Kevin DeYoung
Author of Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will
About the Author
Kevin DeYoung (PhD, University of Leicester) is the senior pastor at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, North Carolina, and assistant professor of systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte. He serves as board chairman of the Gospel Coalition and blogs at DeYoung, Restless, show more and Reformed He is the author of several books, including Just Do Something; Crazy Busy; and The Biggest Story. Kevin and his wife, Trisha, have nine children. show less
Works by Kevin DeYoung
Taking God At His Word: Why the Bible Is Knowable, Necessary, and Enough, and What That Means for You and Me (2014) 1,599 copies, 9 reviews
What Is the Mission of the Church?: Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission (2011) 1,470 copies, 8 reviews
The Hole in Our Holiness: Filling the Gap between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of Godliness (2012) 1,355 copies, 11 reviews
The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden (2015) 1,005 copies, 10 reviews
Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion (2009) 722 copies, 3 reviews
The Good News We Almost Forgot: Rediscovering the Gospel in a 16th Century Catechism (2010) 695 copies, 2 reviews
The Ten Commandments: What They Mean, Why They Matter, and Why We Should Obey Them (Foundational Tools for Our Faith) (2018) 406 copies
Grace Defined and Defended: What a 400-Year-Old Confession Teaches Us about Sin, Salvation, and the Sovereignty of God (2019) 362 copies, 1 review
Do Not Be True to Yourself: Countercultural Advice for the Rest of Your Life (2023) 323 copies, 1 review
Impossible Christianity: Why Following Jesus Does Not Mean You Have to Change the World, Be an Expert in Everything, Accept Spiritual Failure, and Feel Miserable Pretty Much All… (2023) 219 copies, 1 review
The Lord's Prayer: Learning from Jesus on What, Why, and How to Pray (Foundational Tools for Our Faith) (2022) 148 copies, 1 review
The Nicene Creed: What You Need to Know about the Most Important Creed Ever Written (Foundational Tools for Our Faith) (2025) 127 copies, 1 review
Levando Deus a Sério: Por que a Bíblia Incompreensível, necessária e suficiente, e o que isso significa para você! (Portuguese Edition) (2017) 13 copies
The Religious Formation of John Witherspoon: Calvinism, Evangelicalism, and the Scottish Enlightenment (Routledge Studies in Evangelicalism) (2020) 4 copies
Hombres y mujeres en la iglesia: Una introducción bíblica y práctica (Spanish Edition) (2021) 4 copies
La Bonne Nouvelle presque oubliée: Redécouvrir l'Évangile dans le Catéchisme de Heidelberg (French Edition) (2022) 3 copies
Doe iets! 3 copies
Taking God At His Word Study Guide 2 copies
MOS JI VETVETJA 2 copies
Easter Stories 1 copy
God op zijn Woord vertrouwen 1 copy
Chúa thật như Lời: Tại sao Kinh Thánh lại rất dễ hiểu, cần thiết và đầy ... gì cho bạn và tôi (Vietnamese Edition) (2022) 1 copy
Homosexuality -- Study Guide 1 copy
God is Still Holy and What You Learned in Sunday School is Still True: A Review of 'Love Wins' 1 copy, 1 review
Crazy Busy-short version 1 copy
Sin 1 copy
Faith on Trial: Psalm 73 1 copy
Associated Works
Cross: Unrivaled Christ, Unstoppable Gospel, Unreached Peoples, Unending Joy (2015) — Contributor — 103 copies
Religion, Duty, and Liberty (Graduate Essays on the Effect of Religion on Liberty) (2001) — Contributor — 4 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Other names
- 凱文.狄昂
- Birthdate
- 1977
- Gender
- male
- Education
- Hope College
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (MDiv)
University of Leicester (PhD|Early Modern History) - Occupations
- pastor
- Birthplace
- South Holland, Illinois, USA
- Places of residence
- East Lansing, Michigan, USA
Matthews, North Carolina, USA
Jenison, Michigan, USA - Map Location
- USA
Members
Reviews
Just Do Something: How to Make a Decision Without Dreams, Visions, Fleeces, Open Doors, Random Bible Verses, Casting Lots, Liver Shivers, Writing in the Sky, etc. by Kevin DeYoung
This book is brilliant. It blew me away, blew apart some of my life, and is possibly my most unexpected but useful and awesome book of the year. I reread it three times before writing this review, am rereading it again, and would encourage you to.
