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Radically Different: A Student's Guide to Community
Radically Different by best-selling author Champ Thornton is an insightful guide for middle and high school students who want to live radically even though life and relationships are complicated. By examining life through the biblical lenses of Creation, Fall, and Redemption, readers can explore how God’s Word untangles the twists of life.
There are so many areas of life to navigate when growing up, and this practical resource full of biblical wisdom helps middle and high school students find encouragement in the everyday challenges of life.
God made everything, including relationships, to be good. But because of the fall, everything—including relationships with parents, friends, and siblings—are also broken. Christ came to make all things new, and because of this biblical perspective, readers of Radically Different can know with clarity they are set apart as unique.
Thornton invites teenagers to consider how they are set apart—especially in a time when Christianity is more and more culturally marginalized. He guides them to embrace what it means to live Christianly in a morally murky and increasingly hostile world.
Radically Different helps teenagers live in and relate to the reality of good, bad, and new, which makes us radically human, radically biblical, and radically different.
There are so many areas of life to navigate when growing up, and this practical resource full of biblical wisdom helps middle and high school students find encouragement in the everyday challenges of life.
God made everything, including relationships, to be good. But because of the fall, everything—including relationships with parents, friends, and siblings—are also broken. Christ came to make all things new, and because of this biblical perspective, readers of Radically Different can know with clarity they are set apart as unique.
Thornton invites teenagers to consider how they are set apart—especially in a time when Christianity is more and more culturally marginalized. He guides them to embrace what it means to live Christianly in a morally murky and increasingly hostile world.
Radically Different helps teenagers live in and relate to the reality of good, bad, and new, which makes us radically human, radically biblical, and radically different.
144 pages, Paperback
Published August 5, 2019
23 people want to read
About the author
Champ Thornton
23 books26 followersChamp Thornton (PhD) and his wife, Robben, live in Delaware, have been married since 1996, and enjoy being parents to three energetic teenage children. He is an Acquisitions Editor at Crossway and is the author of numbers of books for kids and families, including The Radical Book for Kids, Why Do We Say Good Night?, Wonders of His Love: Family Advent Devotional, and Pass It On: A Proverbs Journal for the Next Generation. He’s also served as host of “In the Word, On the Go,” a ten-minute podcast for families. You can learn more about Champ at www.champthornton.com.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 17, 2019
Champ Thornton has written a great resource for Middle and High School students with a focus on the overarching story of the Scripture: Creation, Fall, and Redemption. After giving this Biblical-Theological foundation, he infuses it into the areas of life which all students experience. I will be using this with our own teenage children, as well as recommending it for the students of our local church.
*Review copy provided by the publisher.
*Review copy provided by the publisher.
November 17, 2019
Yes this book is for children and teenagers but Christian parents with sons or daughters over the age of 6 should buy this book, read it and judge when will be best to pass it on to their children to read.
It's an excellent book and very versatile in being applicable for both boys and girls for a wide age range. I think the exact age a child would read this will vary from child to child depending on their emotional, social and spiritual maturity. The book isn't advanced reading by any stretch, but for example, my seven year old boy isn't ready for this book, but I can imagine he might next year, or the year after, etc. depending on how he develops as a person. Some parents might find that their children would be better served reading it when they are 12 - I think it will really depend. However, that's the youngest threshold. This book would be great for children right into their mid-teens.
So, why is it so good? Well, firstly, it is well put together however, I would have loved to have seen it in full-colour. As a devotional/study guide for children and teenagers it is engaging, creative, modern and will stand the test of time, helped by excellent contemporary application and contextualisation in the examples and reflection questions. Secondly, each week of study is split into 3 sessions, with a bit of an intro and sometimes a bit extra at the end, so it is quite forgiving if you miss a session and doesn't require the dedication/organisation/freedom of a daily devotional guide. I count this as a significant strength of the book. Thirdly – this is possibly the single-most terrific aspect of the book – How often do books have a Bible reference, only for readers to (understandably) read the reference and not get a Bible and read it? That potential issue is negated by the inclusion of the vast majority of the Bible verses within the book itself.
The approach of the book is to use the thread of Creation–Fall–Redemption found in the Bible, interpreted as Good–Bad–New for this readership, and use that to develop a healthy relationship with God and people around us. The Creation–Fall–Redemption hermeneutic to decode the Bible and life is not a new one but Champ Thornton, the author, but I haven't seen it applied to aspects of relationships like this before – only to things e.g. money, work, television, or games, etc. This gives a freshness and uniqueness to the book that contributes significantly to how engaging it is. I would like to see a devotional guide for adults using the same approach. Furthermore, the topics of study each week has been really well formulated and successfully brings the reader along a progression of thought and development of relationship from point zero to the end. The book is well-written and whilst is noticeably American in the context it is being written from and primarily to, is not unapproachable, incomprehensible or irrelevant for those in non-American contexts.
This is not the first children's discipleship book by Champ Thornton I have read, and I am looking forward to what else he produces in the future.
It's an excellent book and very versatile in being applicable for both boys and girls for a wide age range. I think the exact age a child would read this will vary from child to child depending on their emotional, social and spiritual maturity. The book isn't advanced reading by any stretch, but for example, my seven year old boy isn't ready for this book, but I can imagine he might next year, or the year after, etc. depending on how he develops as a person. Some parents might find that their children would be better served reading it when they are 12 - I think it will really depend. However, that's the youngest threshold. This book would be great for children right into their mid-teens.
