Your son is 3? This has been amazing for my family. Sometimes I come out in tears... Just read these after breakfast or dinner. I think there are study guides/questions to go with it.
We reaaaally love to read this childrens bible: the Jesus storybook Bible. Every story whispers His name. amazon link
The stories are close to the bible translations and it really tells why we need Jesus. It is full of love, even the stories like satan in the garden or Noah’s boat.
Sometimes, when no one is saying "I love you", it helps to be told that you are loved and lovely. When you feel like you need to be rescued, it is good to be told that there's a rescuer. A book that helped me, and that I still read is The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones.
Suggested this earlier, and was downvoted to oblivion. Maybe this time folks will care more about the question being answered than their bias. But I doubt it.
Sometimes it helps to have a story framed in a way you haven't seen before. Sometimes it helps to learn that your experience isn't the limit of human experience. Sometimes it helps to be told or reminded that you fit into the story.
I don't know if this has been said but I too struggle with this. Got baptized very recently and was feeling the same way. Two books that have really helped are "Mere Christianity" as mentioned already, but I'd also recommend the "Jesus Story book bible." We're both infants in our faith and this book is perfect for us. I gotta say, it's really helped me quite a bit. I hope this helps you out, good luck, and God bless you. Welcome to the family! Link to book:
The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310708257/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_zbHzwbE5SVR9Y
>The Biggest Story Bible Storybook
How is it similar to/different from The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones?
I second this /u/silvernote5 ! I did this last Christmas with my 2 year old and it was really fun! Get the Jesus Storybook Bibleand read one story every nigjt for advent. it lines up perfectly!
I looked up Jesse Tree on Pinterest and Etsy
to get some ideas about what I wanted my
ornaments
to look like and I drew them up. instead of putting them on a tree, we hung them on something like this .
My favorite kid's resources. Not all will be appropriate for a two-year-old yet, but keep them in mind as they grow up. At that age there's a lot to be said for just pray with them and for them, taking them to church and reading them Bible stories.
<em>The Jesus Storybook Bible</em> - does a great job of teaching Bible stories as a unified story of redemption and not just moral fables. About 30 or so stories.
<em>The Story Bible</em> - Best job I know of retaining the biblical wording in simplied form. More than any other children's Bible, this one sounds like the Bible. About 150 stories, great illustrations. <em>Excerpt</em>
What's In the Bible? DVD series that shows how the whole bible fits together to tell the gospel story. Absolutely fantastic. Most adults in the church would learn many things from watching it. Here's a 1 minute introduction video.
A catechism for young children - a simplified version of the Westminster Shorter catechism. Even young kids can memorize a bunch. Depending on how close to her second/third birthday your daughter is, she may not be there yet, but she will get there soon. Both of my kids also know the Lord's Prayer and the Apostle's Creed.
Sing the Bible with Slugs & Bugs. There are a lot of good Bible song collections out there, but this one is the best. Lyrics are mostly straight from scripture. Quirky and catchy so that kids will learn the songs within a play or two, but grownups can tolerate (even enjoy) repeated plays. Also contains the only children's song version of [Deuteronomy 14:21].
The Jesus Storybook Bible is my favorite. My church gives it out at every new birth. It would be great for age five, age 8 probably too. It's focus is on putting the entire Bible in the context of the gospel.
The Story Bible is another really great option. It has many more stories than the Jesus Storybook Bible (130 vs. 40) and has gorgeous illustrations. Your kids are right at the best age for it too.
I also highly recommend the What's in the Bible video series. It does a fantastic job of putting the different parts of the Bible in context. It's aimed at kids (there's puppets) but most grownups would benefit a great deal from watching it too. You can buy DVDs or an online streaming subscription.
>Also, while we're at it, any recommendations for study bibles for teen girls (13 and 16) as well as my wife and I?
The ESV Study Bible is pretty good. Most study Bibles aimed specifically at teenagers aren't very good in my opinion. I think they can handle a "grown-up" study Bible. If they need a specific teenager resource, my favorite is Deep Down Faith, a 24-week devotional by Cornelius Plantinga.
You're going to laugh, but I do recommend this as companion reading. I own a copy myself. It'll give you an easy way to learn how Christians read the Bible.