Glimpses of Redemption

Dannah Gresh: Kathryn Butler says reading aloud is good for children . . . and it’s good for adults, too.

Kathryn Butler: Great children’s literature offers glimpses of redemption that can stir our hearts as kids but which can silence us with awe when we’re adults well-versed in Scripture.

Dannah: This is the Revive Our Hearts podcast with Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, co-author of You Can Trust God to Write Your Story, for July 25, 2023. I’m Dannah Gresh.

Yesterday we heard the first part of a message that is both inspiring and practical. Dr. Kathryn Butler is talking about how we can point children to the greatest Story of all—a true story!—the good news about Jesus.

If you missed yesterday’s episode, you can always get caught up by listening at ReviveOurHearts.com, through the Revive Our Hearts app, or wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll hear part two of Kathryn’s message in a few minutes.

She said something in part one that I think is particularly important. “Give them Scripture first.” This is something Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth is passionate about.

Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth: In an interview for a magazine article some time ago, I was asked this question: “What impact did the Bible have on your coming to faith in Christ, and what impact has it had on your growth as a disciple?” To which I quickly responded, “Everything.” I’m serious about that answer. I cannot thank the Lord enough for the blessing of having grown up in a Word-saturated environment.

My parents loved the Lord. They weren't perfect, but it was clear that they loved the Lord. They modeled a high view of Scripture. They were consistently in the Word themselves, and they tried hard to make it a part of the fabric of our everyday home life—and that's in a family of seven kids, all very close in age. You can imagine, that was challenging at times. But they did it, and they gave us a lot of positive exposure to others who loved Jesus and honored His Word.

Those early experiences of learning God’s Word and, so very important, seeing it lived out in our home. That gave me a priceless gift that has been with me for all of my life. That gift is an appetite for God.

The fact is, we all have appetites. The question is, what do we have appetites for? I’m so thankful for the ways that my parents helped to foster in us an appetite for what really satisfies, and that’s Jesus.

My parents would be the first to say that they fell far short of all they wanted to be as parents. But I know this . . . more than anything else, they wanted each of the children in their home to know and love God, so they made sure that our lives were planted in His Word.

Now, I don’t want you to get the wrong impression. It’s not that our family talked about the Bible all the time, or that we had family devotions at three meals a day, or that our family perfectly lived up to the Bible’s ideals. None of that is true.

But, my parents were intentional in their efforts to make our home revolve around the Lord and His Word. I’m still reaping the benefits of that every day of my life. I’m still hungry for God, and eager to cultivate that appetite in others, and that’s why we have this ministry.

You may not have been blessed with that kind of spiritual upbringing, and perhaps as a parent you’re thinking, Wow, I’d love for my children to have a lifelong passion for God and His Word, but I’m not even sure my own spiritual hunger is what it ought to be.

Spiritual appetites can’t be forced. I think we know that. Parents can’t make their children want to walk with God. You know as well as I do that it's all grace that God has to turn on the light in their little hearts and draw them to Himself. But I do believe that there is a whole lot that parents can do to "salt the oats," so to speak. And not just parents, but also caring friends—to create an atmosphere in children’s lives that is conducive to spiritual growth and hunger, and to nurture in children a desire to know and cherish Christ.

Dannah: That’s our host, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth. 

Next up: Carrie Ward. Carrie was the mom of young kids. God used a series of circumstances, including some painful ones, to open her eyes to her need for Him. So she cried out to God in prayer.

Carrie Ward: I think it was really what God used to grow in me a hunger to know Him, so that it wasn’t so much of fulfilling a duty as it was getting to know God. And I think, really, that time of prayer is what I would pinpoint as when God really started to work—and I was praying for something else. I wasn’t praying God would help me read the Bible. I was praying for something else.

Dannah: Carrie found a growing holy restlessness. She tried to get up early to read and pray, but usually that was difficult because of the kids. So she decided to try something audacious. 

Carrie: The idea came to me, “Why not just read them the Bible? You want your kids to know God. You’re struggling to read the Bible. Why don’t you just do it together?”

Dannah: So she started in Genesis. One chapter a day. Reading to three and later four preschoolers! She had doubts it was going to work.

Carrie: Genesis chapter 1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth . . ." (v. 1)

Dannah: Since this plan was the result of a growing hunger for God’s Word, it seemed appropriate that Carrie and the kids would read the Bible each day while eating breakfast.

So the day finally came when Carrie, Graham, Maggie, and Benjamin began their journey through the entire Bible. Carrie doesn’t remember the exact conversation, but does remember that it was chaotic . . . something like this . . .

Carrie: “Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their host, and . . ." (2:1)

Emma: Mom, can I have some more toast?

Carrie: Um, sure, just a second . . . “By the seventh day God completed his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which He had done” (2:2).

Benjamin: Do we have to take a nap today?

