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It’s my new favorite book. I bought it two weeks ago, and I’ve read from it every night since I got it.

It’s the The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. I’ve read the first story, the introduction of sorts, at least a dozen times–to several dozen people.

An excerpt from the introduction–the part that convinced me I needed to own a copy:

“No, the Bible isn’t a book of rules, or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a Story. It’s an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne–everything–to rescue the one he loves….

There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them.

It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And at the center of the Story, there is a baby. Every Story in the Bible whispers His name.“

That’s what I love about The Jesus Storybook Bible.

Every story whispers His name.

Not one story ends without reference to Jesus, to the gospel, to the truth of Jesus Christ come to save sinners.

It’s why I take my Storybook Bible with me to hang out with friends. It’s why I read it to the girls I decoupaged with over the weekend. It’s why I read it to the dementia residents at our care facility during my off hours.

Because every story whispers His name.

As one Alzheimer’s patient interrupted every few paragraphs to exclaim:

“I’ve heard that story before, but I’ve never heard it so clearly.”

I love The Jesus Storybook Bible–but I want to go beyond it.

I want every story that I tell–
every story that others tell about me–
My heart’s desire is that my every story
would whisper His name.

The same precious resident who interrupted me to tell me how clearly The Jesus Storybook Bible told the story of creation and the fall also told me “That’d be wonderful for children, because it’s so clear.”

For my part, I agree–and add “And for the elderly and everyone in between.” I loved being able to share the gospel with a dozen ladies over the course of the hour I spent reading. Each story gave me opportunity to emphasize once again that God loved his children (and THEM) so much that He came to earth and died in order to bring them into relationship with Him.

Don’t forget to take a look at Barbara H’s meme “The Week in Words”, where bloggers collect quotes they’ve read throughout the week.

*This was NOT a paid advertisement. I received no monetary or other compensation for this review. In fact, I paid my own money for a copy of The Jesus Storybook Bible. And I recommend that you do the same.

If the chapter titles of David Platt’s Radical were written to describe the contents of said chapters, they might read as follows:
Chapter 1: A challenge to comfortable Christianity
Chapter 2: A radical gospel which requires a radical response
Chapter 3: The American way of self-reliance vs. God’s way of Christ dependence
Chapter 4: God’s purposes in the world aren’t just for YOU, they’re for the WHOLE WORLD
Chapter 5: God’s goal is reproducing disciples, not isolating followers
Chapter 6: Following Christ means selling all we have and giving to the poor
Chapter 7: If we don’t share the gospel with the world, the world is damned.
Chapter 8: As radical followers of Christ, we have a guarantee of risk and a guarantee of reward
Chapter 9: A challenge for believers to become radicals by 1) praying for the entire world, 2) reading through the entire Word, 3) sacrificing money for a specific purpose, 4) spending at least one week in another context, and 5) committing their lives to a multiplying community

All in all, it’s a decent book. It is effective at promoting its main point, that is, to issue a wake up call to comfortable American Christians. It’s highly readable, with lots of stories to make the page-turning even easier.

On the down side, Radical has the potential of de-emphasizing the gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Platt’s emphasis on the radical response of a true believer through actions such as selling possessions and giving to the poor, taking the gospel to the whole world, and taking risks for the sake of Christ may cause some readers to miss that this is only the RESPONSE to the FREE gift of God in Christ Jesus. One is not saved BECAUSE one sells all of his possessions—he sells all his possessions BECAUSE he has been saved freely.

Furthermore, Platt’s emphasis on “exciting” radicality through social justice activism may cause believers to undervalue and therefore ignore the less-exciting but no less radical actions that Christ calls His followers to. Christ has not only called his followers to give to the poor. He has also called them to live lives of radical forgiveness, of radical dependence, of radical trust. These things are just as radical as the showy actions of social justice—perhaps even more radical because they’re silent, they’re unlikely to result in the world’s (or the church’s) acclaim. They’re what Kevin DeYoung might call “faithful plodding.”

Overall, Platt’s Radical is a good book, but believers should be careful to not consider it the be-all, end-all of the radical Christian life. Read this book. Let it issue a challenge to your comfortable Christianity. But then turn your eyes towards the word of God and see what radical acts God might be calling you to through the pages of Scripture.

Rating: 3 stars
Category:Christian Living
Synopsis:Platt issues a challenge to comfortable Christianity–and the illusion that the Christian life equals the American dream.
Recommendation: Worth reading, but ultimately, take your view of what “radical” Christianity looks like from the pages of Scripture rather than simply taking Platt’s angle on it.

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