Strong: How God Equipped 11 Ordinary Men with Extraordinary Power | Book Review
Our culture today gives very mixed signals on what it means to be a man. What is manhood? What does it mean to be strong?
My son is almost a year old, and every day I see tiny glimmers of the man he will become in the little boy he is today. I believe God created boys and girls, men and women, to be innately and amazingly different from each other. As Daniel and I raise our boy to be a man who fears God, we want to teach him the strength of gentleness. The meaning of sacrificial love. The all-importance of emulating Christ. I believe that one way we can do that is to point him to the examples of other Christian men, including those in years gone by. History is valuable for so many reasons, and that is why I am excited to tell you about this brand new book by Catherine Parks!
Back Cover
What makes you strong?
The world can give you some confusing messages about what it means to be strong and heroic. What does true strength look like? And how are you supposed to live up to amazing stories of heroism when you're just an ordinary guy who has yet to discover any superpowers? The answer is God. He is your source of true power, and these stories will show how His strength equipped eleven faithful yet ordinary men to lead extraordinary lives.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jackie Robinson, Jim Elliot. Their stories are filled with danger, courage, sacrifice, and risk, and Strong reveals how God was the purpose and power behind it all. Read their inspiring stories along with many more, and discover that God can give you the strength to do heroic things in your own amazing life.
Catherine Parks has loved reading biographies since she was a kid. When she's not reading, she loves playing volleyball and basketball, traveling with her family, and helping lead music at her church. She's the author of Real and Empowered: How God Shaped 11 Women's Lives (And Can Shape Yours Too) and lives in Nashville, TN with her husband, two children, and cute dog named Ollie.
My Thoughts
As a boy mom, I am always on the lookout for resources that I think will be valuable in teaching our son what it means to be a man of God. This recently-published book is one of the solid ones, and has definitely earned its place on my bookshelf.
The large, easy-to-read font, vocabulary level, and vivid storytelling make this book perfect for middle readers -- or a read-aloud to younger kids.
Each of the 11 engaging chapters focuses on a distinct character trait, as seen in the life of an individual such as Jim Elliot, William Carey, or Alvin York. The mini-biographies are filled with interesting details of their story and clear examples of how God worked in their lives. Each chapter then wraps up with a section that explains the strength of a main character trait, such as ambition or humility, while pointing to Christ and the gospel. I was pleasantly surprised at the solid simplicity of the life application.
The chapters conclude with discussion questions and Scripture references to look up, making this book ideal for one-on-one discipleship or a group study. It could even used as part of a history curriculum, by writing paragraphs to answer the discussion questions and spring-boarding further study about the biographies.
Rating: 5 stars. :)
Available now! Click here** to shop.
Got girls? Check out this companion available: Empowered: How God Shaped 11 Women's Lives (And Can Shape Yours Too)
*I am a B&HPublishing/Lifeway Blogger. I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.*
**(This post contains Amazon affiliate links. That means that I'll earn a small commission if you make any purchases after being referred through my website. Don't worry - it's at no extra cost to you!)