Impress Your Kids » Blog Archive » The Dig: A Bible Study for Kids

August 28, 2012 | Filed in: Books, Movies & Music | by Amanda

Have you heard about The Dig yet? My friend, Ruth from The Better Mom just released this fantastic resource. It’s a verse by verse study of the book of Luke for kids!

Here’s a few reasons I think you’ll like The Dig and want to snag it (for a mere $4.99):

1. Ruth’s husband actually wrote it. He is a pastor by day and says this ebook has been his “personal desire and attempt to teach [his] children the Bible from an early age.”

2. As you read the book, you are led by a grizzled old explorer named Doc. (Well, I added the grizzly description because it’s such a great word!) Isn’t he ~~grizzled~~ cute?

3. When your kids read each section, it will seem as if Doc is talking to them and leading them through 4 sections: the Map (a summary), the Dig (the main scripture), the Treasure (the big idea) and the Display (the application). I’m a sucker for fun titles, so I love those!

4. This book is dummy-proof. All you have to do is sit down and read it with your kids. Read the passage, read the questions and talk with your kids. That’s it!

5. I think the book is geared more for elementary aged kids, but it’s simple and straight-forward enough for younger kids, too.

6. Each section covers just a few verses of Scripture at a time so I think you could do this as a family devotion over dinner! How fun would it be if you and your family read the entire book of Luke and talked about it together in just under two months?

7. There are even printable coloring sheets included!

8. It lends itself to so much extra fun: explorer hats, maps, treks through the jungle! Ooh, I’m getting excited just thinking about the possibilities! You know we love some explorers around here!

9. The Dig In Community begins September 3rd! That means people from all over the world will be doing The Dig with their kids and then connecting online to encourage each other! (Kinda like our Truth in the Tinsel facebook page in December!)

10. I’m giving away THREE copies of The Dig today! Just leave me a comment and tell me if you’ve ever done an official family devotion before (and I’d love to know how it went, too!).

bible craft

Linked to the best carnival on the web: Top Ten {Tuesday} at Many Little Blessings

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We did a family devotional at dinner for a few months; it was okay, but sometimes the discussion questions made it sound like the kids were in trouble. Now we are just reading through the Bible a chapter at a time. We are mid-Leviticus, and it’s going great!

Woo-hoo! Mid-Leviticus. You guys are adventurous!

We used to do devotions before bed when my girls were preschool age….for some reason when the third baby came along…..we got out of the habit. Would love to try again with my girls who are school age and my blessed baby who is a big 3 year old now.

We did Truth in the Tinsel – does that count?

Yes, I’ve done some of Kay Arthur’s studies with my kids. Also, our family does BSF (Bible Study Fellowship).

We have never done a family devotion before. I think this sounds like a good one to try. I’m always looking for new story bibles but I think a devotion may be the way to go!

I’m uber excited about resources like this as my little guy gets older (and we’re adding Boy #2 on September 21st)! It’s just so hard when they are this little and you’re limited by the lack of vocabulary! We’re diligent to have Bible time every day. In fact, I’m considering involving him in my morning quiet time a bit more instead of trying to get it done before he wakes up. Personally, it is more important that I provide a good example and let him participate than it is for me to have “alone time” with Jesus. I’m not sure that’s coming out right…I recognize the need for and importance of personal time with my Savior, but in this season of life I also recognize my boys’ needs to actually SEE their mama spending time with Him and teaching them how to do it!

I have been on the hunt for a family devotion that my family would enjoy. This one sounds perfect!

we tried earlier this summer. my 4 year old could handle it but my 19 month old couldn’t sit still for it. we were reading through the jesus storybook bible, though that probably isn’t as deep as we should go. i like the idea of doing this at a meal when the little one is strapped down! =)

I have done God’s Little Princess Devotional Bible with my girls. That was when they were younger. I have started and stopped a few times with other devotionals but never really stuck to it.

Thanks for sharing this resource. Would love to win this version! My kids are getting a bit older for most of the blog activities I have been following and am desperately searching for new options.

