Studying the Bible: A Review of The LIFE Plan

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Over the past several weeks our family has been using The LIFE Plan by Allen L. Elder from The LIFE Network to study the Bible. Our younger children, my husband, and I started with Volume 1: The Bible's Story: Genesis 1-11 while our teen started reading Volume 3: The Structure of the Entire Bible. I spent some time reading through Volume 4: The Life of Jesus on Earth by myself in the evenings.

The mission of The LIFE Network is to produce, publish, present, and provide Christian learning resources. They help to establish and support the growth of churches both locally and globally as well as provide spiritual training and physical resources for pastors and churches. The LIFE Plan is one of those resources. It will take the reader from the beginning with God to helping fulfill God's purpose in one's life.

What Books Did We Receive? 

There are six volumes in The LIFE Plan which contain 216 lessons. "The LIFE Plan is a discipleship curriculum which takes you from a beginning with God into a life lived according to his purpose and for his glory" (ix).  LIFE stands for Living Intentionally For Eternity. The goal of the books is for followers of Jesus to live a life according to His purpose and glory.

• The LIFE Plan Volume 1: The Bible's Story: Genesis 1-11 
• The LIFE Plan Volume 2: The Bible's Story Genesis 12-Malachi 
• The LIFE Plan Volume 3: The Structure of the Entire Bible 
• The LIFE Plan Volume 4: The Life of Jesus on Earth 
• The LIFE Plan Volume 5: The Church 
• The LIFE Plan Volume 6: Your Personal Ministry 

The volumes are paperback books (size 8.5" by 11"). Each lesson is designed in a similar manner. The lesson starts with the theme, lesson aim, and scripture reference. There is then a one- to three-page reading that addressed the topic following by an outline, Scriptures for you and your family to read to broaden your understanding of the topic, theological connections, a lesson glossary with vocabulary, and finally questions to answer. I highly appreciate it when a curriculum is presented in the same manner. It makes it easier to know how to prepare for the next day as well as provides reassurance for children as to what to expect.  

How Did We Use The LIFE Plan in our Homeschool?

When the six-volume set arrived, I looked through the volumes to determine which book I wanted to read on my own and which one would be best to hand to our teenage son for him to read independently. I knew I wanted to start with Volume 1 with our younger children. My husband and I sat down and looked through them and decided upon giving Volume 3 to our teenage son.

During the beginning of our studies, I sat with our younger children after dinner and read from Volume 1. They both sat at the dining room table with me and had their Bibles ready to start reading the Scriptures referenced. I would read through the reading selection aloud - stopping frequently to discuss the ideas and topics with our younger homeschooled children. I then used the lesson outline to review the ideas with them - to make sure they understand what I had read aloud. Next, we all took turns reading the Scriptures to Broaden Your Understanding. I loved that this curriculum allowed them the opportunity to practice finding different Scriptures in the Bible. Through our time use The LIFE Plan, they have become more family with the Bible and the order of the books of the Bible. I did skip the Lines of Theological Connection and sometimes the Lesson Glossary with our younger children and some of the questions.

Reading aloud the Scriptures to Broaden Your Understanding

One of the things that I love is that our younger children will be able to work through the curriculum twice over the course of their homeschooling studies. This will hopefully bring them into a much closer relationship with God and a better understanding of the Bible.

On some nights, our daughter sat across the table from me with her Bible.

Volume 1: The Bible's Story: Genesis 1-11 is taking us through the seven days of creation as well as reintroducing us "to the one true and living God," presenting the idea of the holy trinity, discusses sin, temptation, and other important events in the first 11 books of the Bible. As our children are young, things a bit more slowly (originally we were doing one lesson a day). But by the end of this week, we will have finished reading about the creation and start learning more about how man and woman bear the image of God.

During the evenings, I took the time to read through Volume 4: The Life of Jesus on Earth. I sometimes read several lessons each evening and skipped reading the Scriptures to Broaden your Understanding and questions, as I was more interested in reading what the author, Allen L. Elder wanted to convey to his readers. I will probably go back and use the books with all the lesson features at a future time to have a more in-depth Bible study.

Volume 4: The Life of Jesus on Earth starts with the Messianic Prophecies and quickly moves on through Jesus' birth and childhood (touching upon the fact that while we don't know a lot about Jesus' childhood, we can see that he had a great understanding of the things of God). The next several lessons discuss the plan of Jesus and disciple-making. Elder describes the steps that Jesus presented to make disciples - which we are meant to do as Christians. One of the lessons even has a matching section to help you remember the step-by-step method for making disciples.

