Valerie -Available this week is a new Bible resource called the Go Bible. This Bible is packed with over 600 features to immerse kids ages 7 to 11 in God's Word. Several of the contributors to these features are eager to share their experience and passion for this project. So we are getting to chat with not just one author today, but several in this bonus episode. These contributors have an encouraging message for your kids about God's transforming work through the Go Bible.
Amy Parker
One of the contributors is author Amy Parker. Amy has written and co-written more than 70 books for children, teens, and adults, and she has collaborated with authors ranging from New York Times bestsellers to her own sons. Welcome to Bookworthy Amy.
Amy -Thank you so much. Thanks for having me.
Valerie -It is a pleasure to have you. I've been a big fan of yours for a long time and Firebird holds a very special place on my shelf. It was so good. And it was one of those books that when I was a new mom, it was something that encouraged me just as much as I encouraged my son.
Amy -That was a great book. Yeah, there's, I mean, and of course I, and I can say that was a great book because I just helped to write that book. It was, it was based on a, on a movie. but I really infused the mama in that book with some good Southern mama, characteristics. Yeah. Yeah. So, I had fun with that one, but you know, still stayed true to the amazing story that, that was the original story.
Valerie -I love it. Well, to start us talking about the Go Bible Project, what is your favorite Bible story and why?
Amy -it is impossible to pick a favorite Bible story, but that's the amazing thing about the Bible, I think, is that no matter what phase of life you're in, there is a passage or a story that applies to you right then. So for me, this is not super publicly known, but I've, I've just finished law school and I'm studying for the Bar, so I'm going to say David and Goliath right now because it's a classic. Everybody knows it, but it's that it's a great one to remember when you're feeling really inadequate and you're facing something huge like the bar exam or your first day of school or standing up for what's right when no one else is. And it just reminds you that it's not about you. It's not about how inadequate you are or how inadequate you feel. It's about the God who's inside you the power that lives within you and what that allows you to do. So it reminds you to rely on that power and not, not, not your own power.
Valerie -which is true, like you said, both with the bar exam coming up, as well as, you know, just our kids that are possibly walking into public school, maybe for the first time this fall. And our culture is just different and it's hard. And to say you believe in Christ and say you believe in the Bible is almost a radical thing nowadays.
Amy -It is, it faces a lot more pushback today than, you know, maybe than our parents felt when they, you know, they used to have prayers in school every morning and, and things like, which I can't even imagine. So, so yeah, it just, it just reminds you, too, and the story of Daniel, just bringing up the prayer thing, the story of Daniel, he, you know, this is not new. Facing pushback for believing is not new. Daniel was told not to pray or you would be punished and Daniel said, I'm still praying and I'm gonna pray by my window with the window open. I'm not, you know, I serve a higher authority and I'm supposed to pray to him. So yeah, I think there is a Bible story for everything that we're facing if we just access that tool and unlock that wisdom.
Valerie -And I love that you guys have put together such a great resource in the Go Bible. What made you excited about this project?
Amy -Well, first of all, Tindale is so intentional and prayerful about everything they do. This is not a product to them. This is a mission to them. And then second, when I heard about all of the other contributors, you know, a Bible is on a practical level. It's an expensive project. I mean, just the production cost of a Bible. That's a lot of pages. And then you try to put color in that many pages, which they have done. It's costly. So when it comes to the writing, you know, it would make sense for them just to find, you know, starting writers, the writers who are gonna do it for, but they didn't. They went out and found writers who had been working in this industry for a long time, who've been putting out just quality children's materials that we have been, that we've raised our kids on, focus on the family, things like that, you know, those kinds of writers who've been contributing to that for a long time, Doreena Williamson, Xochitl
Dixon, they are, they were very deliberate about finding these beautiful diverse voices so that this book applies and appeals to everyone, which the word of God does naturally and somehow, you know, sometimes we don't do a great job of displaying that. And then Tama Fortner, who's worked on everything from Max Lucado to, I just pulled my headphone out, Max Lucado to Louis Giglio. I mean, everybody knows who those people are. So she's worked with them, writing for them, and she's written her stuff too. And she's just a phenomenal human being. So they have pulled together this dream team of authors and writers. And the whole process, we've had so many prayerful meetings and Zoom calls and email changes where we're all praying for each other and praying each other through this process. And it's just, we all, I can speak for all of us, no matter what we've written or contributed to, we all, I think, would agree that the Word of God is the most powerful tool that we can help put out there. And so no matter what kind of children's products we create, this is probably, you know, I would say the most important project for us because it is, it's helping kids engage with and love to learn more about the word of God. And nothing is more powerful than that.
