What do you think?
Rate this book
Experiencing God at Home Day by Day: A Family Devotional
Experiencing God at Home and this hands-on day by day family devotional take a fresh path back to the rich roots of Henry Blackaby’s world-renowned Experiencing God writings to connect what happens in our homes to what happens in our churches.
Indeed, a parents' task is to disciple their children, and the church's task is to equip parents for this work of ministry. Experiencing God at Home Day by Day will guide parents in having daily worship together as a family. It also helps mom and dad lead the kids toward developing their own personal relationship with Christ at each age and stage of growing up.
Indeed, a parents' task is to disciple their children, and the church's task is to equip parents for this work of ministry. Experiencing God at Home Day by Day will guide parents in having daily worship together as a family. It also helps mom and dad lead the kids toward developing their own personal relationship with Christ at each age and stage of growing up.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published September 11, 2013
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 31, 2013
I wanted to take the time to share this new Devotional by Tom Blackaby and Rick Osbourse, in case you are looking for a great tool for your spiritual toolbox for the New Year. The Experiencing God At Home Day by Day hardcover devotional has a lot to offer families looking for something to share together that still meets the variety, complexity and diversity needed for each individual. It is written to serve as a smorgasbord where many can come eat, but also take something away that allows them to ultimately find spiritual nourishment on their own. If you haven't shuffled off to find a snack yet, let me tell you more about this excellent resource published by B & H.
The book is small, yet packed full with devotions based on Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. I will share how it is organized so that you can get the sense of the material and how it flows. I actually appreciate the way the layout and structure are condensed well. The devotions are undated, so one could start anytime, or adapt easily for a family's unique scheduling circumstances.
The devotions are broken into weekly themes, and cover six days, spanning 50 weeks. There are also special occasion devotions for holidays and birthdays. Some examples of the special occasion devotion topics are: Thanksgiving, Election Day, Salvation, War, New Years Eve, New Years Day, Christmas, Baptism; even Halloween is included as well as a few more.
The Introduction and Instructions chapter lays out clearly how to have family devotional time with a number of ages present and also how to get the most from this time.
The weekly themed devotions begin with what is called "Parent Connection" and introduce scripture and topic. Each day takes up one page in the book. The print is smallish, but not overly hard to read. There are also some great recommendations of additional resources, tools and activities offered. Days 2-6 Begin with a Reading and follow with 4 parts:
1. Quick Start-is a short, focus point or springboard. A Tidbit to stir up the thinking and communication process.
2. Quest - this is the devotional portion which ties into scripture.
3. Quiet Family Prayer- A prompt for prayer also based on the topic.
4. Quiet Time- This section is further broken down into older kids and younger kids and each is encouraged to seek out their own quiet time in an age appropriate way. It's kind of like individual "homework", to encourage the child to seek God on His own.
If your family is is seeking to establish a devotional time or if you have grown frustrated in your efforts, this little book could be handy in helping you and yours find a measure of success in planning and practicing, as you grow in living out this aspect of ministry together.
Practical, handy and helpful is how I would describe this Devotional.
From the Publishers:
Experiencing God at Home Day by Day features 50 weeks of daily devotions that takes families from Genesis to Revelations, allowing them to explore all books of the Bible in just one year. The daily devotions feature a passage of scripture, a parent connection section, a conversation starter, applications, and more. There are also special devotions for important family moments like birthdays, holidays, back-to-school and more, so God can be celebrated and incorporated into all seasons and stages of life. Experiencing God at Home Day by Day not only provides a basis for personal, daily time spent together as a family, but serves as a pace setter for the deeper study of God’s word, preparing children to develop their own habit of seeking God in their lives
Blackaby Ministries International was founded by Henry and Marilyn Blackaby to help people experience God. The ministry focuses on three main concepts: helping people experience God, helping people and churches return to God, and helping church, business and family leaders move people to God’s agenda. Through writing, speaking and teaching ministries the Blackabys share their unique message, drawing on timeless truths to show how God is drawing people close to Him, and setting them free. For more information, visit www.blackaby.net
I received this book in return for a review from Shelton Interactive. All opinions are my own.
Thanks to the lovely folks at Shelton Interactive who continuously provide me the opportunity to review excellent books!