During the writing of this review, I am in the middle of the lessons demonstrating how Jesus was a healer in Volume 4: The Life of Jesus on Earth. I am reminded that Jesus healed in various ways, as presented in the text and outline: by speaking, commanding the sick to do something, and by touch. The healing of individuals revealed to his followers and to us that Jesus is sovereign and a deity. Everything that Jesus did was for a reason to reveal who he was.

I really like how the books are written and I can see them being very useful in our future homeschooling years. While I think it might be helpful to read the books in order, since I am reading Volumes 1 and 4 I haven't really felt any confusion. So if you are more interested in one volume over another, you probably can make the decision to purchase or read that one first. And so far I haven't seen any problems with our children using different translations of the Bible to read the Scripture mentioned in the books. And finally, I love the amount of space in the books for notetaking.

Each book could be used over the course of one homeschool year. So if you purchase the entire six-volume set you have six years worth of elementary level curriculum (grades 1-6). You could then have your homeschooling students complete the work again in grades 7-12 so they will have worked through each book twice during the homeschooling years.

An Overview of What is to Come 

As we have not spent time with volumes 2, 5, and 6 yet, I would like to provide a brief overview of the information presented in those books. Each book is similar in length ranging from 183 to 201 pages – printed in the United States. Just like with the other volumes, they are presented in the same manner with text to read, an outline, scripture references, and questions.

Volume 2: Abraham and Israel focuses upon God calling Abraham, the lives of Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. Readers then follow the story of the Bible through reading about the different leaders of Israel like King Saul, King David, and King Solomon. In general, Volume 2 presents a brief overview of the history of Israel and then closes with looking at the prophets in the Old Testament.

If you want to study the church from a biblical perspective then start with Volume 5: The Church. Over the course of 36 lessons (which you can complete over 36 weeks/one homeschool year), you will learn about the early days of the church, how the church spread, broke, was reformed, and continues to this day. There are also chapters on non-Christian religions, cults, and the occult. The author recommends that Christians should be grounded in the Word of God to help them in dealing with other religions.

The final volume, Your Part in the Story, helps you bring everything together so that you can make disciples. The final year (which will be 6 grade and 12 grade if you follow the suggested plan) is "focused on what you will do with your training for the rest of your life" (1). The reading text for the lessons is a little bit longer than some of the ones we are currently reading and the questions ask readers to delve even deeper into their beliefs. Some questions include: "Are you growing in Christ as a child of God?" and "Have you believed on Jesus for salvation?"

Easy-to-read font

I think The LIFE Plan would be a welcome addition to a homeschool family, a church ministry, or someone going on a mission trip. The information is presented in a clear and concise manner and provides plenty of opportunities to get back into the Bible and read the word of God. The questions also provide the perfect starting point for discussing our beliefs with others. And if you are stumped on an answer, check the back of the book for the answer key.

Do You Want to Learn More?

Website – Facebook – YouTube 

There were several other members of the Homeschool Review Crew who had the chance to use The LIFE Plan in their homeschool. Please be sure to read their reviews, too.

Teaching the Old Testament to Children: Review of What God is Doing

Disclaimer: I received a FREE PDF copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

I had the privilege of receiving a PDF of What God is Doing: Old Testament Object Lessons for Kids by Anne Marie Gosnell to review with our family. I have previously read and reviewed Helping Your Children Become Prayer Warriors and also enjoyed watching the explanation of Bible object lessons on the YouTube page, "Bible Object Lessons for Kids." I have wanted to try some of these with our own children. So, having access to the text of What God is Doing was a fantastic opportunity for me.

What Can You Find in What God is Doing?

There are 25 interactive lessons geared towards children ages 5 to 12 in What God is Doing: Old Testament Object Lessons for Kids. Anne Marie Gosnell wrote each lesson to take about 20-30 minutes with one main goal in mind: to show how God is bringing about His plan of salvation. From examining the experiences of Adam and Eve in Eden to Nehemiah building the wall, the main focus of this curriculum is the Old Testament as you may have already gathered from the subtitle (Old Testament Object Lessons for Kids). There are two lessons at the end of What God is Doing which address the time that elapsed between the Old and New Testaments (between Malachi and the birth of Jesus) which bring a nice conclusion to the book.

