Drive Thru History® The Gospels ~ A Homeschool Crew Review

If you're familiar with Drive Thru History® courses (Ancient History, American History, or The Holy Land), I think you will really enjoy Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels”.  I had to laugh, when the day the DVDs arrived, Xav started the first disc.  He watched the intro for a moment and said, "Drive Thru History?  Where's his MINI Cooper?"  I have no idea if Dave Stotts drives a MINI in Ancient History.  I guess I don't pay attention to the "important" stuff.  I did note, however, that for this round Dave is apparently driving a 40 year old Land Rover.  You're welcome.  (Well, I'll be.  I just looked up a mini and found a review on Car and Driver for the Mini Cooper S that looks identical.)


Dave Stotts and Drive Thru History® make learning about the past more fun.  Seriously.  I have active boys.  They love the visual action, the quick and concise way Dave presents the information, and the neat graphics that appear on the screen with Stotts.  He even interacts with some of the "holograms," as my boys call them.  You are exposed to various texts, images, and pieces of art through these graphics.  History isn't  just about the dates, but also the action.  The punks love to hear or see the true stories that are connected.  It's a much richer history than the timeline, though that is also very important.

When I watched the trailer, I was so choked up.  I cry my eyes out every time I see a depiction of what my savior did for me.  I am so deeply humbled by that.  You can see the trailer and cry your eyes out, too.  You're welcome for that as well.

The Gospels: The Extraordinary Life of Jesus of Nazareth is a three DVD set with a hardcover booklet/case.  Each of the 18 episodes is nearly 30 minutes long and is broken down more into chapters.  The entire set explores the life and times of Jesus, using the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, as well as outside historical information about the lives of rulers and the people at that time.

Disc 1 of the series begins with a quick and historical look at the time, people, and locations covered in the Gospel accounts and the importance of genealogies.  Jesus' birth and the beginning of his ministry is also covered here.

Disc 2 contains Jesus' miracles, The Sermon on the Mount, and His travels with the apostles.

In disc 3, Dave Stotts talks about Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem, His trial, crucifixion, and resurrection.

I'm including a lot of photos this time, because the photography and cinematography are amazing.  Hope you don't mind!


There is a lot of really interesting extra-Biblical information that I think really expands on what the Bible tells us about Christ and the times he lived in.  For instance, in episode 4 we learn about King Herod and his Herodium, one of several of his palaces.  I knew very little about him beyond the Biblical account.  It's mind boggling to me what the wealthy rulers did to show their superiority over other people.

First, Herod had one mountain moved to the top of another mountain.  By hand.  Not his hand, of course.  Herod Antipas, who ruled during Jesus' ministry, had a large bath house with three temperatures in the various pools.  Herod's actual *pool* - in the middle of the desert - held nearly 3,000,000 (that's Million!) gallons of water.  In the desert.  Like his father, he had little regard for the lives of the people.  Whereas, Herod the Great ordered the murder of all sons under the age of two in an attempt to kill the King of the Jews, Antipas murdered John the Baptist as well as a number of prominent men, even family members, to keep his rule secure.





Not knowing how the crucifixion would be portrayed, I chose to watch episode 16, The Crucifixion of Jesus, without the boys.  I think the most dramatic portrayal of the crucifixion they have seen is from What's in the Bible?.

I've seen many graphic portrayals of the suffering of Christ, but rarely in drama is the entire process explained.  Drive Thru History® used art and some live action while explaining what crucifixion does to the human body.  At first, I thought how God must feel about his children who devise ways to torment their brothers and sisters.  My heart was breaking.  When Dave told of Christ on the cross crying, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?!"  I lost it.  I just wept, that gut wrenching, cleansing weeping.  I am telling you this because I want you to know how incredibly moving this was.  This scene was not melodramatic.  It was just deeply moving.

sigh...  OK.  Take a minute if you need it...

The DVD set comes with a book built into the case.  Each video has a four page spread devoted solely to it.

• Title page, which lists a quote.  Most are Bible verses, but there are also quotes from the likes of Mother Teresa, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Harry Truman.
• Summary page with a short synopsis of the content.
• Five discussion questions and a list of the related Biblical readings.
• The Side Road which offers interesting tidbits about minted coins, the Garden of Gethsemane, and Passover, among other subjects.  This page also highlights art or photos from The Gospels episodes.

Following these four pages, another artwork or photograph from the series is featured as a two page spread.


Dave Stotts is often humorous, but never irreverent.  The videos can be many things, but are never boring.  This would make a nice homeschool curriculum or Sunday school or small group study.  One episode each week and the corresponding discussion questions and Bible reading, make an enjoyable and doable study for the target audience of middle school and up, but all ages will really enjoy this exciting look at Biblical history.  It would be an excellent choice for a Lenten study.

At the time of this writing, the first episode is available on the Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels” page.  Just click on the word "here" on that page.  No code is necessary. 

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Jesus is the Light... Egglo Review

I've had the egg-citing opportunity, through The Schoolhouse Review Crew, to review several of Egglo Entertainment's super fun, God honoring Easter products.  Their glow-in-the-dark Easter eggs, Egg-cellent Easter Adventure story book and accessories always point children to the Light of the World - Jesus.  These products are intended to be used mostly with ages 4-13, but all ages can enjoy them.     



