The Bible stories are all from the New Testament and focus on Jesus and His relationships with other people, including his disciples and those He heals. I enjoyed the introductory story to each devotional as well as the follow up questions. Some of the activities that were included seemed too superficial, as if the author just had to come up with something quickly to balance the book out. I did not like the version of the Bible used (The Message), although it is understandable why that would be a logical choice for a devotional that focuses on children. I also think that the author added some of her own opinion at times. For example, there is a part in which she says that the Pharisees did not hate Jesus but just wanted Him to join them in their study at the temple. I have never seen or read that in the Scripture or any commentary, so that is either a loose interpretation or just an opinion that should have been noted as such. All in all, the book does what it set out to do. It provides a resource for family time devotionals and gives suggestions for how to accomplish this and delve deeper into God’s Word. I would recommend this book for families with children up to about grade 6 or 7.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

I've enjoyed reading the Family Bible Devotional on my own, as well as with my kids. I appreciate the "why's and how's' at the front of the book that gave me insight into why the author organized the book how she did. As someone who is currently focusing my kids biblical understanding on the character of God and the New Testament, this is one I'd recommend. So far, I've found that the practical questions and the activities feel do-able, not too much prep, and create thoughtful connections with my kids.

A great family devotional! This book will help families grow in their relationships with Jesus together. Each devotional has a set up to what’s going to be read, a passage from the Bible to read using various different translations, discussion questions, closing thoughts, prayer prompts, and multiple activities. The activities can be done at the same time as the devotional or throughout the week.

I love that this is laid out in such a way that it can be read from beginning to end in order or you can jump around when your family has a topic they want/need to discuss.

There are 52 devotions so it can be completed in a year at one per week or quicker if your family time allows.

A great tool for any family that is wanting to deepen their relationship with Christ. The devotionals are quick, which allows for you to use them in any setting. Although quick, they are comprehensive enough that you feel like you have learned something from using it.

Warning- I have finished….it would take me quite long time to finish at the pace we’re going of one devotional page a day BUT I feel like we’ve done enough of them that I could give a review.

This sweet devotional about Jesus has a great format of opening up and reading quickly to your kiddos without having to plan a big talk. Each little devotional starts off with an intro about the Bible story you’re about to read and then has follow up questions about your scripture reading. The questions are thoughtful and even slow for children to ask their own questions or express their confusion with a certain part of scripture.

After the questions there are a few options for extending your study to some hands on application! I think this is super fun. It gives parents an opportunity to engage but also immediately allows the child to put what they learned into practice. There’s even a section for a little bit of further study for confused parents who might be a little more insight into what you’re reading.

My only hesitation with this book is how many different scripture translations they use. Especially using the message which I don’t approve of. I decided to only use ESV to read the scripture reading for the day and the questions didn’t match up because words they used were directly from the message. Translation matters to me so I’m struggling a bit there but just read everything ahead of time so I’m prepped!

This is a really cool really thorough study. I like how it walks you through feeling comfortable asking questions as the adult, that it makes the kids fee comfortable asking questions, and that there were specific actions to take after the study, which include Bible study. I’m excited to dig into this with kids. I think it’s really well written and thorough.

Happy to see a second volume of this devotional. My family loved this devotional. It was easy for both my kids to understand and provided some wonderful discussions together.

The Family Bible Devotional, Volume 2 is a much anticipated addition to the first volume! This devotional zeros in on the four gospels of the New Testament. The book has been organized in a way that is pliable to meet the needs or capacities of families dependent on life seasons or other external factors. The devotional facilitates exploration of the depth of Jesus and his chosen disciples as he carries out his ministry on earth. Each devo provides the Scripture passage, key thoughts and insights, as well as questions to provoke discussion and spark curiosity of child and parent. Wells also offers ideas for family prayer time and activities to practice the teachings in tangible and relevant ways. This is an encouraging tool that families can utilize to bring the gospels to life within their own homes and communities as they learn and live out the ways of Jesus and his followers here and now!

I’m very keen on reading family devotions: a useful resource for our generation contrasting to our elders. This book is no exception: it does have all it needs to be at your family dinner table. From placing the story in its context, reading the bible passage to questions and activities and additional information (historical, geographical, cultural), this book helps parents to guide their children in the christian way.

The subtitle describes this book well: “Stories from the Gospels to help Kids and Parents Love God and Love Others”. What the author has done is to compile a set of 50+ devotionals for parents to share with their children.

After briefly giving some brief suggestions on using the material found in the book, each of the 52 devotions follows a similar pattern:

1. A one-paragraph description of the setting for the chosen text.
2. The week’s scripture is quoted using The Message
3. Some suggested Bible study questions and provide an opportunity for each member of the family to ask their own questions
4. “A Closing Thought” summarizing the lessons that may have come from the passage
5. A “Prayer Prompt” based on the lesson is provided
6. A couple of activities are suggested to help all participants cement the lesson
7. Each lesson concludes with a brief bit of trivia taken from scripture, history, culture, etc.

Though my kids are long gone from home, this year’s collection of studies is among the best I have seen for use in family worship. It would make a great gift for a church to make to families with middle school or junior high school students. With a bit of work and patience, it might even be used with a younger family. Though not designed for a church setting, it might also be used as the basis for the weekly study with a small youth group. I can easily give this book five-stars.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

When I read the description of this book I thought it would be easy to understand and relatable biblical excerpts and stories. What in fact this is is scripture and activities and discussions to have about the passages. The interpretation and analysis is left up to you. This made the book difficult for me to understand as someone who benefits from the Bible being explained. The book is good it just wasn’t what I was hoping/looking for.