Equipped for Impact

Book Recommendations for Christmas: Because Squishmallows Aren’t Eternal

• Luis Miranda and Nathan Deck • Season 2 • Episode 37

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We challenge the gift list and build a better one: books that form a child’s worldview, fuel wonder, and anchor faith beyond Christmas morning. From toddlers to teens, we share practical picks, why fiction matters, and how to read with your kids so truth sticks.

• why books outlast toys and trends
• connecting Advent and the Bible’s big story
• age-based recommendations for kids, tweens, and teens
• beginner apologetics that build confidence
• teen reads on calling, mission, and justice
• using fiction to train moral imagination
• how to give the why and read together
• one gift that outlasts batteries

If this episode encouraged you share it with another parent who could use this list of recommendations and maybe they can find uh some quick deals that they can get two-day shipping from Amazon to get under their tree this year
Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss our next episodes uh as we continue and wrap up our our Christmas


Send any questions you want answered to podcast@waynechristian.org

This podcast is presented by Wayne Christian School- A Christ-centered community school whose mission is to assist parents and churches in the education of their children from a biblical worldview to impact their world for Christ. You can learn more at waynechristian.org

Nate:

Let me ask you something. When your kids wake up Christmas morning and tear into those gifts, how many of them will still matter six months from now? And here's the harder question. How many of those gifts will actually shape how they think about God, truth, and the world?

SPEAKER_01:

Because the gifts under the tree fade fast, but the ideas planted through books can last a lifetime. Today we're talking about how to give gifts that don't just entertain, but actually disciple.

Nate:

Welcome to Equipped for Impact, the podcast designed to assist Christian parents, leaders, and educators to raise up the next generation, to stand firm in their faith, and influence the world for Christ. We're your hosts. I'm Nate. And I'm Lewis. And we're glad you're here with us today. Today's episode is called Reading the Story. We're talking all about different books and building a library that can cultivate a biblical worldview. And we've had a book list before because you all know, Lewis and I, we love books, don't we, Lewis? We are big readers. So uh we think this is a great time at Christmas time. Maybe some of those books, if you're looking for a last-minute Christmas gift, uh you can put uh maybe one of these books under the tree for your kids, or maybe in your stocking. If it's a small small enough book, I guess. Possibly. Or if you've got a big enough stocking. Yes. Do you all have like big stockings? Or are you how do you do stockings in your house? We I would say they're average size. Like average size. I guess that's all average for who? I guess most people. Most people. Yeah. Like I mean, what if you've got really big feet, so you need really big stockings. That's a good point. Yeah. Um does Shaq have bigger stockings than everybody else? He should. He should, because he has bigger feet. He does. He does. That was the thing growing up, like my mom made stockings for all of us. Oh, okay. Um, and so there's, you know, we were when we were born and we've got these and all that. I don't know, for some reason I'm the youngest. I had a bigger stocking than my brothers. But then when we got stuff on Christmas morning, theirs was like overflowing and mine was all self-contained. Because it was so big. I felt like I got jipped. Yeah. But I didn't actually. Just in my, you know, in your six-year-old mind, I thought I was getting gypped. Anyway, that's beside the point. We are off topic now. Um But getting on here, Lewis, let's start with why books? Like what why are we recommending books here at Christmas time?

SPEAKER_01:

But you know, when you think about the different gifts that kids get, you know, toys, they're gonna break, you're gonna outgrow clothes, um, your tech is gonna be outdated in it's probably outdated. It's already you bought it and you haven't even opened the present. Yeah, like it's outdated the second you open it, right? Um but ideas, they're gonna shape you. And so stories, they teach our kids what's normal. They they they learn what's good, they learn what's right, they learn what's uh heroic, they learn what's worth living for. And if we're not intentionally planting um or planting biblical truth through through what they read, then here's what you need to know is that that our culture is gladly going to plant something else.

Nate:

Yeah. And and so this is um, you know, just a really good time for us to take that and see how we can, through our gifts, form worldview, you know. Because worldview is formed long before kids even know what a worldview is. Yeah. You know? And so intentionally putting books in their path is one way that can we can we can be intentional about how we're we're pointing our children in the right direction.

