God’s Story

God’s Story – A Bible Journey for Teens is a gem of a book. It has been written by the well-known author Susan Goosen. Susan specialises in faith formation in children and young adults, as well as nurturing faith within families. Apart from her regular articles in Christian magazines, several of her books have been published by CLF, like the Tell-tell!-series and the beautiful Tell me more Children’s Bible. These books were translated and published in different South African languages.

God’s Story consists of 150 daily meditations or devotions taking teens on an adventurous journey through the Bible. In a captivating style, the whole story of God’s love relationship with us is narrated. It starts with God’s creation in the beginning, it tells the story of God’s journey with his people Israel and how He called and used modest people, people like us, in realising God’s plan of salvation and caring. This story culminates in the coming to earth of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, who saved us through his cross and resurrection. It subsequently also tells of the reception of the Holy Spirit, who is guiding us into becoming God’s faithful people, the church. This amazing story shall one day reach its climax when Jesus will be returning to make everything new, to heal all brokenness due to evil. This journey through the Bible story leads us into the gospel – it opens our eyes and ears and hearts to the good news of God’s grace.

The narrative makes the reader part of the whole story, the story becomes part of our lives. It helps us to discover how great and good the Triune God really is. From the separate stories we also learn God’s will for our lives, they give some answers to important questions we might have, they bring consolation and hope, they inspire and empower.

The stories are carefully written; they succeed in stimulating our imagination. The book will be helpful in making our personal quiet time or family discussions more meaningful. It is also a very handy companion in preparing for confirmation class, building an oversight of Bible knowledge and providing us with spiritual vocabulary. This book is highly recommended for all teens who would like to grow in their faith.