Set Free to Choose Right: Equipping Today's Kids to Make Right Moral Choices for Life

by Josh McDowell

Popular Author, Speaker, and Founder of the Josh McDowell Ministry Speaks Out on the Popular, Culturally Relevant Topic of Right vs. Wrong
 
Directed to parents and gatekeepers of today’s youth, renowned speaker and author Josh McDowell focuses on the how-to’s of teaching teens and pre-teens to make right moral choices. 

Set Free to Choose Right  will help you come to
Engaging stories and helpful illustration are provided to model how a person (of any age) can distinguish between right and wrong and make the right choice— every time !

Genres: Parenting

224 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2018

About the author

Josh McDowell is a bestselling Christian apologist, evangelist, and author of over 150 books, including Evidence That Demands a Verdict and More Than a Carpenter. Once an agnostic, he converted to Christianity while investigating its historical claims. He went on to earn degrees from Wheaton College and Talbot Theological Seminary. For decades, McDowell has been a prominent speaker with Campus Crusade for Christ, addressing issues of faith, character, and youth culture worldwide. His work emphasizes historical and legal evidence for Christianity and tackles challenges posed by skepticism and non-Christian beliefs. He lives in California with his wife, Dottie, and is the father of four children, including fellow apologist Sean McDowell.

Reviews

[Elizabeth Fiscus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! First off, every parent should read this book! It is so eye opening in many ways. As one reviewer said, it does include statistics about porn and the struggle some people have with it, but DO NOT let that review discourage you from picking this book up! I know as a parent, porn and pre-marital sex is a real fear I have that my children will fall prey to in the future. But that is not all this book is about. It is about forming the foundation in your child's mind to let THEM realize the true right from wrong by God's standards and helps them implement that in all moral decisions.

This book starts out recognizing that in this world, morality is very much subjective in society as a whole. It isn't a good thing, but that is what it has come to. Based on that thought, I was absolutely brought in by this quote from the book "...we have the freedom to choose whether to follow right or wrong, but we do not have the freedom to choose the CONTENT of right and wrong. And choosing wrong, even if we convince ourselves it is right, does not exempt us from the inevitable consequences of our choice."
Another enlightening thought is that absolutely everyone's opinion on moral issues IS subjective! That isn't a pretty thought, is it? It goes beyond the Bible for answers, which is the typical answer people might give when asked why they feel a certain way morally. Who was the Bible written by? People. People are fallible and are subjective. To get to the real truth, you must go to the base of all people and sources, God. We need to have Him as our example and moral compass. God is a God of love, therefore love is good and hate is evil. God is true, therefore honesty is good and lies or deceit is evil. God is pure and faithful, therefore chastity is good and promiscuity is evil.
This book does a great job going through many eye-opening details and also includes how to alter your parenting style to include these discussions and teachings in it. I highly recommend reading it!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

[Sylvia Ney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not what I expected. Based on the title and description, I was hoping the publication would deal with a multitude of ways in which Satan attacks our children. However, the primary focus of the book is porn, relying heavily on the studies they conducted. While it does refer back to the Bible, the book focuses on the science of how porn affects family and individuals - relying frequently on their study.

[Teresa Locklear · Rating 5 out of 5]

Equipping Today's Kids to Make Right Moral Choices for Life... How do we do that and what does it truly mean? I've seen what is almost a moral decline with the rise of technology. When we were growing up you had encyclopedias you could look sex up in or someone's parent might have a book or magazine. That was pretty much it other than kids talking and the discussions that our parents had with us. The rise of technology has changed all that and made it very hard for parents to monitor what and how their children learn about sex. It's not even just what they learn about sex, but pornography is rampant on the internet. Our children, or even us, can run across it without ever even meaning too!

When I was growing up doing the right thing meant what my parents had taught me and if it was right in God's eyes. As I grew older those were the things I asked myself when deciding to make a choice. Granted I made choices that weren't "right" in my parents eyes or God's eyes, but for the most part that's what I and most people were thinking. In this day and age it seems almost like whatever feels good should be done and as long as it doesn't hurt someone physically then it's ok. Is it ok for a child or husband to view pornography? Well, if it's not physically hurting anyone then why not let them? There doesn't seem to be thought or consideration to the wife or the family as a whole. It seems to be mostly about what I want, what I can get and can I get more than another. It seems what we grew up thinking was right and the moral values we had have quickly gone out with the bath water so to speak. We need to focus on and work with our families to bring the morals back home and have more accountability in the choices and action we chose.

Josh McDowell has written a wonderful book with lots of great examples and suggestions to help our families get back to those moral values. He has written about the 4 C's process. This is a guide to help your children make great choices.


