When an editor suggested she add the story of Jesus in the temple as a boy, with the moral to obey your parents, Lloyd-Jones “had a reaction like a tiger with her cub: ‘I will not allow that in this Bible.’” If the Bible tells you all the things you have to do right, and I’m not doing it right, God can’t be pleased with me,” Lloyd-Jones explains her 6-year-old reasoning. “When I go to churches and schools and say, ‘How many people here think you have to be good for God to love you?’ they’re raising their hands. These are children who know the Bible stories.”

I LOVE to give people The Jesus Storybook Bible because from the very first chapter it paints a powerful picture of God’s epic love for each one of us. Sally Lloyd-Jones has a unique way of inviting the reader, young or old, to dive in and discover for themselves the truth and hope of the greatest story ever told.” – Amy Grant Sharing the Gospel with The Jesus Storybook Bible has been one of the greatest privileges of my life.” -Ann Voskamp Developmentally, it’s hard for a really young child to own their sin and realize they need to be rescued,” he said. “Later, in adolescence, you realize what a dark thing sin is.”

Gift Guides

The book “emphasizes the primacy of God’s love in an imbalanced manner,” New Testament professor Charles Lee Irons wrote. “[B]y completely avoiding God’s judgment and by putting a deliberate emphasis on God’s love for his children ‘no matter what,’ Lloyd-Jones distorts the character of God in a way that, in the end, makes it logically impossible to believe that he is a God of holiness, wrath, or judgment.” But sharing a faith – showing how much it means to you, living it, spending time with it and spending time with your children opens a door and invites a child to enter and discover what you’ve already found. The same is true of reading. If you open the door, show the joys and adventures inside, children will be eager to enter and make new discoveries for themselves.

Children will love the vivid illustrations and animated videos that bring to life Bible stories from both the Old and New Testament. They’ll learn that every story in the Bible points to Jesus — and what that means for them!

The Jesus Storybook Bible Advent Activity Book

Did you ever wonder what Jacob’s face looked like the morning after his wedding night, when he woke up in bed with a different woman than the one he thought he had married — Leah instead of Rachel? Jago did, and what he imagined and drew made me laugh out loud. The Lord was training me theologically and also teaching me to find ways to say things differently,” she said. “I feel such a debt to him and to [Tim’s wife] Kathy.”

Tim didn’t have a clue it was being written,” said Kathy, who reviewed the book’s theology for Zondervan before it was published. “The first time we saw it, it was a finished [manuscript].” Another debate came over the illustrator. Lloyd-Jones, who majored in art history and worked with illustrators in previous jobs, had a vision for how the book needed to look.

All too often, children’s Bible storybooks isolate individual biblical stories from the message of the Scriptures… The Jesus Storybook Bible is a wonderful exception to this trend… exegetically faithful to the text while directing children to what adults would call the “redemptive historical” meaning… Bible stories learned this way do what God intended them to do – they lead people to know and believe the gospel of Jesus.”– WTS Bookstore Lloyd-Jones was hooked. “I had a narrator,” she said. “I started writing like a mother speaking to her child.”

What follows is a paraphrase of John 1:11–13, and an invitation to say yes to Jesus and receive his wonderful gift. Lloyd-Jones started somewhat reluctantly, prepared to do a good job and then get on to the next thing.

FREE Advent Reading Plan + Bonus Printable

I couldn’t. I had to bowdlerize the Bible to make it accessible and acceptable to kids. At what age would they be ready to hear the story unexpurgated? More importantly, at what age would I be able to tell the story in its full Christological significance? The truth is, the Bible is an adult book. Of necessity, we must distort it to teach it to children. days of crafts along with songs, recipes, and activities to celebrate Advent, with easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions and color photos