excited she wants to learn and grow as she studies the Bible. 
I also liked the extras included on every page. Some parts are informational and historical, but I particularly like the boxes which lead her into a deeper understanding of who God is. She is still very young and hasn’t yet grasped a full understanding of what it means to ask Jesus to be her Savior and follow Him, but she will, and God’s Word in her hands is a huge step towards this. 
Disclosure:  I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook.com® <http://BookLook.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Flood of Noah: A Moms of Master Books Review

Grace-Filled Writer

I know I say this every month, but I’m so excited about this month’s book to review for the Moms of Master Books! I’m so fascinated by the many cultures which have flood stories. The Flood of Noah from Master Books, an imprint of New Leaf Publishing, is an interactive book that makes researching this topic incredibly interesting.

This book is beyond cool. Think of it like a pop up book for grown ups. The illustrations are amazing and the interaction is a fun way to explore the various flood legends from cultures around the world. As with everything from Master Books I love how everything points back to our true Creator. It is so important to learn the history of the world and learning doing so with resources which I can trust will not contradict the Word of God is a great blessing.

Rose has especially liked this book. I can’t give this girl enough stuff to satisfy her itch for knowledge. I can’t tell you how many sentences she begins with, “Mommy, why….?” Books like this encourage her own exploration and fill up her desire to learn more and more. She really likes how each page has something to do to help aid in the learning process.

This is one of my favorite parts. It is at the beginning of the book and includes a list of facts from the historical account of the flood in Genesis and how they correlate with different parts of the flood legends from around the world. There is a rotating circle with images of the flood for a fun visual.

This is a great shot to show the amazing and colorful illustrations. I really like how each pages is sectioned off so kids can read a small portion and not feel overwhelmed. My younger girls have really liked the pictures even though they haven’t been as interested in reading it. That will come!

Bodie Hodge and Laura Welch co-authored this amazingly fun book. It is clear they took careful consideration as they compiled this collection of stories. Another of my favorite features is the list of the names of Noah and his wife from the various legends. I found this to be so interesting, especially the cultures which seemed to borrow so clearly from Scripture. Since the division of languages at the tower of Babel misinformation about the flood appears to have run rampant. Even now there are those who produce their own legends claiming the flood was merely a local even rather than a world-wide catastrophe as Scripture indicates. Even the writer of the movie Noah admitted he took liberties to make the story more interesting from his perspective. As we live in a world full of lies and myths I’m so grateful for the truth of Scripture and resources like this one to help us continually filter out the false.

Check out this awesome book trailer! 

Disclaimer: I received The Flood of Noah  as part of the Moms of Master Books Team. I was not required to give a positive review. I was not compensated in any other way. 

It’s Not Greek to Me!: Moms of Master Books Review

Grace-Filled Writer
I have been so excited about reviewing this new DVD from Master Books! It’s Not Greek to Me by Todd Friel came in the mail when my girls were right in the middle of a horrible summer fever, so we didn’t get to start it right away, but even in her feverish state Rose perked up when she saw it. 

My eight-year-old Roe has been pestering me for a while to learn biblical Greek. I’m not at all opposed to this, but I didn’t want to get into a full curriculum at her age and really didn’t know where to begin. Her interest came when she realized this was one of the classes her grandfather teaches at seminary. In 2nd grade he taught her to write her name in Greek and she does this all the time! This is a great course for beginners. Todd Friel explains that this is perfect for the everyday layman in the church as well as those who will be going on to study biblical Greek in a scholastic setting. While this is geared towards a slightly older age bracket, my daughter has really enjoyed it so far. We’re just taking it slow and repeating lessons before moving on.

So here is Rose, completely natural, I promise! She is wholeheartedly focused and genuinely enjoys these lessons. Friel is quite humorous, but I wasn’t certain she would catch all he said. Her favorite line in the introductory lesson was when he was talking about the benefits of learning biblical Greek and stated, “You’ll learn English gooder!” She really got a kick out of that. You can see she is intent. She was so intent in fact she didn’t even realize I was taking pictures.

We had some other students join our class as well. The dollies were actually already seated here, but Rose asked if they could stay while she watched when she realize I was starting to pick them up. These sweet little girls were also very studious although they didn’t want to take any notes.