The book, to give it its full title of 'Just Do Something: A Liberating approach to finding God's Will OR How to make a Decision Without Dreams, Visions, Fleeces, Impressions, Open Doors, Random Bible Verses, Casting Lots, Liver Shivers, Writing in show more the Sky etc', is by a chap called Kevin DeYoung, and the foreword (Which is worth reading on its own!) is by Joshua Harris. Now, that may put you off. But please don't let it.
The basic premise of the books is that if we are living in a resurrection life, praying through stuff, living in step with the Spirit, and so on, then faffing about major decisions is foolish and unbiblical. The book is filled with biblical references to provide a backtrack for the argument. It demonstrates that God has shown us much of his will, and that we do need to just get on with it alot of the time. However, rather than carry on ranting, I will furnish you with some of the really resonant stories, anecdotes and quotes from the book. Then, when you have finished reading this, GO AND BUY A COPY. Well, maybe not, but you should.
'we need to be careful that we aren't using God as the trump card in all our decisions. Just because you pray doesn't mean your decisions are beyond objection... If we say "God told me to do this" or "God's leading me here", this puts our decisions out of reach from criticism or concerns' - This is brilliant to point out because this is very common, and God rarely does this. So we should stop hiding behind it.
'I'll never forget my poor beleaguered roommate talking with me after he took a risk and told a nice young lady that he liked her... He was pretty sure she would reciprocate his declaration of affection. But it turned out she wasn't interested. She was a sweet girl, a good Christian. She didn't mean to have bad theology. But instead of just saying "I'm not interested" or "I don't like you" or "Quit stalking me" or something she went all spiritual on him. "I've been praying alot about you", she demurred, "and the Holy Spirit told me no." "No?" my confused roommate asked. "No ... never", she replied. Poor Guy - he got rejected, not only by this sweet girl, but by the Holy Spirit. The third person of the Trinity took a break from pointing people to Jesus to tell this girl not to date my roommate... God's will is frequently employed as an excuse for difficult relationship decisions... If you aren't interested in dating or courtship or marriage or whatever, just say "No Thanks" or "Not now", but please don't make God the bad guy in your relational messes'. - This section had me cut to the core. So common to my own situation, to my own experience, and that of many around me. This book is right on the money.
'God's will for your life is not very complicated. Obviously, living a Christlike life is hard work, and what following Jesus entails is not clear in every situation. But as an overarching principle, the will of God for your life is pretty straightforward: Be holy like Jesus, by the power of the Spirit, for the glory of God'. - Amen. And wow.
(Regarding special revelations and visions) 'When he [Paul] did experience a special revelation, seeing a vision of a man calling him to Macedonia, he obeyed. But the special revelation of God was a rare and unique experience, even for Paul... Special revelation came at a time when God wanted to lead them apart from the normal ways in which His people make life choices'. Spot on. So brutal. So simple. So rational!
I leave you with the close of the book, one of the most liberating things I have ever read, and something that resonated in me to the core.
'So the end of the matter is this: Live for God. Obey the Scriptures. Think of others before yourself. Be holy. Love Jesus. And as you do these things, do whatever else you like, with whomever you like, wherever you like, and you'll be walking in the will of God'
WOW.
Cheers Kevin. Cheers God. Lets get on with it. Maybe you need to do something. I just sent a message to someone. What will you do? show less
The book, to give it its full title of 'Just Do Something: A Liberating approach to finding God's Will OR How to make a Decision Without Dreams, Visions, Fleeces, Impressions, Open Doors, Random Bible Verses, Casting Lots, Liver Shivers, Writing in show more the Sky etc', is by a chap called Kevin DeYoung, and the foreword (Which is worth reading on its own!) is by Joshua Harris. Now, that may put you off. But please don't let it.
The basic premise of the books is that if we are living in a resurrection life, praying through stuff, living in step with the Spirit, and so on, then faffing about major decisions is foolish and unbiblical. The book is filled with biblical references to provide a backtrack for the argument. It demonstrates that God has shown us much of his will, and that we do need to just get on with it alot of the time. However, rather than carry on ranting, I will furnish you with some of the really resonant stories, anecdotes and quotes from the book. Then, when you have finished reading this, GO AND BUY A COPY. Well, maybe not, but you should.