SPEAKER_01:

And Nate, that's a that's a great point to make, right? Because worldview is formed through repetition. It's it's formed through stories, it's formed through through what they see celebrated. And books quietly do that work when when we aren't even paying attention.

Nate:

Mm-hmm. Yeah, and so so this is really important, right? We're we're here coming up to you know the end of the Advent season, right? Thinking about the incarnation, how the word became flesh, God stepping into the story he's writing through through creation. Um and so when we think about stories and and words that we can learn from, you know, it it is a reflection of you know, God who chose to intentionally, as the author of the story, put himself in the story to redeem us.

SPEAKER_01:

And that's huge because Christianity, it's it's not just a belief system. I mean, you can reduce it to a belief system, uh, but it's it's really a story that God wrote into real history. And it's part of our job as parents to help our kids learn how to read the world through that story. We call it the biblical lens, right? The the the meta-narrative, the big story of that was a ten dollar word. Yes, meta-narrative. The meta-narrative, the big story of creation, fall, redemption. And some people like to throw in Restoration. Restoration. That's exactly right. And so, but it's it's the story that that God's telling and is and is told through history. And parents, we have a responsibility to help our kids learn how to read the world through that story.

Nate:

Yeah. And so this is this is great because Christmas is one of those times where it's it's really easy to throw, you know, a a book under the tree, yeah. Rap it first before you throw it under the tree, right? But it's it's not gonna seem out of place, right? If you just go up to your kid in, you know, September and you're like, hey, read this book, they're gonna be like, what? But you know, you throw it in there. I think we talked a couple weeks ago about just the the consumerism and contentment. And it was in that episode we talked about the, you know, something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read. And so this would be that no that fourth one. It's really easy. Just put a book under the tree, and especially if it's a good book, um, you know, along with some fun presents, yeah. It it'll be well received.

SPEAKER_01:

Yep. And the good news is that if you're listening to this uh on Thursday when we normally release, right, like Christmas is a week away. Yep. Once one week. And so you might be thinking, like, oh, uh, you know, I don't know what to get my kid or you know, I want to get him one more gift. Uh Amazon, right? Like uh I mean books, uh you can order a book today, tomorrow, and you have it by Saturday, and so it's here way before Christmas because um you you still have time.

Nate:

I'm a fan of the Kindle. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And so then that's really cool because then you can throw in multiple books. Yeah. All digital forms. Do you do you read most of your books on Kindle? Uh it it depends. Okay. Most of my fiction will be done on Kindle. Okay. My fiction read. I think we're going to talk about fiction here in a little bit, but but most of my fiction will be Kindle because I can get it from the library. Ebooks from the library that go to my Kindle or Kindle Unlimited. Yeah. And you can just you know loan those books out. Um but then a lot of my serious books I'm gonna have physical because I like to write.

SPEAKER_01:

You like that in your hand, pencil, highlighter. Yep. Okay, yeah, cool. And parents, so what we're trying to give you here is a built-in discipleship opportunity and put it right into your hands, right? Because whether you realize it or not, every book you give makes a statement about what you value. Every book that you give is shaping your child's imagination. Every book you give trains their thinking. And so you have this built-in discipleship opportunity that this is a great time to start with that.

Nate:

Yeah. So let's kind of go by age group um a little bit. So let's talk about kids, like children and children's books. Um, you know, while they're young, they're still forming their their wonder, their um, you know, their big picture view of the world, right? Um, what's going on? I think one really good one to kind of help lay a lot of foundation at the really young children's age. It's it's called the Jesus Storybook Bible. Um we use this with our kids, and what it does, it's Sally Lloyd Jones, they go through, there's actually a um an audio version of this, which is great, like on car rides or bedtime stories if you're do into that type of thing. But the Jesus Storybook Bible, it'll go through those big, um, you know, very common Bible stories. Yeah. You know, creation, uh, Jonah, David and Goliath, like those types of stories. But they it makes it so that every story um shows how all the stories point to Christ. That's really good. So we're not reading David and Goliath and saying, you know, you're such a great person, you can go defeat your giant, just believe God, right? It says, no, David is this picture of the future person who's going to come and save us from the giant, um, whether that's sin or you know, whatever. So And so it's putting everything in a in a Christological context. There's another$10 word for you. Yeah. That's really good.

