The Adventure Bible or One Big Story Bible These are the best kid bibles out there. They have great introductions for each book, interactive pages, and even a Big Words dictionary in the back.
Kids Resources
FAMILY RESOURCES
BIBLES (All Found on Lifeway.com)
Kids Bibles
Most Kid Bibles from Lifeway Just double check they have added resources like dictionary, concordance, maps, etc before buying.
The Action Bible If reading is a STRUGGLE- start with this comic book bible. It is not the actually Bible, but it tells the Redemption story so well! It will get them interested in the Bible and will lead them to open up the actually Bible.
Adult Bibles
Easy to Read Bibles with Commentaries
Bibles from Bible Teachers
Spurgeon Study Bible
Tony Evans Study Bible
Specific Focus Bibles
NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible
CSB Worldview Bible
CSB Apologetics Bible
Holy Land Illustrated Bible
On Bible Translations
i. For younger readers- stick with NIrV or ICB.
ii. For average readers- NIV, CSB, NLT.
iii. For advanced readers- ESV, NKJV
iv. NOTE: “Kid” Bibles & Translations are still the full word of God. They do not omit all the sins and descriptions of sins, especially in the OT. They also do not tell the kids every instance that something is an analogy, poetry, symbol, or a vision of the future. Kids are very literal (until about 10 years old) and the Bible can be an intense read if we read everything in it literally! That’s why resources & reading the Bible with your kids is the best way to help them through it.
TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES
BOOKS FOR KIDS
a. Lisa Harper Kid Books
i. Who’s Your Daddy? A great little book about how God the Father is dad to all of us. Missy, Lisa’s daughter, was adopted from Haiti and never knew her biological dad and Lisa is not married. This book is great for little kids who may not have a dad in their life.
b. Andrew Wilson Kid Books
i. Sophie & the Heidelberg Cat is one of my FAVORITE books because it’s about Jesus and Cats! It’s a great book for the kid who is struggling with obedience and doing what’s right. It will talk about godly sorrow as well as Grace and remind the kid that they are not their own but God’s.
c. Max Lucado Kid Books
i. A Hat for Ivan Story about a little boy who tries on everyone else’s hat (Identity) but they don’t fit well until Ivan finally finds his own hat (Identity). Great book if your child is having a problem finding their “thing” they are good at or changes how they act around different people.
ii. Just the Way You Are Story of orphan children trying to impress the King so that He will adopt them. Great story on God’s grace and how He wants us “just the way we are”. Great for that child who gets lost in the shadows of their other siblings.
iii. You are Special One of my favorite kid books! Makes me tear up every time. Another book on Identity and how others try to tell us who we are but the only voice we should listen to is God the Father’s voice. Great book for those kids who are struggling with people-pleasing.
d. R.C. Sproul Kids Books – all of his books have discussion questions for the parent & child to talk together after reading, plus he always provides the Scriptural foundation for his story.
i. The Lightlings Is the story of Creation, the Fall, Our Redemption, & Restoration all told in the world of the King of Light and his Lightlings. For the kid who is scared of the dark and needs to be reminded that our Lord is the King of Light.
ii. The Poison Cup The main theme here is salvation and sin and how Jesus drank the “poison cup” for us and died even though we are the ones who sinned & should have drank the poison cup. Good discussion on sin and the consequences of our sin.
iii. The Donkey Who Carried the King This book is for that kid who might need a little lesson on humility. It’s a story about the donkey who carried Jesus on Palm Sunday only to watch Jesus carry the Cross a few days later. It’s a great book to read around Palm Sunday & Easter.
iv. The Priest with Dirty Clothes The lesson here is on Christ’s Righteousness and how we can stand before the Lord only because of Jesus’ pure, righteousness and not because of anything we have done.
BOOKS FOR ADULTS
a. Parenting from a Christian Perspective
i. Raising Passionate Jesus Followers: The Power of Intentional Parenting by Phil & Diane Comer. The Comers have raised 4 children who are all Passionately Following Jesus today. Their adult children asked them how they did it and this is their book. They give you helpful tips for all the major phases of childhood from Preschool to Elementary to the Teen year and finally ending on the “young adult” years so no matter the age of your children you’ll benefit from reading this book.
ii. Mama Bear Apologetics: Empowering Your Kids to Challenge Cultural Lies edited by Hillary Morgan Ferrer. This book is written by 7 different Christian women who want to help moms to be able to answer the tough faith questions brought up by kids today. This is a great book if you have a kid who asks a LOT of questions on Spiritual topics.
