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Apologetics for kids and tweens on the source of moral truth.
Part of the Big Questions series.
How can I be sure what's right and wrong? Is it all just a matter of opinion? Do we really need God to tell us how to be good people, or can we just figure it out for ourselves? What about situations where there is no one right answer, or when we disagree with others about what the best thing to do is?
In this fun and fast-paced book, Christian Studies teacher and school chaplain Chris Morphew walks 9-13-year-olds through various questions about morality. He makes the case that there is such a thing as right and wrong, and that we need to go to God for solid and satisfying answers.
Features:
• An apologetic case for objective morality which connects with the culture today's children are growing up in
• Points children to the grace and truth of the gospel message
• Includes chapters on disagreeing well with others
• Written for kids who don't yet identify as Christians as well as those who do
Emma Randall has illustrated many books, including Diary of a Disciple.
Big Questions is a series of fun and fast-paced books walking kids aged 9-13 through what the Bible says about some of the big questions of life and helping them to grow in confident and considered faith.
1. Can We Ever Really Know What's Right and Wrong?
2. Can't I Just Decide What's Right and Wrong for Myself?
3. Can't We Just Decide What's Right and Wrong Together?
4. What Is a Human Life Meant to Look Like?
6. Is It Possible to Be Truly Good?
7. How Can I Make Good Choices in the Real World?
8. What Should I Do When My Friends Disagree with Me?
9. What Should I Do When I Disagree with Another Follower of Jesus?
10. Living out God's True Vision of Right and Wrong
| Age range: | 9+ |
|---|---|
| Contributors | Chris Morphew |
| ISBN | 9781784989132 |
| Format | eBook |
| First published | August 2023 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | The Good Book Company |
Chris Morphew does an excellent job at introducing the idea of morality to kids and how we know what’s right and wrong in his newest book, How Can I Be Sure What's Right and Wrong?. He guides us through what it would look like to choose what’s right and wrong by ourselves individually, and then also as a collective group.
This leads to a more philosophical conversation presenting the idea that either human beings have invented morals for themselves, or perhaps there is something bigger out there, “unchangeable facts” that determine what is right and wrong. He then moves into Forms and how to communicate truth in a postmodern world.
Morphew is so great at communicating complicated ideas in a simple way.
The publisher sent me these books for review consideration but all opinions are my own.
This quick read is a great way to begin a conversation on this topic with a young teen!
I appreciated how Chris Morphew first walks through the proof of an absolute truth that exists, and that it exists in God. He then helps apply that to life - in interactions with the world, friendships, and (so needed) disagreements between believers.
His approach to this topic was great, with a tone that was full of gentleness and respect, especially towards the reader themself. His writing tempo was quick, conversational, and clearly able to articulate his logical explanations.
There are Scripture references and a few quoted verses throughout the text.
I'm grateful for excellent resources to help facilitate our discussions. I'm eager to read the rest of the titles in this series.
Thank you so much to @thegoodbookcompanyusa for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
I was excited to see another book for teens and middle school-age kids from Chris Morphew.
His other books are so beneficial to kids as he answers their tough questions.
Mr. Morphew’s conversational style of writing keeps you turning another page. His stories are really good and sometimes a little funny too.
The answer to this tough question is biblically based with plenty of scripture verses, thought-provoking questions, and actionable steps to grow spiritually.
Mr. Morphew presents the Gospel message clearly and he teaches how they can be saved from their sin and learn to live right; the way God wants them to live.
This book shows kids that their decisions will impact their life and God’s purpose for them.
I highly recommend this book. It’s a real thought-provoking subject, but Mr. Morphew does a great job breaking it down into bite-sized chunks.
This book would be a great benefit to any middle school-aged, high schooler, or adult. Every church library and Sunday school class should have a copy.
This series is brilliant for engaging teenagers with apologetics, talking about big questions in an easy-to-read but theologically deep way. This book is really helpful for those who are asking questions about justice, morality, and the need for God to forgive, all big things in our culture at the moment! It's not quite as good as some of the others in this series, perhaps just not going as deeply as others because this is such a huge topic, but I'd absolutely recommend it for youth leaders and young people who would like to think about this theme a bit more
Continuing on with his series Big Question Series, Morphew sets out to answer another big question. In this thought-provoking book, Morphew guides his reader through concise chapters tackling different aspects of morality, ethical dilemmas, and how to approach them.
The strength of this book is the real-life examples and relatable scenarios. This allows the reader to confront their own moral compass and ponder over the choices they have made. This makes the book more engaging and it helps the reader connect with the subject matter on a personal level.
Personally, I felt this book lacked the depth that the other books had. They seemed to be more surface-level rather than deep like the other books. I think the problem is that Morphew tried to cover such a wide range of topics rather than focusing on the main topic at hand.
Despite this, this book is a captivating read that dives deep into a complex question that is geared toward children who are seeking answers. While this is not my favorite book in the series I see the need for this book. I see why Morphew chose this topic. Children and teens alike struggle with this topic because like many of us, they strive to understand the difference between being a good person and being a Christian. All and all this is the perfect book for children and teens struggling to answer moral questions. This book will also leave you with a heightened awareness of right and wrong.