Valerie -Yeah, I got to was I was at a conference recently and so I got to see some of the early copies of the Go Bible and it is just very immersive and very engaging for young minds because I think the Bible does become very daunting. If you look at it, look at the family Bible that is massive and sits on the coffee table or wherever you have your family Bible.
Amy -Yeah. It really is. And to put color illustrations throughout a Bible, I mean, I used to be an editor and, you know, in a publishing house and that, you know, that they have invested in this resource. They have truly invested. They're like, if we're going to do a Bible, we're going to do it right. And they have invested in the resources to make this as engaging and informative and true to God's word as possible. So I'm just, I'm excited and honored and proud to just be part of this team.
Valerie -Now what part of the Go Bible did you work on Amy?
Amy -I wrote a section, I don't know if it's named that in the Bible, in the actual printed copy, but I worked on what they called the special pages, which was sort of this potpourri of
different things. There are lists and devotional-type stories, but just things, just writings that help enhance and engage kids in whatever content they're reading at that portion of the Bible. There are anecdotal things and lists of, you know, faithful heroes and things like that like we see in Hebrews 11. So it just pulls out those portions and highlights them for kids. And they really gave me free rein and just let me be creative with however I wanted to highlight those portions. And then I also created a list of verses to highlight, which may seem very common and to have memory verses in a Bible or any Christian product. But I think those are some of the most powerful things that we can learn to have memory verses. We're supposed to hide the Word of God in our hearts. And for little ones, that can be hard and daunting. But in making that list, I think memory verses do that. They allow kids, they give kids those tools to hold in their hearts and minds so that when they need them, they don't have to go open a Bible. They're in their minds, they're implanted there and they can access them at any time and that can be really powerful. So in creating that list, I just thought, what do I want kids to know? No matter what, what are the most important messages that this Bible holds that I want kids to know? If they only learn these verses, what do I want them to know? So that was my rationale in pulling out those verses for that list.
Valerie -Do you know of, what are some of those verses that you listed? I know I'm asking you on the fly here.
Amy -gosh. Yes, you are. I bet I could pull some out. I mean, you know, they're the classic ones that I know the plans I have for you says the Lord plans to prosper you. and I don't know if I'm quoting the NLT when I say that, but yeah, there are lots. Let's see if I can find one. Of course, every page I'm on does not have them. But anyway, I know the plans I have for you are on there and just all of those messages that we want our kids to know and we also were very intentional about making those short so that that could be a memory verse-type activity for a child.
Valerie -Not like memorizing all of Galatians or something.
Amy -Yes, and so here's one. There's a key verse challenge, Joel 2:13. And here I am in Joel, whoops, Joel 2:13 Return to the Lord your God for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. This one has an activity with it that says to memorize this verse by writing its words in random order on a piece of paper and drawing a line to connect them in the right order. Repeat the verse to
yourself whenever you feel guilty or ashamed and allow God's mercy, compassion, and love to fill you up. So that is not only a memory, you know, it's an activity that will help kids to memorize that verse over and over. So anyway, those types of activities and interactions are on pretty much every spread of this Bible. There is something for kids to do on pretty much every spread of that Bible that gets them engaged. And if you have any kind of education background, that key verse challenge that I read, you know that that has them It's a memorization tool that challenges that, you know, it sounds like a fun activity for kids to do, but that is going to help them memorize that verse and be able to recall it when they need it.
Valerie -Very neat. Now, Amy, how do you stay motivated to read the Bible as someone who has studied it for many years?
Amy -You know, I think once you see and feel the power of transformation that it has, it becomes like breathing, I think. I have to read the Bible every day. And sometimes like right now, when I'm knee-deep in studying for the bar, you know, my brain is overloaded. I'm not doing an in-depth study. I am reading a passage every day so that I read through the Bible in a year, but I'm not doing, you know, a lot of times I'll pair it with a devotional or some sort of, you know, Bible study book. But right now I'm just reading that passage that gets me through the Bible in a year. But, so I'll approach it different ways, and I have approached it different ways over the years, but I have to start my day with that word and I've seen over and over and over again the benefits of just having that daily practice. And so it's a tool that I don't want to go away. It's a tool that I have to have in my life. So that's my motivation. It's like breathing.
Valerie -I love that because, you know, I can't remember the verse off the top of my head, but you know, just that God's word never returns void. You know, it's living and it's active. And even if it's a verse you've read a hundred times, God can show you something different or apply it to a different situation in a different way. And I love that you guys, it does. Yes. It's the same message, but it impacts us differently.
Amy -It is exactly, it is ever-changing but stays the same. How does that happen? Exactly. Right.
Valerie - I love that you have been a part of this project to help make the Bible so tangible for children because it is a lot. I mean, no matter our age, we can continue to read and still find new things, but to give kids an accessible way to explore, have fun, and just love the Bible at a young age is just going to set them up in such a wonderful way.
