Know God Better: Bible Reading for FamiliesSample

Have you ever sat down to read the Bible with your kids—hoping for a meaningful moment—only to close it and wonder if it made any difference?

I've been there.

I'd open my Bible (or Bible app) with good intentions, then walk away feeling like something important had to be missing.

For years, I missed the main reason that God gave us the Bible.

I approached it like a how-to guide, looking for quick fixes or instructions to simplify my life. Struggling with patience? Find a verse. Teaching about kindness? There must be a passage for that.

And yes, Scripture gives us wisdom for life. But it’s not a how-to manual.

It’s an invitation to know our living God. An invitation for our kids, and for us.

God gave us His Word so that we could know Him.

That's the main point of the Bible.

From the first page to the last page, God is showing us who He is—what He's like, what He cares about, and how much He loves us.

The Bible isn't mostly about us—it's about God.

When you understand this, reading the Bible gets so much better! Instead of asking, "What am I supposed to do?" you can ask, "What is this showing me about God?"

When you read Bible stories, look for clues about what God is like:

• How patient He is (like when Peter kept messing up but Jesus never gave up on him)
• How He solves problems in amazing ways
• How He always rescues and helps people—offering hope even in the hardest situations

Maybe you've had trouble with the Bible because:

• It seemed boring or not related to your life
• You thought it was just a bunch of rules
• You didn't know what to look for when reading it
• Bible reading felt like just one more thing to do

The Bible is an invitation to relationship—a conversation starter—rather than a rulebook.

On every page, God is saying, "Here's who I am. Here's what I'm like. Here's how much I love you. Here's what it's like to be my kid."

Try this before tomorrow: Open your Bible to any story about Jesus in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Instead of thinking, "What should I do?" ask, "What does this show me about what God is like?"

Let that spark hope in you—God wants to be known. He’s already drawing you and your kids closer. Remember: The whole reason we have the Bible is to help us know God better. That's why He gave it to us!

Hey Parents: Use this section to share the topic with your kids each day.

Kid Connection: Wonder Together

"The Bible isn't just a book of rules—it's God's way of introducing Himself to us! What's one thing you'd like to know about God that we could look for in the Bible?"

Tomorrow, we'll learn something that can change how you see the Bible forever!