Michael Easley inContext - Helping Kids Love the Bible Through Story & Art with Liz and Jack Hagler

In this episode, Michael Easley talks with Liz and Jack Hagler, the creative team behind the Patrick Wigglesworth Bible Adventure Series. Together, they share how decades of ministry, homeschooling, and creative work led to a bold vision: helping kids experience the Bible through graphic-novel storytelling that is both theologically grounded and highly engaging. Liz brings her background in illustration and design, while Jack draws from his pastoral and seminary training to shape the biblical framework behind each story. They explain the challenge of balancing biblical accuracy with creativity, and how feedback from their own children, grandchildren, and classrooms helped refine the tone, humor, and effectiveness of the series. Throughout the conversation, they emphasize the power of story, laughter, and visual learning in helping children retain Scripture. They also discuss the importance of family discipleship, memory, and creating space for kids to ask questions as they engage God’s Word. This episode is a compelling look at how faith, creativity, and storytelling can work together to shape the next generation’s understanding of Scripture. Key Topics Covered Creating engaging Bible resources for children The vision behind the Patrick Wigglesworth series Balancing biblical accuracy with creative storytelling Why laughter and imagination matter in spiritual formation How kids best engage and retain Scripture Family discipleship and reading the Bible together The role of graphic novels in modern Bible teaching Lessons learned from publishing and classroom feedback Helping kids see the “big story” of the Bible Building faith through memory, repetition, and story Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Liz & Jack Hagler 02:00 Their background in ministry, design, and engineering 05:00 The origin of the Patrick Wigglesworth idea 08:00 Developing Bible stories kids will actually read 11:00 Why humor and engagement matter for children 14:00 Designing for a 7–12 year old mindset 18:00 Field testing stories with kids and families 21:00 What makes kids respond to biblical storytelling 24:00 Challenges of adapting Scripture into story form 27:00 Creative examples from the Bible adventure series 30:00 Family discipleship and reading Scripture together 33:00 Final thoughts on faith, storytelling, and impact Links Mentioned: Patrick Wigglesworth’s Bizarre Bible Adventure Set by Liz and Jack Hagler: https://a.co/d/0aS6keEA Patrick Wigglesworth website: https://www.patrickwigglesworth.com/ Follow on Instagram and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelinContext https://www.instagram.com/dreasley/ For more information on Dr. Michael Easley and Ask Dr. E Visit: https://www.michaelincontext.com