Reading The Bible As A Family
/I received a free copy of this product from Front Gate Blogger Network 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 are my own. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the FTC regulations. Huge thank you to Front Gate and the publisher (ZonderKidz) for this copy of the Tiny Truths Bible!
How We Read The Bible
If you know us, it’s no secret that Calvin and I both love God and love His word. With our very first baby on the way, we undoubtably desire to teach our little one about God and look forward to watching his or her knowledge of Him grow.
Bible reading is a routine Calvin implemented well in his youth days, however, as for me, I never shy away from being honest about the fact that it wasn’t until my early 20’s that I began to really commit to the discipline of reading God’s Word on my own, studying it, memorizing it and most importantly, living it out.
I know everyone’s Bible reading routine is different. Matter of fact, last year on the blog I shared a blog post titled, “How To Read Your Bible More” where I share tips on reading your Bible consistently that have helped me.
Right now both Calvin and I read and study the Bible individually on our own in the mornings. He reads his preferred version (NRSV) and I, mine: the She Reads Truth Bible - CBS Version. Currently I’m reading and studying the Pentateuch, the first 5 books fo the Bible and loving it! Last year I studied the poetry & wisdom writings and learned so much.
Recently, we’ve also tried our best to read it together in the evenings. We’ll pick a book of the Bible, read a chapter or so together then discuss it. Typically this is before bed, but as mentioned, we are doing our best to commit to this nightly routine though we do sometimes fall short in this.
However, now that we are thinking about how our routines will look like now with a little one included, we want to do our best to continue being intentional about family Bible reading time. Instead of just grabbing a Bible twice a year to read the Christmas story or Easter story gathered together in the living room, we desire to make this a consistent practice as a growing family.
Reading the Bible As A Family
I’m looking forward to experiencing a lot of things with our child, times with God is no exception! Many mamas have told me I’ll want a bassinet near our bed those first few nights (maybe even weeks). If that’s the case, we will happily gather around in our bedroom per usual before bed and read to baby from a children’s Bible, like the Tiny Truths Bible, and pray together before we go to sleep.
As the baby gets older, we both desire to do our best to commit to this. I hope one day when our little one is 4 or 5 to even use this Bible to help them with sight words as they learn how to read. We also look forward to interactive discussions about what we read that night. All with the end goal of teaching our child about the One who created them and loves them. I can’t wait!
The Tiny Truths Bible
With whimsical illustrations and engaging storytelling, The Tiny Truths Illustrated Bible presents all your favorite stories and diversely represented characters from the Old and New Testaments. It starts at the very beginning with the magnificence of creation and includes Moses parting the Red Sea, Jonah being swallowed by a giant fish, and ultimately the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the rescuing King. This Bible is written for ages ranging from about 4-8 years (preschool - 3rd grade level).
My honest thoughts: The Tiny Truths Bible is wonderfully written and so beautifully illustrated! One of the first things I noticed was how in fact these Bible characters are tan! HA! I think the creators were intentional in this. It’s no secret most children’s Bibles are filled with blonde haired, blue eyed character and it’s been up for discussion on the factuality of those we read about in the Bible actually looking like that. And as a tanner Latina mama-to-be myself, I appreciated this!
Another thing I noticed: I wanted to make sure it was as close to true Biblical interpretation as possible. Especially as one who enjoys reading, studying, and teaching the Bible. I don’t ever want to endorse something that isn’t truly aligned with God’s words. The authors steered clear of sharing the gruesome, harsher parts of scripture… for instance:
- Adam and Eve are told “they will get hurt” if they eat the fruit versus “surely die”.
- The plague of the first born sons of Egypt isn’t mentioned rather summarized as “God sent so much trouble to Egypt that Pharaoh had no choice but to let God’s people go”
- Rahab is described to be a brave woman rather a “harlot” or “prostitute”. (Which, she was brave no doubt about that!)
- Jesus’s crucifixion isn’t illustrated or described, rather explained as “they punished him like a criminal and then he died” with a picture of three empty crosses.
You get the idea. Which as a new mom-to-be with little to zero children’s church experience herself, you could see how these creative ways of explaining stories in the Bible to kids are new to me. It’s not a complaint or even dislike, it’s just something I started to notice as I made my way through the Tiny Truths Bible. However, I am pleased to say that these creative phrases don’t in any way take away from the main idea of each story or what it reveals about God.
Over all, this was a great read and one I am thrilled about sharing with our little one in the future! I believe this Bible is a great introduction to these stories and as our child continues to grow and further seek truth, familiarity with these stories from the Tiny Truths Bible will be something he/she can build on.
The Tiny Truth’s Bible Giveaway!!!
If you love you a good giveaway, you’re in luck! It’s simple. Simply click below and enter your name and email address. Best of luck to you! I hope a little one in your life is blessed by this sweet gift.
Thanks again to Front Gate and the publisher (ZonderKidz) for sending me this Tiny Truths Illustrated Bible! I’m adding it to baby’s growing library and hope you’ll add it to your child’s library as well.
Come to think of it, this would make a WONDERFUL Easter gift to the littles in your life! ;) If you just can’t wait to get it, the Tiny Truths Bible is out now. You can find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, and Target! We personally prefer Amazon because hellooooo 2 day shipping. :)
Final Thoughts…
Remember that reading Scripture as a family doesn’t have to be a big elaborate ordeal, rather a consistent and intentional practice. Teach the little ones in your life of the way they should go. Read them stories of the Bible, acknowledge their questions doing your best to answer them and may God complete the work He is starting within their little hearts!
As always, thanks for being here and for reading! If you enjoy this post or know of a parent looking for a great children’s Bible, share this post with them. Until next time!
- Crystal
Ps. Don’ forget to enter the giveaway!! It’s too simple to pass out! Click below.