Rose uses the note pages from the separately available Intro to Biblical Greek Parent Lesson Planner. This is excellent and well worth the price. Included is not only plans for how often to work through the DVDs, but also note pages and practice sheets to ensure retention. I strongly recommend purchasing this guide along with the DVD in order to get the maximum usefulness and benefit.

I honestly wasn’t sure how well this would go over with Rose. She was so very excited to have the chance to learn Greek, but as I stated before, this is geared for students a little older. However, Friel’s manner is very engaging and he is as clear at teaching as he is entertaining. She begs me to do more lessons, but I’m trying not to go too quickly with her. I’m surprised just how much she is really enjoying this. I appreciate that Friel expresses this is a beginners course, something to precede full-on Greek training. I have no idea if she’ll want to go further with this language, but it is an excellent place to start and to see if it is something that interested your student.

I also think this is excellent for anyone who simply wants to know more about the Greek language for your own personal study. After seeing the first few lessons with Rose I’m planning on joining her in these lessons. I said before that my dad teaches Greek. I remember having the same desire to learn as Rose when I was younger, but just felt too overwhelmed with all. I believe we will both enjoy our toe-dip into this ancient biblical language.




Disclaimer: I received It’s Not Greek to Me as well as the Parent Lesson Planner as part of the Moms of Master Books Team. I was not required to give a positive review. I was not compensated in any other way. 

101 Color & Sing Bible Stories: Review

Grace-Filled Writer

Grace is my youngest and as the youngest she often gets hand-me-downs for just about everything, especially toys and books. She has a few things that are her own, but just by the course of life almost all her books were once her sisters. She was over-the-moon excited to have a new Bible story book all her own! Grace has grown up knowing all about God and the Bible and enjoys reading the same stories over and over.

101 Color & Sing Bible Stories by Stephen Elkins is a great addition to our library! We have well over 10 Bible story books and that doesn’t even include individual storybooks with Biblical themes. I wondered if this would capture Grace’s interest, but I should have known she would love it!This is much, much more than your average Bible for kids!

 

For each story there is a child-friendly reading which has the Scripture reference clearly shown, a song to help retain what they learned, and a coloring page which matches the illustration provided. This is one of the most interactive Bible books I’ve seen for kids, and I’ve seen a lot. While the content may be predictable as it is laid out in chronological order this makes it all the more loved by kids. My daughter already knew what the next story would be because she knows the basic order of creation.

Her favorite part so far has been the CDs. She loves listening to the music during her rest time and alternates between the two CDs. Some songs were new, but most were the traditional Sunday School songs my husband and I grew up with. She loved this as well because she immediately was singing along with them all!




This is a great Bible Story book for toddlers and preschoolers whether you have many on hand or this is your first one. The teaching is solidly biblical, yet not too deep for them to understand and the music and coloring pages are the icing on the cake! 

Disclaimer: I received 101 Color & Sing Bible Stories from Tyndale Publishers as part of  the Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review and did not receive any other compensation. 