Amy -I hope and pray that that's what this Bible does.
Valerie -Wonderful. Well, thank you, Amy, so much for your dedication to this project.
Amy -Thank you. Thanks for having me.
Joshua Cooley
Valerie- Another one of the contributors of the Go Bible project is New York Times bestselling author and longtime children's minister, Joshua Cooley, who I had the pleasure of interviewing in season three. Welcome back to Book Worthy Joshua.
Josh -Hi Valerie, so good to be back with you, thank you.
Valerie -It is fun to have you back. Now, the Go Bible is coming out here in September, but I want to start with what is your favorite Bible story and why.
Josh -Yeah. Well, wow, that's a tough one. So my parents gave me a biblical name, right? So I always, I do like the book of Joshua. I think he's a solid guy, right? But, you know, I'll be honest as a writer and a former kids minister, I really, this is kind of random. I love the story of Ehud. Okay. He's one of those, he's one of those early judges in Israel, right? I think it's Judges chapter three. And he's the guy who stuck the dagger in the belly of the evil Moabite king, Eglon. And, you know, the king, as the scripture describes it, the king was a pretty big guy. Ehud's dagger goes all the way in and gets swallowed up by the king's gut. And then the king's servants thought that they, you know, that the king was just using the restroom and that's why he was gone for so long. So it says they waited for him until the point of embarrassment and then came in and found the king dead. I mean, As a kid's minister, as a kid's author, like that's solid gold, right? You have so much to work with. I mean, there's potty humor in the Bible. Like, wow. He knew, right?
Valerie -Yep. Or was it with Elijah on Mount Carmel? It's like, is your God using the bathroom? You know, kind of, my kids love that.
Josh -That's right. So there's some pretty good humor and some good winks in the Bible for sure.
Valerie -Most definitely. Well, what made you excited about this Go Bible project?
Josh -Yeah, you know, I don't think I ever had a resource like this as a kid. Of course, I had probably multiple copies of scripture, right? But I didn't have anything quite like the Go Bible it just had so many cool features that would have helped me and other kids connect the dots to what they were reading. So for instance, you know, kids need to know that the order of the biblical canon, the order of the books in the Bible is not necessarily a chronologically linear path. So, you know, they're grouped into categories, right? So, you look at where Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, for instance, fall. They fall before Psalms and Proverbs and some of the prophetic books, but in the timeline of history, they happened after some of those. And so that can be confusing to kids, right? So just having a book like this, a Bible like this, that gives them some notes on when things were written, who wrote them, and just some of the background, I think, will help them connect the dots of really what the most important thing is of just seeing God's overall plan of redemption, right? It's a big book, but it's made up of a lot of smaller books, it all tells one overarching story of God's love for us through Jesus.
Valerie -I think it's one of those, you know, helping our kids tackle such a big book because even at a young age, you look at the Bible and it's huge and the words are so small and it can be very intimidating. But to take the best story of all time, the one that's impacted our hearts the most, and to help our kids see deeper in a way that connects with them is so important and will be such a great resource to kids and parents. Now what was the element of the Go:Bible that you got to work on?
Josh -Yeah, so it was exciting. I got to work on a team of three people that was responsible for all the book introductions. So 66 books in the Bible, three people. So we each did 22. I think my high school math is still good there. So that was fun. Each book introduction features a who, what, where, when, and why, and how formula. So just helping kids understand the who,
like Who is this? Who is Genesis talking about? Who's it about? What's taking place? Where did it take place? When did it take place? Why is this in our Bible? And then there's a how-to. How does this impact my life? How is this still relevant to me today? And so I just, I love that feature that again, connects the dots for kids and helps them understand this isn't just a random 3000-year-old book plopped into this bigger book, right? There's a purpose for it and here's how it all connects in God's plan.
Valerie -Yeah, it's not just an old book that doesn't have any relevance, which I know a lot of cultures like to label the Bible as that, but it is highly relevant and speaks not just to our world, but to our hearts, which is timeless. Well, Josh, how do you stay motivated to read the Bible, even though you've studied it for many years?
Josh -Yeah, well, going back to something you just said, Valerie, I think, you know, the Word of God is living and active, right? Hebrews 412, it pierces our soul and our hearts with truth, whether we are young or old. So it's just as relevant to me today as it was when I first believed many years ago. I also think of Deuteronomy 29, 29, which says, the secret things belong to the Lord our God but the things that are revealed belong to us and our children forever. I've read that verse a lot of times throughout my life, but I feel like just a few years ago it struck me. There are secret things about God that are too deep too amazing and too sublime for us to understand in our frail human flesh right now. But I want to know as much about Him and as much of the secrets. I want to open that treasure trove of secrets as much as possible in this life because I know it's only going to benefit me and my kids. So that keeps me motivated to just be reading God's Word daily. And of course, there's no limit to what we
can learn from God, right? We're never going to get to the point where we say, okay, I've got God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, and heaven figured out, like, what's next? Like, we're just always going to be learning. So the moment that I say that I've got something all figured out in Scripture, I think is the moment that pride takes over my heart. And I just need to be humble and be a student of the Bible for life.
