ESV Family Devotional Bible Hardcover – April 29, 2016

The fact that Jesus is the central theme to every children's story is the main factor I got this Bible. We have used this Bible daily since we received it and we are still in Exodus! Lots of stories means that it will take a long time to get through the whole Bible. When our kids get older, we plan on transitioning them to reading our of the chapter. Some may find the stories a little long especially if you are used to other children's bibles. The quality of this Bible also looks like it will hold up for a long time.

Great compact Bible

Our family is enjoying this Bible. It's a great way to read the Bible together as a family for all ages.

Standard size format for Bible. Devotions for families are well written and the perfect length for our family of elementary and middle school children. Appeals to both our sons and daughter. Devotions are somewhat sporadic (understandable in the OT). Questions at the end of each devotion are great times of reflection and are not redundant from devotion to devotion.

Really nicely organized. My family is enjoying it as a new twist on our after dinner devotionals.

Awesome! Very helpful

Once again, Crossway produces a magnificent product. I have always been impressed with their products and the Family Devotional Bible is worth the purchase.Do you sometimes worry that you are not giving your kids the type of teaching or encouragement from the Bible you wish you were or think you should be? Do you believe that since you are not a Bible scholar that you shouldn’t be teaching the Bible? Have you been wanting to start having a family devotion time but was unsure how to start or what to do? This Bible is for you.The Family devotional Bible will be a great asset for you and will make family devotions something to look forward to however often you want to do them. The Bible contains 130 devotions for you to share with your family as well as questions to guide family discussions and a key verse to be used for memorization or to help remember the main point of the story. The devotions are based on key stories and characters throughout the Bible but never make them larger than who the whole Bible is actually about, God. Each devotion comes back to the main point of the Bible, which is the Gospel and pointing people to Jesus Christ. The questions are great in that they are easy enough for younger children but will even help adults to truly understand how every story in the Bible is meant to point us to Jesus Christ. There are also full color maps in the back to help you and your children understand more about certain parts of the Bible.One of my favorite parts of this Bible is the fact it is in the English Standard Version (ESV). Some people might not like the translation but I have always found it to be easy to read and understand. Here is a little note about the ESV translation:The ESV is an "essentially literal" translation that seeks as far as possible to capture the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer. It seeks to be transparent to the original text, letting the reader see as directly as possible the structure and meaning of the original. (from biblegateway.com)If you are a parent wanting to find a way to encourage regular Bible reading in your family, then give the ESV Family devotional Bible a chance. You and your children will be glad you did.Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting / Flyby Promotions for providing a free copy of the book in exchange for this honest review.

Back in October 2015, I featured the NIV Bible for Teen Girls, and mentioned at the time how 'review' seemed so inadequate word to use...I mean, after all, it is the Bible we're talking about here. As in that case, I will simply relay my thoughts concerning the additional features available in this particular edition.The book is beautiful, sturdy and well-made. There is a composite of all the full-sized illustrations from the inside around the cover (front and back). And there is a ribbon bookmark inserted into the binding...really helpful when you think about it, because you probably won't get through in one sitting.Aside from the full-page pictures, each devotional story has an illustration to go along with it. I feel the stories and pictures will be helpful to allow smaller children and pre-readers to participate with their family. My mother tells me I was born on a Thursday, and the following Sunday I was in the church nursery ... so I heard the same Bible stories since I could comprehend anything. And I still remember them today, decades later.I suppose it is traditional for each individual to have their own Bible, and along with that I feel it would be nice to have a 'family copy' for family devotions. Families used to record births, marriages and deaths in the family Bibles.There are also maps that help visual people place the stories and book of the Bible on the various maps of the region, as well as an index to the devotions to make them easier to find.Now, a part of me will always prefer the KJV. I'm traditional that way. But I'd rather the rather formal language of the KJV not be a stumbling block for my children in learning the 'faith of their fathers'. And having a devotional Bible expressly compiled with families in mind is absolutely wonderful.And I say this as the only person, really, in my family that has had any type of regular church attendance. Part of that is my fault. But I can and will do better in the future. And I have a good feeling that the ESV Family Devotional Bible will be a fantastic resource as my family grows in faith together.(Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.)