Egglo Glow in the Dark Easter Eggs ($11.99)*
The glow eggs can be charged using various light sources.  The time needed for a full charge varies with each type of light.  The sun charges the eggs most thoroughly. The eggs come in a box of twelve and are blue, green, yellow, and pink.  The blue and green eggs each have a cross on them.

We charged these under a bulb and, even though our weather isn't often entirely cooperative, in the pseudo-sun of dreary, wintry Vermont.  While we did get a decent glow, it seems they last longer and are brighter under a full charge in the sun.  They shouldn't be hidden too far in advance of the Easter egg hunt.  We did charge them with regular lighting and use them in the tub (pictures below).  When I got up in the morning, they were sitting on the sink drying, glowing away.  I don't know if the nightlight was just enough to keep them going for 12 hours, or if they really did somehow hold the charge that long.

Closing the eggs up in a dark place, where they would lose their glow, was a reminder for us that we need to recharge in the light of Jesus.  I used this as a reminder for why Bible study is so important to us.

I let Merrick play with the eggs all afternoon one day.  At the end of the day, Micah said, "You let our boys play with them and none are broken?  Clearly, they didn't play with them long enough."  So I let all three have free access to the eggs all day.  They've been juggled, squeezed, drop, and "experimented" on.  While I won't swear the eggs are indestructible, I will say, the punks didn't break a single one!  (I, on the other hand, did break a half by stepping on it in my rush to attend to a pencil stab in the next room.  *ahem*  And WHY in the world do kids feel the need to stab themselves with a pencil?)

The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure book ($12.99)
Written by Darcie Cobos and illustrated by Golden Street Animation, this glossy, colorful, 38 page story tells the story of three children who are transported to several locations when they discover a magical, glowing egg.  Each egg in the book contains a clue to the next location and a Bible verse scroll.  Over time, the children are transformed from some pretty ill-behaved children to kind and cooperative team members.

I admit, on my first read through of this book, I wanted to put it down and walk away.  I was so irritated by the children, and the fact that their parents didn't feel it was necessary to mention their inappropriate behavior to them, that I just didn't want to read it.  I knew in my mind that this poor behavior would be changed as the children learned about Jesus, but I just didn't feel like following through.  They really do shape up quickly.  It's OK to not like them at first.

The three characters learn to rely on God to calm their fears, put others before themselves, and listen to wise advice.  I was glad to finish the story and be able to look back at the transformations that took place while discussing their behavior with the boys. 

While it is considered an Easter adventure and culminates with an egg hunt, there was nothing about this book that would prevent it from becoming a regular read at any time of the year.

I left the book out, available for perusing at nearly any time.  Several times, I spied a boy curled on the couch or sprawled on the floor near the heater reading or looking at this bright, engaging book.  The paperback book has also held up well to frequent use and occasional misuse.

The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure audio download ($2.99)
Nearly 30 minutes long, this MP4 audio of The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure is narrated by Dick Wells, a pleasant sounding gentleman.  While this isn't an audio drama, the narrator is quite animated and held everyone's attention.  The quality is clear.  A chime marks every page turn for your pre-readers.  Xavier really liked this feature.  There are a LOT of words on some pages of the book and he would definitely not follow along with the words while being read to.  He loves the pictures and would much rather look at those.  The audio file will be a great addition to our looooong car trips to visit grandparents.

Egglo Treasures Scripture Scrolls ($4.29)
One dozen little plastic scrolls based on verses which point to Jesus and to God's love.  Reminding us to keep our eyes on The Light of the World.  I liked that they are not paper, so aren't as likely to tear.  The scrolls can be placed in the eggs during your Easter egg games.  Xav loved rolling and unrolling them.  Too bad he isn't coordinated enough to get the tiny rubber band back around them when he is done. 

The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure Program Guide ($14.99)
This 62 page PDF will give you everything you need to plan the perfect Easter adventure for your family, friends, or church group.  This thorough guide provides ideas for snacks, decorations, and  activities, and comprehension questions for the suggested Bible reading and the book.  The bulk of the guide has printable invitations, crosses and scrolls to cut out.  If you are looking for Easter game ideas, this is a good resource.

Some of the other ways we've used Egglo Glow-in-the-Dark Easter Eggs included printing and hiding these hearts in the eggs, this spring wreath, and a fun glow bath.

Look for the "sign up for free egglo stuff!" button on the website to receive the Egglo scavenger hunt to use in your own home, with clues like "The LORD provides food for those who fear Him. He remembers His covenant forever (Psalm 111:5)." which would lead the hunters to the refrigerator where they would find the next egg.  You will also receive coloring pages, character cutouts (which could be used to play a memory game), and a special Why Jesus Came scroll.

Xav loves to color, so he will really enjoy the character coloring pages that are in the Program Guide. 

I recommend Egglo Entertainment's glow-in-the-dark Easter eggs, book and accessories for your next Children's Ministry Easter egg hunt, for your family, for friendly get togethers, and for your co-op.  There are so many projects, games, and other ways to use these versatile products.

Egglo Eggs partners with ministries here and abroad, including Dayspring Educational Training Centre in Uganda.


*Retail prices listed.  Several products are currently on sale.



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Easter Eggs

We enjoyed watching the color pellets dissolve in vinegar and make us some fun colors.



I was surprised they each chose to color eggs in their brother's favorite color first.