Valerie- Very neat. I love that you have that heart, not just for your study of the Bible, but also to equip kids and families with this Go Bible project. So thank you so much for your dedication to this project and for helping raise kids who are going to be the next generation of Christ followers. All right. Thank you, Josh.
Josh -Amen. Thank you.
Tama Fortner
Valerie -Children's author Tama Fortner is also a Go Bible contributor. Tama is a Bookworthy veteran who joined us back on launch day. If you haven't heard about her wonderful books, I'll have a link to our previous interview in the show notes. Welcome back to Bookworthy Tama.
Tama -Hi, thank you so much for having me again.
Valerie -It is always a joy. Now, Tama, to start us off, what is your favorite Bible story and why?
Tama -So I guess it's a trio of stories, the lost stories of Luke 15, or maybe I should say the found stories. It's the story of the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost prodigal, or the lost son, I guess. But they're my favorite because they tell us so much about the heart of God that he doesn't leave us lost and wandering. He goes out and searches for us until he finds us. And I especially love the lost sheep, that image of the shepherd carrying us home, and the celebration around that, not condemnation for those who are in Christ. We don't have that condemnation. There's just so much hope and promise in there for those moments when we are all lost and wandering a little bit, and also for those we love who are lost and wandering. So that's just so much of the heart of God in those stories.
Valerie -I love that that kind of tells a little bit about your heart too, and just how you love to reach out to children and to communicate just where hope can be found. Cause I know that's kind of a big theme in a lot of your devotionals and books is just like, God is who we turn to in all things. And I love that about just what the Bible can do for us.
Tama -Yeah, yeah, he rescued us, he rescued me. We've just gotta tell the world about that, right?
Valerie -That's right. What made you excited about this Go Bible Project, Tama?
Tama -So I heard about this through my agent and a mutual connection and was invited to be a part of it. But I tell you the thing that's most exciting about this is that it's more than another Bible that children simply read or are given and sit on a shelf. This is truly a tool. It not only gives children the full Word of God, it's not just a story Bible, but it also gives them tools for how to apply the Word to our lives because Reading the Bible is crucial to studying and memorizing But there's more to it. The Bible is meant to change our lives and I just have a little sampler of it but it gives the kids the tools they need to apply it to their lives and how it can change not only them but the way they approach the world, the way they approach God. And it's, I'm just a little bit excited about it. Can you tell?
Valerie -Just a little bit, which is a good thing to be excited about, you know. So giving kids, you know, the Bible itself, you're looking at, I grew up in a home where we had a bunch of Bibles, but they were very, I don't know, King James version, very big, very, you know, hard to, you know, kind of scary to step into. It was like, I don't even know where to start. And to give kids an ability to not just have God's word but to have ways of implementing it, engaging with it, you know, turning to pages and finding new little facts and things that they wouldn't have known if they just opened up a Bible that wasn't geared for kids. So I love that. Now you have to work on the know and grow sections of the Go Bible. What do you hope kids take away from that contribution?
Tama - So I think that the overall title of the devotions that I wrote kind of says it all. It's now, that we want them to know what God's word says. The second word is that it's growing. And we do want them to grow in their faith and their knowledge and their reliance on God. And then that transformational go, take it out into the world and share it. Because this is just, the news is too good to keep to ourselves. Another thing I love about the way the devotions were handled by the staff and the whole Bible is that it's so rich with illustrations and interesting. I mean, God's word is fascinating, but let's be honest when you're eight years old and you're looking at a two or three-inch book, just text, it is, as you said before, overwhelming. But this is so rich and broken up with facts and illustrations and the no-grow-go that it allows them to take God's Word and do something with it in their lives.
Valerie -I think they can approach a story that they have heard at church or have heard from family or in their storybook, Bible, and go a little deeper to dig a little bit to explore. And I think, you know, when I came to Christ, that fascination with God's word tells us so much. I mean, it seems like a history book, like it doesn't apply, but there's so much that does. And I think giving kids that desire and...Love for God's Word at an early age is so important.
Tama -Exactly, and I mean just a random example, the story of Daniel and the lion's den. I mean how many of us grew up with that in Sunday school and as adults it's still such a great story, but what do we do with that? You know what, how does that change our lives? How does that encourage our faith in God? And that's what my goal for these devotions was to do, is to take those stories, some familiar, some less familiar, and show them what they mean in our lives today.
