The book A.S.K. Real World Questions / Real World Answers, is a very unremarkable read… until you are staring a teenager in the face and he or she asks you a difficult question about God. Then author David Robertson and his book will be transformed into a treasured friend.
Each chapter is four pages or less, it has a question (asked by a real teenager), a Bible passage, an answer, a question to consider, a suggestion for further reading, and a prayer. Here are my top 10 quotes from this solid book for teens.
10. On Our Questions
We all have questions about Jesus, the Bible, the Christian faith and our culture today. The great news is that Jesus gives answers. (7)
9. On Great Stories
What if all great stories throughout the world are reflections of the greatest story of all – the story of the Bible and above all the story of Jesus? (28)
8. On Nature & Scripture
God has given us two books – the book of nature and the book of Scripture. They don’t contradict each other. (40)
7. On Knowing God
What if God has made himself clear? What if, instead of hiding, he has revealed himself? What if the problem is with us, not him? (44)
6. On God’s Thoughts
God’s thoughts are like the drops of water in the ocean. They are too numerous to count and beyond compare. We will bathe in them for all eternity. (61)
5. On the Cross
The cross is a mystery. It is horrible and ugly. It is foolish. It is offensive. And yet it is by the foolishness and offensiveness of the cross that we are saved. So for us, it is beautiful. (70)
4. On Belief in Hell
The person who teaches most about hell, is the loving, gentle, and compassionate Jesus. The only reason I believe in hell is because Jesus does – and I follow Jesus. (79)
3. On Relationship with God
It is clear that religion does depend to a large extent on your culture, your environment, your family and where you were born. But your relationship with God does not. (120)
2. On the Internet
The Internet is a great servant, but a terrible master. (177)
1. On the Church
To have a church without preaching and teaching is like having a restaurant without food. (213)