The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones

The Bible is simply this: THE STORY OF GOD'S LOVE FOR YOU.Īnd I don't know anyone-young or old-who doesn't need to hear that story. The Story of a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne-everything-to rescue the one he loves. The Story of a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. A God who moves heaven and earth to be near them, to love them-though it would cost him everything. The Story of a God who breaks into History and comes down to rescue his children. Or a book of heroes you copy so God will love you. We think it's a book of rules you follow so God will love you. Because most of us think we know what the Bible is about-and it's not good. In THE JESUS STORYBOOK BIBLE I captured the plotline of the Bible.Īs adults when do we ever hear that plotline? Even if we go to church regularly, we may never hear the whole story in one sitting.īut when you distill the story down so that you can read it in one sitting, The place that tiny child spoke to us all, in that NYC subway car that morning.

I think it has something to do with that place inside of us all that remains a child still, the place God loves to speak to us-the place where we are undefended, humble, open to wonder. (It's so popular with adults that we have published their own edition: THE STORY OF GOD'S LOVE FOR YOU.) THE JESUS STORYBOOK BIBLE has broken out of the boundaries typical for a children's bible storybook-read by college students, theologians, pastors, couples read in schools, prisons, old people's homes. C S Lewis said: 'No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally-and often far more-worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond.'Įxcellence, it turns out, is the most inclusive thing. The funny thing is-if you write with the excellence that children deserve you reach everyone. Writing for children demands nothing short of excellence. I wrote that: sin is not just about breaking the rules, it's breaking God's heart it's like poison that makes your heart sick and stops it from working properly it's like running away from God and hiding in the shadows. A little child has no concept of what sin is, for instance. When I was writing THE JESUS STORYBOOK BIBLE, I couldn't rely on jargon. Your job is to distill-to take the profound and make it simple enough for a child to understand. I've learned that from writing for children. It's not always all about what we teach children.

When people asked Jesus, 'Who's the greatest in your Kingdom?' Jesus showed themĪ little child and said, 'Become like this little child.'

Barriers of race and age and status vanished. Instantly, all of us-these defended New Yorkers, all avoiding eye contact, all I was riding the NYC subway one morning, when the doors opened and into the car Have you noticed the super powers small children wield? What is it about small children? Copyright 2016, Sally Lloyd-Jones

The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones