I love all things liturgal and seasonal - so obviously Easter is no exception. Here are a few things you can do to make Easter celebrations special with your kids this year!

As busy moms though, it can be hard to follow through on all. the. things. My encouragement to you is just start! We do celebrate the Lord’s resurrection every single Sunday but by slowing down and doing a little more around the once-a-year holiday in the church calendar, we can help our kids understand more and deeper.

Do what you can when you can. Have some fun and use this list to start.

I’ve included a variety of things here so you can pick and choose what to do with your kids!

Some links in this post are affiliate links. You can read our full disclosure policy here.

Bible Verses To Memorize

But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay...” (Matthew 28:5-6 ESV)

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 ESV; you can also grab this in a pretty printable here)

“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9; you can also grab this in a pretty printable here)

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live
in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. “ (Galatians 2:20; you can also grab this in a pretty printable here)

Children’s Catechism Questions and Answers

As part of our series through the Children’s Catechism, you can work on these questions and answers with your kids:

Q. 137. Did Christ remain in the tomb after his crucifixion?
A. No; he rose from the tomb on the third day after his death.

Q. 138. Where is Christ now?
A. In heaven, interceding for sinners.

If you’re looking to dig deeper, check out this post on Christ’s offices of Prophet, Priest, and King.

If you're new here, be sure to check out this page for all the best resources and links for the Children's Catechism.

Make Empty Tomb Rolls

A friend told me about these a while ago and we’ve loved making them on Easter morning! Some people call them Resurrection Rolls and others call them Empty Tomb Rolls. They bake up easily but are a fun object lesson as you can see they are empty on the inside - just like the empty tomb on Easter morning!

So easy, here’s the recipe::

• 8 large marshmallows

• 3 tablespoons of melted butter

• A mixture of equal parts cinnamon and granulated sugar (About 2 tablespoons of each)

• A tube of Crescent Rolls (regular size, with 8 rolls)

To make:

1. Dip a large marshmallow in melted butter and roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture.

2. Place marshmallow on crescent roll piece.

3. Roll crescent roll dough completely around the marshmallow and pinch edges so it’s sealed.

4. Place into greased muffin tin.

5. Repeat for the remaining marshmallows and rolls

6. Cook for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees!

By using the muffin tin, you ensure none of the marshmallow leaks out into your oven! (Don’t ask me how I know that can happen!)

Other Activities

Tauna from Proverbial Homemaker has 8 Easter builds you can do with Legos. My kids could play with Legos for hours, so we will be doing some of these this year!

There is an easy empty tomb paper plate craft here from “Free-N-Fun Easter” with supplies you most likely already have.

I also love to buy caterpillers and watch them transform into butterflies every year around Easter. It’s so easy and so much fun to see little tiny caterpillers grow into huge (and gross) caterpillers and then watch them make a chrysalis and emerge as beautiful butterflies!

If you haven’t done that before - it would be a great Easter present for your kids!

Need to fill some Easter baskets? Be sure to check out this post I put together with a simple formula with lots of ideas to have Christ-Centered, Practical, and Fun items all together!

Some Great Picture Books Specifically About Easter

If you've been around this site before, you know I love children's books. So, of course I’m going to give you some options! Grab one or two of these - put them in a basket and then plan a few times to sit and read them.

The Donkey Who Carried a King by R.C. Sproul (pictured here) - From the Publisher, "The biblical teaching that Jesus was the Suffering Servant who carried the sins of His people when He went to the cross is vividly brought home to children in The Donkey Who Carried a King, a children's book from respected theologian, author, and educator Dr. R.C. Sproul.

Davey was a young donkey who was bored and unhappy because he was never given anything to do. Then one day, some strangers came to the gate and Davey's master picked him for a very special task. Davey carried the King, Jesus, into Jerusalem. A few days later, Davey saw some angry people making the King carry a heavy beam of wood. Davey could not understand it until another donkey helped him see that the King was being a Servant on behalf of His people.

The Donkey Who Carried a King offers a unique perspective on the events of Jesus' Passion Week and calls all believers, both young and old, to follow in the footsteps of the Suffering Servant for the glory of God. Jesus was willing to leave the glories of heaven to suffer and die in this world on our behalf, so we should serve Him with all our hearts.”

The Garden, the Curtain and the Cross by Carl Laferton - From the Publisher, "This beautifully illustrated hardback book takes children on a journey from the garden of Eden to God's prefect new creation. 

Retelling the Easter story through a Bible overview, children will discover that 'because of our sin, we can't go in' but because of Jesus' victory on the cross, an even better garden awaits us..."

I wrote a whole post about this book (and the accompanying activity book) and you can even preview the whole book here so I won’t go on here about it!

The Parable of the Lily by Liz Curtis Higgins - From the Publisher, “Maggie, the farmer's youngest daughter, loves getting gifts, especially mysterious ones. One wintry day, she receives a package in the mail. She excitedly opens the package to find a bulb buried in a crate of dirt. This was not what Maggie expected. She had hoped for a doll or a game, not a bulb that would one day become a plant.

When spring comes, she finds the bulb in the cellar and tosses the lifeless thing into the garden, never to think of it again. . . . Until she walks outside on Easter morning and finds the most beautiful lily she has ever seen. Through the unique gift of a bulb, Maggie discovers the power of grace and forgiveness and the true meaning of Easter.”

The Friend Who Forgives by Dan DeWitt - From the publisher, “Do you ever talk before you think? Mess up? Let others down? That's what Peter did, again and again and again, and it led him to abandoning his best friend, Jesus. 

Peter loved Jesus. He felt terrible when he pretended not to know him. He thought all was lost when Jesus died. 

But Jesus is not like our other friends. He wants to forgive us when we are really sorry, even when we mess up again and again and again. And because Jesus died and rose again he can. Jesus' death took the punishment for all of Peter's mistakes and all our mistakes, and his resurrection showed the penalty was lifted. 

Children know all about failing, but they don't always experience true forgiveness. This book points them to Jesus, the one who will forgive them again and again and again.”

If you are looking for other books for Easter gifts, be sure you check out my list of Favorite Gospel-Centered Resources (books, music, Bible study, etc.) for Kids here.

Need to fill some Easter baskets? Be sure to check out this post I put together with a simple formula for lots of ideas to have Christ-Centered, Practical, and Fun items all together!

As we celebrate the meaningfulness of the Lord’s resurrection, I hope you found some helpful resources here. And remember, you can show your kids the forgiveness and love that you’ve received in Christ every day. By pointing them to Him, you’re doing the best job!

Looking for meaningful, practical, and creative gifts for the Easter basket that you won’t hate looking at next week? Here are 20 exceptional options to use as a starting point for your Easter baskets that are great for kids of all ages and work for both the boys and girls in your life!

Last week I shared my favorite Easter Resources for teaching your kids about the importance of Easter. As a follow up to answer some questions I received, I wanted to just give you a few suggestions of gifts you won’t hate to get your kids for Easter!

I like to use the formula for gift giving to make sure I cover all these bases:

Something to point them to Jesus

+

Something practical

+

Something to play with

So those are some of the ideas I’m sharing here! I’d love to hear what you put in your Easter baskets!

Some links in this post are affiliate links. You can read our full disclosure policy here.

Books

Can you ever have too many books?

• If you’re looking for board books for toddlers to fit in an Easter basket, I’d go with one of these:

Do you already have those?! If so, I’m sure you need at least one more from the “The Story of God’s Great Love” collection here!

• If you need books for older kids, these are some great options:

• If you already have all those, be sure to check out this list of all my favorite Christ-centered books!

• And if you want books just for Easter, be sure to check out my post all about teaching your kids about Easter here.

Music

CD’s are nice gifts because they are tangible and you can put them on without needing to be on your phone or other streaming device. These would be some fun options:

I also have many more CDs (and digital music) over on my list of all my favorite Christ-centered resources!

Swimsuits

Moving on to the practical categories… I love giving my kids swimsuits for Easter because it’s an exciting new gift that tells them that soon we’ll be able to use them and have fun as a family! And, if you’d have to buy it anyway - it’s a win-win (like new socks at Christmas, right?).

Household Items

Along with swimsuits, I am always trying to sneak in “fun” options of things that my kids need anyway and count them as presents.

• So, last year my kids got these electric toothbrushes (bonus points for a little less mom guilt on the next trip to the dentist) and they loved them! Obviously, some new fun toothpaste counts as an accessory too!

• A new water bottle for each kid with a favorite design (I especially like the robots and cats, but there are so many fun options!).

• A lip balm or two so each kid has their own. Yes, they’ll probably lose it quickly but it’ll last longer than if they didn’t have it, right?

• For girls, these cute Easter eggs filled with hair accessories would be fun to hide and find and open plus then you’ll have extra hair ties and clips to throw in every bag and extras for the car!

Toys and Activities

You know you want to put a few fun things in the basket too. Instead of buying junk you’ll be sick of and #tidyingup next week, put a little more time in to get toys and activities that you’ll enjoy your kids doing for a long time after Easter too! These are all things my kids love and work for a variety of ages.

• Kinetic Sand - I am L-O-V-I-N-G this! You can dump it in a plastic bin and it stays magically perfect for building and playing in - it doesn’t even matter if you leave the lid off all day - it’s always ready for your kids. It’s also easy to clean-up because it sticks to itself! It’s one hundred times better than Play Dough in my opinion.

• Magnet building toys - we’ve had these in our house for years and they are still some of my favorite toys that my kids still play with regularly. (Is it because they also are easy to clean up since they stick to each other? Are you noticing a theme?) Amazon has a lot of great generic options too that all get great reviews.

• Similar to Magnet building toys, marble runs are ALWAYS a classic hit and this one is super affordable with great reviews!

• Dot Markers are always a hit for little hands! Check out these WASHABLE ones!

• I mentioned this in a previous Easter post because it can be such a fun object lesson, but buying the Caterpillar to Butterfly Kit is something I see our family doing each year! It’s that fun! If you haven’t done it before, you really should try it!

• Activity sets from Kid Made Modern. I love these kits because they contain everything needed to complete a whole set of crafts. Just scrolling through their site, I can find a few things that would be a great fit for each of my kids!

• In the category of “you can enjoy it for a week and then it’s gone”, my kids love slime. Depending on their ages, either buy it pre-made in cute Easter eggs or buy a kit so they can make their own.

Somehow it seems like we are encouraged as moms to buy things we don’t like to have in our homes. I’m just not buying it - you don’t have to give your kids lots of presents for Easter. But if you are filling their Easter baskets, make sure they are things you’ll be happy with them having!

We may have done this way back in 2019 - but wouldn’t you know it, we still go back and reference when we did these way back then?

Pulled from the Blog Archives… (and updated a bit)

You all know I love children’s books, it’s one of the most popular things I share on the blog. I love that children’s books can open up conversations about real-life issues and tell beautiful gospel-rich stories that we can then think about and discuss.

However, I recently felt like I wasn’t doing enough for my kids to give them a survey of the whole Bible.

So (in classic homeschool mom style), I immediately started googling and was quickly researching Bible curricula, some of which look amazing and I will probably use in the future but were so in-depth that it would take years to get through the entire Bible (in addition to costing hundreds of dollars per kid…).

Instead of doing that, I decided to put together a simple plan that would get us through one year of all the history and stories of the Bible and works for toddlers to even middle schoolers!

There are four components, one of each to:

• read,

• color,

• listen to,

• and watch.

And these are four resources we will use over and over in a variety of settings in the future.

Note: Some links in this post are affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

While we are still early on in our plan, I am really liking this and wanted to share as quickly as possible with you! I plan to come back and update this post as we progress.

I tried to include as many links as possible to make it easy for you to find the materials and in some cases, even have the opportunity to try them out before purchasing.

Cover The Bible in a Year - Simple Elementary Age Plan Details

1) Read one chapter per day from The Child’s Story Bible.

• The writing is beautiful and engaging. It is Biblically accurate and covers much more detail than most story Bibles. The author often points to Jesus in the Old Testament and explains concepts with great theological depth. I don’t know if it’s just a maturity issue or the way this book explains things, but my 5 year old is asking amazing questions each day after (and of course sometimes in the middle of) reading a story!

• There are a total of 202 chapters in this book. This serves as our guide and main resource for our year long plan. As we finish sections here we will check in with the next three resources. This book just sits on our kitchen table and we read one chapter at breakfast each morning. A “typical” school year contains 180 days but in a calendar year there are 261 weekdays. This makes the 202 chapters seem very achievable with enough grace built into the year that you don’t have to do catch up if you skip days for vacations and field trip days. Sometimes, we might even read two without anyone even noticing it was extra - shh! But also, I’m going to put on my “seasoned homeschool mom” hat and tell you there is no reason you have to finish this in a year! Just keep going!

You might already have another story book version of the Bible you could use instead too. You can see all my favorite options here and if you’re looking for ones that don’t have images of Jesus, check that out here.

2) As stories are covered, color the corresponding timeline piece from the Big Picture Bible Timeline.

• I wanted a visual reminder of what we’ve read, while it does not match up exactly, I like that this timeline still does cover a lot of content.

• There are 111 Old Testament timeline pieces and 39 New Testament pieces. Each timeline piece contains a Scripture reference so it should be easy to match up and if a story isn’t covered for some reason, we can just read it from the Bible.

• A word of warning, if you use it as is from the book, it will be 62 feet long! I chose to copy them on my printer to reduce the size by 50% which seems much more feasible to hang up in our Play/Homeschool Room. As a bonus, I can also use the originals again in the future if we do a different project with them or if I’m teaching other kids at church or at a co-op type setting. The book itself has many suggestions for use such as playing a matching game, scrambling the pieces and then putting them in order, finding which piece is missing, or just using them as coloring pages.

Another great resource to check out:

3) As the same stories are covered, listen to the audio from The Jesus Storybook Bible.

• We’ve read The Jesus Storybook Bible so many times and we still don’t want to stop! In our first copy, pages started coming out so I had to buy a replacement. For this project, I thought as we were diving into Scripture a little deeper, it would be good to still re-visit our favorite Christ-Centered storybook as well, so we will listen to the audio version just to mix it up. When appropriate (meaning when we are listening at home and not in the car), I plan on having my five year old read along with the audio as he is learning to read.

• You can grab this from Audible (no subscription required to purchase it, I did this years ago and we’ve listened to it many times).

4) As a review of major book divisions, watch an episode of “Buck Denver asks… What’s in the Bible?”

• This is about 13 hours of shows covering the whole Bible, diving into what it means and covering lots of material!

• If you’ve never heard of the series before, you probably want to go read this Gospel Coalition article, which is an interview with Phil Vischer where he says he was influenced for the creation of this by the ESV Study Bible and Tim Keller’s sermons among a few other things.

  • In that article, he also shares some of his regrets of his previous show creation (the very popular Veggie Tales) and says, “A profound thought hit me: Had I just spent 10 years trying to get kids to behave “Christianly” without actually teaching them Christianity?”

• The breakdown for each of the 1-hour shows is as follows:

  • Vol. 1: Genesis

  • Vol. 2: Genesis continued and Exodus

  • Vol. 3: Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy

  • Vol. 4: Joshua, Judges & Ruth

  • Vol. 5: 1 Samuel & 2 Samuel

  • Vol. 6: Kings & Chronicles

  • Vol. 7: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther

  • Vol. 8: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon

  • Vol. 9: Isaiah-Malachi (The Prophets)

  • Vol. 10: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

  • Vol. 11: Acts

  • Vol. 12: Romans to Philemon (Letters from Paul)

  • Vol. 13: Hebrews to Revelation

• You can get these shows a few different ways:

  • You can purchase the complete 13 Volume DVD Set or similarly, you can purchase the 13 DVDs individually (just use the links above in the episode list to find them). You can also buy them in bundles so you only grab them as you need them,

    • You can grab Volumes 1 to 5 here.

    • Then Volumes 6 to 9 (plus a bonus Sing Through the Bible) here.

    • And finally Volumes 10 to 13 (plus a bonus Christmas episode) here.

  • You can also purchase (or even rent) them digitally if you prefer to have copies online and not worry about DVDs. That would obviously be easier if you are ok managing digital content!

• As an added bonus for this resource, you can grab a bunch of coloring pages and a few other activities that correspond to the episodes here from the “What’s in the Bible” site. If your kids love to color, you’re set!

If your kids are older, you might want to add in the Bible Project videos covering an overview of each book of the Bible, you can start with the Old Testament playlist on YouTube here.

Let me know if you’re going to try it too!

If you have any questions, feel free to let me know in the comments below or contact me.

I really hope this helps you as you make a plan to develep a deeper love of the Bible with your kids!

Even with all the pitfalls, one of the things I absolutely love about our digital age is how we are able to connect with others in meaningful ways because of technology.

I am in a small Facebook group for wives of pastors and when a friend posted a Children’s Bulletin she created, I knew I wanted to share it with you all here!

I asked and she was so gracious to let me do just that!

As she says below, you could print a few for your kids or a whole stack for your church!

I hope you enjoy these!

I’ve included the grab and go link to download the file at the very end of the post! But before you get there, here’s a little bit from Rachelle on the story behind the creation of this amazing and simple Children’s Bulletin she’s sharing with you today.

Hi! My name is Rachelle and I met Cassie back when our husbands went to seminary together.

My husband is currently the pastor of a small country church in the sticks of Pennsylvania. We moved here a little over three years ago and have been thrown into full time ministry and are just praising God for bringing us to this congregation who have loved us and accepted us with open arms.

We have four children, ages 7, 4, 3, and 21 months. Our church encourages the children to be in the service and to participate as much as they can. So as parents, we are encouraged to train them.

With my husband being the pastor, most of that has become my responsibility. We have a few families in our church who have been willing to help which blesses me and my children a lot.

Now that my 7 year old son is getting older, I wanted a way to train him to take notes during the service. Our church did not have anything in place other than a blank sheet. So I put together a fun way to help him engage with what is happening during the service and during the sermon by making a “Sermon Notes for Kids” page.

We now have them provided at the church for any children that want to use them as well!

I want this to be a resource that others can have access to as well so I am providing the pdf file for you to download and use for the benefit of your children or even for the children in your church.

The file has two pages with the same layout on each page so that you can print it double-sided and then cut in half!

I really hope this can become a great tool to help your children grow in their understanding and learning of what they hear during the worship service.

Here is one of the first notes my son took. He still needed a lot of help with figuring out where to write, but I know over the years he’ll be filling in more and more as his understanding grows.

And I’m so excited that I get to be alongside of him as he asks the hard questions and seeks to know God more.

I truly hope this can be a resource that helps your family! I am so grateful to Rachelle for sharing it with us!

It should be ready to print and go - just make sure (if possible) to print it 2-sided so that you can cut them in half and have just a half sheet ready to go! It will still work as a whole sheet, it just won’t be as paper-saving.

You can download the PDF file by heading over to the Resource Library under the category “Children’s Church Resources” or just by clicking right here.

While you wait for those to print, why don’t you browse my favorite Gospel-centered resources for kids here?

Clicking through links on blogs you appreciate is a great way to show support for the free resources they provide!

I keep everything in the Resource Library so that it’s easy to download all the files you need (like a single download with 40 pretty Bible passages or lots of worksheets for the Children’s Catechism)!

October 31 is Reformation Day! As a way to celebrate the Reformation, it takes place on the anniversary of when Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses on the Wittenberg Door on the same day in 1517.