Thanks to B & H publishing Group for making the book available.
The book is small, yet packed full with devotions based on Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. I will share how it is organized so that you can get the sense of the material and how it flows. I actually appreciate the way the layout and structure are condensed well. The devotions are undated, so one could start anytime, or adapt easily for a family's unique scheduling circumstances.
The devotions are broken into weekly themes, and cover six days, spanning 50 weeks. There are also special occasion devotions for holidays and birthdays. Some examples of the special occasion devotion topics are: Thanksgiving, Election Day, Salvation, War, New Years Eve, New Years Day, Christmas, Baptism; even Halloween is included as well as a few more.
The Introduction and Instructions chapter lays out clearly how to have family devotional time with a number of ages present and also how to get the most from this time.
The weekly themed devotions begin with what is called "Parent Connection" and introduce scripture and topic. Each day takes up one page in the book. The print is smallish, but not overly hard to read. There are also some great recommendations of additional resources, tools and activities offered. Days 2-6 Begin with a Reading and follow with 4 parts:
1. Quick Start-is a short, focus point or springboard. A Tidbit to stir up the thinking and communication process.
2. Quest - this is the devotional portion which ties into scripture.
3. Quiet Family Prayer- A prompt for prayer also based on the topic.
4. Quiet Time- This section is further broken down into older kids and younger kids and each is encouraged to seek out their own quiet time in an age appropriate way. It's kind of like individual "homework", to encourage the child to seek God on His own.
If your family is is seeking to establish a devotional time or if you have grown frustrated in your efforts, this little book could be handy in helping you and yours find a measure of success in planning and practicing, as you grow in living out this aspect of ministry together.
Practical, handy and helpful is how I would describe this Devotional.
From the Publishers:
Experiencing God at Home Day by Day features 50 weeks of daily devotions that takes families from Genesis to Revelations, allowing them to explore all books of the Bible in just one year. The daily devotions feature a passage of scripture, a parent connection section, a conversation starter, applications, and more. There are also special devotions for important family moments like birthdays, holidays, back-to-school and more, so God can be celebrated and incorporated into all seasons and stages of life. Experiencing God at Home Day by Day not only provides a basis for personal, daily time spent together as a family, but serves as a pace setter for the deeper study of God’s word, preparing children to develop their own habit of seeking God in their lives
Blackaby Ministries International was founded by Henry and Marilyn Blackaby to help people experience God. The ministry focuses on three main concepts: helping people experience God, helping people and churches return to God, and helping church, business and family leaders move people to God’s agenda. Through writing, speaking and teaching ministries the Blackabys share their unique message, drawing on timeless truths to show how God is drawing people close to Him, and setting them free. For more information, visit www.blackaby.net
I received this book in return for a review from Shelton Interactive. All opinions are my own.
Thanks to the lovely folks at Shelton Interactive who continuously provide me the opportunity to review excellent books!
Thanks to B & H publishing Group for making the book available.
November 18, 2013
3.5 stars
Experiencing God at Home Day-By-Day by Tom Blackaby and Rick Osborne (B&H Books, 2013) is another family devotional recently released this year.
This family devotional offers 50 weeks of devotions with 6 devotions per week. The first day of each week provides an overview of the week’s topic for parents to preview. The devotions follow the order of the books of the Bible. Each devotion fits on one page in this gift book-sized devotional and begins with one or two Scripture passages to read. Each devotion has a “quick start” question to begin conversation, a one- or two-paragraph devotion “quest,” a “quiet family prayer” topic suggestion (which can be substituted with your own prayer), and suggestions for “quiet time” for younger kids and older kids.
The tone in the introduction is straightforward, but sometimes bordering on accusatory. I’m a little concerned that if a family was just beginning their walk in faith and this devotion was the first they picked up, the tone of the introduction might deter them from continuing their newfound journey rather than welcome them with love and inspire them. For those firmly in the faith (and just looking for a family supplement to study times), they will be able to read the introduction and see how it’s pointing out the shortcomings of today’s society and agree, but also without feeling blame and just be able to continue on.
