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Kids Say the Wisest Things: 26 Lessons You Didn't Know Children Could Teach You
Funny stories. Make-you-cry stories. And all of them show us something about ourselves and our Savior we can never forget. -Dr. Tony Evans, President, The Urban Alternative, Senior Pastor, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Kids have a way of saying things adults would never say and revealing profound—even biblical—truths in their unfiltered, unedited commentary on the world. In this inspiring book, Jon Guager shares important lessons he learned about God by observing kids. Like the story of Joslynn’s tumble. When Joslynn was camping she falls down the camper’s stairs to the horror of her watching grandparents. But when she stands up and declares, "Let’s try that again," Jon Gauger (Grandpa) notices how even though Joslynn had failed at something, she was kissed, hugged, and comforted by her family. Gauger reminds us that this is how God responds to us when we seemed to have failed "big time." Each anecdote teaches the Christian a familiar truth through a less familiar vehicle, making this giftable book fresh and fun.
- GenresChristian
192 pages, Hardcover
Published April 2, 2019
3 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Jon Gauger
63 books15 followersJON GAUGER hosts several nationally syndicated programs for Moody Radio and is an award-winning narrator of more than 45 audio books. As a journalist and speaker, he has traveled to 35 countries. From Billy Graham to Chuck Norris, Jon is never more at home than when hosting an interview. An ordained minister, Jon is an avid photographer and videographer. He is married to Diana, and they have two children and several grandchildren. He enjoys camping (trailers, not tents), reading, travel, and great Mexican food. His weekly blog, The Thursday Thought, is available at jongauger.com.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 29, 2019
Kids Say the Wisest Things by Jon Gauger. Instead of writing a book about how to be a better parent, Gauger helps us see how to be a better parent and a better Christian by sharing real-life stories from children that help us think about how we are living and parenting.
Kids Say the Wisest Things is subtitled 26 lessons you didn't know children could teach you. As you might expect this book has 26 chapters, each with a real-life story from children and thoughts about how to learn and grow from something a child did. Some of these stories are funny but mostly they just make you think and consider how to do the Christian life a little better.
Kids Say the Wisest Things was an enjoyable read all the way through. I like that the lessons were easy to read, a few at a time. Then I took time to think about them and came back to the book for some more. I like that this book is fairly small and easy to tuck in my purse or book bag to read on the go too. Some of my favorites were: Now Let's Try that Again, We're Still on the Tire!, Surrender the Pilot Seat!, Just like My Transformer, and You are not making me Happy! The lessons were all good reminders to keep living each day for Jesus. Also, reminders that little ones are often watching us and looking for God all around them. Kids Say the Wisest Things would also make a nice gift for someone. I also like that the cover is cute and eye-catching.
I received this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.
Kids Say the Wisest Things is subtitled 26 lessons you didn't know children could teach you. As you might expect this book has 26 chapters, each with a real-life story from children and thoughts about how to learn and grow from something a child did. Some of these stories are funny but mostly they just make you think and consider how to do the Christian life a little better.
Kids Say the Wisest Things was an enjoyable read all the way through. I like that the lessons were easy to read, a few at a time. Then I took time to think about them and came back to the book for some more. I like that this book is fairly small and easy to tuck in my purse or book bag to read on the go too. Some of my favorites were: Now Let's Try that Again, We're Still on the Tire!, Surrender the Pilot Seat!, Just like My Transformer, and You are not making me Happy! The lessons were all good reminders to keep living each day for Jesus. Also, reminders that little ones are often watching us and looking for God all around them. Kids Say the Wisest Things would also make a nice gift for someone. I also like that the cover is cute and eye-catching.
I received this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.
April 16, 2019
Kids Say the Wisest Things is a compendium of short stories observing the simplicity and humility of kids’ views of the world, and how they reveal so much about our God, our faith, and ourselves.
I love the simplicity of these 26 “lessons” our children teach us, sharing down-to-earth thoughts from young minds that make us see things in a whole new (spiritual) light.
The inspirational true stories are easy to read in short snippets, when a bit of encouragement or vision is needed, making it a nice coffee table book or conversation starter.
Author: Jon Gauger
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Pages: 192
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the MPNews blogger program and under no obligation to post a positive review.
I love the simplicity of these 26 “lessons” our children teach us, sharing down-to-earth thoughts from young minds that make us see things in a whole new (spiritual) light.
The inspirational true stories are easy to read in short snippets, when a bit of encouragement or vision is needed, making it a nice coffee table book or conversation starter.
Author: Jon Gauger
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Pages: 192
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the MPNews blogger program and under no obligation to post a positive review.