Valerie -Very cool. Now how do you stay motivated to read the Bible even though you've studied it for many years?
Tama -You know, of course, you sent me these questions in advance, thank you. So I was thinking about that and I am in my third year of doing a program called The Bible Recap, where you read through the Bible in a year. And I did it the first year and I thought, well, I'm gonna do it again because this time my church is doing it and I wanna do it with my church, but is it going to be, you know, I already did this, you know. But the thing I discovered is that God's
Word truly is living and active. I learned perhaps even more the second time reading it through chronologically than I did the first. And now I'm on my third go through and I just can't get enough. The Word is fascinating and it speaks to us in ways that only God could do. So I just To stay motivated, it's just getting over that hump of start. Just start and it will carry you away.
Valerie -That's true for us as adults and as parents looking at our kids, like, how do I take this massive book that is so full of life and truth and try to communicate what is, you know, God has done in my own heart to kids. And I love that the Go Bible is stepping into that space and giving not just kids the tools to grow in their knowledge of the word and knowledge of who God is, but also just helping parents to have a tool like how do I equip my kids? What is out there for my kids to use to grow in their love of God and His word? So very fun. Well, thank you, Tama, for your dedication to this exciting new Bible project for kids.
Tama -Thank you for giving me the chance to rave about it a little bit. I'm just so excited and I can't wait for this to get into the hands of kids.
Valerie -It'll be a treasure for sure. Looking forward to it. Thank you.
Tama - Thank you.
Jesse Florea
Valerie - Another contributor to the Go Bible is author and editor, Jesse Florea. Jesse has written and edited for Focus on the Family for more than 30 years, and currently, he oversees Clubhouse and Clubhouse Junior magazines and co-hosts the official Adventures in Odyssey and official Average Boy podcasts. Jesse has co-written more than 40 books, including the Case for Christ Young Readers edition, Case for Miracles for Kids, and the One Year Devo for sports fans. Welcome to Book Worthy Jesse.
Jesse -Hey, thanks, Valerie. Appreciate being on the program and being able to talk about the Go: Bible.
Valerie -I'm excited to talk about it, but before we get into the Go Bible, you have to tell us what your favorite Bible story is and why.
Jesse -Wow, okay. That's a tough question because as you read the Bible, they all become your favorite. But I guess right now, I'm preparing to go to Greece with my wife in a couple months, and we're gonna do the footsteps of Paul. So I'm reading through Acts again and really digging into it. And I guess those are my favorite stories. In fact, just this last weekend, I was teaching in a classroom of four and five year olds and we were doing the story of Paul and Silas. And of course, they're out there preaching the gospel and, you know, everybody kind of gets angry at them, like always. It just seemed to cause a lot of problems for Paul and Silas. And they're put into prison. And this is the story where, you know, they're in jail and they're singing praises, right? They've been beaten, incarcerated, their legs are chained. It's dark. It's terrible. And they're singing praises to I mean, how amazing is that? And then of
course, God answers with that phenomenal earthquake and all the doors of the prison swing open and the chains fall off their feet and they stay, right? They don't leave, they're freed and they stay and the jailer comes and of course, you know how the story ends, right? The jailer's like, how can I know this God? I mean, he's ready to fall on his sword because he knows he's going to be put to death for allowing these prisoners to escape. And they're like, hey, we're here, we're good. And of course, he and his whole family, the jailer and his whole family are baptized. What an awesome story. I mean, I don't know. I guess all that Paul stuff is so cool. And I guess that's where I'm in right now. I just love those stories of Paul and just his amazing missionary work and how faithful he was to God's calling and dealing with all, right, in all circumstances, right? And he had terrible, terrible circumstances. And in all circumstances, he praised God.
Valerie - That's definitely a challenging section of the scriptures, because we look at our first world problems and we're like, my car wouldn't start this morning. It's like, well, how can we praise God in this? It's just one of those, like, you're taking snake bites and what is it, being thrown off walls and shipwrecks. you're just like, even still, he was willing to continue to move forward and with the goal. And I think that's such a challenge every Christian for sure, even four and five year olds.
Jesse -Yes. Yes. And then I asked the kids what, you know, I'm like talking about how much Paul and Silas love to tell people about Jesus and asked them like, what do you like to do? And I have this little kid in the back there and he's like, I like to be a crab, which wasn't what I was going for at all. that's what's so great about children is that they just say the most honest, great, fun stuff. And of course, Bible's for older kids and these four and five year olds. But again, communicating God's word and getting kids excited about, you know, the Bible is something that I love to five-year-olds
Valerie - Well, how do you stay motivated to read the Bible as you've studied it over the years?
