Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Get Your Story Straight by Kristen Hatton- A Teen's Guide to Living the Gospel


My Thoughts: 

Get Your Story Straight is written for teens but I believe anyone can benefit from the truths in this book. There are 52 weeks of lessons broken down into 5 days:
 Day 1- Bible readings
Day 2- The Word Applied (how the Bible applies to our lives) 
Day 3- Personal Questions
Day 4- Memorization
Day 5- Journaling and Prayer

It's a richly written book with topics that apply to everyday living. There are 3 main portions: 1) Getting the Story Straight
2) My Life Mixed into the Story
3) The Story in Me Lived Out with Others

I particularly enjoyed The Word Applied section as it made the Bible come to life in today's world. So often the Bible can be confusing, particularly to children/teens, and this portion was quite effective at explaining topics in a real and easy to understand manner. I look forward to using this wonderful devotional with my daughters (13 & 17)!

What’s your story?
We all tell stories to each other–stories about what happened when we were kids, stories about last night, and stories where we dream about the future. Some stories are funny, some are amazing, others are sad, but they all have something in common–each of us is the hero of our own story. Our thoughts, feelings, hopes, and dreams take center stage. But when it’s all about you, it’s also all up to you. You have to make life work, find meaning, and hope for the best even when you mess up or things go badly wrong.
But what if we were made for something different? What if the main character in our life story isn’t us, but it is the God who became like us and is now with us? What if being fully human means knowing him and growing to be like him? What if the way to be fully alive is to be caught up in Jesus’s story?
This 52-week devotional book and small group resource is designed to help you live with Jesus in his gospel story–the good news that your sins are forgiven, your future is assured, and following him is the only meaningful way to live. No matter your age, where you live, who your family is, or what your past, God wants you to experience the freedom that comes in being secure in his love.
Divided into three parts, starting with creation, each section progressively explores the idea that the whole Bible is the unfolding story of Jesus. Through this grid, who Jesus is and why we need him will shape your understanding of freedom and grace and how you grow to be like him. This yearlong study for teenagers and young adults is designed for individual devotional times, but a small group discussion guided by a mentor would help participants to absorb and live out the truths of each week’s teaching.

Kristen Hatton is a native Texan now putting roots down in Edmond, OK with her church-planter/pastor husband and their three children. With a public relations background from Southern Methodist University, Kristen has a wide array of professional experiences, none of which she counts as important as the job of being a “present” mom. Through leading a small group Bible study of teenagers, she has discovered her passion for teaching and writing about God’s grace.

*I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

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