Concordia Publishing House

Easter—the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection after His death upon the cross—is such a joyous occasion, and absolutely central to the Christian faith. If you’re looking to share this wonderful news with children you love, start with this list of some of our favorite children’s books for Easter.

The Bible is a massive book comprising so many important stories of biblical figures. Yet, when reading through it or listening to the readings on Sunday, many things about Jesus can come up. Here are some ways to answer five common questions concerning Jesus Christ and His forgiveness. 

Holy Week and Easter are incredibly important times in the Church Year. Jesus prepared for His crucifixion, and we, too, should reflect as we move through Holy Week, knowing that His death is coming, but so is His victory over death and the devil. Even as we mourn Jesus’ suffering and death on Good Friday, we rejoice that He won the battle for the forgiveness of sins on the cross, triumphantly proclaiming, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Then we await the tomb’s stone to be rolled away as Christ rises from the dead, promising our own resurrection when He returns. Prepare for Holy Week and remember the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made for you with these five devotions from Portals of Prayer Devotional Bible below. 

The Bible makes it clear that Jesus is the main focus of the New Testament. After all, it was His sacrifice on the cross that saved us. But the importance of Jesus as the Messiah can’t be understood just from the New Testament. The prophecy of a Messiah started in the Old Testament, and that prophecy is key to understanding how Jesus perfectly fulfilled that role.

The concept of “God’s plan” can be nebulous. The platitude, “This was just God’s plan,” rings hollow—or even hurtful—in times of pain or terrible events in history. While we cannot always pin down God’s plan for our individual lives, we can observe, straight from Scripture, God’s ultimate plan for salvation.

Did you know that October is Pastor Appreciation Month? Pastors do so much beyond what we see on Sunday mornings— they visit the sick and dying, provide counseling, and are leaders for church or school staff, for example. Take a moment to give thanks for your pastor and pray for his ministry.

Whether you are winding down at bedtime, embarking on a road trip, or seeking reassurance during a hard time, it’s important to spend time with God as a family. Check out the following list of recommended devotionals for all age groups.

Historical context is everything. To gain a richer understanding of these biblical events, we need to be familiar with the time the people lived. Today we read about ancient Egyptian culture to understand what context Joseph and his family lived in. The following has been adapted from Meant for Good.