Writing the Defend Your Faith Bible was the hardest and most humbling project I’d ever worked on. As the general editor, I spent nearly two years researching and writing to finalize the hundreds of extra facts and bits of information. But a 1,300-page Bible can be pretty daunting for readers—especially kids. This devotional was designed to be a much “friendlier” starting point for young readers who have questions about their faith. This book will engage and encourage them to make their faith their own.

That’s really the inspiration. I want children to understand, grow in their faith and have a foundation in Christ that won’t be broken as they enter the sometimes-turbulent teen years.

I’ve had the honor to write more than a dozen devotional books. Some are for parents; some are for sports fans or active boys.

What sets this apart is the cooperative effort between the Lifeway creative team and me. Lifeway really had a heart and vision for this project. I was able to utilize the research and passion I have for apologetics to come up with devos that kids will be able to relate to—but that are also fun to read and challenging.

It started right after I became a Christian as a teenager, and my mom gave me More than a Carpenter. I minored in Bible as an undergraduate and graduate student at Wheaton College. Then after becoming the editor of Focus on the Family Clubhouse magazine (about 23 years ago), I started working in more apologetic content for kids 8-12 in a column called “Truth Pursuer.” God, Jesus and the Bible can stand up to testing when we pursue the truth. That’s the idea behind this monthly column in the magazine.

About eight years ago I started working with Lee Strobel on kids’ versions of his Case for books. This was an absolute blessing, because I’d seen Lee preach at Willow Creek (during my college years) the content that later became The Case for Christ. I’ve done five books with him. They not only continued to spark my interest in apologetics, but they also challenged me to make sure it was accurate and understandable to the intended audience.

The title of the book says it all: so they can defend their faith. Society is growing more and more hostile toward Christians. Our beliefs and values are constantly attacked in the media and by popular culture. Instead of backing down, we need to stand up. Kids are bold enough to do just that! By equipping young readers with the facts about their faith, they’ll be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks for a reason for the hope that’s in them (1 Peter 3:15).

The different categories of devotions come directly from the Defend Your Faith Bible. I wanted this book to be a companion to the Bible. Kids could read it before they get the Bible, as an introduction to the content; as they read the Bible, as bonus content; or after they read the Bible, as a reminder to go out into the world and live their faith.

The categories are:

• Digging into the Word – archeological evidence to trust the Bible
• Science in the Bible – seeing God’s order and design in all of creation
• Untwisting Scripture – finding the consistent truth of God’s Word in “tricky” sounding Scriptures
• Defenders of the Faith – real people—biblical, historical and contemporary—who showed real faith
• Know Questions – answering big questions about God and the Bible
• Good Words – Bible vocabulary that’s helpful to know
• That’s a Fact – surprising facts with deeper meanings

Living for God is an exciting journey. It’s important for kids—and adults—to understand what they believe and why they believe it. At the same time, it’s key for kids to know that it’s okay—even encouraged—for them to ask questions. When you ask a question, you unlock learning.

I hope that kids will find the answers they’re looking for as they read this book and the Defend Your Faith Bible, attend church, pray and talk with mature Christians in their lives. As I wrote in the book, it’s important to ask questions about the world, the Bible and your faith; it’s even more important to know where to look for the answers.