A Giveaway For The Whole Family

Just before my alarm at 6:30 AM, I hear the loud creak of a door followed by the scurrying of little feet across the cold hardwood floor. As I register what's going on, I hear a peppy two-year exclaim, "Good morning, Daddy!". It's immediately followed by "Can you get my cheese?". I always shake my head at that request, but at least it's protein and fat rather than sugar in the morning! As I wipe the sleep from my eyes, muster up the energy to get out of bed and get my coffee going, my influence has already started. Whether I like it or not, those little eyes are watching my every move. They're learning what it means to be godly—at least that's my hope.

Though our children learn from our examples, they also need to learn from our words. Family worship is an amazing opportunity to pass on our faith. When Paul wrote his letter to Timothy, he mentioned the godly legacy of Timothy's grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5). They shared the message of the gospel with Timothy, a man who God used mightily to spread the gospel across the globe. Thousands of years before this letter was written to Timothy, we see that God values family worship. From the moment those warm, bright beams of sun break through their curtains to the dimly lit hours of bedtime stories, warm milk, and cuddles to finish off a busy day, God calls parents to teach their kids about the glorious truths of the gospel.

As a father, I have been greatly encouraged by the plethora of solid, biblical resources being written for children. One of my favorite publishers is The Good Book Company. They release a lot of great titles for the whole family! I recently received two books that I'd like to share with you and your family!

Moses and the Very Big Rescue by Tim Thornborough*
This retelling of the story of God rescuing Israel from bondage in Egypt is sure to keep your kids' attention. The illustrations are vivid but not scary. The story is told in a catchy way, even sneaking some counting in there for little ones who are learning their numbers! One thing that stood out to me was that Thornborough preserves the delicate balance between Pharaoh hardening his heart and God hardening Pharaoh's heart. It is good to know that they aren't afraid to let the tension between God's sovereignty and man's responsibility remain for our children (and their parents!) to wrestle through. Further, it shows a commitment to stay closely aligned with the actual story of Scripture. I also love the fact that Thornborough included Moses' and Israel's song as they celebrated God's very big rescue. This book is very appropriate for children as young as two years old. There are enough pictures to keep them interested and enough details to keep the interest of older children.

Deborah and the Very Big Battle by Tim Thornborough*
This rendition of Deborah and Barak's story is also an excellent storybook for children. To add to the engagement of this book, Thornoborough has some clever actions to accompany various scenes in the story. This is a great way to keep little minds from wandering while also getting them engaged in the story. My daughters absolutely loved acting out some of the scenes as they listened to the story. The illustrations are catchy and convey the appropriate emotions of the story as the people worshiped idols and faced the impending wrath of God for their sin. Thornborough did a great job of emphasizing God and His Word, even when pointing out the stories of Barak and Deborah.  Rather than overemphasize Deborah and her heroic efforts (which were indeed amazing), the focus is on the fact that Sisera and his army "could never beat God". Again, they included the song of joy and victory that Israel sang when the Lord brought them victory. The story is engaging and helps our children see the power of God as He brought about the physical and spiritual salvation of His people. 

If you've read this far, you've made it to the giveaway! We are giving away a free copy of Moses and the Very Big Rescue and Deborah and the Very Big Battle. In addition to those, you will also receive The Biggest Story by Kevin DeYoung and Family Worship by Donald Whitney.