1. Consider the choice
2. Compare it to God
3. Commit to God's way
4. Count on God's protection and provision

We must learn as we use this process that we should be the ones asking questions trying to get to the heart of the matter with our children. We can chose our way or God's way. Sin is when we choose our own way in an attempt to fulfill our selfish desires. If we chose God's way then we have a relationship with him that brings fulfillment and joy. Following God's way always results in a rewarding purpose. I think this book is wonderfully written with lots of examples of how to work through situations with our children. I would highly recommend it.


"I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review."

[Jami Bennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://www.jamiswords.com/set-free-to...

Let's face it. It's hard making the right choices as adults, and in this age where social media is in your face with the good, the bad, and the ugly right there, teens have to make choices that they might find difficult. Set Free to Choose Right, written by Josh McDowell, helps Christian parents help their kids make right choices based on God's standards.

I like that portion in the book title--Set free. Pardon me for sounding Christian cliche, but sin really is enslavement. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 7:15, "For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I." How true is that? How many times do we tell ourselves that we're not going to be negative or we're not going to lose our tempers, etc.? The very things that we WISH to not do we end up doing. It's part of being a human, unfortunately. It's not pleasant to fly off the seats of our pants, but we just end up doing that at times.

In Set Free to Choose Right, Josh includes several big problems that Christian parents may face with their children and how to address them. Also included in the book are eye-opening statistics about various moral choices and whether people find them morally wrong. In this book, it is discovered that more and more choices which used to be considered wrong are now considered ok. Josh addresses how these choices are affecting people's relationships and that moral subjectivity is harming the Christian home and that families can be set free from the bondage of these issues.

Josh McDowell provides a look into the Bible and gives the reader a glimpse of God's desires for His creation. Though God is right, pure, holy, and just, men and women are free to choose their paths in life. He wants us to make His standards our standards, and He desires a kinship—a relationship—with us. John 7:37

Also addressed is the fact that our decisions in life, though they may seem to harm anyone, can have great impact on others. Adultery breaks hearts. Lying destroys trust. Envy divides individuals. So while we are free to choose, there are consequences for the decisions that we make. Josh helps parents guide parents into reaching their children who may not understand that.

I highly recommend this book to parents or guardians of adolescents and teens. Josh McDowell has provided the tools to help the Christian address the issues that children are facing today.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

[Nyla Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Set Free to Choose Right....Equipping Today's Kids to Make Right Moral Choices for Life by author Josh McDowell is a 208 page paperback book for parents, youth ministers, and basically anyone involved in guiding children's lives. It is geared toward preteens and teenage years. Those seem to be the years when kids pull for more free to make their own decisions. Unfortunately those decisions oftentimes are not the best ones.

The author has divided his book into ten chapters followed by an Epilogue, Exhibit, and concluded with Endnotes. Written in much the same style as some of his other books, author McDowell basically has a discussion with readers. He shows research to back up his ideas and thoughts. This is a well thought, researched, helpful book written in a way anyone will understand.

In "Set Free to Choose Right" the relevant, timely moral topic of pornography is tackled. There are discussions, examples, and scriptures to reference for each principle. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. Author McDowell is so experienced in helping kids and his heart for doing that comes through his words.

Readers will learn how to listen and respond correctly. How to give teens the tools they need to make the correct moral choices. In a world filled with peer pressure and
and trying to keep God out, this book is a valuable asset not only to guide teens but all of us. The bottom line is there is right and wrong. We must teach our kids the difference and how to want to choose right instead of wrong. As a grandmother of four, two of them preteens, I am thankful for this book.

I gladly recommend this and give it a 5 out of 5 star rating. Anyone working with kids' ministry or having a teenager in the family will glean valuable insight from this book. It would be a nice church library addition or gift

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any book by Josh McDowell can be guaranteed to be worth reading, as is proven by this one. There are a lot of books out there about pornography and other moral issues, but this one is different from those. McDowell did something that makes this book more interesting and easy to read than other books of this type. For this book, he created some fictional characters. Jayden is a 14 year old boy in a Christian home. Throughout the book, his parents catch him looking at porn in a few different ways, and they are also shown reacting in different ways. The topic of sending sexual photos to others is also covered in the book, along with other moral issues teens - and adults - will face, but pornography is covered in more detail.



Although I have no kids of my own, I do have nieces and nephews, so this book was of interest to me. It is very well written, and McDowell does a great job of addressing these issues and showing parents how to deal with them with their kids. I love how he showed the fictional parents' different ways of talking to their son about his pornography viewing. And he shows there is a right way and a wrong way to react, and what to say and not to say.