July 11, 2019
Kids Say the Wisest Things: 26 Lessons You Didn't Know Children Could Teach You uses real life stories of kids to examine our relationship with God. Scripture is used in each lesson to demonstrate and support the topic. The stories will make you smile, laugh, and ponder your relationship with God. God used this book to speak to me, encourage me, and even step on my toes some (convicting me of where I need to grow in Him). There are further discussion questions in the back of the book. I will definitely be rereading this book. This book shows us how we need to stop and look at the world and life through the eyes of a child. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.
i-have-it-to-read
November 29, 2019This book is a wonderful one to give away. I have gotten 2 for cherished friends who love children and laugh. I like the way the author shares simple stories and give them a deep and easy to remember the meaning. If you enjoy anecdotes you will find this enjoyable. Every story I read made me remember my own kids stories, my children and students. I think this would be also enjoyable for teachers, as a gift on teacher's day, Christmas or another holiday.
January 26, 2020
I thought this book was okay - but it wasn"t what I expected. Some of the anecdotes from kids were cute and inspiring, but the link to wisdom or biblical truth felt obvious, over simplified and boring much of the time. I just felt like this was a "cheesy" book and not one I'd read again or recommend.
February 13, 2019
Kids Say the Wisest Things: 26 Lessons You Didn’t Know Children Could Teach You is a good read. I give it four and a half stars.
September 3, 2022
Such a cute little book with wonderful inspirations for our daily life.
May 19, 2023
A great little book to guide you on a spiritual path, told through the wisdom of children.
April 12, 2024
This is an alright devotion book. It doesn’t get real deep but does have some good points to reflect on your Christian faith.
December 26, 2018
This book will make you stop and think about things in a new way. It is very well written and I really enjoyed it. This is a book I will read more than once. Thank you Moody Publishers via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.
March 5, 2019
BOOK REVIEW: Kids Say the Wisest Things: 26 Lessons You Didn’t Know Children Could Teach You
By: Jon Gauger
This is an easy but pensive read on listening to your children “teach” you things about God. It’s not a parenting book but it is a book full of observations the author has made throughout his life as a parent, and now grandparent. He gives the reader nuggets to think about as s/he interacts with her/his own children.
The author uses true stories from the lives of children close to him, at various stages of development. He shares the special moment and then illustrates biblical truths that he learned from that one little interaction.
The chapters are short, quick, but interesting to read. Each chapter could be read in five minutes or less, so it doesn’t take long to read through the 26 lessons he includes.
Some of the lessons are about the magnitude of God, repentance/forgiveness, serving and others.
I enjoyed the author’s easy style of writing, and casual text. He writes conversationally, making for a “friendly” read.
I received an ecopy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
By: Jon Gauger
This is an easy but pensive read on listening to your children “teach” you things about God. It’s not a parenting book but it is a book full of observations the author has made throughout his life as a parent, and now grandparent. He gives the reader nuggets to think about as s/he interacts with her/his own children.
The author uses true stories from the lives of children close to him, at various stages of development. He shares the special moment and then illustrates biblical truths that he learned from that one little interaction.
The chapters are short, quick, but interesting to read. Each chapter could be read in five minutes or less, so it doesn’t take long to read through the 26 lessons he includes.
Some of the lessons are about the magnitude of God, repentance/forgiveness, serving and others.
I enjoyed the author’s easy style of writing, and casual text. He writes conversationally, making for a “friendly” read.
I received an ecopy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
March 12, 2019
Oftentimes, adults think that we are here to teach kids, and that we know what they need to know. However, there are times that we can learn from kids as they have a different outlook on what goes on.
When it comes to God and the Bible, we adults need to remember that we don't have a lock on understanding God. There are times that our kids can teach us a thing or two. As we get older, we can complicate Biblical concepts, and a child's simplified way of looking at them can be refreshing.
In Kids Say the Wisest Things, Jon Gauger shares anecdotes of something a kid said or did, and draws out an object lesson that adults can learn from. These anecdotes are often funny, but the lessons are ones that we seriously need to consider. The stories are told with humility and create a sense of humility as the impact of what you read sets in.
Each chapter takes just a few minutes to read, and can be a good way to start your day. Besides making adults stop and take stock of what they really believe about the Bible, the book also encourages them to not think of kids as being unable to understand what God says in His word. They grasp a lot more than we give them credit for.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
When it comes to God and the Bible, we adults need to remember that we don't have a lock on understanding God. There are times that our kids can teach us a thing or two. As we get older, we can complicate Biblical concepts, and a child's simplified way of looking at them can be refreshing.
In Kids Say the Wisest Things, Jon Gauger shares anecdotes of something a kid said or did, and draws out an object lesson that adults can learn from. These anecdotes are often funny, but the lessons are ones that we seriously need to consider. The stories are told with humility and create a sense of humility as the impact of what you read sets in.
Each chapter takes just a few minutes to read, and can be a good way to start your day. Besides making adults stop and take stock of what they really believe about the Bible, the book also encourages them to not think of kids as being unable to understand what God says in His word. They grasp a lot more than we give them credit for.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews