Nearly 2,000 years ago, a simple wooden cross and an empty tomb served as the setting for the greatest rescue mission in history—the good news of a loving Father going to great lengths to save his broken children. Every year at Easter, with a joyful shout of "Christ is risen!" we declare again the climax of this great story. Although Easter Sunday only happens once a year, the truths behind it are big enough to shape our lives every single day. Starting on Palm Sunday, your family will spend two weeks (fourteen devotions) walking in time with Jesus as he finished the work his Father had given him. Extending your devotional time into the week beyond Easter Sunday will encourage your family to follow the risen Jesus as he calls his disciples on a Spirit-filled mission to spread the good news to all nations. Your family will learn that God calls every Christ follower to that very same task, promising that his power and presence will help us as we go. Each devotion takes just ten-minutes and is suitable for all ages of children. Included are suggestions for hymns to sing and family activities that give you a chance to remember and apply the truth that Christ is risen indeed!
A. E. Macha is an educator and illustrator. She graduated from Arcadia University in 2003 with a BFA in Illustration and Cert. in Art. ED. Anne lives in Philadelphia, PA. with her husband Josh, where she is currently homeschooling her two kids after eight years teaching in the classroom. She illustrated The Gospel Story Bible by Marty Machowski and Mission Accomplished by Scott James. You can find her other work on wondernawe.com.
"A delightful, biblical, practical help for family worship during the Easter season. It connects the passion of Christ with the purpose of God, beckoning families to play our part in the greatest mission in all of history—the redemption of men and women all over the world."
David Platt, President of the International Mission Board; founder of Radical; best-selling author of Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream
"Scott James has provided families with an easy-to-use, yet spiritually enriching Easter devotional. Starting with the events leading to the cross through the ascension of Jesus, families are encouraged to read the corresponding Scripture, discuss the passage, and make application through questioning and activities. In addition, many selections include a rich hymn to use in family worship. This little book is a great tool for focusing the hearts of your family members on the reality of Jesus's redemptive mission."
Sally Michael, Author; cofounder of Children Desiring God
"Mission Accomplished is just the sort of resource families need; one that draws them into the Bible, points them to Jesus, and stirs them to worship. For such a short book it provides a delightfully rich sampling of the many reasons we have to celebrate Easter."
Jack Klumpenhower, Author of Show Them Jesus: Teaching the Gospel to Kids
"Our hearts are often like a car out of alignment; when we take our hands off the wheel, it begins to swerve to the right or left. Mission Accomplished is a resource for the family to keep the affections of our heart aligned on the beauty of Christ leading up to Easter and far beyond. Theologically rich and incredibly practical, this is a fantastic resource for all families!"
Jason Gaston, Family Ministries Pastor, The Summit Church
"The approach of Easter gives families a distinctive opportunity to focus their devotional time on the purpose and implications of Jesus's atoning work. Scott James provides families with a concise and engaging two-week focus on the mission Jesus accomplished and the mission he is now calling us to for spreading the good news to the nations."
Steve Watters, Editor of Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood's family channel; coauthor with Candice Watters of Start Your Family: Inspiration for Having Babies
"When it comes to leading spiritually in the home, the barrier for most parents is not a lack of desire, but a lack of equipping. That's why I'm thankful for Mission Accomplished by Scott H. James. In addition to helping parents teach their children about the resurrection of Christ and its implications for us, this devotional also gives parents on-the-job training on leading their families."
John Murchison, Director of Children's Ministry, The Austin Stone Community Church
"Mission Accomplished by Scott James is a valuable resource for families. You and your children will be engaged by this devotional that shows the beautiful meaning of the Easter season. With activities, songs, discussion questions, and guided prayer times, James helps focus our hearts to appreciate all that Christ did for us in his death and resurrection."
Jessica Thompson, Author Exploring Grace Together; frequent conference speaker
"Mission Accomplished is a fresh and inspiring presentation of the most Important Story featuring the Most Important Person who accomplished the most Important Rescue Mission on earth—the conquest of sin and death. Written in fourteen brief and creative segments, Scott offers families a meaningful and easy-to-use volume to consider and celebrate the Risen King together."
John Tice, Children's Minister at The Church at Brook Hills; founder and president of Impress Kids
Fantastic resource for family devotions in the run up to Easter. Highly recommended!
This is a great family devotional. The content is really good and accessible for most ages. The only reason I wouldn’t give this a 5-star rating is because the songs used in the book might not be known to an audience who attends a service at their church which uses more “contemporary” music, so parents might not know how to sing the hymns with their kids. Some of the hymns are also lesser known songs, which might make it more challenging to learn.
neat Easter devo to do with the family
This is a great family devotional. The content is really good and accessible for most ages. The only reason I wouldn’t give this a 5-star rating is because the songs used in the book might not be known to an audience who attends a service at their church which uses more “contemporary” music, so parents might not know how to sing the hymns with their kids. Some of the hymns are also lesser known songs, which might make it more challenging to learn.
neat Easter devo to do with the family
An excellent two-week devotional for the Easter Season. It begins on Palm Sunday, and goes through the Saturday following Easter. A great mix of Bible-reading, explanation, prayer and activities/singing. Since my family does our devotionals before bedtime, we did not do the craft/activities (about every other one), but we did do the singing. Most of the hymns are very familiar ones, although if you are not from a traditional worship background, you might not be able to sing or use them. All in all, a great way to get a big picture of God's redemptive plan to save a people for Himself through Jesus' death and resurrection! We've now used it the last two years around Easter, and have enjoyed it both times.
An excellent two-week devotional for the Easter Season. It begins on Palm Sunday, and goes through the Saturday following Easter. A great mix of Bible-reading, explanation, prayer and activities/singing. Since my family does our devotionals before bedtime, we did not do the craft/activities (about every other one), but we did do the singing. Most of the hymns are very familiar ones, although if you are not from a traditional worship background, you might not be able to sing or use them. All in all, a great way to get a big picture of God's redemptive plan to save a people for Himself through Jesus' death and resurrection! We've now used it the last two years around Easter, and have enjoyed it both times.
We have 3 children ages 6, 3 and an infant, and while that seems young, my 3 and 6 year old loved this devotional and so did I. The activities (painting rocks! yes!) it offers are great and I love that it has hymns to sing on some of the days. We sang them together and it was precious - I will cherish it always. More importantly than all of that is that this devotional presents a clear gospel in terms that even our young children could follow, and yet an older child or teen could absolutely be engaged in each day's reading and discussion. This was a wonderful way to stay connected to what Easter is about and what was really happening all those years ago, and what that means for us now. I'm recommending this to everyone I know!
We have 3 children ages 6, 3 and an infant, and while that seems young, my 3 and 6 year old loved this devotional and so did I. The activities (painting rocks! yes!) it offers are great and I love that it has hymns to sing on some of the days. We sang them together and it was precious - I will cherish it always. More importantly than all of that is that this devotional presents a clear gospel in terms that even our young children could follow, and yet an older child or teen could absolutely be engaged in each day's reading and discussion. This was a wonderful way to stay connected to what Easter is about and what was really happening all those years ago, and what that means for us now. I'm recommending this to everyone I know!
We loved this awesome family devotion for Easter. It was meaty and short and perfect for my kids. I loved how simple the activities were and yet they were very meaningful. The hymns and prayers are wonderful. Highly recommend.