A Family Guide to the Bible

by Christin Ditchfield

Book Overview

All Christian parents want their children to gain a better understanding of God's Word, but many of them are still searching to completely understand the Bible themselves. How can they confidently share what they believe with their families?

A Family Guide to the Bible takes readers on a fun and exciting tour through all sixty-six books of the Bible and offers parents, grandparents, and teachers a better understanding of the Scriptures so...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1581348916
• ISBN13: 9781581348910
• Release Date: May 2009
• Publisher: Crossway
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Indispensable guide for new Christians and their families

After coming to faith as an adult, outside of any structured church teaching, I stumbled around for a few years before I felt like I had a grasp on the basic doctrines of Christianity. I painstakingly pieced together bits of information I gleaned as I read the scriptures, cobbling together what I'd learned, going through periods of deep confusion and misunderstandings. I could have avoided so much of that if I'd had a copy of A Family Guide to the Bible by Christin Ditchfield. Providing an entry-level overview and examination of the Bible, both as a whole, and book-by-book, Ditchfield has written a resource that is invaluable both for new Christians and those entering into times of family devotion and worship for the first time. A particular blessing to "first generation" Christians, Ditchfield clearly illuminates the thread of the gospel throughout Old Testament and New. Ditchfield opens with a history of the Bible -- dividing the 66 books into the typically held categories: Poetry, Historical, Prophetic ,etc. -- and also touches briefly upon the Apocryphal books. While not in-depth by any stretch of the imagination, this taste of the Bible's background is enough to get new Bible readers on their way. The authority of the Bible is then discussed in a separate short chapter, before delving into a broad-picture overview of the entire body of scripture. Each book of the Bible then receives its own guide, containing some of the elements found in a good introduction (typically found in study Bibles) and some unique inclusions as well. Each book is introduced with a basic outline: The Book, The Author, The Audience, The Setting, and The Story. The next section -- The Message -- is incredibly valuable, summarizing the contents of the book. This section is replete with chapter and verse references built into the text itself for easy reference and is explicitly Christ-oriented, always keeping the gospel in mind as the book is read. Each book is wrapped up with: More on This Story in the Bible, Words to Know, Did You Know?, and Making the Connection. Read together, Did You Know? and Making the Connection connect many themes found throughout the Bible, application of these in the believer's life, and point out the relevance of the ancient events upon modern society. These connections can take some time and extensive research to unveil through independent study and are incredibly valuable. After all 66 books of the Bible are covered, Ditchfield also provides chapters covering a wide range of introductory subjects relevant to those wanting to dig into the Word. How To Study the Bible discusses: choosing a Bible translation, useful Bible study references to obtain for your home library, how to use those references, tips for personal and family devotions, and Bible reading plans -- in short all the questions I had as a new believer wanting to dig into the scriptures for the first time! Ditchfield's selection of important stories and verses in the Bible i

A worthwhile consideration for any Christian family with young children

Fully understanding the Bible is a challenge for any young Christian. "A Family Guide to the Bible" is a guide for parents that want to help their children better understand the Bible and the fundamentals of Christianity. Written by a man experienced in educating young readers about Christian matters, "A Family Guide to the Bible" lives up to its title. "A Family Guide to the Bible" is a worthwhile consideration for any Christian family with young children.

A must-have biblical resource

Christin Ditchfield has masterfully yet simply pulled together a practical overview of the Bible that will enrich scriptural studies for everyone from seekers to established disciples. Though I have been teaching and writing about the Bible for years, I personally plan to use this resource in my own studies. Tremendous job!

The Bible in Review

A Family Guide to the Bible by CHristin Ditchfield, is not only excellent for younger family members and parents who want to guide their children into Bible Study, but is an excellent reference to anyone without an in-depth knowledge of the Bible. The book by book analysis is concise, easy to understand, well-written, and provides a focus for further study. This should be in everyone's library - Biblical scholar or not!