Читать книгу What Everyone Needs to Know Before They Grow Up! - Eddie Boone's Phillips - Страница 3

Most of us were first introduced to God’s word as children. Perhaps our parents read us Bible stories at bedtime, or some Sunday school teacher captured our imagination with the exploits of familiar biblical characters. At the time we probably grasped the surface details of what we heard, but more often than not we didn’t fully appreciate or retain the deeper spiritual message that the inspired writer was trying to convey.

How unfortunate that is, because there are so many important lessons in life that can be gleaned from scripture. Yet sometimes it takes a Ph.D. from the school of hard knocks before the wisdom of the Bible begins to sink into our thick skulls. Wouldn’t it be nice if we realized at an early age that the keys to a happier life can be found within the pages of the holy text?

Now this may sound trite, but the Bible really is as relevant today as when it was written. God’s truth hasn’t changed at all over time, and neither has human nature. We still have the same passions, motivations and character traits that the men and women of old possessed. As such, it is worth our effort to take a look at how the heroes and villains of the Bible handled certain situations, see the consequences both good and bad, and then apply their experiences to similar circumstances in our own lives. That way we can avoid making our own mistakes by learning from the successes and failures of others.

It is my hope and prayer that this book will help young people do just that. The stories included are presented in a way that is entertaining and easy to understand in an effort to maintain the reader’s interest. Then each spiritual truth is explained in a straightforward, commonsense manner so that most any preteen will have no trouble making an application to his or her own life.

One more thing should be noted. This book is not a doctrinal study. Instead, biblical passages and examples are used to illustrate broader Christian principles and values that most everyone will agree are beneficial for today’s youth. Ideally, the life lessons identified in each chapter will be the catalyst for additional, more in-depth discussion between parent and child. Hopefully, the end result will be boys and girls with a firmer foundation from which to make the difficult choices and decisions that will inevitably confront them in the years to come.