Jesse -Yeah, you know, it's a great question because, you know, when I was in college, at Wheaton College, doing Old Testament, New Testament classes and reading through the Bible and really digging into it as, you know, a historical document, a document that was, you know, breathed, inspired by God and all those things, when you study it, you kind of lose some of the joy. I mean, maybe that's just me, right? When it becomes more of a textbook instead of God's love letter to you. So there have been, I mean, honestly, there've been times in my life where, it's a little bit of a grind to get into God's word. And I think it's at those times where you kind of have to remind yourself that it is truly a love letter from God, that it is a singular story told in 66 books of God pursuing us and rescuing us and then sending his son to die for us. Just what an amazing story. And I think when you realize that and everything that God gives us and just having that attitude of gratefulness, I think it gets you motivated to get back into God's word and read it because there's something in there every single day when you read it that's new. that you recognize, even if you've read through it, you know, a couple times. My wife reads through it every single year. She's done it for the last six years. She's amazing and so faithful in doing that. And I'm not to that level. But, you know, every time when you get into God's Word, you do, you see something, it speaks to you in a new way. you know, again, convicts, motivates, all those stuff, you know. But yeah, it's fantastic. But yeah, think again, I think it's just focusing on what God has done for us and the fact that he's given us this amazing book that teaches us and shows us how much God loves us and shows us the best way to live.
Valerie -Yeah, I think what was it as I've grown reading the Bible on, is it? I'm halfway through the Bible this year. So my first time doing it and, you know, I'm in Isaiah right now, which is a little rough, but I love how, you know, God didn't just, they're all not individual stories. It's all interlinked. It's all, you know, you know, Isaiah is one of the most quoted, you know, by or not books of the Bible in the New Testament. And, and so it's just one of those, it's, it's all so cohesive that, you know, even if you're in a season that is rough and you're like, all right, I'm just checking the box, but God's going to give you a reason to speak that verse, that moment to somebody at some point. So it's never wasted, right?
Jesse -It is, yeah, exactly. It's never wasted.
Valerie -Wonderful. Well, Jesse, what part of the Go Bible did you work on?
Jesse - Well, I got to help out. was on a team of three and we wrote the introductions to each of the books of the Bible. So each had to do 22 and we shared our writing, what we were doing with each other. And what was fun about this was that all the different special sections that they wanted to have in the introductions, right? Of course, you have the history, who wrote it, when they wrote it, all the things that are in those, you know, normally in all the Bibles. But then just the things that made it special, probably the, I don't know, the funnest, is that a word? The most fun part was we did kind of a seek and find, like a hide and seek, like look for these things in this section of this book of the Bible. So, you know, maybe it was three mentions of cows, you know, if it was an Old Testament book, or maybe I got to do the book of John and you look for the eight I statements of Jesus. And he says, I am the vine, I am the good shepherd, I am the way, truth. Look at those and think about what those mean. So kids, they were, when they read through it, they can also look for these fun, and we also try to find funny things too, like unusual things. Look for a floating axe head. know, like, mean, just all these great stories. Yes, we've got hippopotamus, right?
Valerie -Or the hippopotamus. There's one in Job, there's a hippopotamus and like, had no idea.
Jesse -So we like, know, that was really fun to do to make it, again, something that kids would enjoy, those eight- to 12-year-olds who are getting into God's word. you know, they love to find, know, with the magazines I do at Clubhouse and Clubhouse Junior, and Clubhouse Junior for the younger kids here Focus on the Family, we always do, you know, look for, you know, eight fish that we hid in the magazine or 10 sheep or whatever it is. And they love those seek, find things with that, within the whole book. And I think kids are really gonna like these Bible book introductions.
Valerie -That's wonderful. What is your hope that kids take away from your contribution or this whole project?
Jesse -Yeah, I mean, just the transformative power of God's Word. And maybe that's why I love the Paul story so much, because Paul, just into the book of Acts, you go from a hater and killer of Christians to the greatest missionary of all time. mean, talk about life transformation, and that's what Jesus does for us, right? So that's what I really hope for the readers of the Go Bible, those kids get into God's word that their lives are transformed, that they build that foundation in Christ at a young age because, right, the world's a tough place and they're gonna get challenged in their faith. And it's not getting any easier being a Christian these days, whether if you're in public school or in social media or just with your friends or watching TV, right? I mean, we're attacked on all different sides. So I guess my hope is that kids. You know, get into God's word, get excited about it, really dig into it and look for those special, you know, those nuggets, those things in there and just really understand the message of the Bible. Again, how much Jesus loves us and loves us so much, he doesn't want to leave us the way we are, right? He wants to transform us as we follow him and we become more like God and make a difference in God's kingdom. And kids can do that now. They don't have to wait to be an adult, right? Kids can make such an impact for God right where they are.
