Gospel-Centered Books for Families
“You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise.”
Deuteronomy 6:7
Easier said than done? Thankfully, God created great minds who put together helpful tools outside of the bible to help us help our kids cultivate an authentic relationship with Jesus.
Here is what we have used in our own home:
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For Preschoolers
When Big Bro and Big Sis were in the preschool stage, The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name by Sally Lloyd-Jones served as a great introduction to who Jesus is. This resource helped me point them to the person behind the name they sang about at Sunday school or heard about in our home. In this book, stories of beloved bible characters are woven into a larger, adventure story that points to an even greater hero who has come to rescue the whole world.
If your kids love lively, comic-style illustrations then they will enjoy The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross by Carl Laferton. Even though this is geared towards 3- to 6-year olds, we added this book to our collection one Easter for a fun read for my then-elementary aged kiddos. It is a great, engaging introduction to The Bigger Story for littles.
For Young Kids
By the time Baby Sis came along, The Story for Children, A Storybook Bible by Max Lucado and Randy Frazee was published. Beautifully illustrated in a large format, and more suited to for 6- to 9-year olds.
For Older Kids
A little meatier, The Story for Kids, NIrV: Discover the Bible from Beginning to End by the same authors of The Story for Children, conveys the big picture to an older audience using the NIrV in chronological order. Readers will find that all those seemingly random, stand-alone bible hero stories they learn about are really part of a much larger narrative that has God’s love for us at its core.
Though this chapter book is designed for ages 9-12, I read this aloud to my older kids when they were both ages 6 and 8 … and had their attention. In fact, it served as a great follow up to what they learned from The Jesus Storybook Bible and The Story for Children, and includes discussion questions.
I then re-read this aloud when Baby Sis was about 7 years old; it was a great review for the Bigs and they were able to glean even more from the second read-through.
The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden by Kevin DeYoung is a chapter-picture book. The imaginative illustrations are engaging and powerful, and was Baby Sis’ go-to for reading about God’s story on her own time when she was about 8 years old. Recommended for 5- to 11-year olds.
The Biggest Story Bible Storybook, also by Kevin DeYoung, just recently came out, and wowzers, is it BEAUTIFUL! The heftiness, the paper thickness, the illustrations, the layout … definitely keepsake worthy. The content is broken up unto short chapters, and each chapter ends with a simple prayer. Recommended reading age is 6-12 years old. This has become Baby Sis’ FAVE bible storybook in our home (at the time of this writing, she is 10 years old).
For Parents
We can’t disciple our kids well if we aren’t disciples ourselves, amiright?! Besides spending time in God’s word, being intentional parents also means learning in growing in that role. Here some of my fave reads for gospel-centered parenting:
Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson was an absolute help to me in the season of young motherhood! This book taught me what giving grace (versus rules or law) looks like practically as a parent disciplining young children.
I will admit that some of the examples in the book seemed a little clunky to implement, especially with preschoolers! But over time, the tips have helped shaped my “language” – not only as a mom dealing with my kids, but as a person dealing with others in this world.
The heart and message behind it has influenced my personhood tremendously, and even though it’s been over a decade since I first read it, I still refer to it.
If the idea of raising gospel-fluent kids in a gospel-centered home seems vague and overwhelming, this book is a great place to put handles on it.
Ummm … MY FAVORITE (besides the bible)! Don’t even think, just buy it, LOL. You’ll thank me later.
I have it in hard copy and on audio and have given it as gifts to other mamas. That is how good it is.
Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family by Paul David Tripp is not a “how to” book on parenting but a paradigm book that will help free you from the burden of trying to raise up “good” children. Rich in gospel truth and big on a meta-narrative point of view, this life-giving resource is a must-have for any Christian parent!
I don’t think many know about this gem. I have had it on my shelf for years, having started it in the heyday of raising little people but – because of said little people – never got passed the first couple chapters. But as a mom of teens (in need of all kinds of help!), I am finally plowing through it like there’s no tomorrow.
(And I’ll be candid here – as of the writing of this post, I am not yet done with Gospel-Powered Parenting: How the Gospel Shapes and Transforms Parenting by William P. Farley). But based on what I have encountered and gleaned so far, I want to add this to my recommendations.)
It offers solid reminders about the gospel and how that should impact our parenting. I love the emphasis on having a healthy fear of our Holy God. Whew. Sobering.
I hope this list of resources is helpful for you! If you have other suggestions, I’d love to hear about them in the comments below. Have you read any of these with your crew? What is your favorite?