Illustrated Family Bible Stories: Review

Grace-Filled Writer
I get to review the best of the best resources as part of the Moms of Master Books review team! The resources from this company are eye-pleasing and engaging for my daughters as well as myself, but most importantly they are solidly grounded in biblical truth. We got so excited when our newest Master Book publication arrives in the mail!
This month we got to review a new family Bible from Master Books, a division of New Leaf Publishing Group, Illustrated Family Bible Stories! Being in a pastor’s family we have an abundant supply of Bibles from traditional translations to picture Bibles we have it all! One thing we have been lacking is a family Bible which is a bit more grown up for my girls as they are moving beyond the more simplistic Bibles. This is a really cool Bible, according to my oldest daughter who is eight. She cannot get enough learning to satisfy her so this particular book is very interesting. The magnificent illustrations captured her interest and the fact that each retelling has additional historical, cultural, geographical, and scientific information.
From the time my oldest daughter an infant we have had a regular evening Bible time. We started reading toddler Bibles and singing songs and have gradually moved forward to more complex and deep readings. I really like this for transitioning to an older model for my girls. My youngest is 4 and a half so while she very much enjoys the younger versions, she is old enough not to be bored with more complex versions of the stories she’s learned since infancy. 
My husband and I take turns reading our various Bibles in the evenings and this one has become a quick favorite! Do you want to know what one of their favorite parts is? The built in purple bookmark. I didn’t think much of it, but all three insist we make sure to put it in the right place. I evidently forgot this the other night and didn’t put it on the right story and boy were they indignant! I’ve been very impressed with how detailed these retellings of familiar things are. The beautiful illustrations captivate my daughters, but the story keeps them in tune with God’s truth. Last night the girls sat at our feet while my husband read from the book and they didn’t even ask to see the picture when he forgot to show them!
This has long been one of my favorite times of the day and not just because bedtime is around the corner. My girls tend to ask pretty deep questions at this time of the day. Lots of those, “Why did God…” moments come up and this particular story Bible encourages that sort of thing. We have always encouraged our girls to ask questions and they never hesitate. It is pretty cool that this Bible has answered some of their questions before they even asked, like how they made bricks for the Tower of Babel. 
We absolutely love this new addition to our library. I’d like to purchase three more copies of this so I can save it for my daughters when they are grown and have their own children. 
Take a look at this video to see more of what this Bible has to offer!
Now take a minute to see what my Moms of Master Books mommy friends are saying about it by clicking the link below!
Disclaimer: I received Illustrated Family Bible Stories from New Leaf Publishing in exchange for an honest review.  I was not required to give a positive review. I was not compensated in any other way. 

Strange Fire: Book Sneeze Review

Grace-Filled Writer

John MacArthur’s book, Strange Fire, explores a scriptural understanding of the Holy Spirit. From the beginning of the church in Acts there has been confusion, misconceptions, and outright lies taught concerning who the Holy Spirit is and how He operates in our lives. John MacArthur uses Scripture to correct common false teachings and misunderstandings within the church about the Holy Spirit. He also helps those with no real understanding of this part of the Trinity learn the basics.

This book was difficult for me to enjoy. One of the stated main purposes is to directly confront specific denominations whom teach false doctrine about the Holy Spirit. Because of this the tone of the book is rather intense. My personality shies away from confrontation and while the teaching in this book was solid, I can not count this as a book I will return to often because of this.

As always John MacArthur provides solid, biblical teaching and this is a book my husband, a pastor, will very much appreciate. We have personally encountered individuals within the church with strong misunderstanding of the Holy Spirit either because they had not been taught or they had been taught falsely. This is invaluable for the pastor who wants to lead his people to a deeper understanding of the Holy Spirit.

I also would encourage anyone who has not learned much about the Holy Spirit throughout their study of Scripture to pick up this book. The clear teaching is a great place to start for a complete and solid teaching regarding what many see as a mysterious part of our faith.

Disclosure:  I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook.com® <http://BookLook.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Inscribed Bible Study Collection: Review from Book Look

Grace-Filled Writer
I really have enjoyed reviewing books through Booksneeze over the last few months. They’ve recently changed their name and look of the blog. BookLook is the newly updated review group and I’m really excited to still be part of it. 
I was recently given the wonderful opportunity to review the first four titles in a new series of Bible studies called inScribed. The series is written by different women of all different backgrounds and walks of life. This particular fact intrigued me initially because so many Bible study series are by the same author. While this is nice because you know what to expect I liked the idea of hearing from different ladies. It has the feel of going to a ladies retreat and listening to different speakers all from the comfort of your own home. Knowing the publisher is Thomas Nelson gave me the assurance these books, although by different authors, would align with my theological convictions. I like knowing publishing companies before I start reading because it gives me a good idea of the perspective from which the author is coming.
Each title focuses on a different portion of Scripture. The variety represented is wonderful! 
In Amazed and Confused we dig deeper into the Minor Prophets. Studying the Minor Prophets is no easy task, but Hether Zempel does so with grace and humor right from the start. I appreciate her conversational writing style and obvious love for God’s Word. Each chapter actually makes me want to open up to the Minor Prophets, which is something most other studies on this subject lack. While these books of Scripture are important, they are often difficult to understand and therefore apply. Zempel takes the difficulty out of the picture leaving no excuse for neglecting these short books of the Old Testament.