Carrie: Yes, God rested and so should you. Where was I? “Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it . . .” Where are you going?

Benjamin: I need to wash my hands.

Carrie: Can you wait just a minute?

Maggie: Mom, I spilled!—ew—sticky it’s sticky . . .!

Dog: Woof woof!

Carrie: And I felt like I was reading out loud to myself much of the time.

Emma: Mom, can I have more juice?

Carrie: And I wondered if it was going to work. So, the first three days were chaos and had me feeling like, “I don’t know if we can do this.” I was still motivated to try.

Dannah: Then the fourth day came along, the story of Cain and Abel.

Carrie: “Now Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let’s go out into the field.’ While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother and killed him. The Lord said to Cain, ‘Where’s your brother Abel?’ I don’t know,’ he replied. ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’” (Gen. 4:8–9).

Dannah: Carrie began cleaning the dishes after yet another discouraging Bible reading session, but then she heard something in the next room.

Benjamin: God, here’s my offering of vegetables.

Dannah: Her kids were playing, acting out a story.

Emma: It's my offering. It's a sheep.

Dannah: It wasn’t one they had heard on TV or in a movie. They were acting out the story they had just heard during their chaotic breakfast.

Benjamin: I need to get him . . .

Dannah: Carrie was so happy that it didn’t even bother her that both kids wanted to play the role of Cain.

Benjamin: I want to be Cain this time.

Maggie: But you were Cain last time.

Carrie: So they were both wanting to whack each other with some invisible farm tool. Both your kids wanting to be Cain is probably not something a mom should be excited about, but I was very excited at that point, because I knew that they were hearing. They were acting it out in great detail, so I knew they were really hearing what I was saying, even though it didn’t look like they were listening. That was really a gracious thing God did to help give me a boost to keep going.

[Sound of children laughing while playing]

After the morning my older two kids acted out Cain and Abel, this became a regular routine. We would read a story—and the Old Testament is so rich with stories—we would read something and they would be almost immediately in the living room acting it out.

Dannah: One story that captivated this family was from 1 Kings 13.

Carrie: "Now, when the king heard the saying that the man of God cried out against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, 'Seize him'" (v. 4).

Dannah: During breakfast, Carrie read this story about a king who had established idols in Israel.

Carrie: "But his hand which he stretched out against him dried up so that he could not draw it back to himself."

Dannah: The kids were fascinated that this king’s hand withered, and they kept repeating the story. 

Benjamin: “Seize him.”

Dannah: . . . Curling their hands toward their chests and then crumpling to the floor.

[Children screeching]

Carrie: That’s the great thing about kids, they sort of put themselves in the story. So they don’t just hear it, they turn around and play that way.

The king said to the man, "Please entreat the Lord your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored to me," so the man of God entreated the Lord and the king’s hand was restored to him and became as it was before.

This was just very encouraging for me, and it was also helping to reinforce what we read. It reinforced it in me, and I felt like it was reinforcing in their lives as well, because they would play that after we read it, and it was very encouraging. That went on for months because that whole section of Scripture is so full of stories that are ready to be acted out.

Benjamin: I come to you in the name of the Lord.

Nancy: I remember when Carrie and Wes first started talking about the fact that she was reading the Bible aloud to their children. Most parents are thinking, How in the world can they possibly understand this? How is this going to make a difference in their lives?

But I remember thinking, This is so wise, this is so great to be indoctrinating the children, impressing this in their heads and hearts when they’re so little—that this is what they’re teething on, the Word of God. I don’t know any more valuable way that you can help to pass the baton of truth on to the next generation than by being involved in getting the Word into the lives of your children. My friend Carrie Ward has written about her journey in reading the Bible with her children in a little book called Together: Growing Appetites for God.

I want to encourage every mom who has kids still in the home to get a copy of this book, which will encourage you to purposefully share God’s Word with your children.

Dannah: You’ll find all the information about this book by Carrie Ward, at a link in the transcript of this program, at ReviveOurHearts.com, or find it on the Revive Our Hearts app. Again, the title is Together: Growing Appetites for God. There’s also more from Carrie and her family in a Revive Our Hearts podcast season by that same title.

Dr. Kathryn Butler shared with us yesterday that it’s important to give our kids the Scripture first. And I hope Carrie Ward has gotten your own creative juices flowing on ways you can do that.

What Kathryn shared in her breakout session at last fall’s True Woman conference is that, beyond reading the Bible, good children’s stories are another way to point kids to the gospel. Let’s pick back up. Kathryn’s in a list of five practical ways to do that: 

First, she said, "Give them Scripture." Then, number two, “Know your kids.” In other words, wisely choose stories that fit their maturity level and personality.

Here’s Kathryn Butler.

Kathryn: The third is to pick the best stories.