I've put together a round up of resources and activities for kids to celebrate this special day. Whether you only have little kids, homeschool some of your children, or just want to add some fun (or even new traditions) to your home, I hope you find something helpful here. I opened a lot of tabs to find and share only the best resources - many of the things I found on Pinterest were no longer available or really misleading!

“Party schooling” is a great way to immerse your children in learning in such a fun way and that’s what you can do with all these resources here. Think about how much you enjoy attending a book club with your friends - you can create a day like that for your kids and consider it school while making lovely memories together.

Some links in this post are affiliate links. You can read our full disclosure policy here.

Books on the Reformation or Reformers

If you've been around this site before, you know I love children's books. So, I would obviously start here! Grab one or two of these - put them in a basket (with maybe a few others you already have) and then read them at meals, snacks, whenever!  

Reformation ABCs: The People, Places, and Things of the Reformation―from A to Z by Stephen J. Nichols - From the Publisher, "Reformation ABCs is a fun way for kids to learn about the places, things, events, people, books, and ideas that shaped this pivotal time in church history. Through whimsical illustrations and engaging storytelling, this book teaches kids that even though the Reformation occurred five hundred years ago, it isn't just about people and places in the past. The Reformers' fight to reclaim the gospel is still relevant today."

Even though the title has "ABC's" in it - this is not a simple book - to be an independent reader, I would say your child should probably be reading at a third grade level. However, all my kids (as early as age 2) really enjoy when I read it. It is extremely well done and I've learned things too! It's an easy way to learn church history. We really like this book at our house!

The Barber Who Wanted to Pray by R. C. Sproul - From the Publisher, "Master Peter is a barber well known to all in his village. One day, when Martin Luther the Reformer walks into his shop, the barber musters up the courage to ask the outlawed monk how to pray. Dr. Luther responds by writing a letter to the barber (a letter that we know today as the book, A Simple Way to Pray!). The barber’s life is changed as he encounters a model for prayer by using the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the Apostles’ Creed. 

R. C. Sproul’s beautifully illustrated story will engage children and help them learn to pray according to the Bible. Dr. Sproul’s unique gift for explaining complex truths will make this a treasured book to be returned to time after time—a delight for both children and their parents!"

Some other highly rated biographies for children if you'd like more options:

Catechism Questions and Bible Verses For Reformation Day

After your kids have learned a little about what Reformation Day is all about from at least one of the books above or from your own teaching, it would be great to incorporate some Bible verses and Catechism questions. I've selected a few here that apply to the themes of the five "Solas" - Sola Scripture (Scripture alone), Sola Gratia (Grace alone), Sola Fide (Faith alone), Solus Christus (Christ alone), and Soli Deo Gloria (To God alone be glory).

Possible Memory Verses:

Romans 3:28: For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. (ESV)

Romans 11:36: For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (ESV)

Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (ESV)

1 Timothy 2:5: For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. (ESV)

2 Timothy 3:16: All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. (ESV)

Children's Catechism:

Q. 14. Where do you learn how to love and obey God?
A. In the Bible alone.

Q. 50. What is justification?
A. It is God's forgiving sinners, and treating them as if they had never sinned.

Q. 51. What is sanctification?
A. It is God's making sinners holy in heart and conduct.

If you're new here, be sure to check out this page for all the best resources and links for the Children's Catechism.

Westminster Shorter Catechism:

Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. 1. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.

Q. 2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?
A. 2. The word of God, which is contained in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.

Q. 86. What is faith in Jesus Christ?
A. 86. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.

For more on the Westminster Shorter Catechism, check this page.

Activities for Reformation Day

• Almost every Reformation Day party I've ever seen has included "nailing" the "95 Theses" to a "door". You can be really creative with this and use whatever you have:

  • For the 95 Theses - you (or your kids) could write on index cards:

    • Snippets of the actual text from Martin Luther (like #62 - "The right and true treasure of the Church is the most Holy Gospel of the glory and grace of God.")

    • Some of the Bible verses or catechism questions mentioned above

    • And/or the five solas!

  • Make a door out of paper or use a door in your house

  • Use thumbtacks or just tape (and maybe a play hammer) to get them to stick

• In 2025, one of my sons was in an in-person History class where he had to complete the “Faces of History” project popular with Classical Conversations and other IEW programs. He chose Martin Luther and we got this costume from Amazon for him to wear to present his paper! It was a hit - he almost convinced me to shave his hair into a tonsure, but we didn’t…

• Torchlighters has a 34 minute animated episode of Martin Luther's life.

  • You can find it on their website to watch. You used to be able to watch it with Amazon Prime (or a free trial) but as of the fall of 2023, that isn’t an option any longer.

  • To follow that up, you can go to their site here and gain access to materials to go with the episode - 6 different coloring sheets you could easilly make into a little book, a quiz, and three different online games.

• The Holiday Zone has a lot of great activities (crafts like making stained glass with provided templates, parchment with Bible verses, or even Lavender Sachets to ward off the Bubonic Plague; word searches, history on the hymn "A Mighty Fortress" by Martin Luther, and more). Depending on what you're looking for, this site is simple and easy to navigate, check it out here.

• For kids of all ages, The Mustard Seeds blog posted the party she did with her kids here - including their table decor, costumes, and two free pdf downloads like this coloring page of the Luther rose.

• In Story of the World Volume 2 chapters 34 and 36 cover Martin Luther and the Reformation. The Activity Book for Volume 2 contain maps, coloring pages, and activities for those chapters. Volume 2 usually covers a whole year of History, but you could pull out these chapters just for Reformation Day (that’s what we do) if you can borrow them from a friend, have the book in your collection, or plan on using them in the future. My kids and I love the audio version by Jim Weiss too.

• We’ve also used Biblioplan’s history in our homeschooling, and like Story of the World, Reformation Day is covered in Medieval Days - Book 2.

• There is a nice printable coloring page of Martin Luther here from Hello Kids.

• The In All You Do blog took pictures of Martin Luther and his wife Katherine von Bora and glued them on cardboard to make puzzles for toddlers. The pictures for you to print to make your own puzzle are here.

• For elementary and middle school-age kids, The Notebooking Fairy has some simple notebooking pages (and a few pages of copywork for writing out the simple 5 Solas) here to download for free. Homeschool Share also has a free notebooking unit study download here.

Gifts and T-Shirts for Reformation Day

My kids love new t-shirts and toys (I mean, a Martin Luther to hang out with our Legos, how amazing is that?) and if they can help them remember something or incorporate them into our study, even better!

(That may not be available any longer - sad! But there is a stop motion video of it in action that your kids may enjoy here.

I’ve found a handful of fun Reformation Day T-Shirts you might want to grab for you and your family members to have for your celebration! On Amazon, most are available in a variety of colors and in Men’s, Women’s, and Children’s sizing options as well.

This pop-up book also looks fun for littles! And for older kids (or hey, I like to color), this unique coloring book looks great too!

I’d love to hear from you! Please comment below - What else I should add to this list? What did you find most helpful? What did you do to celebrate and teach your kids?!

Sin, sin, sin. We are just pressing through the Children’s Catechism and right now we want to make sure we have a grasp on what sin is, how it entered the world, and what the effect of it was in the garden. 

I think it is especially helpful when we are in these sections to make sure we are also looking ahead to Jesus so that our kids (and us too) have hope!

This post is in a series of posts working through the Children's Catechism! For more information on how this started, be sure to read the beginning of this earlier post. My kids I'm working on this with are now 7, 5, and 2.

Note: Some links in this post are affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.

The three questions covered in this lesson:
 
Q. 31. What was the sin of our first parents?
A. Eating the forbidden fruit.
 
Q. 32. Who tempted them to this sin?
A. The devil tempted Eve, and she gave the fruit to Adam.
 
Q. 33. What befell our first parents when they had sinned?
A. Instead of being holy and happy, they became sinful and miserable.

Materials needed for lesson:

• The Ology by Marty Machowski

• Ask Me Whooo Volume 1 - two songs: Q & A 33-34, Q & A 35 (Yes, the numbers are different since this is a slightly different version, you can read about that here.)

• The Biggest Story by Kevin DeYoung

• Paper cut into two inch strips

• Tape (you can use glue, but tape is easier)

• Coloring supplies

This is a simple lesson that you could easily do in a single day. 

First, read Chapter 14 in The Ology. This chapter recounts the story of the fall with some helpful insights for kids (and beautiful illustrations, hopefully you already have it!). Satan twisted God’s words and tempted Adam and Eve. This is so similar to when we are tempted to sin. Adults and kids alike often think that our choice is justified because it will bring pleasure, comfort, or even is just easier in the moment but that doesn’t make it right in God’s eyes. 

After the reading, go over the Catechism questions explaining as you go. For question 33, you would want to make sure you reflect back on question 21 where the kids first learned that God made Adam “holy and happy”. That will help make memorizing question 33 easier. 

Then you can listen to the songs from Ask Me Whooo (Q & A 33-34 and Q & A 35) covering the material at least a few times. We decided to hop in the car and listen as we drove to a park! You could listen at home but some days you just need a change of scenery and a short trip with purposeful music is sometimes necessary!

In those songs, the following verses are read (one at the end of each track):

Genesis 3:4-6 (ESV): But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

Genesis 3:8-10 (ESV): And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?" And he said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself."

From there (or when you get back from the park), you can move on to the craft! Making a snake!

This is just a simple paper chain but by adding eyes and a little face, you can make it into a snake!

I love crafts like this because they appeal to a variety of ages. Toddlers like seeing it created even if you help. Older pre-school kids can do it independently. And elementary age kids can create patterns and make it as long as they want in a shorter period of time. You can tell from the pictures my kids loved this and made very long snakes! 

I like to also read the verses and ask the same Catechism questions or simple comprehension questions while we work on our craft too. 

Finally, once we created our snakes and talked about how the snake was sneaky we read the following Bible verses. 

