Jesus, Strong and Kind by Sinclair Ferguson. CF4Kids. 72 pages. 2024
****

In this children’s book (recommended for children 5-11 years of age), respected theologian and grandfather Sinclair Ferguson uses the lyrics of the CityAlight song “Jesus, Strong and Kind”, to teach children about Jesus. The author uses one word from each verse of the song – Thirst, Weak, Fear and Lost – and then takes us to stories from the Gospel to illustrate that aspect of Jesus. The book is beautifully illustrated by Angelo Ruta.
“Jesus, Strong and Kind” was written by Rich Thompson, Jonny Robinson, Michael Farren and Colin Buchanan. Buchanan writes the Foreword to the book. There is a code you can scan with your phone to watch CityAlight singing the song, which children will get to sing throughout the book.

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:
BOOK REVIEWS ~ More of this review…
BOOK NEWS ~ Links to Interesting Articles
BOOK CLUB ~ Truths We Confess by R.C. Sproul
I’M CURRENTLY READING….

This would be a wonderful book to read to your children or grandchildren.
You can watch CityAlight and Colin Buchanan sing the song here. Here are the
lyrics to the song:

Jesus said that if I thirst
I should come to Him
No one else can satisfy
I should come to Him

Jesus said, if I am weak
I should come to Him
No one else can be my strength
I should come to Him

For the Lord is good and faithful
He will keep us day and night
We can always run to Jesus
Jesus, strong and kind

Jesus said that if I fear
I should come to Him
No one else can be my shield
I should come to Him

For the Lord is good and faithful
He will keep us day and night
We can always run to Jesus
Jesus, strong and kind

Jesus said, if I am lost
He will come to me
And He showed me on that cross
He will come to me

For the Lord is good and faithful
He will keep us day and night
We can always run to Jesus
Jesus, strong and kind

For the Lord is good and faithful
He will keep us day and night
We can always run to Jesus
Jesus, strong and kind
Jesus, strong and kind

---

• Everyday Gospel with Paul Tripp. On this episode of the Life & Books & Everything podcast, Kevin DeYoung visits with Paul Tripp, author of the new devotional Everyday Gospel, about his writing process, his favorite books, and why he does what he does. Along the way, you’ll hear a few dramatic stories from Paul’s life and get his gospel encouragement for pastors and their congregations.
• Fight Abuse by Becoming More like Christ. Kristin Kellen reviews Diane Langberg’s book When the Church Harms God’s People. She writes “This book is a valuable resource for helping church leaders practically as they minister to the abused and build systems within their ministries to prevent abuse.”
• Michael Horton Finds Ancient Origins for New Age Spirituality. On this episode of the Gospelbound podcast, Collin Hansen visits with Michael Horton about his new book Shaman and Sage: The Roots of “Spiritual but Not Religious” in Antiquity.
• Study, Savor and Share Scripture: Becoming What We Behold. My wife Tammy has published a book about HOW to study the Bible. The book is available on Amazon in both a Kindle and paperback edition. She writes “Maybe you have read the Bible but want to dig deeper and know God and know yourself better. Throughout the book I use the analogy of making a quilt to show how the Bible is telling one big story about what God is doing in the world through Christ. Quilting takes much patience and precision, just like studying the Bible, but the end result is well worth it.”

---

Won’t you read along with us?

We are reading through Truths We Confess: A Systematic Exposition of the Westminster Confession of Faith by R.C. Sproul. From the Ligonier description:
“The Westminster Confession of Faith is one of the most precise and comprehensive statements of biblical Christianity, and it is treasured by believers around the world. R.C. Sproul has called it one of the most important confessions of faith ever penned, and it has helped generations of Christians understand and defend what they believe.
In Truths We Confess, Dr. Sproul introduces readers to this remarkable confession, explaining its insights and applying them to modern life. In his signature easy-to-understand style and with his conviction that everyone’s a theologian, he provides valuable commentary that will serve churches and individual Christians as they strive to better understand the eternal truths of Scripture. As he walks through the confession line by line, Dr. Sproul shows how the doctrines of the Bible—from creation to covenant, sin to salvation—fit together to the glory of God. This accessible volume is designed to help you deepen your knowledge of God’s Word and answer the question, What do you believe?”

This week we look at the second half of WCF 20: Of Christian Liberty, and Liberty of Conscience. Here are a few helpful quotes from this section of the chapter:

• We are free to use and enjoy things as long as they do not rule our lives.
• Where God has left us free, we must be careful not to usurp His authority and take away from people the freedom that He has given.
• Any church that is a true church has the responsibility to exercise discipline over its members. That comes as a shock to many people in the United States.