We did Truth in Tinsel but have never done a study through a book of the Bible. It sounds great!

Uh, YEAH!

My husband and I have tried devotions once before after dinner with our two children. Our daughter is 7 and our son is 15 so it’s difficult to do something they’d both like. Not to mention, our son has Aspergers so that adds a whole new dimension. But we now have a third on the way so I’d like to find a new approach to reading the bible together.

I started devotions while my hubby was deployed but got too busy and ran out of gas when it was time for bed. I’d really like some motivation and definitely asking the Lord for some. Bcuz my lovelies are driving me crazy and I need to get them in line with God’s Word! LOL!

I need some motivation! LOL!

I need some motivation!

We don’t have a family devotional. This would be great!

We have a “family time” once a week where we do some kind of devotion (usually with an activity that we found online), but I would love to try an actual Bible study. This sounds really good and perfect for the ages of my girls (5 and 7).

I would LOVE to win a copy of this to use with my two boys. It’s hard to find good Bible studies for their age. It’s either way too old or way too young. Thanks for the opportunity.

We just recently completed the Jesus Storybook Bible as a family devotion at night. The kids loved how the pages read and how it put the whole Bible together as one big story.

Sounds like a great book! We often do We ChooseVirtues flashcards as a devotion in the mornings, though we’ve gotten out of the habit during the summer.

We’ve done Step Into the Bible by Ruth Graham — which I highly recommend. I think this sounds great too!

My kids are 4.5, 3, and 1. We’ve tried a devotional time together, but I had a hard time sticking with it. Thanks for hosting the giveaway!

Our devos are lead by me, not by a book. This works for now. But my son is starting to be ready for more and more in-depth study, so I was excited to see you recommend this resource!

I cannot express how much I have wanted to do a “real” Bible, verse-by-verse devotion with our kids (ages 6, 3, and 1) but have been so intimadated to try! This is fantastic!!!

Never done a family devotional, but have been talking for months on starting something.

Would love to win this devotional! We have read the Jesus Storybook Bible together, but would love to add something new. This sounds like just what we need!

Right?!? We figure if we make it to Joshua, it’ll be smooth sailing from there.

The answer is kind-of. My children are 6, 4 and 2. We read from one of their childrens story Bibles, but I’d LOVE to start this series with them. We are currently intern missionaries at a camp in the Midwest.

Hi Amanda!
I love family time at the dinner table! My 12 year old stepdaughter is only with us half the time, so that time is so cherished and so valuable to us. I strive to instill biblical lessons and teaching in everything that happens in our home. There are definitely challenges, but now, both of the older girls (my 7 year old daughter and 12 year old stepdaughter) brings out the family devotional book to the dinner table wanting to have this special time and conversation! I love hearing their thoughts and views on certain things. What a blessing it is to have the opportunity to instill these vital lessons and understandings on our children. They crave this… and this is what our duty is. I love it and I LOVE your blog.

We haven’t done a family devotional before. This book would make it so easy!

We have done our family devotionals at bedtime and more recently during a break in our afternoon!

We’ve tried reading the Bible at dinner time, but with 3 kids under age 6, it hasn’t gone that well. We have more success at bedtime, so that’s when we do devotions every night…

We would read a children’s devotion book to the kids at night but we have gotten out of the habit since we moved last year. I would love to start it again.

We do daily Bible reading and devotions for homeschool – love having different devotion books , as most only last a month or so .

I used to do one with my family when I was younger. I have yet to try one with my own children. Would love to try!!! Thanks for the opportunity!

Every night before bed we do a bible story, but would love to check out The Dig!

We have never done a formal family devotion. I have a couple to incorporate for this year and then a friend told me about this. It would go so well with them listening to Jonathon Park series (which they absolutely love). I can’t wait to be able to get this for them to use. Thanks.

Never done an official family devotion.

We have never done one. Would love this. I have two young sons .

We have been reading through the Family Bible together…but this resource sounds like so much fun!