That said, I’m glad the authors include this statement:
“Growing in Christ and learning to be His disciple isn’t about getting it right all the time; it’s about being to open to learning, trusting His grace and power to help you grow and be transformed. The most powerful way to teach your children is to take them on the journey with you.” (p. 7)
The devotions themselves work to uncover truths about God and His Word. The “quiet time” activities are mainly a continuation of the family discussion meant for kids to think about in their own quiet time. The questions and additional reading for older kids seem reasonable, but I’m not sure what age group the suggestions for “younger kids” are aimed towards. “Younger kids” in my mind means preschoolers and elementary ages, and some preschoolers may not be able to read the additional passages/stories suggested on their own. (Some of the devotions do say, “Have your parent read __ to you…”) That said, parents can perhaps take the topic suggested and create a hands-on activity for visual/tactile learners and otherwise modify the lesson to fit their child’s specific learning style. The main focus of each devotion is to read God’s word and pray about how to apply God’s word in one’s own life.
This book includes a section in the back with various devotions for special occasions, like war, engagement, marriage, pregnancy, sickness, holidays, and disappointments, and several pages for taking notes.
I received a free copy of this book from Shelton Interactive in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Experiencing God at Home Day-By-Day by Tom Blackaby and Rick Osborne (B&H Books, 2013) is another family devotional recently released this year.
This family devotional offers 50 weeks of devotions with 6 devotions per week. The first day of each week provides an overview of the week’s topic for parents to preview. The devotions follow the order of the books of the Bible. Each devotion fits on one page in this gift book-sized devotional and begins with one or two Scripture passages to read. Each devotion has a “quick start” question to begin conversation, a one- or two-paragraph devotion “quest,” a “quiet family prayer” topic suggestion (which can be substituted with your own prayer), and suggestions for “quiet time” for younger kids and older kids.
The tone in the introduction is straightforward, but sometimes bordering on accusatory. I’m a little concerned that if a family was just beginning their walk in faith and this devotion was the first they picked up, the tone of the introduction might deter them from continuing their newfound journey rather than welcome them with love and inspire them. For those firmly in the faith (and just looking for a family supplement to study times), they will be able to read the introduction and see how it’s pointing out the shortcomings of today’s society and agree, but also without feeling blame and just be able to continue on.
That said, I’m glad the authors include this statement:
“Growing in Christ and learning to be His disciple isn’t about getting it right all the time; it’s about being to open to learning, trusting His grace and power to help you grow and be transformed. The most powerful way to teach your children is to take them on the journey with you.” (p. 7)
The devotions themselves work to uncover truths about God and His Word. The “quiet time” activities are mainly a continuation of the family discussion meant for kids to think about in their own quiet time. The questions and additional reading for older kids seem reasonable, but I’m not sure what age group the suggestions for “younger kids” are aimed towards. “Younger kids” in my mind means preschoolers and elementary ages, and some preschoolers may not be able to read the additional passages/stories suggested on their own. (Some of the devotions do say, “Have your parent read __ to you…”) That said, parents can perhaps take the topic suggested and create a hands-on activity for visual/tactile learners and otherwise modify the lesson to fit their child’s specific learning style. The main focus of each devotion is to read God’s word and pray about how to apply God’s word in one’s own life.
This book includes a section in the back with various devotions for special occasions, like war, engagement, marriage, pregnancy, sickness, holidays, and disappointments, and several pages for taking notes.
I received a free copy of this book from Shelton Interactive in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
November 4, 2013
This is a compact, padded book that may look small but packs a powerful message sure to impact your family. Each page starts with a question that opens up a conversation that is then easily steered in the direction of the focus of the day's study. Using the Scripture Reading provided at the top of the page as the story or theme, it allows you to lead your family into a more indepth study, and permits control over how much time you can invest during your devotional time. The Family Prayer Time is set up in the same manner so you can let one person pray or each may add to the prayer. The additions of Quiet Time for both younger and older children are excellent ways of introducing kids to having a personal quiet time aside from family devotions and training them early about the need to seek out their own relationship with God.
Day 1 is a Parent Connection that gives the topic of the week so you can better prepare for the discussions you will be having with your children. Tips are provided for extra Scripture to read and to familiarize yourself in order to answer the questions that are sure to arise. Another part I loved is the section in the back for Special Occasions. Of course there are the various holidays, but topics like 'Last Day of School', 'Death in the Family', 'Pregnancy', and 'Celebrating An Achievement' are all included. Finally, there are several blank pages provided for notes. If you are interested in having a family devotional time, leading your family, and training your child in the tenets of faith...this book is an excellent resource.