SPEAKER_01:

So what I hear you saying is that that that the Jesus Storybook Bible, it's gonna remind parents and kids, right, that theology doesn't just belong in seminary, right? So so so they don't have to be like formally trained, they don't have to be uh studying to be a pastor, right? Um it actually belongs in the living room and kids are learning theology at an age appropriate level.

Nate:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a great, it's a great one because then even, you know, you're talking before they can even read, yeah, they're picking up these these types of truths about who God is, yeah, how Jesus loves us, and why he came in the first place. That's that's really good.

SPEAKER_01:

And uh I think another great gift book that parents uh you may want to consider for younger children, it's called The Biggest Story by Kevin D. Young. Uh, and this book helps kids see how the entire Bible fits together into one redemption story centered on Christ. And so that's that that's that meta-narrative that we're talking about. That big story of of how the Bible and the different stories in the Bible all fit and point to Jesus. And honestly, that's that's pure worldview formation. Like that's what we want our children to be thinking about. Because if we're not careful and they read the Bible disjointed in different stories here, different stories there, they may not ever make the connection that Genesis connects us to Jesus, right? Exodus connects us to Jesus. Uh, even numbers connects us to Jesus.

Nate:

Yeah, yeah. That's that's really good. Those are those are great recommendations there for for kids. And some of those books, like the Jesus Storybook Bible, will be kind of on the younger end. It sounds like the biggest story is kind of on the older end of you know older upper elementary probably.

SPEAKER_01:

Probably. Yeah.

Nate:

Yeah, yeah. So let's kind of keep going with that age and and move into kind of the tweens, right? Upper elementary, start in middle school, you know, they're they're still in that awkward stage, so they don't know whether they're a kid or a teenager yet. Um, it at this age, your list probably includes both a squishmallow and some lululemon. Yeah. Like that's kind of the age you're in. Yeah. Um, that's real that's a real thing. That's a real thing. My house right now. And Lululemon. It's yeah. Anyway, um the tweens are are a great age. And it's so you know, formational because that age, they still have that childlike, you know, faith and trust and you know, curiosity, but they're um you know, they're mature enough to really start grasping and wrestling with some big truths that you can really throw at them.

SPEAKER_01:

And that's when they start asking some real questions, right? And some of those questions might be challenging for us as parents. Look, like I'm I'm I'm in seminary, uh, you know, I've I've you know I I studied for the ministry, but sometimes, you know, my tween hits me with some questions, and I'm like, uh, let me let me think about that. Let me go and and look it up. And yeah, and and that's when apologetics uh becomes a gift of of confidence for our children. And Nate, there's two books that I think have been popularized uh over the course of of the last several years really that helps kids with that, and and that's the case for Christ for kids and the case for a creator for kids that's based off of the least trouble story.

Nate:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So the least showable, he's got case for Christ, case for faith, case for there's all the case fors, right? It's a whole series. Yeah. But then they've they've made these in age-appropriate letter levels. So kids, teens, you know, whatever. And so if you look at those, like those are great ones that um, you know, don't just tell kids what to believe, they show them why. Yeah. Um and start laying out that case for, you know, whatever the resurrection, um, the creation, different things like that.

SPEAKER_01:

Aaron Ross Powell, there's there's another series that I would recommend. Um it's it's by Ken Ham and by Answers in Genesis, but it's the Answer Books for Kids and it's a box set. And so there are, I believe, six or six six or six six or seven. Six or seven. There are six or seven.

Nate:

When is that? Is that gonna die by the time we come back from Thanksgiving? I don't think so. I don't think so.

SPEAKER_01:

I think I think every age group brings like resurrects it. Resurrects it's a good idea. Yeah, because it's a big deal, like it's a big deal in first grade. Like those first grades are gonna hold on to it.