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."  - Genesis 3:15 (ESV)

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. - Romans 16:20a (ESV)

We finished up the day by reading The Biggest Story to see how this one act had an impact on everything else and how Jesus is our rescuer from death, sin, and Satan! This surely is something to be joyful about and thankful for even when it seems our houses are full of sin - we have hope! I love how this book makes references to Jesus as the "snake crusher" throughout, which makes it a perfect read for today.

If you don’t have this book, it’s a great one to add to your shelf to read all about redemptive history in one artistic book quickly (but not too quickly). You could read the whole thing in about 25 minutes or break it up and read it over a two days, five days, or even ten days (as there are ten "chapters").

I hope this helps you see how you can very simply weave in good books and simple crafts to help your kids not only memorize the Children's Catechism questions but also really understand the big picture!

Be sure to check out all the Children’s Catechism resources here. 

There are also lots of other questions covering sin, so be sure to check out these posts too if you haven't already: Lesson on the Covenant of Works and Lesson on Definition of Sin.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. 

As a pastor’s wife who is involved with my church’s women’s ministry, I occasionally get asked to give devotionals for baby showers. While public speaking is not something I particularly love, I enjoy getting the opportunity to meditate on God’s word and (hopefully) share some wisdom as my own kids continue to get older (haven’t seen a diaper in years, folks!).

I hope these tips and examples are helpful for you as you prepare to also share with the women you know!

Note: Some links in this post are affiliate links. You can read our disclosure policy here.

First, consider it an honor.

If you were asked by someone else, they must have picked you for a reason. There will be other people there but you get to share some nuggets of wisdom and love with the group of people present. Maybe you are the one throwing the shower and want to include something meaningful in this time, that's great too!

Regardless of how you were selected, as you prepare, keep in mind the why behind your short talk. Do you want to encourage the new mom? Do you want to encourage everyone? Do you want to make sure she knows the ways that the people there will be there for her when she is a new mom?

If you’re scared, that’s ok. Approximately 75% of people are afraid of public speaking, so the majority of the people in the room are looking at you and admiring your courage. If you are truly nervous, ask or plan to give your devotional as early as possible at the shower so you can then enjoy the rest of the time without worrying.

Second, decide where to start.

This stage is a good opportunity to stop and pray over the task at hand. Pray for the mom you are celebrating and her child. Pray for the other women who will be attending. Pray that God would give you wisdom and grace as you speak.

I have a few samples you can check out and I think these are good places to begin if you’re staring at a blank page. These are three different baby shower devotionals I have written and given at showers. I don’t usually read them word for word but by having the general thoughts written out, I can then talk through them more easily and ensure I don’t forget anything.

1. Start with a very short passage of Scripture that you can unpack rather easily. I did that here with Romans 12:12.

2. Pick a longer passage of Scripture. This is a great idea if you have lots of Bible-lovers and want to make sure your talk isn’t too short. I did that here with Psalm 139.

3. Choose a passage from a mothering book you love and work from there. I did that (to some extent) with this baby shower devotional, where I read a rather long quotation from one of my favorite books on mothering (Missional Motherhood).

Third, write it!

As you go to write, remember the following tips:

1. Keep it short and sweet. There is no reason to feel that your “talk” needs to be the length of a sermon.

2. Remember you are encouraging lots of women in the same room - not just the moms. Even though the focus can be on the mom and baby, I think it’s nicer if everyone walks away feeling encouraged and reminded of the gospel.

3. Include personal details about the mom-to-be. This can be what really makes what you share special. 

4. Remember when you first learned to write a short essay - have an introduction, a middle (perhaps two points), and a closing.

5. Close with prayer for the mother and baby. If you are nervous about giving the devotional in the first place or simply want to include others, task someone else with the job of praying immediately after you speak.

I hope that these simple tips will help guide you as you write your baby shower devotional. Do you have any questions? If so, comment below!

Did you find this helpful? Please pin it on Pinterest!

Want to keep reading? Check out this post with a list of 27 practical ways you can help your new mom friend!

Originally posted on June 5, 2018. Updated on February 12, 2022.

For a while now, I have had a secret dream of writing children’s books (I guess since I just put it on the Internet, it isn’t actually a secret). But for now, I’m over here reading stacks of books to my own kids in between making far too many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Since that’s the case, I wanted to put together a list of my absolute favorite, must-have, great for gifting theological books for young kids to share with you!

I love buying kids books on a wide variety of topics at our local library used bookstore, thrift stores, and garage sales. I've found some really great fairy tales and educational non-fiction books for $1 or less at those places. But when it comes to theological books, I've always needed to make sure that the stuff I'm reading my kids is in line with what we believe.

You can check out the list of books and music right here. It will live under the Resources Menu up on top of the blog so you can always find it. Check it out and let me know if you think I’m missing something!

Since I have resource pages up for the Children's Catechism, and the Westminster Shorter Catechism, I have loved getting questions from readers (and especially over on Facebook). I have been asked multiple times for Bible Storybooks that don't have images of Jesus in them!

I had to buy a few before putting the list together, but now it's all ready with convenient links for you!

Just click over here to see the list of books. It's a new site page, so it will live under the "Resources" menu and be easy to find as we add to it in the future.

Although we have chosen to allow and use books that contain illustrations of Jesus in our own home for pedagogical reasons. We do discuss often with our kids the fact that it is just a picture of Jesus for the story. We discuss the fact that Jesus is fully God and that we shouldn't make images of him to worship Him. If there were versions of some of our favorite gospel-rich books with images of Jesus, I would buy them!

If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know! 

As summer rolls in, churches everywhere start advertising their Vacation Bible Schools. With a variety of formats, themes, and goals - the one thing I think we can safely say is that we want the children in these programs to hear the gospel in its fullness. We want them to be hearing gospel-saturated truths about who God is and who they are and not just “religious” words pushing them back on their own resources. Fun games, laughter, and developing friendships will usually be there - but the scripted messages that fill the minds of our kids can be different.

I have helped find the VBS curriculum for my church for a few years and have participated in many VBS programs over the years in a variety of roles. I am always surprised when one pops up that I just haven’t heard of before - so I wanted to do a round-up of a bunch of VBS options that you could check out too!

I reached out to readers to ask what THEY use and love at their churches so I would be sure not to miss anything - but if I did, please contact me and I’d love to add more to this list! Hopefully, this can be a helpful starting place for you to find a curriculum that would be a great fit for your church in the future.

Below I’ve included a round-up of five great gospel-centered options with some samples directly from the publisher so you can get a feel for what they think is important and then look into them deeper to see more of the content, the prices, artwork, and options! As a disclaimer, I haven’t used all of these. It’s always best to review the content with your VBS teaching team ahead of time!

Note: Some links in this post are affiliate links. However, as I’ve included direct links to the publishers below for your convenience - those are not affiliate links! You can always read our disclosure policy here.

New Growth Press / Sojourn Kids

The VBS from New Growth Press is very gospel-centered and I highly recommend these! My church selected this one for our 2019 VBS (You can see my archived Instagram Stories with details here) and I often felt like I got just as much out of it as the kids because they are so rich! 

Samples from the PROOF Pirates kit (from the publisher): 

• Chore charts. Report cards. Standardized tests. Athletic banquets. Kids are inundated with messages about their performance. Because performance—work and reward—is one of the basic structures of our lives, kids often grow up thinking, “I am what I am because of what I do . . . or because of what I’ve failed to do.” How different this message sounds from the biblical message of redemption by grace!

• PROOF Pirates introduces kids to God’s amazing grace through a five-day, pirate-themed curriculum for use in Bible clubs and Vacation Bible School. It explains the doctrines of grace using the popular PROOF acronym with the book of Ephesians (God’s grace is Planned, Resurrecting, Outrageous, Overcoming, and Forever) so kids know that it is not their performance that makes them right with God.

Availability: You can get them directly from the publisher here. Currently there are only two available, I hope they publish more!

Great Commission Publications

GCP operates as the non-profit publishing house of the PCA and OPC, it is no wonder that GCP provides a great gospel-centered option. Email subscriber Laura has used this option multiple times and said, “The lessons are very faithful to Scripture on a level appropriate for children and catechism and Scripture memorization are emphasized.”

Samples of The Race Is On kit (from the publisher): 

• Winning a race takes perseverance and motivation. Our vision for this week is for you to serve as an encouragement to your covenant children to continue faithfully running the Race set before them. In addition, we pray that many others will join this life-changing Race for the first time as the Holy Spirit changes their hearts.

• During the daily skits, children will look in on Terry Turtle and Rocky Rabbit as they run the Race and learn what it takes to follow The One Way. In Bible lessons, they will learn that everyone needs God and the way to God is in the Person of Jesus Christ—the truth Christ taught, the life he gives, the sacrifice he made, and the promise he gave by sending the Holy Spirit.

Availability: You can get them directly from the publisher here. Currently there are three different themes to choose from on their site.

Answers In Genesis

Answers VBS is very popular among both Baptist and Presbyterian churches (judging by my email responses and Instagram feed - ha!). One email subscriber commented that the Bible lessons are especially presented in “vibrant and interesting ways”. 

Samples of the Mystery Island VBS kit (from the publisher): 

• Is there only one God? . . . Who is God? . . . What is God like? . . . Does God love me? . . . Can I know God? Our kids grapple with questions like these every day. At Mystery Island, prepare to be thrilled from the top of your sun-drenched head to the tip of your sandy toes as we explore an intriguing tropical paradise while tracking down the one true God.

• Kids will gain a better understanding of our awe-inspiring Creator God and the salvation he offers through Jesus Christ through our age-appropriate curriculum! They’ll discover who God is and his attributes as they look to the only source of truth, God’s Word. Grab your sunscreen and get ready for a taste of paradise as you track down the one true God with Mystery Island!