I received this book free from Shelton Interactive for review purposes.. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Day 1 is a Parent Connection that gives the topic of the week so you can better prepare for the discussions you will be having with your children. Tips are provided for extra Scripture to read and to familiarize yourself in order to answer the questions that are sure to arise. Another part I loved is the section in the back for Special Occasions. Of course there are the various holidays, but topics like 'Last Day of School', 'Death in the Family', 'Pregnancy', and 'Celebrating An Achievement' are all included. Finally, there are several blank pages provided for notes. If you are interested in having a family devotional time, leading your family, and training your child in the tenets of faith...this book is an excellent resource.
I received this book free from Shelton Interactive for review purposes.. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
November 6, 2013
Experiencing God at Home Day-by-Day: A Family Devotional was a book I really liked. It was filled with rich lessons from the Bible. I particularly loved the format and the initial entry regarding, "The Importance of Family Devotion Time and Bible Reading."
Written in such a way as to involve every member of the family, no matter what age, this book provided numerous ideas and tips on how to best facilitate the family devotional. That was a help. Other helps included the Parent Connection, the Quest,the Quiet Family Prayer, and the Quiet Times sections.
I thought that the Scripture references were such that reading time was realistic for the busy family, meaning it was not too laborious nor was it too brief. The quick starts were a hit and miss for me. I liked some and did not care for others. I did appreciate the authors attempts to try to link the lesson with a practical life question, however.
There was a section of the book that I thought was unique, and that section dealt with Special Occasion Devotionals.
My Final Thoughts: This book would be a very good family devo resource. I would definitely recommend it to others. I would love to see it in a larger print, but despite that, it does what it proposes. (4.25/5 Stars)
A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Shelton Interactive in exchange for an honest review. The words I have expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.
Written in such a way as to involve every member of the family, no matter what age, this book provided numerous ideas and tips on how to best facilitate the family devotional. That was a help. Other helps included the Parent Connection, the Quest,the Quiet Family Prayer, and the Quiet Times sections.
I thought that the Scripture references were such that reading time was realistic for the busy family, meaning it was not too laborious nor was it too brief. The quick starts were a hit and miss for me. I liked some and did not care for others. I did appreciate the authors attempts to try to link the lesson with a practical life question, however.
There was a section of the book that I thought was unique, and that section dealt with Special Occasion Devotionals.
My Final Thoughts: This book would be a very good family devo resource. I would definitely recommend it to others. I would love to see it in a larger print, but despite that, it does what it proposes. (4.25/5 Stars)
A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Shelton Interactive in exchange for an honest review. The words I have expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.
April 7, 2016
This little devotional is designed for the family devotions. It would work well for those who already have this practice in place and would also be perfect for the family trying to establish this routine. The devotions are set up so that families can pick and choose what they are going to use that day based on the age of the child. It begins with the scripture for the day and a question to get the discussions going. The devotional is based on the first two and is followed by prayer time and quiet time sections. There are several different ways to read through the devotions and a quick chapter at the beginning explains the way the authors set the book up.
I really enjoyed reading this and I'm looking forward to sharing it with the kids. The topics will interest them even though they are young, but we can still use this again when they are a bit older. The authors bring out several great points about establishing the habit of daily devotions and the effects it has on the children. The subjects are relevant to families today and are well thought out. My favorite part is the little devotions called Parent Connection that are the devotionals just for parents. I've enjoyed everything I've read in this series and this one didn't disappoint. It's a book I'll be adding to my library.
I received this book free of charge from Shelton Interactive in exchange for my honest review.
I really enjoyed reading this and I'm looking forward to sharing it with the kids. The topics will interest them even though they are young, but we can still use this again when they are a bit older. The authors bring out several great points about establishing the habit of daily devotions and the effects it has on the children. The subjects are relevant to families today and are well thought out. My favorite part is the little devotions called Parent Connection that are the devotionals just for parents. I've enjoyed everything I've read in this series and this one didn't disappoint. It's a book I'll be adding to my library.
I received this book free of charge from Shelton Interactive in exchange for my honest review.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews