Family Worship Bible Guide

by Joel R. Beeke, Jerry Bilkes, Michael P.V. Barrett

Leading and nurturing your family as you seek to glorify God and encourage spiritual growth in your home is both God’s command and your privilege. One of the best and most effective ways to do this is through intentional, worshipful, daily family devotions where the truths of God’s life-changing Word are openly discussed chapter by chapter. Hand in hand with your Bible, this Family Worship Bible Guide presents rich devotional thoughts on all 1,189 chapters in the Bible, including searching questions to promote conversation, to help you with this responsibility. Use this resource every day alongside Scripture to read each chapter’s major takeaways aloud and then discuss them with your family. With the Holy Spirit’s blessing, this book will transform you and your family!

Genres: Christian, Theology, Family, Reference, Christianity, Christian Living, Devotional

769 pages, ebook

First published December 1, 2016

About the author

Dr. Joel R. Beeke serves as President and Professor of Systematic Theology, Church History, and Homiletics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. He has been in the ministry since 1978 and has served as a pastor of his current church, Heritage Reformed Congregation, since 1986. He is also editor of the Banner of Sovereign Grace Truth, editorial director of Reformation Heritage Books, president of Inheritance Publishers, and vice-president of the Dutch Reformed Translation Society. He has written, co-authored, or edited fifty books and contributed over fifteen hundred articles to Reformed books, journals, periodicals, and encyclopedias. His Ph.D. (1988) from Westminster Theological Seminary is in Reformation and Post-Reformation Theology. He is frequently called upon to lecture at Reformed seminaries and to speak at conferences around the world. He and his wife, Mary, have three children: Calvin, Esther, and Lydia.

Reviews

[Anete Ābola · Rating 5 out of 5]

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
You know when you read a prophecy or a description of a lineage, and don't know how to study that passage or how to explain it to your kids?
This is the best practical help to parents for family worship ever!
Every chapter of the Bible has a paragraph or two, or three, that is like an easy commentary, full of theological doctrine, but so deliciously practical to a child and adult alike!
Many people say they use this guide in their personal Bible reading/study. This is a trustworthy, practical, easy to use guide for you and your whole family.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Easter season, do you want to help your family engage better with the resurrected Christ? In the Family Worship Bible Guide, you have a book that will help you lead your family devotions with the truth of Scripture.

Quick and Simple Commentary

Edited by men from the trusted Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Dr. Joel R. Beeke, Dr. Michael Barrett, Dr. Jerry Bilkes, and Rev. Paul Smalley are unparalleled. This book is like having a simple commentary on the Bible that you can quickly turn and refer to as you lead your family.

The beauty of this book is that it looks at the entirety of Scripture, providing simple sentence summaries of the main points in each chapter. Lessons are given, Scripture is cross-referenced, and questions are asked to help further the discussion. It is a simple guide that is rich in the Word.

Grow Closer to God

What I appreciated most about the guide was the commentary for the books of wisdom literature. Spending time in the Psalms and Proverbs is a daily devotional practice for many, and this guide will help deepen your understanding of the text. It will grow you closer to God.

Outside of using this book as a guide for family worship, you can use this to get an overview of Scripture, use it to prepare for sermons, use it to help with small groups, and use it to enhance your personal Bible study. It’s small enough to keep at your desk, in your backpack, or at your bedside.

Point the Way to Christ

Aesthetically, the 768-page book is bound in bonded leather. This gift edition is perfect for a newly married couple or a family with young children. A single red ribbon marker is included to help keep your place as you lead your family. This book belongs in your home. And it belongs in your hands as you point the way to Christ.

I received a media copy of the Family Worship Bible Guide and this is my honest review.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used this book as I read through the Bible in 2022 and it served as a most helpful companion. The notes and questions for each chapter of the Bible prompted deep personal reflection and more focused prayers. Highly recommend.

[David Meye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful for daily Bible reading with the family.

[Vitor Cortial · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tenho acompanhado esse livro desde o ano passado. Simplesmente fenomenal. Trata-se de comentários breves e práticos em cada capítulo da bíblia. Creio que deve ser muito bom utilizá-lo no culto doméstico. Nas leituras bíblicas do meu plano anual tem sido uma bênção enorme.

[Kathy Penrod · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this book this morning in my quiet time. It is not set up with the days of the year as a typical devotional but is set up by each chapter in the Bible with a short explanation and question or prayer response. I read my chapter or chapters from the Bible each day and followed that with reading the notes for those chapters from the book. At the end of each section is an application question and sometimes a prayer suggestion.

I found this book to be extremely helpful in getting a clearer understanding of the laws and ceremonies in the Old Testament especially and how they are a shadow of what is to come in the New Testament as well as getting a better understanding of the all the books of the Bible. It is good for families to read together or to use as a devotional to accompany daily Bible reading as I did. Even though I have read the Bible through several times in the past, I learned many things I had never seen before. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to enhance and deepen their
understanding of any Bible reading for the coming year.

[Alex Yauk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used this book as a devotional to pair with my daily Bible reading. It provides 1-4 short thoughts on each chapter of the Bible, and it does an amazing job of reflecting any passage of scripture to Christ.

I initially cracked it open as I was reading through the OT admittedly thinking “what could it even say about this chapter” and then being amazed at its lesson. I’m sure I will be referring back to this work over time!

[Victoria Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband has been working through this book during our family worship. It has been a fantastic companion for guiding through scripture and evoking thoughtful discourse surrounding the text. The questions allow for a broad range of depth in answer, so it is applicable for families with young children and older. Overall, it helps to broaden and deepen the application brought forth in the scriptural text.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had mixed feelings about this book. Some days, it is very helpful. I wanted to love it. The summaries of readings are insightful and the questions are thought provoking. Most days the summaries seem very off topic and the questions seem shallow and/or confusing. We tried a few years apart to get back into it but just haven't found it worth continuing.

[Danielle Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as I read through the whole Bible this year. Mr. Beeke did a wonderful job drawing out the main thoughts from each chapter of the Bible and adding a question to ponder on the Scriptures personal application. I highly recommend this book for simple Bible study.

[Jacob London · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Everyone should have a copy.

[Josiah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-have companion for daily Bible readings and devotions.

[Matthew Gasperoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid publication that is not just for family worship, but for personal study and devotion. Having a short note and reflection questions from every chapter of every book is a jewel of a resource. Whether you want questions to trigger discussion, thought, deeper study, or even if you are wanting to glean more, this is certainly the book for you.