Nate:

I haven't heard it as much in high school. So I think it might be just trickling its way out.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, it's it's so uh and so but the answers books for kids, um, I mean it it's it's answers in Genesis, right? And so they're addressing questions that your tweens are are gonna have that may be on complex topics like creation, like dinosaurs, like the Tower of Babel, like the Ice Age space, right? And so, and so this is this is gonna be a helpful book to to help with that. And and that's critical, right? Because we don't want our kids borrowing our faith. We we want them owning their faith because our children are going to become adults one day. They're they may go to a secular non-Christian college and they will be confronted with ideas that sound very different from what they learned at their school, especially if they attend a Christian school. Yeah. What they learned at their church, and what they're learning at home. And so these books, Case for Christ for kids, case for uh a creator for kids, the answers um books, kids set, um they're fantastic Christmas gifts because they quietly equip your kids for the questions that they're going to face, maybe even in middle school.

Nate:

Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So those are those are really important, especially at that age. And then as we move into our teenages, you know, um upper middle school, into high school, like this is a great time that once they hit there, you know, um, you know, the questions shift from some of those big questions of just like, is God real? Do I really believe this faith? to some of the even harder ones of like, does God make sense in the real world or how does this actually play out? Um and so you still have those case for Christ, case for faith, like those types of books um that they have teen versions, right? But this is where we really start seeing um, you know, application of these truths, right? And maybe taking these truths to a deeper level. One that I actually read recently is um David Platt, his new book, Don't Hold Back. Um, this is a great book that um for for your older teens really challenges them to like, what what is my purpose in the world? Yeah, you know, what has God created me to do as a believer going out and just not holding back because you know they the teenagers, that generation, you know, it's the back end of Gen Z, beginning of Gen Alpha, you know, they're really big into um, you know, social justice and you know, just what they want to get behind a cause. And so giving students, giving your children, your teenagers books that show the greatest cause is the gospel, right? That's good. And then how does that play out in some of these big topic social justice issues, you know, poverty. The church should be on the front front lines of, you know, the the poverty, you know, helping people in poverty and getting them out of poverty, not just because we want to help people, but because that's a picture of the love Christ has for us. Right. And so books like that, Don't Hold Back, is uh is a great one by David Platt.

SPEAKER_01:

And another really good David Platt book is the book Radical. Um have you have you read that one? I have and that one's probably for your for your older teens. Like that was probably for like as your teens are in high school, maybe even going into college, uh, or maybe you just just kind of confronting facing adulthood, right? And so it's called radical, taking back your faith from from the American dream, but it challenges you to consider with an open heart uh how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. And so in that book, uh Platt shows you actually what Jesus said about his disciples, and then he invites you to believe and obey what you've heard. And so that's really good.

Nate:

It's a great one of living on mission for Christ, no matter where you are, yeah. Whether that's actually on the mission field, yeah, or if you're going out, you know, as into a another vocation, a calling that God's called you to, and still using that calling for the gospel. There's a that's a great one. A new one, I have not read it, but I have read a lot of his stuff. JD Greer's newest book just came out last month, um, Everyday Revolutionary. Oh, okay. It's very similar, yeah, right. We're going out living radical, revolutionary lives just because we're living to share the gospel with people. You know, it's a that's a good one. I've not read it, yeah, but everything I've read about it seems to be really good.

SPEAKER_01:

And there's a new one that just came out. Um I actually um I don't know if my daughter will listen to this podcast. Um so if she does, then it might give away one of her Christmas gifts. Um but it's one by uh Paul Paul Tripp. Um it's called Twelve Truths Every Teen Can Trust. And it's four beliefs of the Christian faith that will change your life. And it's not a it's not a big book, it's about 184 pages. It's it's it's just come out, so it's only available in hardcover. But what it does is it helps. Those are the best kind, hardcover. Hardcover books to develop a closer relationship with God through these um just brief readings on 12 doctrines and how they connect to the Christian life. So that's good. Um we uh we me uh I got her that. I did I it's uh it's actually one of the few gifts that I spoiler alert that I buy. Uh I don't buy a lot of gifts. Normally my wife does. Ah, I gotcha.

Nate:

One of those. One of those.

SPEAKER_01:

But this is one where I was like, you know what, I think I'm gonna get this one.

