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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good for Parenting Helps..., February 17, 2009
This review is from: What Does the Bible Say about That? (Paperback)
This book put together by Carolyn Larsen covers many topics. I couldn't imagine putting together so many topics to convey what the Bible says about these things. Ms. Larsen puts together 340 things that the Bible speaks on. Although I believe she stretches it a bit to try and say the Bible speaks on certain things when, in reality, the Bible is silent.
In the introduction the author tries to convey why she put these together. She tries to rid the thought that this book should be used as a list of "dos and don'ts" but in reality the book should be used to answer questions about every day life and how the Bible puts forth those types of answers. The introduction tells the reader that although there are many topics that the Bible does speak on, when you fall, know that God has grace for us all. The one thing that I thought of as I started to look at the book is although the author doesn't want to make a list of "dos and don'ts" that is just what is going to happen if Christ isn't the center. Even in the introduction, Jesus is never mentioned. This is a huge deal. Ms. Larsen puts forth what the Bible is about:
It's the story of God's love for you and how his Spirit living in you will guide, protect, love, forgive, and love you again.
Ms. Larsen forgot the third person of the Trinity. The Bible is about Jesus as well. Jesus' absence is hard to overlook in the opening of the book as one readies themself to read the rest of the topics laid out.
Each topic has four parts and only encompasses one page:
1. What does the Bible say about...(insert topic) (This is a quick commentary by the author)
2. What the Bible says (verses are listed)
3. Time to Face the Facts (Author puts forth a definite admonition and exhortation on the topic)
4. Today I will...(practical advice to follow because of the topic)
I believe that the book can be used by discerning parents to aid them in different topics of the Bible. But, the parent will have to be more gospel centered than the book can be as its purpose is to just show the topic at hand and not give a full commentary of the gospel each time. I understand that this is impossible with a book that covers 340 topics. I would not just give this out to kids and have them study it and read it as a manual of how to live their lives. Way too many mistakes will be made and little Pharisees will be raised up. But, that doesn't mean that the book can't be used by parents who use it for simple understanding.
I will point out that the parent must be discerning as a couple of the topics made me chuckle as they were so close together. They are smoking and snacks. Because the book is in alphabetical order these two topics are right next to each other and speak on the same topic: the physical body.
I found it interesting, because the reasons that the author says that smoking is wrong and God would consider it a sin is because the body is a temple of God and you wouldn't want to hurt the temple. Turn the page. This page follows and says that some snacks are good for the body and some are bad, so keep the bad snacks in moderation because the body is a temple. This logic doesn't make sense. If both are bad for the body, then both should be used in moderation or be completely abstained from, unless the Bible speaks definitely against one as sin. Now, with a child I would never tell them to go and smoke, as it is against the law, but I would also never act as if God hates it as though it was in the Bible. There are other topics in the book that are just like this that make me put forth again and again that the parent should not just hand this book over to a child for study, but should really be used by the parent to aid in instruction.
I don't believe this book is all bad, but I just worry on how it will be used. The top left of the cover has the words, "ages 8-12," making it seem as though the book is set up to be given to children and not the parents, which I just can't agree with. Again, if used correctly, this book can be of help, but I worry how this book will be abused and cause kids to just look up topics on certain issues instead of reading the whole of Scripture to understand the story of the Bible is not a "road map of life" but is actually the story of God, saving sinners through the cross of Christ, by the Holy Spirit for the glory of God. Recommended with Caution to the Parent's Usage.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
A great read together guide, June 1, 2009
This review is from: What Does the Bible Say about That? (Paperback)
If your 8 to 12 year old has lots of questions about the Bible - especially about how it pertains to his or her everyday life - What Does the Bible Say About That? by Carolyn Larsen is a must have.
This well organized book begins like this:
"News flash! Learning to live for God doesn't happen overnight. Nope, it's a journey. Think about it - when you start out on a long road trip, more than likely your mom or dad has the trip mapped out. Well, your Christian life journey is mapped out, too - in the Bible. This amazing book is not just a bunch of 'do this and don't do that' lists. It's the history of God's love for you and how his Spirit living in you will guide, protect, love, forgive, and love you again."
