Help Your Kids Learn & Love the Bible: A Book Review
DISCLOSURE: I RECEIVED THIS COMPLIMENTARY PRODUCT THROUGH THE HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW.
For Christian parents, the real battleground is the hearts of our children. There is pain in the world that we pray they can avoid, but that isn’t always possible. We pour over decisions about ball teams, birthday parties and squabbles, but it’s easy to forget that the most important concern we should have is their relationship with God. And, that begins at home from the very start. Today’s review, Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible by Danika Cooley and Bethany House Publishers, focuses readers on the why and how parents can share the Bible with their family.
What We Received:
We received the book Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible by Danika Cooley with Bethany House Publishers. It is a paperback book consisting of 198 pages, a contents and notes section.
What It Says:
Danika Cooley writes as though you had just asked her about teaching children about the Bible. All the different topics flow naturally from a long conversation you might have over lunch. Why is the Bible important? Is it relevant to our digital age? Why do parents need to invest their time in it? How can young kids grasp anything? Where do we start? Should I skip some parts? What about questions I can’t answer? What if we disagree on things? The first half of the book discusses all of this and more. Whatever hesitations or concerns you might have about reading and studying the Bible with your kids, I think she covers it. The second half dives into the actual study of the Bible together. Where did the Bible come from? How can we trust it? Why are there so many different books and how do they fit? What does it all have to do with the gospel? How can we understand some of this? As she shares experiences with her own family, a picture of what Bible time can look like at different ages and maturity starts to materialize. The book is concluded with a few historical instances of the power a parent’s Biblical teaching and leading and encouragement for the readers journey.
What I Thought:
I was raised in a Christian family where Bible study was a part of our life and our church strove to know what the Bible says. Having that background, I enjoyed Danika Cooley’s writing and appreciated the way she lined out a family’s relationship with the Bible. My favorite quote was, “Your kids are the right age for Jesus.” I believe this 100% after being raised around Biblical teaching and now doing the same with my kids 10, 8 and 4. They are never too young to grasp something! The seeds of obedience and a clear “No!” are concepts better learned as early as possible, in my experience, so why wouldn’t we surround them with God’s teaching to reinforce it.
There are a few points of theology that I disagree with regarding original sin and elements of salvation taught in the Bible that I’d be happy to discuss with anyone, if you have questions. Still, the couple of statements in this area did not take away from the main message of making Bible time a priority for you and your family. Even though we have included Bible in our homeschool from the beginning, she does a great job of describing realistic options and techniques for managing different ages and circumstances. It has certainly boosted my commitment and built up my arsenal of whys and hows for a new school year!
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Are you new to Bible study in your family? Check out what other family’s had to say about this book and its approach through the link below.