Do Not Be Afraid

Jared Dees, founder of TheReligionTeacher.com, collects Old and New Testament stories around a single thread: courage in the face of fear. Noah, Ruth, David, Elijah, Moses — and on the New Testament side, Jesus's miracles, parables, and resurrection — each story gets an accessible retelling followed by reflection questions for parents and children to discuss together. The dual structure of story plus questions makes this equally useful as a bedtime read and a family devotional or parish education resource. Dees's background in Catholic religious education shows in the theologically sound retellings. The honest note is that Catholic families will find the framing most natural, and the stories are kept short enough that older children in the 6-12 range may want more depth. Formal critical coverage is limited. For faith-focused families looking to ground children in Scripture through fear and hope, it fills a real gap.