Reading the stories of Christians from the past who served the Lord is always a good thing to do. it encourages us to remember that the Christian message is not new, but that it has gone forth and changed many lives in the past. Stories from the past also help you see what the Lord has done in people’s lives and how they served Him, which may in turn help you consider how you look at God’s work in your own life and how you consider serving Him.
Good Christians biographies for children aren’t that easy to come by though. But I’ve always been thankful for the Trail Blazers series. This series is written for children between the ages of 9-11, it’s got books on all kinds of people who God has used for His Kingdom. The books are normally relatively short and written in quite an engaging way. I’ve spoken to kids on camps who have really enjoyed certain books in this series, so it’s always good to have a copy of one on your shelf to give away.
Let me introduce you to four new additions to the series;
Elaine Townsend, at home around the world
Elaine won a trip around the world, but that was only the beginning of her story. She later went on to be a missionary with Wycliffe. She lived during an interesting time in history and saw many pivotal moments take place, she visited different countries and was used, together with her husband, in the spread of the gospel and the work of translating the Bible.
Jack Turner, turn in the arctic
Some people love a good adventure, this book tells you the story of Jack Turner who was a missionary in the arctic. It tells stories of danger and struggle, but also of Gods provision and sustaining in difficult times. I liked how this book could be used to point kids to the reality of the harshness of life at times, but the hope that can be found in Jesus and the courage and endurance He gives His people to carry on.
William Carey, expecting great things
If you know a little bit about global missions then William Carey is hopefully a familiar name to you. Carey grew up in a poorer family and became a shoemaker. He later became a preacher and Pastor with a deep desire for the gospel to spread in all the world. This desire to see Jesus’ name glorified lead him to be heavily involved in the forming of the Baptist Missionary Society and it later lead him to become a missionary to India. God used Carey’s skills to translate the Bible into different Indian languages. What wonderful news that, even if society sees you as unspectacular and wouldn’t think that you could do much, the Lord can use everyone mightily in His work.
Charles Simeon, for Christ in Cambridge
Charles Simeon was used by God to teach a generation of preachers to find be better communicators of God’s Word, among other things. After becoming a Christian he had a desire to see God’s Word go out. That desire started his influence on other preachers and he would spend time teaching men how to preach, but it also meant that he encouraged young men to consider going onto the mission field and serve God in that way. There is no doubt that Charles Simeon touched many lives, not because he was anything special but because he pointed people to Jesus.
I’m sure that there will be at least one book that may interest a young person in your friend or family circles, check them out and you might find that you learn a lot from them too, even if you’re over 11 years old 😉
*** I received these books from the publisher in exchange for honest reviews. This does not change the way I rate the books. My views are my own. ***
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