In addition to the 25 object lessons, there are a number of other chapters to help you get the most of What God is Doing. For example, there is an introduction, a chapter on how the book works with links to resource pages, tips and advice on how to become an excellent Bible teacher, and coloring pages for you and your children.

Each lesson contains the following elements:

• Scripture Focus
• Materials
• Geography
• Background 
• The Object Lesson itself
• The Bible Lesson
• A Life Application 
• A Comment Box for the teacher to answer the questions "What went well as you taught this lesson? What can you do better?" 

How Did We Use What God is Doing: Old Testament Object Lessons for Kids? 

During the time we were reviewing this thorough book, we took a look at a few lessons. Specifically, I would like to talk about our experiences with Lesson 7: Abraham's Challenge to Sacrifice Isaac and Lesson 9: Jacob Wrestles with God. As we have the PDF of the book, I printed out the pages necessary to read ahead of time as well as the black and white image that accompanies the lesson (for our children to color).

We actually took a look at Jacob Wrestles with God first because I knew that our daughter would really enjoy the focal point of the object lesson. In this lesson, we made oobleck. We have never made this before in our homeschool, so I knew this would be a memorable experience for them. Our daughter really enjoyed helping me prepare the oobleck while our son colored in the picture. This was really a wonderful piece to include in the lesson to teach about how we often have hard hearts when we encounter God (like the solid nature of the oobleck) but "in God's hand we become usable, flexible, and able to glorify God" (59).

Getting the materials together for the object lesson.

The oobleck was hard when punched but soft if you rested your hand on it.

The second lesson I would like to share is that of Abraham's Challenge to Sacrifice Isaac. The materials for this lesson were quite simple to gather: a small model or picture of a ram and several colors of construction paper. We read about the promise given to Abram and Sarai and their name changes, compared the story of Isaac to that of Jesus, and looked through the wordless picture book I created with the construction paper.

After we used some of the lessons from What God is Doing: Old Testament Object Lessons for Kids, we were able to tie it back into our son's language arts where we are reading excerpts from the Bible and writing sentences about them. We also were able to find videos of the stories we read to watch during lunchtime. So, the lessons in the book fit in perfectly with our homeschooling day. 

What do I Think?

This is a tremendously well-organized book with lots of great information! This book would be good for homeschooling families or those who are Bible teachers or Sunday School teachers. There are lessons that require more than a couple of children but they can be easily adapted, if necessary.

There are resources available including video links for a few of the lessons and the posters are available to either purchase or download as individual posters. This is quite helpful when planning out the lesson.

I also like that in most cases the materials necessary for the lessons are quite easy to gather together. There are only a few that require a trip to the store—like if you don't have toy plastic insects for the lesson on the twelve spies and the wandering or the cornstarch needed for the lesson about Jacob wrestling with God.

I also like how Anne Marie Gosnell helps us teach our children difficult lessons from the Bible in simple ways, including ways to apply the information to their own lives. For example, in the lesson regarding Anointed King David, children learn about how God sees inside our heart. Even if the outside looks good, the inside might not be good. A chocolate candy box and a clear candy jar are used in the lesson and the life application portion reminds children that God can see through us just like we can see through the clear jar.

Finally, I especially liked how using the lessons from What God is Doing: Old Testament Object Lessons for Kids allowed our children to demonstrate the knowledge they had previously learned from homeschooling and Sunday School. When asking one of the questions from Abraham's Challenge to Sacrifice Issac ("What do we know about sheep and the Old Testament?"), my children were able to discuss how David protected sheep (from lions and bears) prior to his fighting Goliath. Our son also shared a modified version of the parable of The Lost Sheep—of how the shepherd goes after the one sheep that runs away. They also recalled a new version of a song they were learning about Father Abraham at Sunday School. All of these connections to homeschooling and church combined are why I can easily and enthusiastically recommend What God is Doing: Old Testament Object Lessons for Kids by Anne Marie Gosnell.

Would You Like to Learn More about Anne Marie Gosnell? 

Website: Future Flying Saucers – YouTube – Facebook

Reviewing Bible Study Guide for All Ages (Beginner 3-K)

Our son was so excited when the box arrived!

I received a complementary product through the Homeschool Review Crew in return for my honest opinion. 

