Introduction: Come and Meet Jesus

Imagine you could spend a whole month walking beside the most important person who ever lived. You’d hear Him tell stories. You’d watch Him calm a storm with just a few words. You’d see Him welcome kids when grown-ups tried to shoo them away. You’d stand at the foot of His cross, and three days later you’d run to His empty tomb.

That’s what this book is about. For the next 30 days, you’re going to walk with Jesus.

Jesus is the center of everything in the Christian faith. He isn’t just a good teacher or a hero from long ago. The Bible says He is God’s own Son, who came to earth as a baby, lived a perfect life, died for our sins and rose again. He’s alive today. And the best way to know Him is to look closely at His life, the way His first friends saw it.

John, one of those friends, wrote down why he wrote his book about Jesus:

“But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”

— John 20:31 (BSB)

That’s our goal too. Not just to know about Jesus, but to know Him, trust Him and follow Him.

What’s in this book

This is Book 2 of Rooted. (If you haven’t read Book 1, that’s okay! You can start right here.) Over 30 days, you’ll follow Jesus’ whole life:

• Week 1 — Jesus Arrives. A manger, shepherds, wise men, and Jesus at twelve years old.
• Week 2 — Jesus Begins. His baptism, His temptation, and the first people He called to follow Him.
• Week 3 — Jesus’ Power. Storms, a boy’s lunch, a blind man and a dead man who walked out of his tomb.
• Week 4 — Jesus’ Teaching. Some of the most famous words and stories ever told.
• Week 5 — Jesus Wins. The last week of His life, the cross and the empty tomb.

How each day works

Every day takes about five to ten minutes and has five parts:

1. The verse. A passage from one of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. Read it slowly.
2. The teaching. The story behind the verse, and what it shows you about Jesus.
3. Think about it. A question to help you think deeper, on your own or with someone else.
4. Try this. One small way to follow Jesus that day.
5. The prayer. A prayer to pray. Add your own words too!

Tips for the journey

• Read the whole story. Each day’s verse comes from a bigger story. If you have time, look it up in your Bible and read the verses around it.
• Picture it. Try to imagine you’re there. What do you see, hear and smell? How do the people feel?
• Ask, “What is Jesus like?” Every story shows you something about Him. Look for it.
• Missed a day? Keep going. Jesus isn’t grading you. Just pick up where you left off.

The disciples didn’t understand everything about Jesus right away. It took time walking with Him. The same is true for you. So come along. Let’s go meet Jesus.

For parents, grandparents and leaders

Book 2 of Rooted walks readers aged 9 to 12 through the life of Christ in roughly chronological order, drawing from all four Gospels, with every Scripture quoted from the Berean Standard Bible. It works well read alone or aloud together. Encourage your reader to look up the surrounding passage in their own Bible. Many of these stories are best read in full. Week 5 covers the arrest, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus in a way that is honest but suited to young readers.