In our family, we believe in the Gospel. The good news about Jesus – that he lived, died, was buried, was raised from the dead, and ascended to Heaven. We believe it is good news for us because it means that we, human beings marked by sin, can have a relationship with the God of the universe, the Creator of all things.
Some of you may be familiar with this Gospel and believe it. This blog is for you, to give you resources and help you explain the beautiful truth of salvation to your kids.
Some of you may not be familiar with this Gospel and may not believe in it. This blog is for you, too, should you want resources to learn about Jesus.
The Gospel is simple, yet oftentimes we make it complicated. We feel like we need all the answers to all the questions before we can discuss them with others, especially our kids. But I’m here to tell you a secret: You don’t have to have all of the answers. You can present the Gospel to your kids and let it do its work in their lives (and in turn, in your own life as well).
Here are a few resources that we have found extremely helpful as we have sought to teach our children the Gospel:
The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones
I have never read a children’s Bible more beautifully written than this one. It takes stories from the Bible and communicates them in a way that captures the attention of kids (and adults) and leaves them begging for just one more story! From the story of creation to Daniel in the Lion’s Den to the feeding of the 5,000–The Jesus Storybook Bible teaches that every story in scripture points to Jesus. “Every story whispers His name.”
Found by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Found is a beautifully written version of Psalm 23 that children can grasp and understand. The gorgeous illustrations mixed with the powerful words will leave you just as enthralled as your kids. I love this book because it makes the love of God for His children so visible.
Loved by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Another one of Sally Lloyd-Jones’ masterpieces, Loved is a rephrasing of The Lord’s Prayer. It’s main intent is to teach children how to pray and, just like Found, reveals how much God has done for each of us through Jesus. My 20-month-old can recite the majority of the words in this book from memory and the idea that scripture is being planted in her mind at such a young age is beautiful. Your kids are sure to have the same experience.
The Biggest Story ABC by Kevin DeYoung
The Biggest Story ABC book is one of my absolute favorite books to read with my kids. It’s not the most phonetically correct book to teach the ABCs, but it lays out the story of all creation more plainly than anything I’ve ever read–for children AND adults. This book gives an entire overview from creation to the captivity of Israel; from the life of Jesus to what is to come for those who put their faith in Christ. It is straightforward, it is factual, it is explanatory, and it is simple to memorize. It’s another book that my kids can easily recite without even opening the pages. It’s a must-have in my opinion.
The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden by Kevin DeYoung and Don Clark
Have older kids? This book is a more mature version of the book listed above (The Biggest Story ABC) and accomplishes the same goal: to walk you and your children through the stories of the Bible from beginning to end, seeing and believing that God has had a plan from the very beginning. The illustrations are unique and each chapter will create meaningful conversations in your home. You’ll probably be surprised at how much you learn, too.
This is the Gospel by Kids Read Truth
This is the Gospel is a perfect resource for school-age children. Like the books listed above, it walks through God’s plan for creation and why we need a savior, but it also lists scripture references on each page so that you and your children can know exactly where these truths come from. This is a no-fluff, straight-to-the-point book and I love it for it’s simple communication of scripture.
My hope is that this list of resources will be helpful for all who read it: for those who believe this gospel AND for those who do not. Do you have a favorite resource for teaching your kids the Gospel?
