Barbara Reaoch served as Director of Bible Study Fellowship’s Children’s Division for many years. She has written a 30-day Easter devotional for kids of all ages that leads them through the Bible to Jesus, his death, and his resurrection. The devotions in this book are about faith and repentance, trusting and living for Jesus instead of ourselves. They are for children who do believe and those who do not, for “we all need encouragement all the time to believe Jesus’s truth” (7).
As I wrote above, there are thirty devotions in this book, and each devotion has four parts:
- Explore—Each devotion begins with a Bible text to read together with your children and two questions to think about. The first ten days explore passages in the Old Testament and show us a bit about about God’s plan to send Jesus. Days 11-30 explore passages in the Gospels about Jesus. They begin with his baptism and guide your children through the Easter week leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection.
- Explain—Three things are highlighted: God’s plan for Easter, the serpent’s lies, and Jesus’s truth. There are questions your can ask your children, but don’t worry about answering every detail. The more they learn about Jesus the more “the truths will start to connect” (8).
- Engage—There are two questions for older children to help them see how the truths in each devotion show up in their daily lives, and there are two questions for younger children to help them understand better who Jesus is.
- For example, in Day 18—In the Garden, your children will learn how even Jesus was tempted to give up on God’s plan and disobey his Father. Jesus understands when we are tempted, But he doesn’t give up on us. “Jesus helps when we are tempted” (63).
- An older child would be asked, “Next tie you are tempted to be angry, lie, cheat, be greedy… how can knowing that Jesus gave us all we need in every temptation help you?” Younger children would be asked, “How does Jesus help us to obey our Father God?” (63).
- Enter in—This is a short prayer that you can use as a springboard related to what you have read that day.
Each devotion ends with an encouraging “Jesus is…” phrase and a Family Journaling Space for children to draw a picture. These are followed by a wonderful true statement about Jesus and some family journaling space. For example, on Day 5—Friends With God, the phrase here is “Jesus is our Priest.” Children are encouraged to draw the heavy curtain and the altar in the temple, write down what it means to be friends with God, or to draw something else.
Recommended?
The content is good and applicable, and this book can be used even after the Easter holidays are over. Your children will hear about John the Baptist, the last supper, Jesus on trial, Barabbas, the women who wept over Jesus on the cross, and, of course, his resurrection from the dead. They will hear about how he rescues us from death, how his joy fills us forever, and how he is God’s Messiah, God’s truth, and the one who forgives us. I think this is a great book that will point your children to Jesus in both simple and memorable ways.
Lagniappe
- Reading Age: 3–12 years
- Author: Barbara Reaoch
- Paperback: 109 pages
- Publisher: The Good Book Company (February 1, 2022)
- Read a sample
Find it on Amazon and The Good Book Company!
Disclosure: I received this book free from The Good Book Company. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html.
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