In this episode, God uses Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan to prompt David to anoint Solomon king after Solomon’s brother secretly tries to take the throne. Even when we fail, we can trust God’s plans and promises to always come true for our good and to make us more like Jesus.
With your kids: Tell each other something you’re worried about. Talk to God about it and ask Him to remind you of a promise He wants you to remember.
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In this episode, I share with Finn about God bringing the Israelite exiles back to their land and that at the perfect time, He sent Jesus to preach about God’s kingdom, even though many rejected Jesus’ message.
With your kids: What’s been your favorite story so far? What did that story show you about who God is?
Drawings I did using the Good News Bible:
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In this episode, Finn and I talk about the time of the kings, and how many of them abandoned God and wanted to be like all the other nations. God brought judgment from the Assyrians and Babylonians, but was still getting ready for the time when the Perfect King would come.
With your kids: Search for “The God of Wow” on youtube, or click here. Watch the official music video, and then check out the rest of the album.
Drawings I did using the Good News Bible:
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In part 3, Finn and I see how God faithfully led the Israelites through the wilderness and into the land He had promised, even though they soon began worshipping idols in the land. But even then, God wouldn’t give up on them and sent help each time they turned back to Him.
With your kids: Memorize Habakkuk 2:14 together, and thank God for helping you to know Him.
Drawings I did using the Good News Bible:
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Hey friends! Just a quick update letting you know that episodes may be sporadic on the Jesus is Better podcast for a while. In June, I got salmonella food poisoning, which put me in bed for four days, and by the time I started feeling better and took my three kids out to North Dakota to visit my family, I came down with pneumonia. It’s been a slow recovery back here in Delaware and so I would appreciate your prayers, friends!
I know God is working these things together for my good. He has shown me how big and strong He is as I don’t have much energy myself. As I sat outside yesterday looking up at the trees, God reminded me that even though He rules the whole universe and every nation on earth, he sees and cares about little me in our double-wide house hidden by a cornfield. He cares about my children and husband who live here. And He cares about you, whether you are living in a big city or a small neighborhood, in America or in Africa. He has helped me so much through my husband and as we keep caring for our kids, and He will keep being here with us. My life belongs to God, so I want to keep giving Him praise for who He is and receive with gratefulness all the ways He’s shown His love and grace through all of this.
Why don’t you take a moment to think about something hard or scary that God has brought you through and thank Him for being with you?
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In Part 2, Finn and I talk about God’s promise to Abraham and how He made Abraham’s descendants into a great people and brought them out of slavery and cared for them all through the desert.
With your kids: When God told Moses He would be with him, Moses was still scared to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When is it hardest for you to believe God is really with you?
Drawings I did using the Good News Bible:
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This is the first episode in a series through the whole Bible where we look at God’s plan of redemption, and all the times He keeps pursuing the people He created.
With your kids: Look at the pictures on my website to get some ideas for your own drawings through the Bible. Then get drawing!
Here are a couple great resources to go along with our series:
The Ology: Ancient Truths, Ever New
And the drawings I did using the Good News Bible:
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In this last episode of the series, Finn and I study the book of James by looking at the historical background, practice paraphrasing some verses, and ask God for his help in trials and temptations.
With your kids: Go on youtube, and type in “The Bible Project James,” or click here. After watching the video, tell each other why you think God put James in the Bible.
(Music on episode by Blue Dot Sessions)
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In part 4, Finn and I practice what we’ve learned by looking at the historical background of 1 Samuel, ask questions about the first chapter, and ask God how it should change us.
With your kids: Go on youtube, and type in “The Bible Project 1 Samuel” (or click here). After watching the video, tell each other something cool you learned.
Bonus: Here’s an article I wrote for when you don’t feel successful.
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In this episode, we finish 2nd Samuel. We talk about one final rebellion that David has to deal with as well as some strange stories at the end of the book which at first don’t seem to fit in.
Discussion with your kids: What is the strangest thing you’ve heard from the Bible? Is there a story from the Bible that you’ve heard that didn’t make sense at first, but now seems even better?
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