Our family was very excited to have the opportunity to review the Bible Study Guide for All Ages since both of our younger children (who are three and five) would be able to use the same lessons – Beginner (3-K). We have been using the Beginner Level Student Pages and the Beginner Time Line for the past several weeks and I have been enjoying the time that we are spending together as a family working on our lessons.

On the reverse of the Student Pages cover are quick teacher instructions. They outline materials needed and an overview for each of the sections of the Student Pages. In addition to general information about how to use the Student Pages, it also offers tips for how to bring one's own Bible into the lessons during the reading of the Bible verse and during My Bible section. I have found rereading these quick teacher instructions periodically is helpful in making sure I stay on the right track with the lessons.

Each of the Beginner Level Student Pages is divided into five parts:

• Learn the Basics
• Use and Review the Beginner Time Line (these are beautifully illustrated!) 
• Sing and Remember 
• Series of questions and references to the Children's Songs CD set (which we do not own) 
• Get Active or My Bible
• In Get Active, children will work on the concepts of the lesson through examples and activities 
• In My Bible, children will become familiar with their own Bible 
• Discover the Bible 
• Children listen to the Bible story and lesson as we read each numbered paragraph
• Our children then color, trace, or mark each illustration in the suggested manner 
• Apply it! 
• Our children now have the opportunity to apply the lesson to their own lives through answering questions and coloring the large picture 

We usually complete our Student Pages while sitting on the floor together.

There is a great video on Bible Study Guide for All Ages that goes through Beginner Level Student Pages. You can view it here! 

My children and I love the Beginner Time Line cards (which are geared towards non-reading children ages 3 and up). The set of 34 cards are a perfect way for us to begin each lesson. My husband and I work with our two younger children on each lesson. While my husband reads over the "Get Active" section, I review the Beginner Time Line cards and the questions. Using the full-color, 8.5" x 11" flash cards enables me to ensure both our son and daughter have a chance to each participate.

What We Love

• There is a minimum of materials required. Most lessons merely need crayons and the student pages.
• Occasionally items like happy and sad faces drawn on paper, a set of blocks, additional paper, or candy are called for.
• Uses clear, easy to read text.
• Positive images of boys and girls of all ethnic and racial backgrounds 
• "All ages can study the same text." 

The lessons are so easy to navigate and require so little preparation that we can use them at almost any time of our day. So far, the most preparation has been finding some images for children to try and memorize, making cards with happy and sad faces, and finding the appropriate crayons to color in the lesson.

The first 14 lessons focus upon Joseph from the Old Testament. Our children knew the story of Jacob, his sons, and their experiences very well by the time we were about halfway through the lessons. The next lessons address the story of Daniel, Shadrach, Meschach, Abednego, Nebuchadnezzar, the genealogy of Jesus, birth of Jesus, birth of John the Baptist, and closes with Jesus' youth.

In the first two sections – Learn the Basics and Sing and Remember – children can practice their memory skills. Each time we go over the Beginner Time Line, our younger daughter remembers more facts about the Bible. And when we review the questions pertaining to the books of the New Testament, I find our son is remembering all of the books the more we recite them.

My favorite part of the lessons has to be Discover the Bible. I love reading through the information and helping my children color the illustrations as we talk about the story of Joseph from the Old Testament. For example, in lesson 10, students see Joseph revealing his identity to his brothers. To help children understand how Joseph and his brothers felt, the illustrations show them crying in different boxes on the Discover the Bible page. I also love the fact that the lesson lists the name of each brother as they return home. This is just another instance where children can work on memorization.

After we complete lessons 1-26, I am sure we will be continuing with the next set (lessons 27-52) because I loved that both of our children can work together. And with using the Bible Study Guide for All Ages, our children will be able to study the entire Bible in 416 lessons. Each year, they will study some lessons from the Old Testament and some from the New Testament. And when they grow out of the Beginner (3-K) level, we can simply move to the next level – continuing along the progression of 416 lessons. 

For more information, please visit:

Website – Facebook – Twitter 

There are several other levels that the Homeschool Review Crew is reviewing including:

• Primary (1st & 2nd Grade) 
• Intermediate (3rd & 4th Grade) 
• Advanced (5th & 6th Grade)

And some of the Homeschool Review Crew is reviewing the Wall Maps and Timeline! The maps and timeline look like fantastic resources that our children will be able to use in the near future.