Availability: You can get them directly from the publisher here. They create a new theme and kit each year and although you can look at older options, it looks like the older versions are always sold out. So just plan to order at the right time of the year to get everything you need. 

VBS Reachout Adventures

VBS Reachout does only VBS! From their site, their “commitment is to create high caliber, spiritually engaging, Christ-centered Vacation Bible School curricula whose profound, grace-filled content and Christian world and life view are presented through fun-filled challenge and adventure.” 

You can read some of the endorsements from pastors like Lingon Duncan and Alistair Begg here.

Samples of the Summer Seaquest kit (from the publisher): 

• Your young "Sea Explorers"—churched and unchurched—will come away from this high seas VBS adventure knowing deep truths about our ever-present, Sovereign God who pursues us in love, and turns us around in repentance and obedience.

Availability: You can get them directly from the publisher here. They have four options and rotate through them every four years so you can only buy the one that is currently scheduled.

One Story Ministries

OSM is a non-profit publishing ministry of Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church (PCA) located in Ridgeland, Mississippi. This reformed option doesn’t have any “fluff” but we’ve used it in the past and it’s also very affordable.

Samples of The Scottish Sleuths and the Case of the Hidden Hero (The Book of Esther) kit (from the publisher): 

• Each year, our Scottish Super Sleuths, Angus McTavish and Professor Dabney Thornwell, are called in to solve a Biblical “case” with the help of our VBS children. The detective characters symbolically portray the message that we want the students to learn to be competent investigators of Biblical truth. 

• This year, our case involves an in-depth study of the entire Book of Esther. This Old Testament book presents an amazing story of God’s providential protection of His people. The overall goal of this study is to lead your children into a knowledge and a love for God, the “Hidden Hero” of the story of Esther. 

Availability: You can get them directly from the publisher here. They have seven options available at all times! 

Making your own

I have to admit, I was very surprised by the number of responses who let me know their church creates their own VBS! I didn’t include this in the five options - but it is clearly happening a lot!

Either a pastor, children’s ministry director, or an amazing volunteer writes the content and creates the program. If you’ve been involved with VBS before, most of them have a very similar structure so you don’t need to re-invent that part. If you have someone willing to spend a substantial amount of time on this, it makes sense to do it, only create what you actually need, and tailor it to your needs!

I hope you found this round-up successful! I love what email subscriber Devina said, “VBS is a tiring, but very rewarding week! We look forward to it every year!” Let’s pray together that all our efforts for Vacation Bible School from the research to the early morning set up points kids to Jesus!

Make sure you save this on Pinterest so you have it saved and to help others find it too!

Today, we are covering the topic of Regeneration with three questions from the Children’s Catechism, a craft, a few songs, and more! You can do this all in one afternoon or spread it out over a few days as you review the questions at different times throughout the day.

This post is in a series of posts working through the Children's Catechism! For more information on how this started, be sure to read the beginning of this earlier post.

(Note: Some links in this post are affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.)

The Questions and Answers from the Children’s Catechism

Q. 38. Can any one go to heaven with this sinful nature?
A. No; our hearts must be changed before we can be fit for heaven.

Q. 39. What is a change of heart called?
A. Regeneration.

Q. 40. Who can change a sinner's heart?
A. The Holy Spirit alone.

Bible Verses to Read and Discuss Together

1. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. - Ezekiel 36:26 (ESV)

2. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. - Titus 3:4-7 (ESV)

3. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

Reading Selections

We read two short stories to go with this topic.

First, from Big Truths for Little Kids: Teaching Your Children to Live for God we read Chapter 9, which covers these questions and used a few of the Bible verses I had already talked about with my kids (and listed above). This book is so helpful because kids love hearing stories about other kids!

We also read chapter 41 in The Ology. A quick one page chapter titled “Born Again”, which quickly reviews the story of John 3 (with Nicodemus) and what it means for the Holy Spirit to change our heart.

Craft

We discussed a lot as we went through these books and Bible verses that we can’t change our own hearts. Only God changes hearts. As the story in Big Truths for Little Kids reminded us, we don’t love Jesus because we are smarter. It is only because God has shown us grace and mercy to put us in the place (our family) and time where we are and chosen us to be His.

From there, for today’s craft, I wanted to do something simple with hearts and also have displayed to help us remember what we are learning.

I decided to create a heart banner with my kids!

You will need:

• The printable of heart templates from the Resource Library

• 8-10 feet of string, ribbon, or yarn (if you use all the hearts from the printable. You could make it shorter if you’re just doing this at home or longer if you are using it with a class and just print more copies)

• A 1-hole punch like this one

Everyone decorated a few hearts, we hole punched each heart in the top on the right and left sides (two holes per heart) and then strung them in a partern (incorporting math for the three year old!) to hang in our school/play room over the window.

Four hearts also include words so that you have the text for questions and answers 39 and 40 (so make sure you put those in the correct order).

I am sharing this printable with you in the Resource Library! If you are an email subscriber, you already have the password (it’s at the bottom of each email I send) so you can just enter here to download it. If you haven’t gotten the password yet, just sign up here!

Songs and Podcast

These songs are great for playing if you need a break or transition from an activity (especially with littles while you set up the craft) or to play on repeat a few times while working or driving.

Ask Me Whooo has this content in the following songs: Question 40, Question 41-42. (I know, this is a little confusing because the numbers don’t match, I explained that here in a whole post if you’re interested.)

The Rizers singing 2 Corinthians 5:17 is available for free on youtube here or on Amazon (free with Music Unlimited) or to buy.

This may have been one of my favorite episodes of The Reformed Kidcast so far. The content of Episode 9 was obviously a great conversation with meaningful questions like these. However, putting on my “homeschool mom” hat, I giggled when I heard the kids say they like Cheetos and that they learned what seemed like a random fact from Wild Kratts and not a textbook. It’s the small things, am I right?)

I hope you found some of these resources helpful as you teach your kids these important truths!

For a list of all the best catechism resources, be sure to check out this page.

Disclosure: I received two free copies of “Follow Me: Bible Stories for Young Children" from Reformation Heritage Books. One was for me to review and another is part of our current giveaway over on Instagram and Facebook - scroll to the bottom of the post for more information about how to win your own copy!

This post also contains affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure policy here if you want to know more about that.

Today, we're looking at the children's storybook, Follow Me: Bible Stories for Young Children.

I'm especially excited about this post because, in addition to sharing a great new book, I get to actually mail a copy of this book to one of you!

Follow Me: Bible Stories for Young Children Facts

• Published Date: July 2, 2019

• Does it contain depictions of Jesus?: No

• Number of Pages: 386 pages (it’s hardcover, with a ribbon bookmark, 12 inches by almost 8 inches and weighs almost FOUR pounds!)

• From the publisher: Follow Me is an illustrated story Bible written for young children. These stories communicate the history of the Bible's story that continues until today, and until the end of the world. The stories selected highlight the scarlet thread of God's redemptive history. The stories of the Old Testament direct us to the Lord Jesus by showing us how much we need Him and how God promised to save the world through Him. In the New Testament, we hear how Jesus came to earth and increasingly manifested His kingdom by His words and deed- a kingdom that shall never end.

I know many of you have chosen to not have books with images of Jesus in your homes. You can read more about that here (and see some good options). if that’s you, and you don’t have this book, you need to go get it now!

First off, the book as a whole is huge. It’s not the kind of book that you throw in your diaper bag. It’s got more of a sit-on-the-coffee-table vibe. It contains 116 Bible stories, more than most Bible storybooks. Interestingly, it was originally written in 2009 in Dutch but then after ten years was translated into English and that’s what we have now. The sentences are very understandable for young children and I love that there are so many stories.

Each story is three pages with one full-page illustration. It always gives the reference so you can read the actual Scripture text as well.

At the end of each story, there are two to three discussion questions, which help continue the conversation and make each story more relevant for your children.

We really like this book in our home but instead of just going on and on about it, I thought you’d probably prefer to just SEE it. It is by a reformed publisher and does not tie the Old Testament stories as much to Jesus as The Jesus Storybook Bible does, but it is very detailed and faithful to the text of Scripture. Below are some pictures I took for you of selections from my copy! I decided to just include one random example from the Old Testament and one random from the New Testament.

Old Testament Example

New Testament Example

I truly hope you’ve found all this information helpful! If you have any other questions about the book, feel free to comment below or contact me!

You can buy your own copy today on Amazon, Westminster Books, or Reformation Heritage Books.

Giveaway

As I mentioned above, I have graciously received a copy from the Reformation Heritage Books to give to one of you! Entering will be simple - just head over to Instagram or Facebook!

Note: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you use a link here to make a purchase, I may receive a commission (though the price is the same for you). You can read our full disclosure policy here.

Today, I have for you a list of the very best unique and thoughtful gifts for the moms in your life! If you know a little bit about her, you're sure to find something to fit her interests and life stage here.

This could be your best friend, your mom, your daughter, or your wife (wink, wink, cough, cough).

You know she's great and you can't pay for her to have a live-in maid and a vacation (although this might help...), but grabbing one of these special options from this list will show her how much you care!

This isn't your usual list of mom wall art and scarves - these are unique ideas with meaning she's sure to love.

(1) A Hymn Calendar

Why she'll love it: Ok, pretty obvious, right? Just look at that calendar! A different beautiful hand-drawn illustration with a hymn for each month of 2018! This is a gift that is great for every hard to buy for person in your life and especially (obviously) those that love hymns! I've received and given some of these amazing calendars as gifts.

Little Things Studio is a mom-run business (and the artist behind the shop is a sweetheart), which we also love to support! 

Shop Little Things Studio here (you'll be able to preview each month's hymn for 2018 plus her other calendar sets and art!).

(2) A subscription box of beauty products

Why she'll love it: Moms are always giving and always short on time. This is a fun monthly delivery of beauty samples tailored to her hair, skin, and style! She doesn't have to spend time picking out products to try, she'll get a custom delivery to pamper herself!