iii. Big Truths for Young Hearts: Teaching and Learning the Greatness of God by Bruce A. Ware. This book was written by a seminary professor who would come home at night and tuck his kids into bed and try to explain to them what he was teaching his theology students. It is theologically sound, but it reads like a textbook.
iv. Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was and Who God Has Always Been by Jackie Hill Perry. This is Jackie Hill Perry’s personal testimony of being called out of the lesbian lifestyle to follow the Lord. Generation Z will be characterized by the fluidity of their sexual preferences and gender. As parents from an older generation, we must be equipped to talk about this specific subject because our kids WILL have friends who are all over the spectrum on this. This book will give you a wonderful Gospel perspective on this touchy subject.
b. Top Secular Books on Kids & Helping Them Learn & Grow
i. The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., & Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D. This is a wonderful book that helps you understand your child’s brain stages while also helping you to guide and nurture that brain. Easy to read book with illustrations and practical applications at the end of each chapter.
ii. 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don’t Do: Raising Self-Assured Children and Training Their Brains for a Life of Happiness, Meaning, and Success by Amy Morin. The goal of the author is to help parents help their kids. With 1 out of every 13 children in the US are on psychiatric medicine and 31% of teens report being stressed, our children need more help in developing their mental strength. With parents being the main source of guidance in their kids’ lives, the author hopes to train parents to strengthen their mental muscle as well teach their kids to do the same.
iii. How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough. The author is a journalist who has wants to discover why children from the same socio-economic background can achieve two very different lives. His study focuses on how success in schools is measured in IQ tests and cognitive knowledge skills like math & reading, yet the author seeks to share how success is determined by more than just reading skills but if your child has grit, curiosity, & character. A harder read than the other two books and not as practical but very interesting still.
c. Bible Commentaries
i.Moody Bible Commentary- Easy to Read. Great place to start.
ii.Warren Wiersbe Commentary– Mix of Easy to Read and Academic. He has OT & NT commentaries. He also has smaller commentaries you can buy on each book, and a commentary/bible study group guide. I have used them all and love them.
iii.Charles Spurgeon Commentary or Matthew Henry Commentary – Scholarly & Academic for those ready for the deep academic dive.
d.Book on Reading & Studying the Bible
Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible by J. Scott Duvall & J. Daniel Hays. It’s a textbook but it helps one learn how to read and study the Scriptures on your own if you want to be independent of Biblical commentaries.
Growing Up: How to be a Disciple Who Makes Disciples by Robby Gallaty. This book is where the HEAR journal is from. Robby Gallaty is the Senior Pastor at Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, TN. Great local church! Easy Read.
HEAR Journal Reading Plans: Found on ReplicateMinistries.org. There are HEAR reading plans for kids, youth, and adults. They are all called Foundations: For Kids, or For Teens, etc. Easy Read.
e. Books on Doctrine & Theology
i.Bible Doctrine: Essential Teachings of the Christian Faith by Wayne Grudem. This book is the starter kit for those wondering why we believe what we believe. Trustworthy teacher and lines up with Connection Church beliefs. 528 pages.
ii.Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine by Wayne Grudem. This is THE book on Systematic theology every Baptist theology student goes through. It helps you explore most facets of our faith & theology, but it is not for the faint of heart. 1291 pages.
iii.Delighting in the Trinity: An Introduction to the Christian Faith by Michael Reeves. This book dives into the Trinity and helps us to begin to grasp the uniqueness of our God, and how it impacts our faith. Short book but will make you stop and think.
iv. Forgotten God: Reversing our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan. This is an easy-to-read book on the personhood and role of the Holy Spirit.
v. The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller. Easy to read book on who God is and addresses questions and doubts about Christianity.
vi. Holier Than Thou: How God’s Holiness Helps Us Trust Him by Jackie Hill Perry. This book helps us to understand the word Holy and the thought that if God is Holy, then He can’t sin. And if He can’t sin, shouldn’t that make Him the most trustworthy being there is? Easy to read book but will make you stop and think on God’s Holiness and Trustworthiness.
Books on Christian Living & Spiritual Disciplines
i. Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster. This is a book we use in our D-Groups at Connection Church. Not the easiest of reads.
ii. Conformed to His Image: Biblical & Practical Approaches to Spiritual Formation by Kenneth Boa. An easier read on spiritual disciples while also touching on topics of faith and theology. If Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology and Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline had a baby it would be this book.
iii. Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart: How to Know for Sure You are Saved (Teen Edition) by J.D. Greear. Great book on the essentials of our Christians faith and salvation. I really enjoyed the teen version. Much easier to read and shorter than the adult version. Wonderful book to read with someone who grew up in the Church world but may not fully understand God’s Grace & Salvation.