This week, the blog is sponsored by Truth78 and was written by Jill Nelson.
Now more than ever, our children need to know, understand, and embrace the stunning grandeur and absolute truth of Scripture. The answer to every pressing question, every longing of the heart, every struggle of the will, and every hope of all-satisfying joy is found in God’s Word. Therefore, parents (and every believer): It is our sacred responsibility and privilege to fully acquaint our children with the Bible. Consider these words from the Apostle Paul to Timothy:
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:14-17
Toward that end, children will benefit from solid Bible resources that present and communicate the Bible’s grand narrative and essential doctrines, and impress upon them the need to wholeheartedly respond to God’s Word with faith in Christ. More Than a Story is a unique discipleship resource in this regard. (Scroll down to get a discount code for it!)
From the author, Sally Michael:
We have many children’s Bible resources consisting of collections of key Bible stories written in an engaging manner. What seems to be lacking is a comprehensive overview covering the breadth and depth of the message of the Bible. More Than a Story attempts to fill in those gaps, giving children a solid foundation of the manifold character of God, the plotline of the Bible, and key Bible doctrines in a child-friendly, engaging, yet respectful manner. It also incorporates many of the non-narrative portions of Scripture—Children need to be exposed to the wisdom of the proverbs, the comfort of the psalms, the warnings and promises of the prophets, the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount, the reminders of the gospel and instructions for Christian living in the letters, and the revelation of the glories of the Coming King who will make all things new! Children need a solid foundation of truth in order to develop a strong faith in God.
[Also], while the Bible is full of fascinating and exciting stories, we must not lose sight of the fact that it is the authoritative, clear, necessary, sufficient Word of God. So the tone of the book, though appealing to children, is also respectful and honoring of the Bible. There is appropriate sobriety regarding the seriousness of sin, as well as glorious, exalting joy in the redemption bought by Jesus. I have tried to treat the truths of the Bible in a manner worthy of God’s Word, yet still be engaging to children, interactive, and creative. Many actual texts from the Bible are included so that children can experience the power of the Word of God, as well as simply becoming familiar with the text of the Bible—God’s actual words.
Here are some additional features that make More Than a Story such a valuable resource:
- It introduces and clearly explains the key doctrines of the Christian faith.
- It’s “Bible-saturated” with more than 1,900 verses of biblical text woven throughout both Old and New Testament volumes.
- Chapters are written in an interactive manner, teaching children valuable Bible study skills.
- Questions are posed to guide children to rightly respond to God’s Word with the mind, heart, and will.
- It includes hundreds of beautiful, full-color, historically accurate illustrations.
- Chapters conclude with prompts and suggestions for further reflection, discussion, prayer, Bible memory, and personal application.
- Though written with 6- to 12-year-old children in mind, it’s an engaging resource for the entire family.
Dr. Thomas Schreiner of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary had this to say about the book:
What stands out particularly in the book is its theological depth and practical application. Theologically, [Sally]Michael focuses on both who God is and what he has done for us in Christ. The book is God-centered and Christ-glorifying, reminding us that we depend on the Spirit for empowerment. Don’t think this book is too theological to be accessible.
More Than a Story is a serious tool conveying weighty truths that require our utmost attention and, at the same time, it is a wonderfully engaging discipleship tool for parents, grandparents, teachers, and anyone else who cares for the faith of the next generations.
More Than a Story is available at Truth78.org/story. Readers of this post can get a 10% discount off either the New or Old Testament volume of More Than a Story when you enter the code MTSChallies at checkout. This offer is good through November 29.