At only $10 a month, you could easily get a 3 month plan and have a gift that keeps on giving. The products are always worth much more than that $10 (I've gotten three so far myself and am always impressed). Also, if you're short on time, you can buy a subscription and immediately print the gift certificate at home!

Shop all kinds of gifts (so you have something to wrap with the gift card if that's your style) at Birchbox here.

(3) A journal to deepen her relationship with her kids

Why she'll love it: It can be hard to find time to intentionally foster our relationships with our kids as often as we'd like, especially for the mom with lots of littles! These journals make it fun to "connect" in a way that works for even the busiest moms and kids (best for moms with kids ages 7 to 15).

If no one buys this for me this year, I'm buying it for myself. Ha ha!

Shop for these journals on Amazon or by clicking the images above.

(4) An upgraded (real life) diaper bag

Why she'll love it: Most first time moms register for a diaper bag after reading tons of reviews. But after a few years of the whole mom-ing thing, you're a bit more of a "professional" and you just want a huge bag to carry all your kid stuff while still looking put together. This is great for the mom who has more than one kid, with at least one under 2 (or expecting).

Shop for more on Amazon or by clicking the images above.

(5) A new beautiful Bible

Why she'll love it: These new beautiful Bibles are just gorgeous on the inside! An instant favorite... even if she already has a Bible she loves and uses daily, having one Bible in her bedroom and one in the kitchen (and one in the nursery?!) would come in handy for busy moms! I could also see that Bible-loving Grandma swooning over this gift!

Both of these Bibles I've linked were released in 2017, so it's probably something she doesn't have yet!

The first picture above is the ESV Illuminated Bible, with spots for journaling and over 500 elegantly hand-lettered gold ink illustrations as seen below! The prices range from around $25 to $100 depending on what type of cover you get. Check them all out here.

The second pictured Bible is the CSB (She Reads Truth) Bible. It also has spots for journaling and contains 200 devotionals, 66 artist-designed key verses, reading plans, and more!  The prices range from around $30 to $110 depending on cover and binding. Check them all out here. Here's a sample of the inside:

Hopefully you found some things you can buy for those Christian mamas on your list! Or if you just loved everything yourself, be sure to share this post (using one of the buttons on the left or below) so others know what to get you. ;)

Pin it to your Gift Ideas Pinterest board by clicking here!

Happy Shopping and Merry Christmas!

Looking for more? If you know a mom of a newborn, you'll definitely want to check out this list where you'll find 27 great gift ideas (some of which don't cost any money)!

It's almost Halloween! Our kids have always worn costumes but we don't have decorations up at my house. We only have what my daughter refers to as "boring fall stuff". She has often told me that when she is a "grown-up" she's going to have lots of Halloween decorations in her house. Whether you let your kids dress up and go trick-or-treating or not, it's a unique time we have to talk to our kids about death and scary things that they are seeing in age appropriate ways.

(Note: The links in this post are affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.)

One song we've really liked is "The Scariest Song" from the album The Ology: Ancient Truths Ever New from Sovereign Grace Music. You can click Play below to hear the start of the song now. 

It sounds spooky like other "normal" Halloween music but is teaching kids how scary sin is.

What's scary? Dentist drills or creepy clowns? The song talks about how sin is scary because it separates us from our God. The conclusion on sin is clear in the line towards the end of the song, "...On our own we cannot beat it...only by His grace can we defeat it!"

The rest of the album also has some really great songs (most VERY different from that one), from the Sovereign Grace team so I highly recommend if you're looking for more kids music, add this to your rotation. This is one we listen to often with Amazon Music, which you can try out for 30 days free by clicking here.

If you're an Apple Music user instead, you can also get the album there too!

I originally wrote this devotional for a baby shower (celebrating three new babies at our church) and just modified it slightly to post here.

Note: Some links in this post are affiliate links. You can read our disclosure policy here.

If you've found this page because you need to write your own baby shower devotional, be sure to check out "How to Write a Christ-Centered Baby Shower Devotional".

I love that as you prepare for a new baby, you think about all the “sweet” things. The clothes and diapers are so little. You need all these silly little things like tiny mittens and tiny nail clippers. There are always amazing new products coming out to research, it’s just almost too fun. 

Just last week, I was holding an almost three month old baby from our church (who was also at this shower), and he was just sleeping on me and making little coo-ing noises. I could feel my heart melting a little bit. And I almost said to his mom what I’m sure lots of people say to her (and all of you with littles) all the time - “It goes by so fast, please enjoy it.” I am sure we hear this more often than we even recognize because it becomes white noise to some extent. 

I have always found this saying so very hard to hear as a new mom. Being pregnant was exhausting. After that, you have a little person dependent on you for everything - you are responsible for their feeding and helping them sleep, even when they seem confused about both. I was always so tired. When babies and even toddlers are little, it can be so exhausting. I wanted to enjoy it like all these moms were telling me but I often felt like I was doing something wrong. 

I just want to level the field for all of us and say that mothering is hard, regardless of what stage you are in. 

It’s hard when you have older kids and you look back fondly on the days when they needed you to hold them. 

And it’s hard when you have little kids and just longingly want them to be able to go get a snack themselves. (Really, how do these little people want so. many. snacks?)

When we are pregnant or have newborns, there are worthwhile questions and issues: breastfeeding, formula, sleep training, tummy time, solid foods, brain development, organic bedding, vitamins. Our current Pinterest culture has given us much over which to stress. 

As our kids get older, we know there are so many things we should be doing. We want to teach our kids the Bible and good theology that will keep them rooted as they grow up. We genuinely want to be serving our families joyfully the way that Paul does in 2 Corinthians 12:15 when he writes “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.” We want to be the kind of people who live our lives in repentance and faith to be a good example for them.

Then when your kids are even older as teenagers and adults, you have the difficult task of still being a mother to someone who is more independent and has completely different needs.

So while it is hard work, I truly want to encourage you with why it is also good work. 

First, I think it’s good because it tells us something about God, our Father. 

God is using our current situations, like the painful pregnancies, the sleepless nights, or the stress of knowing what is next for our kids, for our good and his glory. 

Some things are very painful and we will never understand on Earth why God allowed them to occur. Other things are just annoying in the moment. Regardless, we do know that our trials and our pruning (like Jesus talks about in John 15:2) is uniquely ours from a God who loves us individually and is near to the broken-hearted (Psalm 34:18). 

Second, I think it’s good to acknowledge it is hard because it points us to Jesus.

As we experience the reality that life is hard, we remember that our lives aren’t supposed to be easy. Instead, our lives are supposed to be cross-shaped and all about Jesus.

Jesus served sacrificially and that is what we as Christians are called to do as well. 

I love this quote from Gloria Furman in Missional Motherhood because I think she really understands a struggle that so many of us have. She writes, 

“We follow Christ, who laid down his life in order to nurture our lives. Serving others from a position of personal weakness is embarrassing for us prideful people. 

We like to be seen as sufficient. We enjoy admiring glances. We brush off compliments of, “Wow. How do you do it?” but we relish those words and play them back in our minds. 

Distinctly Christian mothering is done from a posture of weakness and dependence. We nurture life in the face of death by grace through faith in Jesus. The cross is everything to us - not a bonus prize or safety net. 

He has given us a cross-shaped, everyday ministry of mothering others, and he has redeemed us out of the futile ways that we used to mother. We don’t mother in order to obtain forgiveness, but we mother out of our forgiven-ness…"

It’s this freedom in Christ that can make our mothering sweet.

We don’t have to get it all right. We don’t need to pretend that we have it all together all the time.

We can be real with one another as moms to point each other to these realities. We can be honest with our kids as well so that we can reflect on and grow in the amazing grace that we have received together. 

Check out these great prints or canvases to remind you of the truths of Matthew 6:

Studying the Bible and theology is an essential part of growing in one's faith, and it's always helpful to have a community of believers with whom to study and discuss these topics. However, finding the time and resources to facilitate a study group can be a challenge, especially for busy women who juggle multiple responsibilities. A podcast study or “club” may be an ideal solution for those who want to study a variety of different topics of the Bible and theology with other women in a convenient, accessible, and cost-effective way.

One of the benefits of a podcast club is that it exposes you to new ideas and well-respected teachers and theologians in a way that is easily accessible. Podcasts often cover a variety of topics, allowing you to explore different areas of the Bible and theology that may not be covered in a more traditional study group. I’ve included a sample schedule of the podcasts we used when I led this at my church below - and you can see we really did cover a variety!

With each podcast episode covering a unique topic, the podcast club offers the flexibility for members to miss a meeting or two without feeling left behind, unlike traditional study groups that work through a book or a specific curriculum. This allows for greater inclusivity and accessibility for busy women who desire to study Biblical truths and want to get to know other women but may struggle to commit to a set study schedule. I do not want to minimize the importance of community - there is such a value in the commitment and relationships that develop from regular Bible studies and other groups, but this might be a good way to “mix it up” - perhaps when you are in between studies or during the summer, try it out to see if you can include more people!

Another benefit of a podcast club is that it doesn't require any additional materials, making it a cost-effective and simple option for those who want to study but don't have the resources to purchase study guides or other materials. All you need is access to the internet and a device to listen to the podcast. This makes it an ideal option for those who are on a tight budget or don’t always plan ahead.

Some links in this post are affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

On top of that, a podcast club is convenient and can be tailored to fit your schedule. Unlike traditional study groups that meet at a specific time and place, a podcast club allows you to listen to the podcast on your own time. This means you can listen while you commute, exercise, or finish that last load of laundry. Then, when you gather with your group, you can make it a rich time of fellowship with a discussion about the podcast since you’ve all come after recently listening to the same content.

I recently led this kind of study with the ladies at my church and it was well received. We met once a month and discussed a different topic each time.