We are working through an apologetic course called The Defense Never Rests with my 11 and 8 year old. Always looking for effective teaching tools!

My twins are 5 and we would love for this to be our first family devotional. Thank you for the chance!

No, we haven’t but I’d like to this would be a good start.

We have done official family devotions before, they start great but unfortunately we tend to fizzle out. This sounds like it might keep us going!

We never did devotionals. I am trying to let my oldest children (7 and 5) know the Bible and the power of praying and counting their blessings. I am currently walking the same path, too. I have begun teaching them English (we are Italians) and this kind of approach would be the perfect match for us!

We’ve never done an official family devotional… my kids are only 2.5 and 1. But I wouldn’t mind getting started on a family Bible time soon! Though my kids might be too young for The Dig, I’d love to have it to pull out in the future!

For the past two years we have done the “The Advent Jesse Tree” devotion with our children (ages 7 and 4). We read bible stories before bed most evenings. Perhaps if we started a family devotional time we would be more disciplined as we are during advent.

We’ve done the Jesse Tree Devotional for the last 3 years. That always goes great with my boys & I’d like other devotionals for the rest of the year.

We read through a chapter a night, taking turns reading 5 verses each. We try to also sing a hymn and pray but if we’re pressed for time we just pray. This sounds like an interesting resource….thanks for sharing!

I have been wanting to start a devo with my kids! His sounds like a great start

I would love to give this a try! Sounds like the “Dig” aspect of it would intrest my 8 year old daughter and my 4 year old son both. We’ve been trying to add a regular time each day, dinner is a great idea.

We have tried on numerous occasions but it sure is hard to engage a 2-, 4-, 6- and 8- year old for more than 5 minutes. Maybe this one will work?

We haven’t really yet. Once we tried reading the Jesus Story Book Bible but our daughter was a little too young. We should probably try something again.

No, we have not done family devotions yet, and weighs heavy on me. My husband is not comfortable with it and my kids never have the response I am hoping for whenever I try.

Our family has never done family devotionals on a regular basis. It is something I have been wanting to implement for some time now. This resource may be just the thing we need to get started! Thanks for sharing it with us! If I don’t win a copy, I think I will definitely be buying one!

We’ve done many – from “Playtime Baby” when the kids were young, to 365 interesting facts related to the Bible, to reading through the Jesus Storybook Bible…. I think my favorite was the Rhyme Bible. We read that one over and over for a couple of years to the point where my kids had some of the favorites memorized! We just started a family Bible Study on the book of James. We’ll be memorizing the entire book of James together over the next 9 months! The Dig sounds amazing! I’d love to do it over the Advent season! How cool would that be? My kids are currently 10, 9, 7 and 5. I loooove your blog, Amanda!

We did your Truth in the Tinsel, of course! We have lots of Bible story books and devotionals, but typically tend to skip around amongst our resources. I loved My First Hands on Bible for when my daughter was just a bit younger.

janemaritz at yahoo dot com

We have done truth in the tinsel as well as a superhero vbs program at home from the center of biblical parenting

Wow! My kids
love exploring too! This sounds great!

Not really as a family yet, but I try to read a chapter of te Jesus storybook Bible while my son eats breakfast an daddy takes a shower. It’s been fun!!

Does truth in the tinsel count for family devotion?! Loved that

We’ve done Truth in the Tinsel, a book specifically for boys with our son, and a couple of random devotions at random times. We need to be more consistent! We homeschool and talk about the Bible and God everyday, but we don’t have a specific devotion for every day.

never done a family devotion but have always wanted to do – this would be a great start.

We have done family devotions during Advent. Discovered Truth in the Tinsel after Christmas but hope to use it this year.

My kids are just small yet (5&3) But I believe in installing God’s truth into them early! We have been doing devotions on the fruits of the spirit, diving into each one a week. Really understanding what they are and how God wants to see them at work in our lives. Instead of our chore chart this summer (I’m a little too lax or strict schedules etc in the summer ) We have a “Spot the fruit” chart. When we witness one another displaying a quality the kids put a corresponding fruit on the others chart. Fro example when my son (5) is kind to his little sister she is the first to jump up & run to his chart & put up a “Pineapple Kindness” sticker! NOw they are both always on the look out & displaying their fruits!