Valerie -I love that. And I love what the Go Bible is doing to just make the Bible accessible for kids, because it can be just so overwhelming. And it's like, I'm supposed to study this book and you know, what eight to 12 year old really wants to like get down and study. They're not headed to Wheaton college to study the old Testament Greek or anything like that. But I mean, it's one of those, it's a book we want our kids to know about, to know it's more than just a list of events or a list of rules. It's so powerful. The Go Bible is doing that. Well, thank you, Jessie, so much for all your hard work on this project.
Jesse -Well, it was an honor to be part of the team because it's really an amazing team that Tyndale pulled together. And the look of it, I got one in the mail. it's gorgeous. The design, and the font size is so easy to read. The illustrations are so colorful. It really turned out
Valerie -It's going to be a lot of fun. can't wait to get my hands on one. Thank you so much, Jesse.
Jesse -Well, thanks. Appreciate it, Valerie.
Xochitl Dixon
Valerie - This bonus episode's final guest and contributor to the Go Bible Project is author Sochi Dixon. I had the pleasure of highlighting her book, What Color is God's Love, back in Book Worthy Season 3, and I am thrilled to have her back. Welcome back to Book Worthy Sochi.
Xochitl -Thank you so much, Valerie. I love this podcast and I'm happy to be here.
Valerie -It is a pleasure. You always have some little project to highlight for kids. And I'm excited to talk about the Go Bible here with you also. But to start us off, what is your favorite Bible story and why?
Xochitl -That is the hardest question. That's like asking someone, to take your favorite series of books and pick one chapter. And I prayed about that question because I kind of knew you were going to ask that. I said, Jesus's story, the whole Bible from Genesis in the beginning through the end of Revelation, because it all points to Jesus. And I am an advocate of reading through the Bible. It takes only 15 minutes a day if you read fast, and 30 minutes if you're slower like me now. But to read his whole story and see how scripture just points to him in
the Old Testament and reveals everything throughout the New Testament. I mean, I could choose so many Bible stories, but when I asked that question, said, Jesus' story, the whole Bible is my favorite. And if you're going to pinpoint me onto my very, very favorite, I'll stick with that answer, but I'll say I like them all for different reasons. And we don't have that much time to go through it, but Abram just reminds us we can follow God without hesitation. And even when we mess up, we can have faith because he empowers us. Moses reminds us that we are not limited by our limitations. Gosh, there's just so many Paul. We can be transformed, and every miracle points to who God is and just the power of Christ. And the resurrection, of course, is my favorite because we serve the one living God and there is none like him. And it all points to Jesus.
Valerie -It all does. love that. And it's kind of what I grew up in church most of my life, but it wasn't until I was an adult that the idea that Jesus was just as much in the beginning of the Bible as he is in the gospels, as he is in revelations. And I love it when God is sweet enough to reveal him. He revealed them to me in the Psalms not too long ago talking about, you know, was it the cup? You know, usually God is in like the Psalms and some of the Old Testament talks about wine being poured out and that being the wrath of God. Well, Jesus was the cup that caught the wrath of God. And so it's just, it's really always amazing to look at the story in the broad sense, because every story is amazing at certain points in our stories, right? So one will stick with us for one season and one will stick with us in another, but the whole thing, you just I don't know, grows our heart in so many different ways.
Xochitl -Amen. Amen. And the Holy Spirit will continue revealing himself to us as we continue to read through scripture. love that. I don't care how many times you read it. It never gets old.
Valerie -That's right. Well, how do you stay motivated to read the Bible as you've studied it over the years?
Xochitl -Well, prayer first, always say pray before you open the Bible and ask God to reveal Himself. And I try to remember it's not a book. It's just not a story. It is the Word of God and He's engaging with us. So it's like we're meeting Him. We're not just going to, let's just check off a chapter or two or let's go and find a memory verse, but we're hearing from God. And when we ask Him, to speak to me, He always does. He never fails. If we are believers who have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, we can open the word of God and say, speak to me, God, within the context of the scripture that has been given. I think it's really important to have spiritual disciplines to know how to tell the different genres, to know how to approach each text, how to look at the culture, the history, what's prescription, what we do versus description, historical facts. But it's just remembering. I'm engaging with God. I'm spending time with Him. And there was a time in Wisconsin when I was just reading the Bible like a to-do, like to get work done. And I severed my connection with God. And I didn't realize it till after. I'm actually working on a devotional now that shares how that happened and what I learned through it. But I severed my connection because I wasn't meeting with God. I was just going to read and learn and teach but I wasn't spending time worshiping Him, hearing Him, praising Him. And that's what gets me excited when we can actually engage with God through the scriptures and through prayer. It can't get boring when we do that.