Dive Deeper focuses on the rich letter of Ephesians by Paul. Ephesians is one of my most favorite books and Jennifer Jernigan has done an excellent job on this study. I very much like the study charts included for the reader to complete. It gives wonderful visual insight into the truths written so long ago. She clearly shows how the ancient words of Paul, inspired by God are as relevant to us today as they were when they were first penned. 
Living So That looks at the Scriptures which teach why; the “so that” verses. I honestly never thought of the words “so that” as being very important as I read them. Wendy Blight has changed my perspective completely through this study of God’s Word by focusing on Scriptures which contain these very important little words which give instruction and purpose to our Christian walk. I love the idea of studying the “so that” verses and can’t wait to dig more deeply into this study. 
Leaving the Ordinary invites us to encounter God through prayer and a better understanding of the tabernacle. While the tabernacle can also be a more difficult study Donna Gaines does an excellent job of taking the mysterious and helping readers understand how it can apply to us in our culture and lives so far removed from those ancient tents. 
Although each authoress has her own unique style of writing, it’s as if you are in conversation with each over a cup of coffee. The easy writing style invites the reader to dig more deeply into Scripture without feeling like you are attending a formal class. I really like how each study is arranged according to the style of the author. The questions and even the pages for response are each formatted differently. This personal touch just adds to the feeling of individual teachers with the same passion for the Word of God. 
In addition to the solid biblical content contained within these pages, the simple beauty of the covers beg you to open the cover. Even my young girls have repeatedly asked what these “pretty books” on my shelf are. Even the feel of the cover and pages is comforting and inviting. 
This series has just recently been published and I am excited about new titles which will soon be printed. This is a wonderful collection to my personal study collection and I look forward to studying this with friends soon. This series lends itself well to one-on-one discipleship as well as group study. Such deep content will be sure to leave you hungry for more of the Word. 

Disclosure:  I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook.com® <http://BookLook.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Parenting Cheat Sheets from Christianity Cove: Review

Grace-Filled Writer
Parenting is hard. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but there is so much more to parenting than I realized before actually becoming a parent. As a full-time teacher I mistakenly convinced myself parenting would be easier than maintaining discipline and order in my classroom. After all, they were my own. Boy was I ever wrong! The reason it is so difficult sometimes is because they are my own. I am concerned with more than just keeping them quiet for a certain period of time during the day. Their heart condition is more important to me than following my directions for any given task. There is just more involved. Parenting is even harder in our society of fast-paced, in-your-face multimedia. Sometimes we need a little help along the way and thankfully there are many resources available now to help. 
Mary-Kate Warner from Christianity Cove has compiled a simple to use resource for families called Christian Parenting Cheat Sheets. The name explains it all! Now when you have one of those moments when you don’t know how to respond, a quick reference guides are available for 27 different areas. Available in a printable e-book these can be kept handy as a hard copy or on your tablet. I printed these and keep them in a notebook in our schoolroom so I have them as a handy resource whenever I need them. 
I appreciate the many different categories. As I read through the list of what is included there are many which I wouldn’t have thought to include. I love how they can be used both in the moment of crisis as well as in advance as I disciple my girls. It is important to be able to address theses issues biblically at both times and these are incredibly helpful. 
I was blessed to be raised by Christian parents who strove to parent me biblically, but even with this great example there are moments when I feel at a loss in how to deal with a situation or to know what words to say which will speak Christ into their lives. These have been a great blessing to me for this reason. I know many parents who have stared their walk with Christ later on in their lives and think this an invaluable resource for them as well. I often find myself being challenged as I teach and train my girls. 
In addition to these everyday helps, Mary-Kate Warner has also compiled a holiday edition! These are a really neat way to focus on Christ no matter what the holiday is.  Some holidays are Christian in their origins anyway, but all celebrations can be used to point our children to the Savior. Each holiday includes Scripture to study as well as activities and projects to focus on during and leading up to the day. The 10 holidays included will give you new ways to focus on Christ throughout the year. 
I highly recommend this resource to parents looking for new ways to train their children in godly virtues and discipline with grace and love. You will find every moment you spend with Christian Parenting Cheat Sheets a blessing on your journey. 
Disclaimer: I received the Christian Parenting Cheat Sheets in return for my honest opinion and review. I was not required to write a positive review.