Nate:

Yeah, yeah. Well, let's talk about, you know, uh maybe even some Christmas themed books. Like these maybe are not um books that you you would give as Christmas gifts because then kind of the Christmas season is over. But the Advent devotionals are really good. And even if you're listening to this, you know, the day it comes out, we're seven days from Christmas. Um there's a great one I just finished called Searching for Christmas, again by JD Greer. Yeah. It's an easy short read, but it and it was written at at the end of 2020, so it kind of has that COVID theme of like we're weary and tired and we need a little Christmas, right, this very minute. Um we need a little Christmas now. A little throwback to the Christmas carols. Sorry, you're glad I didn't sing. Um but it's searching for Christmas, he goes through different names for Jesus in Isaiah and like how they relate to our everyday lives. Right. So things like Emmanuel, God with us, or you know, I am, um, the everlasting father, wonderful counselor, Prince of Peace, like all of those he goes name by name. And it's a short read. It it may be a hundred pages. Um but that's a good one if, you know, you're on Christmas break and you just want to read that, you know, a chapter a day. Um um as a family. Um that it's real short and easy. Um so that's a good one you can you can pick up.

SPEAKER_01:

I wish that I could remember the name of one that we use. Um but it's it's it's really cool and and we do it every Christmas. Um but the way that it works um oh it's actually called unwrapping the greatest gift I I think I think that's the name of it. Um but it's this it's this big book and it has little boxes and you open the boxes and then there's these little ornaments. And then so when you open it's this pop-up and it pops up into like the shade of a Christmas tree. Yes. Yeah and so and so every day we unpack one of the ornaments and then we read the book um the devotion that corresponds to that ornament and so like the first ornament is the story of creation and then the second ornament is the story of the fall and like the one that that we did last night was a passage from the book of Isaiah and so it was um uh it was a um I think it was a light um and so that's the little ornament that we hung on the Christmas tree and then the the story that we read from that had to do with Isaiah and then it culminates with with with a prayer. It is it's called Unwrapping the Greatest Gift uh the family celebration of Christmas.

Nate:

Google for the win. Google for the win there. Well you if you're listening to this you probably noticed um all of these books so far have been non f nonfiction books right yeah the the purpose here is is giving you know a gift a book that is really going to help form it's about formation um forming the the hearts of our children right um but what what we don't want you to hear is that we're against fiction okay in fact like I said earlier right I l I read a lot of fiction I read it on uh Kindle um and my fiction reading is like you know it's a reset it's a relaxing time like it's important to read fiction I've heard people say like oh if I'm gonna read I'm gonna read something that's nonfiction because I don't have time you know to deal with whatever and and I listen to that and I'm like how like you don't be two dimensional right give yourself a little three dimension. It's okay to cut loose. And in fact um I think it's really important to read fiction there's a a quote by C.S. Lewis right he Chronicles of Narnia um he has all of this talking about his fairy tales and in uh it was like a a journal article that he had written about um you know how he came up with the Chronicles of Narnia and uh the different things and it's not like he was sitting there trying to think of um uh you know what what cool fairy tales can I come up with to make a point for this allegory that he wrote in Chronicles of Narnia. He said that that he it just came to him and then he realized as he shaped it it could it could actually teach a truth through a story. And this is where he talked about like sometimes if we are just doing you know nonfiction, we're just trying to tell facts, truths, theology, it it'll get stale, it'll bounce off and that he actually uses a great phrase where he talks about how a good Christian fictional story is like stealing past watchful dragons is the phrase he uses. That's good. Where it's like especially as our kids get older, they're gonna have these you know imaginary in their brain right dragons they're ready that as soon as you start trying to tell them something like a uh it's like the dragon you know wakes up and it's ready to to pounce on that truth to not let it through into their heart. Right. But if you're telling the truth through even a fictional story like Chronicles of Narnia it can get uh past that dragon it's like you're stealing or sneaking past that watchful dragon to let that truth land home in your child's heart. That's good. And so don't don't hear us say, you know, stay away from fiction. In fact we're saying the exact opposite of that. If you want some fiction recommendations, go back to our last uh book uh recommendation episode. I'm trying to see what episode number that was it was in the teens um you know it was kind of early um before last summer that we we released that but there's great ones right you've got the Lord of the Rings you've got Chronicles of Narnia I've mentioned um Andrew Peterson's Wingfeather saga like those are all really good you I think you are a big fan of Ted Decker Ted Decker's great and he has children's books he has teen books and he has adult books. So all of those are great if you're looking for a fiction book that also will have some formation built into it to kind of steal past those watchful dragons to use C.S.