The structure of our time was:

• 15 minutes: Welcome, introduce anyone who doesn’t know each other, catch up, sometimes an easy ice breaker if there were quite a few ladies who didn’t know each other.

• 45 minutes (or more depending on the topic): Discussed the podcast. I usually tried to give a brief recap of what was covered and had prepared some discussion questions.

• 10 minutes: Prayer together

• 45 minutes (give or take, some ladies have to run and others stay for a while): Fellowship (snacks! drinks!)

You can obviously pick and choose podcasts that you would like to cover to tailor them to your group - but here is the list that I used. I will note that I wanted to have as many ladies feel welcome as possible as this was announced to the whole church so I did not just select podcasts about a certain season of life (of which there are many).

One other small note: the words in these podcasts should not be held to the same standard as Scripture. I think it’s important to be kind but you don’t have to agree with someone else’s words in a single recording one hundred percent and that’s ok. We can still learn and grow together.

Here are the ones we used!

June: The enCourage Podcast: Walking Each Other Home Through Suffering, with Nancy Guthrie podcast (37 minutes) or use this Apple Podcast Link 

• The enCourage Podcast is the podcast of the Presbyterian Church in America’s Women’s Ministry, usually hosted by the current Coordinator for CDM Women’s Ministry, Karen Hodge. You’ll see in my list of seven, I did use 3 of these because they are made for discussion, aren’t too long, and are also (obviously) theologically sound in my opinion.

• Although Nancy Guthrie has written much about this important topic, the book referenced most in this podcast was What Grieving People Wish You Knew about What Really Helps (and What Really Hurts).

July: The Gospel Coalition Podcast: Female Bravery and the Mission of God (Jen Wilkin at The Gospel Coalition’s 2021 National Conference - 42 minutes) or use this Apple Podcast Link 

• This is probably the most theologically complex one on the list but we had a great discussion. From the Gospel Coalition, “Walking through Scripture, Wilkin relayed stories of women who feared God rather than men and stood against the Serpent, risking their very lives.”

August: The enCourage Podcast: Walking Each Other Home as we Discern Next Steps, with Aimee Joseph (30 minutes) or use this Apple Podcast Link

• Another one from the enCourage podcast, Aimee Joseph talks about how to make decisions with wisdom, referencing her book, Demystifying Decision-Making: A Practical Guide.

September: Help Me Teach The Bible Podcast: Christopher Ash on Teaching Ruth (59 minutes) or use this Apple Podcast Link

• Nancy Guthrie interviews Christopher Ash to work through how one should teach the book of Ruth in a Christ-centered way. Even though not everyone attending the study may be a “Bible teacher” - this is such a great resource to see the big picture for a book of the Bible. If you want an even deeper dive, be sure to check out the book Teaching Ruth & Esther.

October: The enCourage Podcast: Hinged to Authentic Community with Ashley Hales (32 minutes) or use this Apple Podcast Link

• The third from the enCourage Podcast, author Ashley Hales and host Karen Hodge talk through the fundamental elements of true Biblical community. 

November:  Journeywomen Podcast: Self-Sufficiency with Christine Gordon and Hope Blanton (48 minutes) or use this Apple Podcast Link

• Host Hunter Beless interviews the authors of the At His Feet Studies to dive into the beauty of dependence on Christ alone.

December: Daily Grace Podcast: "Joy to the World” and the Hope of Christ with Sandra McCracken (33 minutes) or use this Apple Podcast Link

• Singer-songwriter Sandra McCracken discusses the familiar song, “Joy to the World” with the hosts of the Daily Grace Podcast. During the busy holiday season, this is a nice reminder to re-center our hearts on Christ.

A podcast club is an excellent option for women who want to study different topics of the Bible and theology with others and I hope this helped you as you plan on leading or participating in a study in the future!

Update: As of May 2021, there are now 9 (nine!) books in this series! And they will be releasing even more!

In this post (originally published when I got the first three books in the series but updated to include the most recent ones - just scroll to the bottom), I’m sharing a collection of books that help kids deal with real-life issues - anger, anxiety, failure, loneliness, sadness, coveting, stress, jealousy, and when you want to fit in.

Spoiler alert: I love them and my kids do too!

Note: Some links in this post are affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here. I purchased all nine of these books on my own and was not compensated for posting.

You can’t turn around without hearing about “surviving” parenthood. The day in and day out work of tending to kids of all ages is undoubtedly hard work.

When we step back and look at our parenting goals, we truly desire to teach our kids huge truths about God and life. That just doesn’t seem to fit with that “survival mode” mentality. We can often fall into the lie that those goals have to be achieved through huge monumental moments requiring preparation, perhaps curriculum, and lots of uninterrupted time.

In reality, our kids will learn more in the day to day. How do we respond when the whole bowl of cereal is spilled on the floor? Hopefully, on some days we do accept it and patiently clean it while soft hymns play in the background in our otherwise clean kitchen and then pour a new bowl and kiss the child on the head.

But, there will also be days where we are tired and the dishes from dinner are still in the sink. Depending on our personality, we may either yell about it or sigh, mumble something, and non-verbally convey our displeasure in the moment. Either way, we have genuinely hurt our kids over a simple bowl of cereal.

What do we do then? These are the moments that our kids get to see how we actually do life. Not what we teach them in a planned out scripted lesson.

Hopefully, we repent for not only our anger and lack of grace but also for the place we have given to our idols of comfort and convenience.

I love reading books with my kids because it opens up a whole new world right on our living room sofa without me having to any real preparation. When the books inspire conversations about that stuff of real life (like when we sin and how we deal with the aftermath), it is a true blessing to our family. The books in the series Good News for Little Hearts all do just that. Today, I’m going to give you all the details about these books because I know they will be treasured by many on sofas for years of childhood chats.

Series description from the publisher: A new series of hardback, illustrated children’s books for three-to eight-year-olds—each centered on an animal family—bring gospel help and biblical counsel to families. The animal characters, colorful illustrations, and the real-life issues each animal family face will captivate children. The first three books address anxiety, anger, and failure bringing biblical help and hope to issues every child faces. The last page of each book contains information for parents on how God, in his Word, helps children apply biblical truth to specific issues. Together children and parents will be guided by the stories into meaningful conversations about living by faith in the details of everyday life.

New Growth Publishers released all three books together:

1. Zoe’s Hiding Place (Dealing with Anxiety)

2. Jax’s Tail Twitches (Dealing with Anger)

3. Buster’s Ears Trip Him Up (Dealing with Failure)

Details for all three books:

• The story for each book was created by Jocelyn Flenders (From the book, she is “a homeschooling mother, writer, and editor. The Good News for Little Hearts series is her first published work for children.”)

• Each story was edited by either David Powlison or Edward T. Welch, both counselors and part of CCEF (Christian Counceling & Education Foundation). See individual book descriptions below for more details.

• Illustrator: Joe Hox

• Publisher: New Growth Press (who has published other books we love like The Ology)

• Published date: October 8, 2018

• Book Details / Number of pages: Each book is Hardcover and 32 pages in length

• Does it contain depictions of Jesus?: No (as it isn’t a Bible story - it contains talking animals).

These books help our kids see what to do when things don’t go as planned. When not only the child gets angry, but then when the mom and dad get angry too. What will they do? How will they ask for forgiveness as a family of sinners? When a little girl is afraid of something bad happening and chooses to have faith but then the thing she feared actually does happen. How can she cope with that? This is the stuff of real life. They go further than traditional stories with a “try your best” message and dig deeper.

The stories are extremely relatable. Even though the characters are all animals, as both a child and parent, you can imagine the same scenarios playing out in your own home. Some are negative like two brothers picking on each other, which obviously escalates and needs a resolution. Others are positive like when an older sister helps talk through a situation and the younger brother asks for her to pray for him.

On top of that, each book has beautiful illustrations. The details on each page of the environment are adorable and make it like a “search and find” book to see the creative ways the small animals create a home out of everyday “human” objects.

My children all also liked seeing the characters overlap from book to book. In Zoe’s Hiding Place, you can find Buster and Jax in the art throughout the story even though they aren’t mentioned by name.

I want to always be transparent with you here, so there were a few small things I didn’t love about the books as a whole.

My first negative critique is completely practical. I wish the dust jacket matched the hard cover book. Dust jackets don’t last long in my house but with these books, once the dust jacket is gone, the cover won’t have the title and author information. Obviously, this isn’t a huge deal but it was disappointing to me as a real mom who has been known to throw books and water bottles into the trunk of the car on the way to the park.

Second, I love that the books are so Christ-centered. This is hard to find in children’s books. They use the name of Jesus often and pray with Scripture from the ESV, NIRV, or NLT. However, they never use the word “Bible”. They always call it “The Great Book”. This isn’t a huge deal, it just seemed odd and I found myself changing it as I read it aloud.

Even with those two critiques, I love these books and think you probably will too.

The whole series can be seen (and purchased!) on Amazon here. I truly hope that New Growth adds to this series!

Keep reading below for more details on each book.

How To Help Kids with Anxiety: Zoe's Hiding Place

Author: David Powlison  (who has written other great books for adults like Good and Angry: Redeeming Anger, Irritation, Complaining, and Bitterness)

Description from the publisher: This beautifully illustrated book invites children to remember that the Lord is near when they are anxious. Zoe, a fearful mouse, is worried about a class trip. As she talks with her parents, Zoe realizes that she can turn to God for help. Papa Mouse gives her a verse from the “Great Book” that she can read when she is afraid. She learns that she can tell God all about her fears, and he will comfort her. Also included is a tear-out page of “Back Pocket Bible Verses” that will give children a practical way to remember God’s words when they are afraid.

