DVD Review: What's In The Bible 5: Israel Gets A King!

My parents and I watched the latest volume of Phil Vischer's What's In The Bible series this past weekend. I received my copy of the video earlier in the week and we immediately popped it in to see what the team had come up with. This video did not disappoint.

What's in the Bible is VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer's new Children's Video series. After watching his dream die when he filed bankruptcy and lost control of the beloved Christian Children's video veggies, Vischer says God got through to him and gave him a second chance. What that gives families is a fantastic series of Biblically sound and educational videos taking a more indepth look of the Bible.

This isn't your typical "Sunday morning values, Saturday morning fun" series. This is meaty goodness that is sorely lacking from Children's ministries. As a former Sunday School teacher, I can say that I've never seen children taught in this way. Yes, I've seen puppets used, but instead of just teaching the story of David - as the fifth volume does - Vischer's cast of colorful puppets digs deeper into the significance of David's life as well as why his story is so important to the bigger picture of the Bible. This isn't your typical David and Goliath story.

Official Street Team Member for What's In The Bible

You might notice on the upper left hand side of my blog I have a banner saying I'm an official street team member for What's In The Bible. It's a new ministry venture that Veggie Tales creator Phil Vischer started a year or so ago. It's a Sesame Street method on the Bible, but it doesn't talk down to kids. In fact, adults can learn a thing or two from the series as well. It's in its infancy and so far only 4 of the scheduled 13 DVDs are even available. I found out about it through the grapevine and Phil's personal website. Being a huge fan of Veggie Tales and its creator, I was very excited to see what he was coming up with.

I was not disappointed. I had won a set for Haille and myself on their facebook page, and I am so very happy I found this series. It's adorable, fun, educational, and Biblical. It's a little less funky Veggie version of stories and more of the meat. Basically What's in the Bible is about discovering the meaning of the Bible - the way Phil goes about it is keeping the viewer in suspense of God's exit plan. How God is going to basically save the world. We're going in order of the books of the Bible, so whenever the Jesus factor should be brought in Phil mentions him but says we'll get more into that later on... I can't wait for that to happen!

The fifth DVD is set to come out soon, and with the Sunday school/home school curriculum finally catching up with the videos, they've decided it's time to really get the word out. Apparently even partnering with Focus on the Family they still felt that word of mouth was better than anything else. So I'm pleased to become part of the Street Team family. I am completely behind this project and hope you will at the very least check it out. Friends in the area if you're interested in seeing the first four DVDs email me and I will gladly let you borrow my copies.

Video Series Review: Phil Vischer's What's In The Bible

VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer is back with an all new children series focussed on the Bible. Entitled "What's In The Bible with Buck Denver", Visher has once again made important Biblical principles accessable to children and adults in a fun family friendly format. Instead of Vegtables bringing familiar Bible stories to life, a cast of puppets are answering the tough questions that surround The Word of God.

The host of the "show" is Buck Denver "Man of News". He's a semi bored little news reporting puppet, and relies heavily on Vischer for guidance in each show. His costars include Sunday School Lady, Pastor Louis, Pete the Pirate, and Michael a little boy puppet on his way to grandma's house driving cross country with his mom (we never see or hear her) and his little brother Pierre (we never see him, but he does throw things from time to time at Michael). There are other characters who bring in information as well as random bits of humor as Buck, Phil, and Sunday School Lady basically work most of the meat of the shows.

Like VeggieTales, Phil is starting out small and voice many of the characters within the show. He is also featured in each "episode" to help keep the puppets in line or to help Buck answer the tough Biblical questions like "How old is the world", and "Why did God want people to die"? Phil does a very good job at explaining what we understand and believe about God and the Bible in a way that everyone can follow.

The format of the show is very similar to that of Sesame Street and other children's puppet shows, short quick segments, but it never talks down to the kids. There are lessons upon lessons and it's not just the same stuff you get year after year in sunday school. It bolsters those teachings with a deeper understanding.

They don't get into denominational battles, where the denominations differ is not so important as the basic Truths we all believe. This is pushed heavily throughout the series.

Over all this is a must have for any family, sunday school, or children's program. It's a fantastic resource, and I've learned several things myself! Be sure to order the DVDs and check out their side website for Jellyfish Labs.
The series is still in the works, with a planned 13 one hour DVDs in all, so far they've released the first four which takes us from Genesis through Ruth. http://www.whatsinthebible.com/