So, how do we discern whether a story we read to our kids reflects the one who overcame the world or the world itself? I think Paul’s words of discernment in Philippians 4:8 are hugely helpful:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (ESV)

Seek books that overflow with the true, pure, and lovely.

Educator Charlotte Mason refers to “living books” as the sustenance for children’s minds and describes such literature as the fit and beautiful expression of inspiring ideas and pictures of life.

Search for such books that explore our sinful nature with humility, point to our hope in Christ with reverence, and highlight the victory of good over evil. I have some resources for you if you want to write these down. I’m going to give you a bunch of websites that offer lists of books with reviews by Christian reviewers. Okay? And there’s some books also that I can recommend.

Redeemed Reader is a fantastic review site. It’s run by an educator as well as a writer who are both believers. And they specifically look at books intended for Christian families. They review everything. So everything that’s popular out there, I think of the Dragon Fire series. Anything that’s popular that kids are picking up and might be excited about at school, they offer reviews on.

They will offer a narrative of the concept, but they also will give a score. I’m not usually huge on numeric scores, but this is helpful. Out of the five points, they score the world view, and they score the literary quality. So you can get a sense of whether or not it’s highly recommended. It’s also been in place for over a decade, so they’ve got a very wide selection. I highly recommend Redeemed Reader.

Another which is similar but has a smaller offering because it’s one mom doing this as a ministry is The Good Book Mom, which actually is also a service. She offers podcasts and other articles of interest. And she does a beautiful job with reviewing. She really engages with the text, and she does a good job anticipating what age groups it would be appropriate for, what content which some parents and their kids find objectionable. It’s very, very helpful.

I’m sure many of you are already familiar with Sarah Mackenzie’s the Read-Aloud Revival. That’s an excellent source of just knowing what’s out there. I’ve found she’s not quite as discerning in terms of the books she recommends, but it’s a great resource in terms of what’s available.

Story Warren is the blog by S. D. Smith for The Green Ember series, who’s a hilarious person in real life, by the way. We had a Zoom call recently. He was wearing a DuckTales shirt. My kids came on, and he put on bunny ears and swung a sword at the screen. (laughter)

Their whole ministry and their focus is holy imagination. So, trying to shepherd kids in the gospel. They have a lot of articles about these types of things: reading aloud, playing with your kids, and pointing them to Christ. But they also offer reviews.

World Magazine frequently puts out recommended books listings

And then, Little Book, Big Story, is a personal blog of Théa Rosenburg. And she has a particular interest in picture books. She includes a lot of picture books that she’s found to be helpful as a Christian mom.

And then, if you’re interested in just the riches of reading aloud, there are a couple of books that I can recommend: Wild Things and Castles in the Sky was just recently released. It’s a collection of essays, but they’re beautifully written, and it focuses on pointing kids to the gospel through stories for different age levels, how to pick the right stories, different genres. And they’re beautiful in and of themselves to read and to inspire.

The Enchanted Hour I mentioned. That is a book that really focuses on the joys of reading aloud. It’s not overtly Christian.

On Fairy Story by Tolkien, it’s obvious he’s talking about this whole idea that stories offer a gleam of the gospel.

And Mitali Perkins, who is a middle-grade author, has written many books. She had a book come out recently called, Seeped in Stories. It’s interesting to read because she actually credits her love of children’s literature with leading her to the gospel. She reviews and talks about how very specific books, I think Anne of Green Gables was one of them . . . She points out a lot of books in her childhood that opened her heart to the message of Jesus, and that one is a lovely one to read.

The fourth is to draw out gospel themes.

So, as you read with your kids, be alert to biblical themes in the story. Look for the redemptive ark in the character or plot line that points to our salvation in Christ. Here are some examples. Some of these are going to be obvious. But anything that’s redemption or sacrificial love is potential fruit.

• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe—Aslan giving his life to save Edmond’s. That’s a big obvious one.
• The Voyage of the Dawn Treader we’ve talked about.
• Fellowship of the Ring—Gandalf giving his life for the Fellowship.
• Return of the King—Aragorn returning to rule over a kingdom made new.
• The Mistmantle Chronicles—as I mentioned, they place their hope in a creator. They call him the Heart, but he’s God, that will help to restore them when they are under tyranny of an oppressor.
• Green Ember series—Helmer gives his life for others. Smalls returns as the one true king.

While these examples are supposed to reflect the works of Christian authors, even less overt literature can prove instructive if you approach it with discernment. 

Shakespearean tragedies, I know people have different thoughts about Shakespeare and debauchery and everything, but if you read the tragedies and you get a good abridged version, it does a wonderful job of portraying for your kids the destructive power of sin.