'we need to be careful that we aren't using God as the trump card in all our decisions. Just because you pray doesn't mean your decisions are beyond objection... If we say "God told me to do this" or "God's leading me here", this puts our decisions out of reach from criticism or concerns' - This is brilliant to point out because this is very common, and God rarely does this. So we should stop hiding behind it.
'I'll never forget my poor beleaguered roommate talking with me after he took a risk and told a nice young lady that he liked her... He was pretty sure she would reciprocate his declaration of affection. But it turned out she wasn't interested. She was a sweet girl, a good Christian. She didn't mean to have bad theology. But instead of just saying "I'm not interested" or "I don't like you" or "Quit stalking me" or something she went all spiritual on him. "I've been praying alot about you", she demurred, "and the Holy Spirit told me no." "No?" my confused roommate asked. "No ... never", she replied. Poor Guy - he got rejected, not only by this sweet girl, but by the Holy Spirit. The third person of the Trinity took a break from pointing people to Jesus to tell this girl not to date my roommate... God's will is frequently employed as an excuse for difficult relationship decisions... If you aren't interested in dating or courtship or marriage or whatever, just say "No Thanks" or "Not now", but please don't make God the bad guy in your relational messes'. - This section had me cut to the core. So common to my own situation, to my own experience, and that of many around me. This book is right on the money.
'God's will for your life is not very complicated. Obviously, living a Christlike life is hard work, and what following Jesus entails is not clear in every situation. But as an overarching principle, the will of God for your life is pretty straightforward: Be holy like Jesus, by the power of the Spirit, for the glory of God'. - Amen. And wow.
(Regarding special revelations and visions) 'When he [Paul] did experience a special revelation, seeing a vision of a man calling him to Macedonia, he obeyed. But the special revelation of God was a rare and unique experience, even for Paul... Special revelation came at a time when God wanted to lead them apart from the normal ways in which His people make life choices'. Spot on. So brutal. So simple. So rational!
I leave you with the close of the book, one of the most liberating things I have ever read, and something that resonated in me to the core.
'So the end of the matter is this: Live for God. Obey the Scriptures. Think of others before yourself. Be holy. Love Jesus. And as you do these things, do whatever else you like, with whomever you like, wherever you like, and you'll be walking in the will of God'
WOW.
Cheers Kevin. Cheers God. Lets get on with it. Maybe you need to do something. I just sent a message to someone. What will you do? show less
Taking God At His Word: Why the Bible Is Knowable, Necessary, and Enough, and What That Means for You and Me by Kevin DeYoung
Kevin DeYoung is one of my favorite authors and his works prove themselves time and again to be immensely approachable but not light. He covers topics with a striking balance of depth and clarity and I am time and again blessed by his work, be it published books, blog articles, or sermons and lectures. This time DeYoung sets out to tackle the topic of God’s Word. This is a subject of great breadth that you would think could not be covered very well in just 130 pages, but that is just one show more of many pleasant surprises DeYoung delivers to his reader in Taking God at His Word.
From the beginning it is apparent that DeYoung’s ultimate aim is not the head of his reader. He will address doctrine, often and explicitly, but these aspects are means to an end. His aim is something far greater than simple mental assent. He begins his work with Psalm 119 because, more than just sound doctrine about the Word of God, he wants the reader to have stirred affections for the Word of God. “Too often, Christians reflect on only what they should believe about the word of God. But Psalm 119 will not let us stop there. This love poem forces us to consider how we feel about the word of God.”
DeYoung gives the Spirit-inspired psalmist as an example of how we are to desire the Word of the Lord.
DeYoung clearly articulates the traditional Protestant understanding of Scripture as the inerrant Word of God. He also does well in clarifying what is meant by this and its differences from the caricature often attributed to this position by its detractors as a mechanical dictation with no respect for the humanity and personality of the scribes who did the recording.
Furthermore he adds,
DeYoung outlines the majority of his book based on the acronym SCAN and devotes a chapter each to the attributes of Scripture of sufficiency, clarity, authority and necessity. “Or to rearrange the order of the attributes, we could say: God’s word is final; God’s word is understandable; God’s word is necessary; and God’s word is enough.”
DeYoung points out that sufficiency is the aspect of the doctrine of Scripture with which those who believe in the Bible are most likely to struggle.
DeYoung’s quote from Calvin summarizes his argument for the clarity of Scripture. “God does not propound to us obscure enigmas to keep our minds in suspense, and to torment us with difficulties, but teaches familiarly whatever is necessary, according to the capacity, and consequently the ignorance of the people.”
DeYoung makes strong arguments for the necessity of a proper belief in the clarity of Scripture and argues that there is much at stake, including human freedom, human language, and knowing what God is like and who God is for. I am still torn as to whether DeYoung overstates his point a bit in this section or if I just do not have a firm grasp on the gravity and scope of this particular position.
DeYoung’s chapter on authority is wide-ranging, addressing tradition and Tradition, natural and special revelation, and the difference between Sola Scriptura and solo scriptura. His position is not hard to guess based on his being a minister of a reformed church but what the chapter lacks in surprise it makes up for in solid, clear, Biblical arguments for the authority of Scripture over Tradition, the Roman Catholic position, and experience, the Protestant Liberal position.
Not only are the Scriptures clear and authoritative and sufficient, they are absolutely necessary. “The Scriptures are our spectacles (to use Calvin’s phrase), the lenses through which we see God, the world, and ourselves rightly. We cannot truly know God, his will, or the way of salvation apart from the Bible.” Why? Because, apart from God’s condescending revelation of Himself to us, we can never ascend into the heavens to know Him. We cannot, as Michael Horton likes to say, overcome the estrangement that exists between us, created and fallen beings, and the Creator who is sinless and holy. He must make Himself known and He does this, ultimately and perfectly in His Son, and as a record of this and a revelation in its own right, through the Scriptures.
Taking God at His Word culminates with an argument for a high view of Scripture supported by pointing to Christ and His own personal view of Scripture as revealed in Scripture. He argues that we, as Christians, should hold the same position on the Bible as Christ showed Himself to have(makes sense, right?). While I might disagree with some of the particulars, for example his take on Christ’s reference to Jonah precluding any reading of Jonah apart from literal history, I feel DeYoung made a great case, from the Scriptures, that Christ held to an extremely high view of the written word of God and, accordingly, so should we.
DeYoung closes his work, as he regularly does, with an admonition. This one is simple. Stick with the Scriptures. He gives many reasons why but this admonition, for the believer, is clear. Come to the fountain and thirst no more. Come to the feast and hunger no more. Come and be filled. Stick with the Scriptures. That is where we find Jesus. For what more could we ask?
Taking God at His Word is a great defense of a traditional Protestant position on the Scriptures but, more importantly, is a great encouragement to trust in and seek the Lord diligently in the Scriptures. Refreshing, challenging, and encouraging, this book will bless whoever takes the time to read it.
I received an ARC through Crossway’s Beyond the Page program to offer a review. show less
From the beginning it is apparent that DeYoung’s ultimate aim is not the head of his reader. He will address doctrine, often and explicitly, but these aspects are means to an end. His aim is something far greater than simple mental assent. He begins his work with Psalm 119 because, more than just sound doctrine about the Word of God, he wants the reader to have stirred affections for the Word of God. “Too often, Christians reflect on only what they should believe about the word of God. But Psalm 119 will not let us stop there. This love poem forces us to consider how we feel about the word of God.”
DeYoung gives the Spirit-inspired psalmist as an example of how we are to desire the Word of the Lord.
Over and over, the psalmist professes his great love for the commands and testimonies of God (vv. 48, 97, 119, 127, 140). The flip side of this love is the anger he experiences when God’s word is not delighted in. Hot indignation seizes him because of the wicked, who forsake God’s law (v. 53). Zeal consumes him when his foes forget God’s words (v. 139). The faithless and disobedient he looks upon with disgust (v. 158). The language may sound harsh to us, but that’s an indication of how little we treasure the word of God. How do you feel when someone fails to see the beauty you see in your spouse? Or when people don’t see what makes your special-needs child so special? We are all righteously indignant when someone else holds in little esteem what we know to be precious. Extreme delight in someone or something naturally leads to extreme disgust when others consider that person or thing not worthy of their delight. No one who truly delights in God’s word will be indifferent to the disregarding of it.
DeYoung clearly articulates the traditional Protestant understanding of Scripture as the inerrant Word of God. He also does well in clarifying what is meant by this and its differences from the caricature often attributed to this position by its detractors as a mechanical dictation with no respect for the humanity and personality of the scribes who did the recording.
Inerrancy means the word of God always stands over us and we never stand over the word of God. When we reject inerrancy we put ourselves in judgment over God’s word... Defending the doctrine of inerrancy may seem like a fool’s errand to some and a divisive shibboleth to others, but, in truth, the doctrine is at the heart of our faith. To deny, disregard, edit, alter, reject, or rule out anything in God’s word is to commit the sin of unbelief.
Furthermore he adds,
The phrase “concursive operation” is often used to describe the process of inspiration, meaning that God used the intellect, skills, and personality of fallible men to write down what was divine and infallible. The Bible is, in one sense, both a human and a divine book. But this in no way implies any fallibility in the Scriptures. The dual authorship of Scripture does not necessitate imperfection any more than the two natures of Christ mean our Savior must have sinned.
DeYoung outlines the majority of his book based on the acronym SCAN and devotes a chapter each to the attributes of Scripture of sufficiency, clarity, authority and necessity. “Or to rearrange the order of the attributes, we could say: God’s word is final; God’s word is understandable; God’s word is necessary; and God’s word is enough.”
DeYoung points out that sufficiency is the aspect of the doctrine of Scripture with which those who believe in the Bible are most likely to struggle.
If authority is the liberal problem, clarity the postmodern problem, and necessity the problem for atheists and agnostics, then sufficiency is the attribute most quickly doubted by rank-and-file churchgoing Christians. We can say all the right things about the Bible, and even read it regularly, but when life gets difficult, or just a bit boring, we look for new words, new revelation, and new experiences to bring us closer to God.
DeYoung’s quote from Calvin summarizes his argument for the clarity of Scripture. “God does not propound to us obscure enigmas to keep our minds in suspense, and to torment us with difficulties, but teaches familiarly whatever is necessary, according to the capacity, and consequently the ignorance of the people.”
DeYoung makes strong arguments for the necessity of a proper belief in the clarity of Scripture and argues that there is much at stake, including human freedom, human language, and knowing what God is like and who God is for. I am still torn as to whether DeYoung overstates his point a bit in this section or if I just do not have a firm grasp on the gravity and scope of this particular position.
DeYoung’s chapter on authority is wide-ranging, addressing tradition and Tradition, natural and special revelation, and the difference between Sola Scriptura and solo scriptura. His position is not hard to guess based on his being a minister of a reformed church but what the chapter lacks in surprise it makes up for in solid, clear, Biblical arguments for the authority of Scripture over Tradition, the Roman Catholic position, and experience, the Protestant Liberal position.
Not only are the Scriptures clear and authoritative and sufficient, they are absolutely necessary. “The Scriptures are our spectacles (to use Calvin’s phrase), the lenses through which we see God, the world, and ourselves rightly. We cannot truly know God, his will, or the way of salvation apart from the Bible.” Why? Because, apart from God’s condescending revelation of Himself to us, we can never ascend into the heavens to know Him. We cannot, as Michael Horton likes to say, overcome the estrangement that exists between us, created and fallen beings, and the Creator who is sinless and holy. He must make Himself known and He does this, ultimately and perfectly in His Son, and as a record of this and a revelation in its own right, through the Scriptures.
So where do we go to learn the things God has revealed? Do we look to the trees? What about the inner light? How about community standards? Maybe human reason and experience? The clear testimony of 1 Corinthians is that only God can tell us about God. Just as the spirit of a person discloses the thoughts and feelings and intentions of that person, so also no one can make known the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 2:11). The only Being knowledgeable enough, wise enough, and skillful enough to reveal God to you is God himself.
Taking God at His Word culminates with an argument for a high view of Scripture supported by pointing to Christ and His own personal view of Scripture as revealed in Scripture. He argues that we, as Christians, should hold the same position on the Bible as Christ showed Himself to have(makes sense, right?). While I might disagree with some of the particulars, for example his take on Christ’s reference to Jonah precluding any reading of Jonah apart from literal history, I feel DeYoung made a great case, from the Scriptures, that Christ held to an extremely high view of the written word of God and, accordingly, so should we.
DeYoung closes his work, as he regularly does, with an admonition. This one is simple. Stick with the Scriptures. He gives many reasons why but this admonition, for the believer, is clear. Come to the fountain and thirst no more. Come to the feast and hunger no more. Come and be filled. Stick with the Scriptures. That is where we find Jesus. For what more could we ask?
Taking God at His Word is a great defense of a traditional Protestant position on the Scriptures but, more importantly, is a great encouragement to trust in and seek the Lord diligently in the Scriptures. Refreshing, challenging, and encouraging, this book will bless whoever takes the time to read it.
I received an ARC through Crossway’s Beyond the Page program to offer a review. show less
This briefest of books can be read in no time but its five short chapters are crammed with good things. It looks at the rather neglected subject of conscience.
It begins topically enough in this anniversary year of Luther nailing the 95 theses to the door of the church of the castle of Wittenberg. We are taken four years further on to Worms and Luther's stand for the truth before Emperor Charles V. He famously said there that his conscience was captive to the Word of God, raising the question show more for all of us as to whether ours are too
Chapter 2 takes a further step backwards, to the Scriptures themselves, and especially to 2 Corinthians 1:12 and a dozen other places where Paul talks about conscience. Our author points out that Paul like Luther treasured his conscience and so should we.
In Chapter 3 we come to a definition: the moral faculty within human beings that assesses what is good and what is bad. We should recognise the role conscience plays both for the prosecution and the defence (or defense as it is here, the book uses American orthography). The chapter closes with an almost irresistible reference to Pinocchio.
Chapter 4 deals with misfiring consciences. It keeps to four examples only – the evil, the seared, the defiled and the weak conscience. It deals with these very cogently. The closing chapter is on the way to a clear conscience. It calls for repentance, faith and for Christians to live the life they were meant to live. The final point is to remember that conscience should be our friend.
The only possible slight criticism of the book would be that it may appear to give a higher position to conscience than the New Testament warrants. One would have appreciated more on the importance of love. In such a brief book, however, it is difficult to avoid some measure of imbalance. This really is a great little book, one that everyone should read. show less
It begins topically enough in this anniversary year of Luther nailing the 95 theses to the door of the church of the castle of Wittenberg. We are taken four years further on to Worms and Luther's stand for the truth before Emperor Charles V. He famously said there that his conscience was captive to the Word of God, raising the question show more for all of us as to whether ours are too
Chapter 2 takes a further step backwards, to the Scriptures themselves, and especially to 2 Corinthians 1:12 and a dozen other places where Paul talks about conscience. Our author points out that Paul like Luther treasured his conscience and so should we.
In Chapter 3 we come to a definition: the moral faculty within human beings that assesses what is good and what is bad. We should recognise the role conscience plays both for the prosecution and the defence (or defense as it is here, the book uses American orthography). The chapter closes with an almost irresistible reference to Pinocchio.
Chapter 4 deals with misfiring consciences. It keeps to four examples only – the evil, the seared, the defiled and the weak conscience. It deals with these very cogently. The closing chapter is on the way to a clear conscience. It calls for repentance, faith and for Christians to live the life they were meant to live. The final point is to remember that conscience should be our friend.
The only possible slight criticism of the book would be that it may appear to give a higher position to conscience than the New Testament warrants. One would have appreciated more on the importance of love. In such a brief book, however, it is difficult to avoid some measure of imbalance. This really is a great little book, one that everyone should read. show less
This review was also posted here - https://cavetothecross.com/blog/biggest-story/
As Christian parents of young children, we are always trying to incorporate the Gospel presentation to our children as they are our number one outreach audience we want to see come to salvation in Jesus Christ. And with young children, using pictures and stories is a big help in communicating that message. For the most part, young children's Christian literature involves the fun stories without the consequences. show more We get the small Ark with the giraffes' heads poking out but we don't get the reason for the Flood to have occurred and being tied to God's judgment. We get David facing off against Goliath but after the rock knocks out the giant, we don't see David ending the confrontation with a beheading. The stories of Jesus healing and feeding people and letting the little children come to Him are there but the cross seems to be missing from the stories. We remove death and judgment and the outcomes of sin from the stories to our children and wonder why there's no drive from them to see Jesus as anything other than our friend. Why see Him as a Savior if we're not showing them what He's saving us from - apart from an apple with a bite taken from it?
But then we'll read to our young children stories of swashbuckling pirates, wizards in battle with orcs, monsters being defeated by knights, or hereos of might. Works of fiction we'll communicate the hero's journey, but in the ultimate Hero's journey we remove the conflict and make the brave One feckless and just another hippie lost to an era long ago.
The Biggest Story from the cover offers the hero's journey - "The Snake Crusher Brings Us Back To The Garden" and the cover offers a literal path to follow. Here's a story that recognizes God as a Storyteller and His story being not just the hero winning in the end but offering redemption unable to be realized in a world without the pain and suffering to be redeemed from.
There is judgment, there is death, and there is the Cross - put into their proper context and designed from there the parent to limit or expand upon as needed depending on the age of the child. Yes, there are no lopped-off heads in here but failure by man, judgment, death, and the snake loom around every rock - but so is the God of life and hope and salvation. There is the Cross AND the empty tomb.
The pictures are going to be the big seller of the book and cannot be separated for why this is a good story. The style is that of symbolism and shape and form. There's almost too much on some pages but done so for a purpose. This isn't going to Picasso's cubism as a way of denying reality but in showing the epic nature of the story we exist in and travel in today. The mood is one that feels almost esoteric in weirdness and cosmic in grandeur. Again, one done with a purpose.
The story doesn't conclude at the empty tomb or with Jesus just smiling after coming back to life as we might see in other books. The story continues because we're in the midst of the story. The one drawback is I would have liked to seen maybe one page or a few talking about the role of the church in history and the people who have made it up to continue but the story goes to where the title promised us - "back to the Garden". However, this story shows the grandeur of God's plan even with the Fall and the salvation of HIs people. This is a resource and tool that should be a gift to all parents who have been given the Gift of New Life - Final Grade - A+ show less
As Christian parents of young children, we are always trying to incorporate the Gospel presentation to our children as they are our number one outreach audience we want to see come to salvation in Jesus Christ. And with young children, using pictures and stories is a big help in communicating that message. For the most part, young children's Christian literature involves the fun stories without the consequences. show more We get the small Ark with the giraffes' heads poking out but we don't get the reason for the Flood to have occurred and being tied to God's judgment. We get David facing off against Goliath but after the rock knocks out the giant, we don't see David ending the confrontation with a beheading. The stories of Jesus healing and feeding people and letting the little children come to Him are there but the cross seems to be missing from the stories. We remove death and judgment and the outcomes of sin from the stories to our children and wonder why there's no drive from them to see Jesus as anything other than our friend. Why see Him as a Savior if we're not showing them what He's saving us from - apart from an apple with a bite taken from it?
But then we'll read to our young children stories of swashbuckling pirates, wizards in battle with orcs, monsters being defeated by knights, or hereos of might. Works of fiction we'll communicate the hero's journey, but in the ultimate Hero's journey we remove the conflict and make the brave One feckless and just another hippie lost to an era long ago.
The Biggest Story from the cover offers the hero's journey - "The Snake Crusher Brings Us Back To The Garden" and the cover offers a literal path to follow. Here's a story that recognizes God as a Storyteller and His story being not just the hero winning in the end but offering redemption unable to be realized in a world without the pain and suffering to be redeemed from.
There is judgment, there is death, and there is the Cross - put into their proper context and designed from there the parent to limit or expand upon as needed depending on the age of the child. Yes, there are no lopped-off heads in here but failure by man, judgment, death, and the snake loom around every rock - but so is the God of life and hope and salvation. There is the Cross AND the empty tomb.
The pictures are going to be the big seller of the book and cannot be separated for why this is a good story. The style is that of symbolism and shape and form. There's almost too much on some pages but done so for a purpose. This isn't going to Picasso's cubism as a way of denying reality but in showing the epic nature of the story we exist in and travel in today. The mood is one that feels almost esoteric in weirdness and cosmic in grandeur. Again, one done with a purpose.
The story doesn't conclude at the empty tomb or with Jesus just smiling after coming back to life as we might see in other books. The story continues because we're in the midst of the story. The one drawback is I would have liked to seen maybe one page or a few talking about the role of the church in history and the people who have made it up to continue but the story goes to where the title promised us - "back to the Garden". However, this story shows the grandeur of God's plan even with the Fall and the salvation of HIs people. This is a resource and tool that should be a gift to all parents who have been given the Gift of New Life - Final Grade - A+ show less
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