The God Puzzle by Valerie Ackermann

I am always on the lookout for Bible studies that would be great for me to use with my children, whether in school or for the summer.  I am very cautious about what I use because I want it to be biblical and not just fluff. I don't want it watered down or basic.  I want deep truths because even a child can understand these.

I was pleased to find out that this workbook was just perfect for our use in school in a few years.  I think my 5-year-old could answer some of the questions now, but I want to save it for when he can fill the answers out himself.  It's geared or ages 7-12.  The biblical truths are geared for all ages!

The pages are bright and colorful.  I even like the child-like font they chose to write in.  The first section of each topic is "Get the facts...Observation."  It's all about what the Bible says about the certain topics.  Then it moves to Interpretation and what does it mean. I've always feared this section, because I firmly believe the Bible ill interpret itself through other scriptures, etc.  Many books use this to speak their own opinion.  I appreciated that there are Bible verses to help answer the interpretation part and that Valerie Ackerman doesn't use it to express her thoughts.

Some sections have a "tool" section or an "application" section or a "What does God think about it" section.  Each lesson varies in what section it has.  Each section does have a "read it" section that has extra verses already written out for the child to read.  Then it's followed by a "talk about it" section that allows the child and parent to go into further discussion.  It also allows the parent to gauge how much the child understands on the topic.  The last section is a "talk to God about it" section.  The child can either pray about what they have learned or write their prayers out on a following page.

The topics are so good in here for children.  There are 36 lessons.  Just a few topics discussed are: Who is God, What is sin, What is the Trinity, How do I Accept Jesus as My Savior, How is the Christian Life like a Battle, What is Communion, What is Worship, How do I Study the Bible, and so much more.  Each lesson is wonderful, in my opinion.

I hope she writes more of these books in the near future so that we can use these in our schooling!

You can read more reviews on this book by going to http://litfusegroup.com/author/VAckermann.
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About the Book                     

The God Puzzle is a colorful, easy to use tool to help you communicate to your child the rich truths about God, His ways, His will and His love. The God Puzzle will help you address doctrinal themes of the Christian faith in a kid friendly way, present Bible lessons in an interactive way that will hold the child’s attention and deliver quality teaching with no preparation needed. 75% of children leave the church when they leave home. Something isn’t working. Sunday School isn’t doing it all. Kids need answers, good ones. And they need them from you, the parent. This book enables you to give them simple, clear answers.
What makes The God Puzzle unique?
- ready made discussion questions for parent to ask their child in each lesson
- can be done at any pace that works with your family…every night, once a week, 10 minutes here, 30 minutes there…it fits into realistic family life
- puts the pieces together for a child to understand God, the Bible, and the Christian faith
- in each lesson the responds to the truth so they understand their relationship to God is personal and life transforming
- any parent, whether they know nothing, or a lot about God can start teaching their child today with no prep
- deep theology put into language a child can understand
- deeply Biblical, each lesson points to Christ
- put in an order that starts with creation, and teaches the Bible as one story that all points to Christ
- child stays engaged by filling in blanks, crosswords, drawing, matching and using their Bibles as they learn

About the Author
 

Valerie Ackermann has a BA in Theology and has been a full time Children's Ministry Director at Parkwood Community Church in California for over 10 years. She is also a weekly Sunday school teacher, wife, and busy mom of two boys ages 9 and 11. She has hands-on experience as a children's ministry professional, teaching and leading children of all ages. Growing up in a Christian family in the small town of Saskatchewan Canada, she has wonderful memories of knowing God from an early age. She has a passion for kids to know the deep truths of God. Find out more at LeadMeToGod.com.
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I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.