This book is an apologetics book for children 9-13 years old. This book really makes a case for objective morality and addresses both children who are believers and those who are not and points them to the gospel message.
Moral relativism is addressed and agrued against. Chris breaks down some of the arguements for moral relativism and shows why these arguments don't hold up and how we can discover what is right and wrong. He points children to God's goodness and wisdom and love and shows his readers how these aspects of God's character help us to know that His ways are perfect and right.
While I loved the idea of this book, I was not as huge on the execution of it. I felt like God's love was emphasized over His other attributes. Love is an important aspect of who God is, but it is not more important to who God is than all of His other attributes.
Chris teaches that we need wisdom to use what we know to make good choices and tells how we can get wisom...
"In the end perfect wisdom is just perfect love, lived out in real life-and so by far the best way to keep growing in wisdom is to keep getting to know Jesus, the one person who perfectly embodied God's love in a human life." His advice to grow in wisdom is to read the biographies of Jesus, connect with Jesus through prayer, and be in a community of Jesus followers. I felt like this answer is missing the whole picture. Wisdom is something that we can only get from God Himself. This is something we need to pray for and humbly ask Him for. It also is concerning to me because it emphasizes gaining wisdom from just Jesus and not the whole of the Bible and who God is as a whole. We get to know Jesus through the whole reading of God's word and how he relates with the rest of the persons of the Trinity. We can't separate them as they work together.
That to be said, he stated a lot of great things too and this book could be used to open up a lot of discussion.
“Wisdom is a pathway, not a door”
“Our greatest hope and prayer for our friends who don’t know Jesus yet shouldn’t be that they start behaving more like Christians, it should be that they come to know Jesus… his love grace and mercy too”
“If I’m debating just to win the argument, I’ve already lost…. People are so much more important than arguments”
The above are three quotes, amongst others, that I found really helpful in this book that does a fantastic job of tackling a very culturally relevant topic. We have entered the age of “my truth, your truth”, and it can feel confusing for our young people to decide who says what’s right and wrong. This book could be just what you need to navigate this.
Chris speaks into this issue in a very conversational, easy to understand manner. I read the book straight through in one evening, but I think it would be a great book to chew over slowly, a chapter at a time, over breakfast for example, with your teen or pre teen children. ☺️
One of the biggest things I enjoyed about it is that it doesn’t take knowledge for granted. He explains everything, including the gospel, so it is totally inclusive. Everyone would gain much from it, no matter where they are on their faith journey - from those exploring for the first time, to those who have known Jesus for years. 🙌
Thank you for sending me this copy in exchange for my honest review. I will mostly certainly be keeping this for when my eldest is a bit older ♥️
Written and geared towards youth (ages 9-13), I found this book to be a gentle introductory to a thought provoking topic regarding morality and what is deemed right vs wrong in todays culture.
This book includes encouraging words and advice as to how kids can start to take a stand in todays world, and make a change as a Christian, in a loving way.
The author did a good job at laying out the reasoning behind why we can’t just create our own moral compasses; while pointing readers to the gospel message.
This book was a quick and simple read at just over 85 pages.
This is another great installment in the Big Questions series for tweens and teens. Chris Morphew provides Bible-based answers to kid’s complex spiritual questions, using humor and relatable illustrations that they will connect with. This book explores an essential question and its very practical implications, and Morphew answers common questions like, "Can we ever really know what's right and wrong?" and "Can't I just decide what's right and wrong for myself?" while keeping everything basic, straightforward, and kid-friendly.
Morphew provides clear, logical explanations for why different human methods of defining morality inevitably fall apart, and he directs his readers to God as the source of moral truth. He also addresses practical questions for moral decision-making in the real world. These chapters use the redemptive story as a lens for helping kids contextualize their growth in character and wisdom as Christians, and other chapters address how people can handle disagreements about ethics with their friends and other people in the church. The book is very thoughtful and well-reasoned, and Morphew uses Scripture and logic to support his arguments. He also avoids unhelpful controversies over specific issues, and just focuses on broad ideas.
“How Can I Be Sure What’s Right and Wrong?” is great for tweens and teens. This will appeal to readers who are new Christians, and to those who have professed faith at a younger age but are figuring out what the Christian life looks like for them now that they are older. Morphew also talks directly to kids who are curious about faith or have Christian family members, but who don't believe in Jesus themselves. This book can appeal to a broad age range, and the short chapters and conversational style keep it accessible to reluctant readers. I highly recommend this book along with the rest of the series.
Note: I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
We have had the opportunity to read several other books in this series and I am so thankfully The Good Book Company have developed these for older kids. The series is focused on apologetics in an understandable way for our current teens and tweens.
This series covers so many biblical questions and topics that are even hard for adults to figure out let alone children. This particular book allows older kids to understand right and wrong in a biblical sense and how to handle or respond to daily situations that may play out.
There are ten chapters covering some of the following questions:
- Can't I just decide what's right and wrong for myself?
- How can I make good choices in the real world?
- What should I do when my friends disagree with me?
These are such impactful questions that our kids run into all the time in our current culture. This book presents a biblical stance for each question as well as practical ways to handle difficult situations.
This series is a great addition to any teen's book shelf and a great way for parents to engage with their kids on tough questions.
I received a copy of this book from The Good Book Company in exchange for an honest review.
