Second Quarter 2007 Book Review

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The late Francis Schaeffer once said that he feared we were not answering the questions the younger generation was asking. I would add that we might not even know the answers to their questions. This is tough because God holds parents responsible to disciple their children in a way that enables them to begin to think with a transformed mind, in order to know what God would have them do. This discipling includes having ready answers for their tough questions. 

We cannot simply be satisfied with teaching the Bible unless we also help to see what difference it makes in daily life. In other words, parents have to help children ask the right questions, teach them what the Bible says, and then help them to be critical thinkers by connecting the dots to find answers. This process is crucial in their young lives. 

As I talk about this around the church, I am frequently asked what I recommend to help in this discipleship process. Tough Questions About God, Faith, and Life by Charles Colson is a great starting point. It will help you know how to deal with tough issues in a way that will encourage and model for your children how to think like a Christian. Colson’s prayer is that this book will enable you to assist your covenant children in becoming lovers and defenders of the truth. 

This book will be a goldmine in your resources. As I started reading through it several weeks ago, all I could think of was how I could get this book into as many parents’ and youth workers’ hands as possible. It contains 13 chapters on major topics. Those 13 topics are broken into 113 different subtopics. Each subtopic is usually about two or three pages which makes it quite usable in settings of discussion. Some of the topics include: Should I keep my baby? Why have the public schools become so dangerous? What do Muslims believe? How can Christians justify war? How can I measure success in my life? But shouldn’t we be tolerant of others’ beliefs? What is wrong with cloning?

If you are not convinced that you should have this book to assist you with the rising generation, then I am saddened because so much is at stake. Homes, churches, and schools must synchronize their efforts to help our precious covenant children know how to think and live Christianly — how to develop the mind of Christ and how to apply their hearts unto wisdom and knowledge! Colson has a unique ability to do what we are attempting to do in our ministry at Christian Education and Publications and that is to “make kingdom disciples” who have a definite, critical, and clear biblical world and life view.

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