Larsen also explains that we all fail, but that God is full of grace so we can begin again, fresh. She says, "What Does the Bible Say About That? will help you understand how God's love and grace is part of your everyday life."
By either checking the index or the detailed table of contents - or simply by paging through the book, which has topics arranged alphabetically - your children can learn what the Bible says on a wide range of topics, including ambition, angels, anger, cheating, clothes, divorce, diaries, dancing, the environment, fortune telling, fear, free time, Heaven, Hell, history, humility, judging others, math, money, music, natural disasters, the opposite sex, pain, prayer, quitting, rebellion, rest, sadness, sarcasm, self control, sex, smoking, texting, the trinity, unborn children, worship, and more - over 300 topics in all.
"Texting?" you may ask. "Smoking? Does the Bible really discuss these things?" Sort of, the author tells us. She says texting is impersonal, but God puts great importance on personal relationships. Texting is fun and fine, but we mustn't forget to speak face-to-face with each other and showing how we care for each other. And smoking isn't a good thing because God wants us to care for the body he give us.
When discussing "hot" topics like sex and drugs, the author is biblically accurate. She tells readers sex is designed for a husband and wife and that our society has cheapened sex. Dating should be kept pure; don't experiment with sexual activity. She says drinking alcohol impairs your judgment and isn't good for your body. She says God wants us to take good care of our bodies; that means eating well (not too little and not strange diet foods)...You get the idea.
Each topic also includes a "Today I Will..." section encouraging kids to apply what they've learned. Throughout, newspaper cartoon style illustrations with captions by Rick Incrocci add interest.
What I Like: What an excellent guide for both kids and parents! Even if you aren't ready to allow your child to freely peruse a book that discusses sex and drugs, keep this on your shelf to help you guide your child through difficult issues. It's a great read together, devotional-style book that you can trust to be biblically sound. It's not exhaustive, but succinct and to the point.
What I Dislike: Nothing. However, even though the author offers Bible verses for each topic, it would be nice if she gave additional passages to look up.
Overall Rating: Very good.
Kristina Seleshanko
Managing Editor
Christian Children's Book Review
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Good introduction to scripture study, May 12, 2009
This review is from: What Does the Bible Say about That? (Paperback)
The Bible is filled with advice about all aspects of our life, but finding which scriptures apply to a given situation can be a challenge, especially for kids who are new to studying the scriptures.
What Does the Bible Say about That? is a charming book by Carolyn Larsen, that covers over 300 topics like patience, kindness, jealousy, planning, and even homework. Each topic has a simple one page summary with scripture references, commentary, and a daily goal related to the topic. This book, published by Crossway Books, is written for 8-12 year olds, and deals with issues that are important in their lives as well as topics that apply to all ages.
By taking everyday topics and relating them to scriptures, this book is a gentle way to teach children how to study the scriptures and apply the teachings to their own lives. I have been using it with my 8 year old. Each morning we read a topic together, then look up the quoted scriptures in our KJV (the book uses the English Standard Version). This is helping my son learn WHERE to find the quoted scriptures. We then compare and talk about the versions. We are LDS and have also been looking for related scriptures in the Book of Mormon.
I would recommend this as a book for parents to use with their children. From an LDS perspective, I only noticed 3 topics that don't match up exactly with LDS doctrine, (Hell, Salvation, and the Trinity) and they were presented close enough that it was easy to explain and expand.
Some of the topics are very similar to another, like Honesty and Integrity, but the commentary is different even when the quoted scriptures are the same. Even with 300 topics, there are several important ones missing, like Baptism, Jesus, and Savior, but that is probably because different denominations would present those topics differently.
Overall, my son and I have enjoyed the book and will continue using it for our morning devotion time together. It has been a good way to show him how the Bible can answer his questions and that it has important information on almost every topic.
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