• Think about Macbeth harboring the guilt and what happens as a result.
• Richard the Third is another one. If your kids are old enough to handle it, these are great ways to open up discussions about what sin does.
• Dickens, as I mentioned, stirs us to compassion for the poor and for widows and orphans.
• The Cricket in Times Square and Charlotte’s Web highlight love for neighbor and hope in despair.
• Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson illustrate God’s faithfulness and provision.

Even Greek Mythology—hang with me here, okay?—with its rampant idolatry, can offer teachable moments when we contrast it with the God of the Bible. Okay? So, when you read these, again, with a discerning eye.

When you openly discuss the brutality and lasciviousness of Zeus and Hera’s conniving, those wither before the majesty and the mercy and the holiness of the one true God, the One who’s abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. But I find that reading them, you can point out: “What do you think about this?” And it gives them a framework to understand our own God and what we read in the Bible.

So even the bad guys in stories, if we do it with a keen eye, can help emphasize how God’s grace is so radical, so astounding, and such good news.

The last thing I would suggest is to make it a habit.

So a habit of reading aloud with your kids facilitates this interweaving of great books. Reading aloud was part of our lifestyle. That’s why I think these conversations happened. I gave them the Bible first, and then we are used to a routine of reading together and talking.

A child unaccustomed to read aloud may initially grumble, but as the routine melds with your rhythms, the complaints will ebb.

Take whatever time works for your family. If it’s after school. If it’s during a meal, which I found is great because they’re a captive audience. They have no choice but to sit there and listen. Cuddle together before bed, whatever works. Even if it’s audiobooks in the car. Audiobooks count provided you talk with them afterwards about what you’re listening to.

Any of them, as long as you dialogue, and you make it a habit, you can reap these benefits.

And I would say, too, for us, the vast riches of children’s stories aren’t for kids alone. Great children’s literature offers glimpses of redemption that can stir our hearts as kids, but which can silence us with awe when we’re adults well-versed in Scripture.

As kids, you can delight in the magic of Narnia, but the amusement deepens to wonder as adults when we marvel at the Christian allegory woven throughout.

And Tolkien’s Ring of Power affects us more powerfully when we’ve borne the weight of sin over the long decades.

And the redemption of the protagonist grandfather in Heidi strikes us as deeply poignant, and we fully grasp the theme of “the prodigal son” that throbs at the center of the novel.

So as children, great stories point our young, flourishing minds to the gospel. But as adults, such stories steep us in gospel hope when we need it most.

Mitali Perkins, the author I just mentioned, she writes this, “Don’t you miss the peace that a good story left behind in your souls? Children’s books can still do that work for adults.”

Good stories for children, after taking us through a hero’s journey fraught with danger and loss, leave us with hope. And such hope can prove vital as air when the narratives of the world threaten to crush us. When headlines mercilessly confront us with the wages of our sin, great stories remind us that sin has been swallowed up in victory, that our Savior will return, that good will overcome, and that heaven rules.

When we read happy endings in kids’ literature, our minds turn to the greatest happy ending of all, an ending no power on earth can wrench from us. Such stories imprint upon the heart and mind that linger long after the end. They shape and guide us, leaving a mark that never fades.

When Christian themes weave through stories like glittering threads, those marks point our children and ourselves to the hope that endures even in the deepest darkness. The best stories point us to Christ, and His ending is perfect. It will never disappoint. It flows like a cool cup of water ushered to eternal life.

The King, the One who bore our burdens will return. The cursed ring will burn up, and in this ending, the greatest of all happy endings, although for now we groan, we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Thank you guys so much.

Dannah: Kathryn Butler, from a workshop she led at True Woman, last fall in Indianapolis. Keep in mind, all of the books she recommended are listed in the transcript of this program. To find it, head to ReviveOurHearts.com, click or tap on today’s episode, and the transcript is right there on that page. There are also “Related Resource” links on that page, too. On the Revive Our Hearts app, it’s similar. Tap your way to today’s episode, and then you’ll see “Full Transcript” there at the bottom of your screen. 

While you’re there, be sure to check out our Summer Bible Study Sale going on now. This is a great time to be planning and stocking up for a Bible study to go through this fall with a small group or in the women’s ministry at your church. Some of our studies come with free videos you can download, and everything’s discounted, now through the fourteenth of August.

And last, for your donation of any amount, we’ll say thanks by sending you our inspirational magnetic notepad where you can jot down a list, say, of books to read as a family, or what to buy at the store, or ways God has blessed you. It’s just a simple way we’re showing how grateful we are for your donation here in the middle of the summer. 

To give and request your notepad, go to ReviveOurHearts.com, or call us at 1-800-569-5959.

Now, just as with children, so with anyone: serving others can sometimes be very costly, but it's also really rewarding. Nancy shows us twelve characteristics of an effective servant, tomorrow on Revive Our Hearts.

Revive Our Hearts with Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth encourages you to read stories that point kids to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ.

All Scripture is taken from the ESV.

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