Our ladies Bible study is going to study the book of Luke for the school year starting 9/12 so I would love to win this.

We haven’t tried “official” devotions with our kids yet, but growing up my parents would wake me and my siblings up at 8am during the summers for devotions.

Oh and I forgot to say that we are on Week 43 of “Long Story Short” that is going through the Old Testament. My girls are 3 and 5.

We do a family devotion time during our morning home school routine. We also do a nightly Bible time where we go through different books. We’ve done the explorer Bible, Action Bible and One Year Family Bible devotions.

We do family devotions in the evening by reading a children’s bible. We call it family worship time.

We try to read together from the Bible every day. In the past we have been more consistent though, and really seen the effects in our lives.

We never did devotionals. I am trying to read my oldest children (7 and 5) the Holy Bible and help them knowing how to pray and count their blessings. I am currently walking the same path, too.
Also, I have begun teaching them some rudiments of English (we are Italians) and this kind of approach would be the perfect match for us!

We are reading through a great book,each night after dinner, called HEROES WHO CHANGED THE WORLD (Scandinavia Publishing House). It might be a bit old for our kids (3,6,8), but they are loving it & getting a lot out of it (Mother Theresa, Hudson Taylor & David Livingstone so far). Then we read a VERY VERY old devotional for kids called ‘Simon & Sarah’ – we get our oldest to read the verse out of the bible, which she really likes to do. It’s a great devotional. My all time favourite, though,is the JESUS STORYBOOK BIBLE!! I would highly recommend it. Our kids all like to repeat the phrase she uses throughout: “God’s never-stopping, never-giving-up,unbreaking, always & forever love”. How beautiful is that? I want to try & help them learn more memory verses to store up treasure for them for the future… Thanks for all your helpful ideas, & this recommendation of The Dig! xo

I love this idea thanks Leila!

Hi Traci – How can I get hold of that apologetic course – sounds interesting. I tried googling, but only got an adult book. Can you please give me some more details?! thanks! xo

Oooo! This sounds terrific! We are about to start homeschooling (on Monday) and I want to introduce family Bible study as part of it. This sounds like way more fun than what I had thought of doing.

We haven’t done a family Bible study before. I am looking for ways to share our faith with our kids.

“The Dig” sounds great! We use family devotionals from all kinds of sources. Some of our favorites are: 252 Basics (http://www.whatisorange.org/252basics/), Focus on the Family online (http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/spiritual_growth_for_kids/family_mealtime_devotionals.aspx), “The One Year Book of Devotions for Girls 2″ by Tyndale, and “For Girls Only Devotions by Larsen.” I like the last two resources best because instead of going page by page we can use the index. If someone has had a hard time with a trusting God we can look up the deovtions for “trusting God.” If patience has been weak we choose a devotion on that fruit of the Spirit. Applying God’s Word to their personal daily needs is like taking advantage of a teachable moment. God’s Word meets them where they are at today and the next and the next showing He is the answer in all life’s joys and concerns! We try not to be too rigid in doing “devotion time” at dinner, but to follow Dueteronomy and talking about God when you wake up, when you lie down, when you walk along the road….whenever and wherever…let Him be a part of your daily conversations throughout the day.

My family has never done a devotional together before. I have ran the child care at my church several times and did a bible study with my kids there, but not at home! I am going to look into doing this bible study though, it looks fun!

Yes! My kids actually get very upset when we have to miss a day due to unforeseen. Now we are adding a Bible Study to our Homeschool curriculum and we are all looking forward to it!

Haven’t yet done an “official” devotional yet, but ready to get started.

BTW, did anyone else check out the preview pages, and notice that the old dude on the front cover, you know the GRAY-HAIRED dude with the geezer spectacles, says he was born in 1975? Really? So people my age (more or less) look THAT OLD to the next generation? Youch!

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