SPEAKER_01:

Lewis's phrase episode eighteen summer reading list. Good so good uh encourage you to go back and and listen to that. And parents what we want you to know is that we want you to give kids books to read so that they are being formed, right? So whether it's a nonfiction book some of the ones that we've just mentioned, whether it's one of the Advent books um we're not saying stop giving fun gifts uh we're saying stop only giving fun things right like if all they ever read is fiction uh you know then then maybe there's some improvement there. But if all they're ever reading is nonfiction then there's some improvement there. And Jesus was a master storyteller right and a lot of his stories were parables and they were fictional. You know I don't know that you know every story that Jesus told he was specifically thinking of a specific person that that happened to but he was connecting that story to to to an audience and and it trains discernment it shaped their convictions and ultimately it it taught them to think biblically about the world and and that's what we want for our kids too.

Nate:

Yeah yeah definitely and so when you give a book right especially a nonfiction book and they're like ah you know what is this you know that's where you can kind of give them the why behind it. That's good it's a gift they just opened it you know it's probably like we used to react when we would get socks at Christmas time which I love socks now.

SPEAKER_01:

It's changed me too I I have asked for socks.

Nate:

I I I love getting socks in fact that's a tradition in our household um we actually give socks in our stocking every year. Oh like so there's different socks I'm actually wearing some Christmas socks right now.

SPEAKER_01:

I got those a couple years ago my socks actually have French toast on them. Is that French toast? So last year it is not 10 30 at the time of this recording. And I'm not gonna eat them either are you going to change your socks after 10 30? You know I've never thought about that. Maybe maybe I'm being a hypocrite by wearing French toast socks after 1030. There you go.

Nate:

It's not after 1030.

SPEAKER_01:

I got them last year I think it was last year for my birthday somebody somebody gave me uh a box of um breakfast themed socks and I think there was some irony and humor behind that.

Nate:

You can only wear these socks before 1030. So but like I said this it may give that face that you gave when you got socks for Christmas. But you can explain why you did you gave are giving it to them, right? I picked this for you. Hey we could read this together this is something to help you grow or help us grow or I really want you to be strong in your faith. Just letting them know why you gave the book is going to go a long way.

SPEAKER_01:

And and then follow up right read it with them. So maybe you buy two copies of the book and you read it with them. You ask them questions talk about what they're learning. Books books work best inside relationships which is which is why book clubs tend to be so popular right because you read it with somebody. Yeah yeah yeah and so that's really good like don't just give it to them right make sure they read it follow up with them and let them know why um so as we kind of wrap up this uh book recommendation episode Lewis what what um takeaways or encouragement do you have for uh the parents listening to this yeah parents let me let me challenge you with this right before Christmas morning comes before all the gifts are unwrapped choose just one gift that is going to outlast the batteries right find that one gift and don't forget to order batteries you're gonna made that mistake a couple years ago right find that one gift that that's gonna outlast the trends find that one gift that's gonna plant something eternal put it put a book under the tree that helps your child think to believe and to live biblically because the gifts under the tree they're temporary right they're gonna outgrow that lululemon they're going to eventually mess up that squishmallow um but the seeds I think squishmallows are eternal are they? I'm pretty sure but the seeds that are planted through truth are eternal.

Nate:

Yep that's exactly right so thank you all for listening today to Equipped for Impact. If this episode encouraged you share it with another parent who could use this list of recommendations and maybe they can find uh some quick deals that they can get two-day shipping from Amazon to get under their tree this year. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss our next episodes uh as we continue and wrap up our our Christmas um and until then keep leading the next generation to stand firm in their faith and influence the world for Christ

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Luis Miranda

Host
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Nathan Deck

Host