Valerie -I love that. think, I think Charles Spurgeon said (actually Justin Peters), that if you want to hear God speak, read the Bible out loud. And so, yeah, it's just cause God is going to speak to us and it never comes back void. And so it's the best-selling book of all time. Well, so what made you excited about this Go Bible project?
Xochitl -Wow, well, I think we have shared before and I think in the past episode, I stole my first Bible. I was 30 years old. I didn't even know you could buy a Bible at that time. I did end up paying for those of you, don't worry. But somebody told me very early in my walk with the Lord, that if you want to grow, you have to read God's word and ask the Holy Spirit to help you obey Him. And so reading the Bible has always been important to me. Just the fact that when I first started reading the Bible somebody gave me a study Bible and another person gave me a devotional Bible. And I said, wouldn't that be cool to be able to write devotions for a Bible? That's so cool. But only, you know, really smart theologians get to do that. So I never even dared to ask God. And that was in 2001 when I was given that gift. And that's when I gave myself to the Lord, was 2001, actually 2002 when I got the devotional Bible. But I started just praying and praying, God show me how you want me to share you. And it's always been through teaching the word of God. And so when I got this opportunity, spiritual growth was such an important part of what I live for and what I love to teach. And when they asked me to do the Choose to Change, which is totally life application, and spiritual growth, After I cried, praise God, and I asked the editor, are you sure? Are you sure? Me? And then I just prayed and I said, God, I want kids to have what I didn't have. I want to be able to equip kids that I wasn't able to do with my kids. I wasn't able to equip them at that time because I was a new Christian. And so by the time I
started learning, they were already grown. And I wanted to offer other kids generations. The one thing that can change their life forever, is the word of God, and teach them how to apply it. I was just thrilled. I'm still kind of in disbelief that I got to be a part of this project but to know that we prayed over everything. We're still praying over it. And we're praying for readers for generations to come. And I know God will use every love offering we have given him in the scripture. And it's part of the whole Bible, the NLT text. So it's not just a devotional, it's not just, not that there's no value in those, I write those, there's value. But nothing replaces the word of God. And if we can equip children to develop their relationship with God instead of leaning on their parents, it's through this type of Bible where it's spiritual formation, discipleship, all about life application, knowing who God is, and how what that means to us. It's a life-transforming Bible. And not just because all the Bibles are life-transforming, it's because everything we put into it is teaching kids how to do those things that I had to learn the hard way over the years.
Valerie -I'm probably still learning some of those things too.
Xochitl -and of still learning. I learn something new every time I read the Bible, even if it's just something learning about myself and how I need to grow a lot.
Valerie -You relate to the not-so-great characters in the Bible and you're like, ooh, that hurts a little.
Xochitl -Yeah, it's like, yeah, that was, my son used to say, that's an in your face, mom, in your face. And I'm like, yes, it was, son, yes it was.
Valerie -Too fun. Well, what do you hope the kids take away from kind of the element you added to the GoBible project?
Xochitl -For the choice to change, I pray that, and some of them are funny, and some of them make you go and think hard and go, what does God's word have to say about this? I pray that they will learn how to engage with scripture in a deeper sense and feel comfortable coming to God, asking questions, and communicating with him. I pray they learn how to nurture their relationship with God so that they can also share. They can fulfill the great commission while living out the greatest commandment as they engage with God. And these life application questions make scripture relevant. And I want them to know God is relevant. I don't care what the world says. God's word is true. Everything about him is real and unchanging. And they can have a relationship with him.
Valerie -I love that, I've been enjoying interviewing so many of the contributors of this Bible and just how much prayer went into this project and just the heart to have the Bible be accessible to kids in this seven to 11 range because there is this, I don't know, thirst that young kids have. I mean, I teach in preschool and elementary out at my church and some kids are asking some very profound questions and I'm like, Okay, I don't, I'm gonna have to get back to you on that one.
Xochitl -They will make us better teachers because they'll make us learners. They will. They will.
Valerie - That's right. They will. And I'm excited to see how families integrate this Bible into their homes and just make the Bible fun. And I think that the Go Bible has done an amazing job at that. Thank you so much. Well, thank you, Xochitl, for all your hard work on this project.
Xochitl -Fun. I am so grateful for you and grateful that I pray you pray with us. Join us in prayer for generations to come and thank you for having us.
Valerie -My pleasure. And thank you for joining us on this bonus episode of the Bookworthy Podcast. Be sure to check out the show notes for any books or links that we discussed and also join us on Facebook and Instagram to let us know what your favorite story in the Bible is. Then hit subscribe and leave a review to help us discover more great books together.
Happy reading.
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