How To Help Kids with Anger: Jax's Tail Twitches

Author: David Powlison  (who has written other great books for adults like Good and Angry: Redeeming Anger, Irritation, Complaining, and Bitterness)

Description from the publisher: Everyone gets frustrated when something important to them goes wrong. In Jax’s Tail Twitches, the whole Squirrel family ends up out of sorts when acorn gathering doesn’t go according to plan. Although Papa, Mama, Jax, and Caspian Squirrel all get angry, they also learn about the power of saying sorry, seeking forgiveness, remembering God’s words, and praying together. Edited by David Powlison, Jax’s Tail Twitches ends with a special section that guides parents in teaching children how the gospel of Jesus Christ changes how we respond when life goes wrong. Also included is a tear-out page of Back Pocket Bible Verses that will help children and adults remember to turn to God for help when they are angry.

How To Help Kids with Failure: Buster's Ears Trip Him Up

Author: Edward T. Welch (who has written other great books for adults like When People Are Big and God is Small)

Description from the publisher: Buster was sure he was the fastest bunny in the meadow. But during a race at summer camp, nothing goes as planned and Buster gets tripped up. After his epic fall, his older sister, Ivy, helps him see that failure is an opportunity to grow. As Buster remembers God’s love, he is able to let go of others’ opinions and accept that it is okay to try your best but not always be the best. Edited by Edward T. Welch, Buster’s Ears Trip Him Up ends with a special section that guides parents in teaching children how the gospel of Jesus Christ comforts and sustains us through failure and turns our focus away from ourselves and toward others. Also included is a tear-out page of Back Pocket Bible Verses that will remind children and adults of God’s love and help for those who get tripped up.

All three of these books are also included in my Favorite Resources for Kids Page which you can access here.

Update: Since the original post - New Growth Press has added six more books to this series with the same characters and all the good stuff from the original three.

Now that you’ve read all about them, you can either pin the post on Pinterest to save it for later (and share with others!) or buy them now by clicking here.

We are all too familiar with how social distancing has changed our lives, including our church lives! As all our current in-person meetings have slowed to a stop, online resources and meetings are becoming the new norm. Within the past few weeks, many non-profits have made their online video Bible study series available for free! I hope you’ve been encouraged as you see the good coming out of these hard times. The studies I’ve highlighted below would be great to do on your own or with a group where you then meet regularly to discuss the content over Zoom or your favorite video chat resource!

I’d like to keep a running list of what’s available, so please contact me if you know of something that should be added!

None of the links to the free studies are affiliate links; however, affiliate links are used throughout the site. You can read our full disclosure policy here.

1. Ligonier announced on March 17 that ALL their online teaching available for free - streaming video and single license study guides. They have a ton from R.C. Sproul and various authors, including a study from Melissa Kruger on Contentment that looks great! There are over 200 to choose from. These will be available until at least June 30, 2020.

2. Lifeway has made a few online video Bible studies available for free as well. I haven’t done either yet, but would check out the ones from Jen Wilkin on Genesis 1-11 or A Study of Colossians by Gloria Furman. For these, you may want to purchase the Bible study books as the teachings are shorter and almost all the study/homework material is in the books themselves. These will be available until June 18, 2020.

3. Crossway has given free access to all of Nancy Guthrie’s Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament series. You can find them here. To download the videos, you’ll just have to add each individual (40 minute) session to your cart and then checkout to be able to download them. On the main page, it shows they are $5 each, but when you click on the sesion, you’ll see it’s free. I’ve done these before and the teaching is her reading the text from the book, so you won’t need the book but will really learn about Jesus in the Old Testament! These are available until May 31, 2020. The available studies are:

4. The Gospel Coalition also has a lot of great course resources in their library. It is a little hard to navigate but if you start with what book of the Bible you want, you should be able to find something!

What else can I add to this list? Please comment below! Thanks!

You know you always need one more book on your “To Read” list.

Some links in this post are affiliate links. You can read our full disclosure policy here.

Although Amazon is still shipping books, if you like reading electronic versions - be sure to check out Libby where you can check out digital books from your library for free, Scribd (which I absolutely love) where you can get 60 days for free and always access an unlimited number of both books and audiobooks, or buy the version for your Kindle.

1. For an insightful look at God’s character: None Like Him: 10 Ways God Is Different from Us (and Why That's a Good Thing) by Jen Wilkin

We recently finished reading this book in our Women’s group and it was helpful and led to a lot of discussion because of the questions at the end of each chapter. If you’re looking for a Bible/book study to do with friends while you’re social distancing, this would be a great one to read and then chat about over the phone.

I liked some chapters more than others; but overall, it was both challenging and encouraging and pointed you to God’s character to leave you in awe.

2. For an amazing escape into some fiction: Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry

This was one of the best novels I have ever read. I laughed and I cried. It is a beautiful fictional memoir that will transport you into the life of another.

Sometimes you need a good story. You’ll find that here.

3. For preparation as we don’t know what the future holds: What Grieving People Wish You Knew about What Really Helps (and What Really Hurts) by Nancy Guthrie

As of the middle of March 2020 (when I’m writing this), we really don’t know what our lives will look like in a month or two or next year. While that’s always the case, this is an interesting time where every. single. headline. is relating to death in one way or another. I read this book last summer but I keep it close and am re-reading it now as a helpful reminder of how to help grieving people.

Nancy Guthrie helps Christians - with truth and love and many real life examples - understand how to interact with others through their hardest and unthinkable times of suffering. ⁣

4. For updating your home (as you’re there even more now): Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff by Myquillyn Smith

I devoured this book and left feeling empowered to change the way I completely thought about decorating my home.

The helpful images and explanations completely fit with all the decluttering tips you are saving on Pinterest and takes it up a level.

Myquilyn who is known as “The Nester” in the online world, really solves many practicle hurdles between looking great and just looking “off”.

More than that though, she challenges you to think through how your spaces are being used so that they best for your family in your current situation. As you’ll be using your home to the max right now for your family, this would be a great (and quick but beautiful) read.

5. For daily readings when you want more liturgy in your life: Streams of Mercy: Prayers of Confession and Celebration by Barbara R. Duguid

My mother-in-law gave me her copy of this book for Christmas and I have been loving it.

One of the favorite parts of my church service is the law and gospel readings. We are confronted with our sin and then not told to try harder or fix ourselves but instead are pointed to the gospel. The completed work of Christ on our behalf that we must see as our only hope.

As our church can no longer meet and we’ve switched to online services, I’m cherishing this book even more.

Each day/chapter is broken down into three parts. First, there is Scripture containing the law for a reflection on our confession of sin. Then, the bulk of the content is a beautiful gospel-centered prayer drawing on Scripture and addressing all three persons of the Trinity. Finally, there is an assurance of pardon (which is alluded to in the prayer as well) from Scripture.

I can always use a book recommendation, please comment below with yours so I know what to read next!

Today, we are covering the topic of Christ’s offices (of Prophet, Priest, and King). This post includes the eight questions to cover from the Children’s Catechism, a four-page free worksheet, a few songs, and more! If you can’t fit it all in one sitting since it is 8 questions, feel free to break it up!

This post is in a series of posts working through the Children's Catechism! For more information on how this started, be sure to read the beginning of this earlier post.

(Note: Some links in this post are affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.)

The Questions and Answers from the Children’s Catechism

Q. 64. What offices has Christ?
A. Christ has three offices.

Q. 65. What are they?
A. The offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king.

Q. 66. How is Christ a prophet?
A. Because he teaches us the will of God.

Q. 67. How is Christ a priest?
A. Because he died for our sins and pleads with God for us.

Q. 68. How is Christ a king?
A. Because he rules over us and defends us.

Q. 69. Why do you need Christ as a prophet?
A. Because I am ignorant (lacking knowledge).

Q. 70. Why do you need Christ as a priest?
A. Because I am guilty.

Q. 71. Why do you need Christ as a king?
A. Because I am weak and helpless.

Bible Verses to Read and Discuss Together

Not very surprisingly, I couldn’t find a children’s book about the three offices of Christ. For this one, we read the Bible to explore the concepts explained in the questions and answers.

Jesus as Prophet

Hebrews 1:1-4 (ESV): Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Jesus as Priest

Hebrews 4:14-5:10, 7:22-28 (ESV) - read all of that here if your kids are used to reading longer passages.

If you have younger kids, you can read just Hebrews 4:14-16 (ESV): Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Jesus as King

1 Timothy 6:13-16 (ESV): I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before[a] Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

Revelation 17:14 (ESV): They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

Reading Selections

If you’ve been reading from Big Truths for Little Kids: Teaching Your Children to Live for God as you go through the catechism questions, you’d want to be sure to read the two stories that go with today’s questions as well - chapters 17 and 18.

Worksheet

You can download these four simple tracing worksheet I created to review the questions and answers.

There is one page for each office and how Christ fulfills it based on the catechism and a summary of the three.

The letters on each page are easy to be tracable so your kids can practice the concepts discussed in the questions.

If you prefer to print these as black and white, the circles with symbols are light enough that they can be colored over as well with crayons.

I am sharing this printable with you today in the Resource Library!

If you are an email subscriber, you already have the password (it’s at the bottom of each email I send) so you can just enter here to download it. If you haven’t gotten the password yet, just sign up here!

Songs and Podcast

To help in memorizing the questions and answers, you can listen to the very similarly worded questions and answers from “Ask Me Whooo: Volume 2” on two different tracks - Q&A 68-69: Offices of Christ and Q&A 70-75: Prophet, Priest, King (the question numbering and wording is slightly different in that version; you can read more about that here).

You can either purchase the album, the songs individually, or use an Amazon Unlimited membership to play these over and over!

These songs are great for playing if you need a break or transition from an activity or to play on repeat a few times while playing, coloring, eating, driving, whatever!

We also listened to The Reformed Kidcast - Episode 15, which also covers these questions at a level appropriate for younger kids!

I hope you found some of these resources helpful as you teach your kids these important truths!

For a list of all the best catechism resources, be sure to check out this page.