CBH Ministries, also known as Children’s Bible Hour, is a ministry for kids. CBH reaches out to kids, mainly ages 6-12, through books, devotionals called Keys for Kids, radio shows, etc. Jacob receives Keys for Kids every month, and we enjoy reading some of the devotionals in them together. I really didn’t know that they also have books, so I was pleasantly surprised to receive the Seasons of Faith series, as part of the TOS Crew.

The Seasons of Faith series reaches out to kids, in order to help them grow in their Christian walk. With four different seasons that directly correlate to the Christian life, each book focuses on a different season of the Christian life. For example….

• Winter is sometimes dark and cold, sometimes etched with difficult situations and rough times, but through leaning on God, we can make it through.
• Spring focuses on how we are made new in Christ and how we can help to spread the good news.
• Summer is when growth takes place.
• The season of autumn is correlated with bad choices, mistakes, and things we do that seem to draw us further away from where God wants us to be…but with His forgiveness and help, we can make it through this time, as well.

Each one of the books in this series focuses on one of these seasons. With each book comes an audio CD with Uncle Charlie reading the book to you, as you follow along. This brought back memories for me, listening to my old records and read along books. With music and Uncle Charlie’s voice, it really made listening to the story a lot of fun for my boys.

Braving the Storm was the first book we picked up to read. As Uncle Charlie began reading the story to us (which was a welcome break for my tired, homeschool mommy, reading voice), my boys began to settle down and really listen. Even Jaden sat halfway through the story, which is really saying something for him. Anyway, Braving the Storm is about Thomas, who is going through a difficult time in his life. As his grandpa teaches him, though, he learns that God is there, even though he can’t see Him in this time; He is there. Thomas learns that he needs to grow in his faith and truly lean on Jesus.

Race with Midnight is the story for the season of spring. In this story, Becky is off to spend time with her cousin Sarah, Uncle Carl, and Aunt Millie, who have neither one accepted Jesus as their Saviour. Follow Becky through a journey and an adventure of telling the ones she loves about Jesus.

You Can’t Come In is the summer story. Adam and Zack have become friends; only Zack’s family doesn’t know Jesus. As Adam talks and plays with Zack every day, the influence he has is far-reaching and produces seeds both in Zack’s life and in his parents’ lives. It’s the typical story of two boys who are in and out of trouble, but the message behind this story is real and deeply personal. I love the analogy between how we don’t want dirt in our houses, so what makes us think God would want our dirty sins in His heaven? That just makes it so understandable and applicable to kids, even adults who struggle to accept and understand.

Seventy Times Seven is the last book, dealing with the season of autumn. The more Brad focuses on the seemingly negative things his best friend has done to him, the more frustrated he becomes, to the point of letting it affect their relationship as best friends. In the meantime, Brad hits a baseball straight into the local Scoops sign, breaking it. Now he’s going to have to make up for the damage. He’s also going to have to learn to forgive Doug and mend their relationship. This story is just a good example of what forgiveness means and how important it is in our own lives, to forgive others.

All of the stories have the salvation message printed in the back, and your child can read along, as Uncle Charlie reads it to them, along with Scripture. Each book carries in it a deeper, underlying issue and message that children can easily grasp onto, especially with discussion afterwards. These discussion questions are a great resource to spark conversation. You can purchase each of these books from CBH Ministries for $10. Also, from March 17-April 15, 2010, when you purchase the complete Seasons of Faith book set, you can get free standard shipping if you use the following code during checkout: FREESHIPAPR15.

These books are more than just stories; they are life lessons for young minds. They are stories that truly do plant seeds in young lives. To read more reviews, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

(Disclosure: I was provided the Seasons of Faith set of books, free of charge, by CBH Ministries, in association with the TOS Homeschool Crew.)