Christmas is the best time of year to share the story of Jesus’ birth with your children! No matter the age or reading level, the Christmas story can be found in many different books for kids. From beautiful, lifelike pictures to singsong rhyming patterns, there are so many wonderful options to read with your child this Christmas.

We continue our journey through the Bible with another minor prophet—Malachi. The Book of Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament, but it still occurs about 430 years before the birth of Christ.

The coming of John the Baptist is predicted in Malachi 3:1, a forerunner of Christ who will “prepare the way.” This is an excellent book of the Bible to read in December during Advent since it is the closest canonical book of the Old Testament before the birth of Christ. Pay close attention to the prophecies that refer to Christ, and spend extra time meditating on these verses!

The past few months, I’ve been talking about new Bibles. From trying out a devotional Bible to gifting a Bible to someone, we’ve considered why finding the right Bible can enhance your walk with God. Now that maybe you have a new Bible in your hands or you’ve decided you want to continue using your current Bible, it’s time to delve into reading it. A new Bible or renewed vigor for reading the Word of the Lord is an opportunity to reevaluate your Bible-reading habits. But where do you start?

Today, on the Last Sunday of the Church Year, we take our Epistle from Colossians 1:13–20. Our devotional reading comes from The Mighty & The Mysterious by Heidi Goehmann.

Today we celebrate Elizabeth of Hungary, revered for her charity. We commemorate her by reading a brief biography, words from Martin Luther, and a prayer from Treasury of Daily Prayer.

Today we take our Old Testament Reading from Malachi 4:1–6. Our devotional reading comes from Luther’s Works: volume 18, speaking on the Last Day and the kingdom of Christ. 

Habakkuk is one of the minor prophet books of the Bible we traditionally gloss over—it’s only three chapters long, and its prophecies are mostly God responding to Habakkuk’s questions about the impending judgment on Judah.

This book, however, speaks greatly of God’s compassion in the midst of waiting. God is just, and He will avenge sins. But we can also be sure of His grace because of the work of Jesus Christ!

Today our Old Testament Reading comes from Exodus 3:1–15. We take our devotional reading from LifeLight Leaders Guide: Exodus, Part 1.

Our Old Testament Reading for today comes from Isaiah 1:10–18. Our devotional reading is from Reading Isaiah with Luther by Brian L. Kachelmeier, focusing on the last few verses from today’s passage.  

Today we take our Old Testament Reading from Genesis 4:1–15. In our devotional reading today, Luther speaks on the story of Cain and Abel, understanding God’s reasoning behind His reaction to Cain’s and Abel’s offerings to Him, and offering insight into their relationships with their parents, Adam and Eve.