The uses and problems of smart phones, tablets, and other electronic devices is addressed, and McDowell also gives some statistics on kids and porn viewing, which is rather scary.



The internet is a wonderful thing, and our lives are made easier by smart phones, tablets, etc. However, there is a lot of bad out there and these devices make it easier to access porn and other bad things. This book is a great resource for parents as they attempt to raise their kids in this porn and immorality deluged world we live in.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Set Free to Choose Right, author Josh McDowell uses a typical American family to tell the story of how temptations derail Christian teenagers. He then works to equip those who love them with the Scripture and the right thinking that will confront and defang those temptations. McDowell’s insight into the lack of moral absolutes, and therefore, absolute truth, highlights the quandary the next generation finds themselves in. He says, “It is moral relativism that sets the human conscience adrift. It allows the heart and mind to excuse attitudes and behavior that are wrong and harmful to oneself and others (McDowell, 13).”
What is the answer to such a dilemma? The Word of God promises real freedom from the “binding chains of our base desires (McDowell, 116,)” so that the benefits of right choices can bless the adherent for his lifetime. However, McDowell does not subscribe to the use of God’s Word as a rule book to follow for moral direction. Rather, he points the reader to know and love the writer of the Word; for it is in the relationship of a loving God that strength, wisdom, and power to overcome the binding chains of sinful desires are afforded. McDowell helps the parent and youth helper to equip young people with the logic and knowledge to make the right decisions when they are faced with sin’s tempting opportunities. In a generation where Satan continues his blatant deception through moral relativism, McDowell’s book shines as a beacon of hope to the weary, fearful parent. This reader highly recommends it for every parent who still has children in their home, and to every youth helper who holds a place of influence in young people’s lives.

[Connie Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a compelling look at the "pornography epidemic" that has invaded our culture. Respected author Josh McDowell has shared conclusive evidence from a 2016 study by the Barna Group to show that children as young as eight years old have been exposed to pornography through social media and that 63% of teenagers actively choose to view it! Equally disturbing are the facts that many youth ministers and senior ministers have admitted to this practice, as well as parents! Pornography is recognized as an addiction and we must work to prevent it!

Set Free To Choose Right allows us to see a "typical mother and father" who discover that their fourteen year old son is viewing adult web sites on his computer. Through conversation, different scenarios and suggested Bible scripture the author shows how this family can best deal with this situation.

As the grandmother of a four year old granddaughter I find McDowell's evidence to be extremely frightening and I appreciate the advice he has offered in Set Free To Choose Right: Equipping Today's Kids To Make Right Moral Choices For Life. I recommend it for parents, grandparents and anyone else who guides or mentors young people. Our society has drastically changed its standards and we must get back to the morals set forth in God's Word!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

[Madalyn Mathis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book to Help Parents for Equipping Today’s Kids to Make Right Moral Choices
Set Free to Choose Right by Josh McDowell is an exceptional book and can be used as a much needed help in shaping the lives of teens in our families and in our churches. The book basically deals with porn which as this book reveals is much more prevalent in our teen’s lives than we want to admit. But it is not JUST about porn, it is a guide to help our young ones understand that the goal is not following rules. But to quote McDowell, “God’s commands are like those of a loving parent……meant to protect us. He gave commands……because He loves us and wants to protect us and provide for us. God’s rules for moral behavior are motivated by love and given for our benefit. That is what we must impress upon our young people. "
There is much more to the book than I am covering in this review. He discusses the 4 C’s Process. Consider the choice; Compare it to God; Commit to God’s way; and Count on God’s protection and provision. You will have to read the book to get the depth of what he presents. I recommend it to anyone who has influence with children whether it is parents, grandparents, other family members and church leaders. It is time we prepare ourselves to guide and lead instead of just looking for an answer when a problem hits. I highly recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

[Donelisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Did you know that 70% of American young people today fail to embrace the concept that there is a universal standard for what’s right and wrong?” This is just one of the many realities young people face today.

In this Digital age we live in, as older teens, adult, parents, grandparents, and teachers, do we still want our kids and teenagers to MAKE RIGHT CHOICES and resist temptation? Do we want to give wise counsel and advices and give TIME and relationship to teach what is morally right or wrong? This BOOK is for you.

When I started reading “Set Free to Choose Right” by Josh McDowell, I just kept highlighting, underlining, and making my notes, and keep learning from it. This book 1) helps us understand and confront issues, 2) give insights on how we can reestablish our dependence on God within our homes, and 3) teaches us how we can RESTORE our young people to make MORAL and right choices with God and His WORD. Through this book, we do not need to be groping but we can regain hope in God and that our kids, youth and young people can still be shaped by God and His ways.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When we are bombarded by porn and children are starting to see it younger and younger we are setting the stage for permissiveness. It is becoming less shocking and more the norm.