So, why is it so good? Well, firstly, it is well put together however, I would have loved to have seen it in full-colour. As a devotional/study guide for children and teenagers it is engaging, creative, modern and will stand the test of time, helped by excellent contemporary application and contextualisation in the examples and reflection questions. Secondly, each week of study is split into 3 sessions, with a bit of an intro and sometimes a bit extra at the end, so it is quite forgiving if you miss a session and doesn't require the dedication/organisation/freedom of a daily devotional guide. I count this as a significant strength of the book. Thirdly – this is possibly the single-most terrific aspect of the book – How often do books have a Bible reference, only for readers to (understandably) read the reference and not get a Bible and read it? That potential issue is negated by the inclusion of the vast majority of the Bible verses within the book itself.
The approach of the book is to use the thread of Creation–Fall–Redemption found in the Bible, interpreted as Good–Bad–New for this readership, and use that to develop a healthy relationship with God and people around us. The Creation–Fall–Redemption hermeneutic to decode the Bible and life is not a new one but Champ Thornton, the author, but I haven't seen it applied to aspects of relationships like this before – only to things e.g. money, work, television, or games, etc. This gives a freshness and uniqueness to the book that contributes significantly to how engaging it is. I would like to see a devotional guide for adults using the same approach. Furthermore, the topics of study each week has been really well formulated and successfully brings the reader along a progression of thought and development of relationship from point zero to the end. The book is well-written and whilst is noticeably American in the context it is being written from and primarily to, is not unapproachable, incomprehensible or irrelevant for those in non-American contexts.
This is not the first children's discipleship book by Champ Thornton I have read, and I am looking forward to what else he produces in the future.
September 15, 2019
This 13 week program, written by Champ Thornton, is a guide for middle schoolers and young teens as they consider what it means to live as Christians in community and in their relationships.
Helpfully, Thornton starts with the big picture. Week one starts with considering God and who he is. The next three weeks further explain the structure of the rest of the book, looking at creation, the fall and redemption (which he terms, the good, the bad and the new). The following 9 weeks look at different topic areas, all applying the lens of good, bad, new to each. These include their relationship with God under the headings of listening to God (in his word), talking to God (prayer), and worshipping God. Then, it turns to earthly relationships with parents, friends, family, and church as well as difficult and broken relationships.
It is intended to be discussed as a group with a leader, but to have the youth prepare in advance. There are three short studies provided for the student each week (probably each 10 mins maximum), and there are also leader’s notes for further discussion and how to use the time spent together. As such, it would be a great resource for a Sunday School program for about 10-13 year olds. The diagrams and illustrations are probably a bit young for kids older than 13, but the concepts could be extended to promote in depth discussion across that age range as appropriate.
Helpfully, Thornton starts with the big picture. Week one starts with considering God and who he is. The next three weeks further explain the structure of the rest of the book, looking at creation, the fall and redemption (which he terms, the good, the bad and the new). The following 9 weeks look at different topic areas, all applying the lens of good, bad, new to each. These include their relationship with God under the headings of listening to God (in his word), talking to God (prayer), and worshipping God. Then, it turns to earthly relationships with parents, friends, family, and church as well as difficult and broken relationships.
It is intended to be discussed as a group with a leader, but to have the youth prepare in advance. There are three short studies provided for the student each week (probably each 10 mins maximum), and there are also leader’s notes for further discussion and how to use the time spent together. As such, it would be a great resource for a Sunday School program for about 10-13 year olds. The diagrams and illustrations are probably a bit young for kids older than 13, but the concepts could be extended to promote in depth discussion across that age range as appropriate.
November 3, 2019
This book is AMAZING! It is an invaluable tool for parents and teachers alike. It teaches that everything is very good good when God created it, next, reveals the bad in the world and how tainted it has gotten because of sin, and thirdly, that Jesus came to the world to make everything new again and repair what was once a broken and shattered world. It is written in a way that will make sense to the kids, and easy for them to grasp the enormity of the good, the bad and the ugly but with sound biblical theology and doctrine.
It is a well-written book with a lot of biblical scripture and prayers to help both parties to embrace the goodness of our precious Heavenly Father. It gives the reader hope, and the skills to evoke on a daily basis. This world has gotten to be a very terrifying place and we NEED God back in our schools, our homes and at church and most importantly our hearts.
It is a well-written book with a lot of biblical scripture and prayers to help both parties to embrace the goodness of our precious Heavenly Father. It gives the reader hope, and the skills to evoke on a daily basis. This world has gotten to be a very terrifying place and we NEED God back in our schools, our homes and at church and most importantly our hearts.
January 3, 2020
Champ Thorton's Radically Different: A Student Guide to Community is beautifully illustrated and scripturally sound. I usually do not do reviews on books for young adults and children. However, I am glad I did for Radically Different. I believe Thorton breaks the Word of God in such an easy way for young one's can easily understand. I love that there is so much interactions within the pages of this book as well. I think youth pastor's and parents of young children (Older Elementary School Age), would have a field day with this book. What stood out the most to me was the illustrations. They captivated you in a way that was not a distraction. The content takes you from knowing who Jesus is to knowing that you are God's masterpiece. This book is a workbook that is certainly well executed and is a fantastic tool for young children just beginning to walk with Jesus.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews