Have you ever wished there were a Bible study that could help your children learn not just about the Bible, but actually learn how to study the Bible for themselves?
That is exactly what caught my attention about Marty Machowski’s God and Me: The First Story—Genesis 1–3. Rather than simply giving children a devotional lesson to read through, this activity-style Bible study teaches kids a simple process for opening God’s Word, reading what it says, thinking about what it means, remembering what they have learned, and considering how they should respond.
And honestly, I think that is such an important skill to cultivate in our children.
As parents, we can spend so much time reading Bible stories to our kids, answering their questions, and teaching them biblical truths. Those things are wonderful and necessary, but there is something especially valuable about helping a child learn to open the Bible and discover truth for themselves.
God and Me is designed to help children do exactly that.
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Recommended ages: 7-11 years old
Bundle Price – $16.99 at New Growth Press
Reading Level- Late Elementary
Our Favorite Part – My favorite part of God and Me is probably the activities woven throughout the workbook. There are word finds, matching activities, and other interactive elements that are genuinely fun while still being connected to the lesson and biblical truth being taught. I think that balance is especially helpful for this age range—it keeps kids engaged without making the activities feel like busywork. They’re learning Scripture, thinking about what they’ve read, and having fun along the way.
Where can I buy these books, what are the best ages for these books, and where can I buy them? Let’s dive deeper into those questions.
More About Marty Machowski
If you have read any of Marty Machowski’s other books, you probably already know that he has a gift for taking deep theological truths and presenting them in ways children can understand without watering down the message.
Machowski is a best-selling children’s author and family life pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. He has written numerous resources for families, including The Sword: Magnus and the Mystery of Romans, The Ology, The Gospel Story Bible, Promises Made, Promises Kept, and WonderFull: Ancient Psalms Ever New.
I have reviewed several of Machowski’s books here on Healing Home, and one of the things I consistently appreciate about his work is his commitment to grounding children in Scripture and the gospel.
That same commitment is evident in God and Me.
Rather than treating Scripture as simply a collection of moral lessons or interesting stories, Machowski wants children to understand what the Bible teaches about God, themselves, sin, and the gospel.
And what better place to begin than Genesis 1–3?
Other reviews of Marty Machowski books:
What Is God and Me: The First Story?
God and Me: The First Story—Genesis 1–3 is the first book in a Bible Study for Kids series designed for children ages 7–11.
The premise is simple: give children a Bible study that they can actually work through themselves. The book walks children through the opening chapters of Genesis, exploring the creation of the world, the creation of mankind in God’s image, the entrance of sin into the world, and God’s promise of restoration.
These are foundational truths for understanding the rest of Scripture.
Children aren’t simply learning the facts of Genesis. They are being encouraged to ask questions like:
Who is God?
How did God make me?
What does it mean that I am made in God’s image?
What went wrong with the world?
Why do I need Jesus?
It reminds me of foundational catechism questions, but much deeper.
The Four Simple Steps for Studying the Bible
One of my favorite things about God and Me is that it doesn’t just tell children what to believe. It gives them a framework for learning how to engage with Scripture.
The four steps are: Read. Think. Remember. Follow.
Children are encouraged to read the passage of Scripture, think carefully about what they have read, remember the truth they are learning, and then consider how they should follow God in response.
I love the simplicity of this.
Sometimes Bible study resources for children can become so complicated that the child is essentially completing an activity while the Bible itself becomes secondary. God and Me takes a different approach. The activities are there to help children engage with what Scripture actually says.
That distinction matters.
We want our children to love God’s Word—not simply love the colorful workbook that happens to accompany it.
Recommended Ages
God and Me: The First Story—Genesis 1–3 is designed for children ages 7–11.
I think that age range makes sense, particularly for children who are beginning to develop the ability to read Scripture independently and work through questions without needing an adult beside them for every step.
My older children are within this range, but they are not strong readers, so this book would be way over their heads for an independent Bible study. Instead, I am considering using this as a piece of our family morning time.
Older elementary-aged children may be able to work through the lessons more independently.
And I think that independence is one of the biggest strengths of this resource.
There is something exciting about handing a child their own Bible study and saying, in essence, “You can do this. You can open God’s Word. You can learn what it says. You can grow in your understanding of who God is.”
Of course, children still need their parents. Independent Bible study doesn’t mean isolated Bible study.
Rather, I see this as a tool that can help move a child toward greater confidence in God’s Word while still giving parents plenty of opportunities for conversation and discipleship.
Final Mom Thoughts on God and Me
As a mom, one of the things I want most for my children is not simply that they know Bible stories. I want them to know God’s Word.
I want them to know how to find something in Scripture, read it carefully, ask what it means, remember what God has revealed, and then allow that truth to shape the way they live.
That is why I think God and Me: The First Story—Genesis 1–3 is such an interesting resource. Sadly, this ended up being too advanced for my children to do independently, but as a family unit, it still is going to make a fantastic resource.
It isn’t trying to replace the Bible with a children’s devotional. Instead, it is helping children learn how to open the Bible and engage with it.
If you’re looking for a Bible study for your elementary-aged child that is interactive, Scripture-focused, gospel-centered, and designed to encourage greater independence in Bible study, God and Me: The First Story—Genesis 1–3 is one I would put on your list.
Marty Machowski has once again created a resource that takes children seriously as students of God’s Word. He doesn’t assume that because they are young, they need shallow theology. Instead, he gives them biblical truth and a practical way to engage with it.
And ultimately, that is what I love most about this book.
We aren’t just raising children who can tell us what happened in Genesis 1–3.
We’re helping raise children who know how to open God’s Word and ask, “What is God teaching me here?”
And that is a skill I hope they carry with them for the rest of their lives.
✨ Have you used any of Marty Machowski’s books with your children? Would you add God and Me to your family’s Bible study routine?
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