The statics in the book were staggering and a lot of good research went into what Josh McDowell was talking about. Using information from the highly respected Barna group’s report, “The Porn Phenomenon: The Impact of Pornography in the Digital age” we see the impact that this is having on our culture.

With solid advice, examples, and tools as a parent I feel like I can tackle this issue when it comes into our home. I wish I could say I'll never need the advice in the book, but the reality is, I probably will. So if you are looking for a good solid book on how to handle pornography as a parent pick up your copy today. Happy Reading.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

[Deborha Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written.

I admire Josh McDowell's writing. He has a way of getting his point across in a very useful and easy to understand way. This book deals with the dangers of our children in this morally corrupt world. We, as parents, need to equip ourselves with the weapons at hand, to help our children to make the right choices. What the world calls acceptable isn't always right....hardly ever right.
Any parent of teenagers, especially those in public school, need to read this book and get informed about how to handle certain situations that arise.....those situations that try to corrupt our children.
BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

As parents & grandparents we have been given the great responsibility of molding & shaping the lives of our children & grandchildren. We have been charged with raising up Godly children. Teaching them good morals & values, right from wrong, & instilling the Word of God in their hearts. We must teach them to always do the right thing, to have great character, how to make Godly choices, & to always stand for truth even if they have to stand alone. "Set Free To Choose Right", is a great tool to help you to open dialogue & talk to your children. This book is a great read & will help you to teach your children to be a bright, Godly light in a world that is sometimes dark & often times seems to have lost it's way.

[Vicky Sluiter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right off the top, please note that although the title doesn’t indicate it, this book deals primarily with the topic of pornography and youth.

Given our culture, and ability to access anything on the internet, author Josh McDowell does a great job of giving us statistics and stories, as well as solid advice when dealing with porn. He goes beyond that and gives us tools, as well as scripture verses to go along with those tools.

McDowell, as always, does a fantastic job of making this subject relevant to today. He knows how to reach our youth with God’s Word and shows us how to also. I highly recommend this as reading material for anyone who has a child in their lives.

I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.

[Jessie Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much needed book for parents. I was hooked from the beginning and knew I had to read the rest as quick as possible. McDowell tells it like it is. Everything is backed by scripture and is based on what the Bible says is true and not what society dictates. It doesn’t just put bandages on things it digs down deep to fix roots which allows for lasting change. This is a book you want to read slowly, allowing your mind and heart to fully grasp what is being said so you can put it into action. Every parent needs to read this. It is Convicting but also encouraging.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was in no way required to write a review, positive or negative.

[Delsie Konoske · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his book, Josh McDowell shares many principles to help guide parents in helping their children to choose right based on God’s truth and His character. He shares that it is important to guide your children through life with love and grace, re-enforcing who God is.

I love the Scripture that is included to help encourage us as we raise our children and teenagers so they can learn to make right choices.

It is wonderful that this book applies to adults as well, learning these same truths to help us make the right choices also.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

[Cheri Swalwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that every parent should read. Whether savvy with technology or a novice, this book is an eye opener of why parents should stay involved with their children, why they need guidance and direction and is a way to open up the lines of communication between parents and children. I received this book for free from the publisher and was not under obligation to write a review. All opinions are my own.

[Dylan Kochan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource for parents...was assigned the text for work related research. I will probably revisit this text if God blesses my household with children.

[Patti Whitson Stephenson She Lives to Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a Christian parent or grandparent, you absolutely need to read this book.

Josh McDowell is a master communicator. For the last 40+ years, His research on any subject has always detailed, reliable, and highky respected.
Using information from the highly respected Barna group’s report, “The Porn Phenomenon: The Impact of Pornography in the Digital age”, Mr. McDowell detaileds the epidemic of pornography that has swept our nation and the world.

How does this impact your children? Consider these few facts from the lengthy report:
63% of teens in America have actively sought out porn,
Only 32% of teens think that viewing pornographic content is wrong.
57% of teen boys and 69% of teen girls have received a nude image on their smartphone from a peer.
1 in 5 youth pastors and 1 in 7 senior pastors use porn.

The research is staggering.

Mr. McDowell makes a strong argument that it’s impossible to completely shield your Christian teen from pornography, even aa young as ages 8-12. He explains at length how the culture has shifted among young adults and teens in their thinking about porn. The standards of morality have changed.

Having set the stage as to why and how pornography has such a stronghold in our culture, Mr. McDowell then gives solid advice on how to talk to your child about sex and pornography, helping them to see that their standard should rest in God’s character and His Word.

There is a wealth of information in this book and is a great resource to the Christian parent.