In the last copy of Equip for Ministry, we reviewed George Barna’s powerful book, Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions. In that book he explained how important it was to teach children from the very beginning about a Christian worldview. He explained that the topic is being by-passed in the training and discipleship process. He further explained that parents, Sunday school teachers, and other adult leaders who should be teaching this to the children do not understand it for themselves. Hence, the church’s challenge is to help its adults know how to develop a self-conscious world and life view and then pass it on to the children of covenant families. 

The question is asked, how do we do that? While earlier books have some very useful and concrete examples, additional help is needed. We talk about a Christian world and life view and some of us try to teach that but we can only reach so many. This takes the complicated topic of Christian philosophy and presents it in a sound practical way.

Lacking a biblical world and life view, we find ourselves doing things that are not good. As a matter of fact, even defining right and wrong are dependent on a solidly biblical worldview. Most people are conditioned to build their lives and lifestyles around the idea of whatever means the most to them. They build their worldview around what results in the best experience and makes them the happiest. Instead of knowing how to apply their hearts unto wisdom, they suffer devastating results.

In Think Like Jesus, Barna stresses the necessity of having a self-conscious worldview. He also demonstrates how our daily lives are influenced by our worldview. Part two of the book reveals seven key questions, which are ingredients to developing a biblical worldview. Barna develops each one in its own chapter. Questions include—does God really exist? What is the character and nature of God? How and why was the world created? What is truth?

The last part of the book examines how the church can help with development of a biblical worldview. Barna describes how to work with and apply the biblical worldview on a daily basis and the last chapter focuses on transformation. Discipleship (which includes a world and life view) must lead to transformation, or it has not accomplished its purpose. Not only must we be able to answer questions about the Bible or catechism, etc., we must know how to apply those truths to our lives and how to teach our children to do the same. Not until real transformation of life takes place, can we believe that discipleship is being done.

You will benefit from reading this and you will also find value in using this as a text for adult study group for youth workers using it with their young people. What Barna deals with in this book is the bottom line of what kingdom discipleship is really all about.

-Charles Dunahoo

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