Description:
Extreme Word is like a friendly youth-group leader, helping teenagers develop a conservative yet highly personal relationship with Christianity and the Bible. The book opens with a 17-page A-Z "Quick Reference Finder," starting with Abortion (the editors take an antiabortion stance) and ending with Worship. This immediate reference section helps young people find a comfortable place to dive in. Beneath each topic is a list of commonly asked questions, accompanied by citations that indicate where readers can find answers. For example: "Was Jesus born of a virgin? (Isaiah 7:14)," "Where can sexual lust lead? (2 Samuel 11:1-5)," "What does God think about fortune telling? (Leviticus 19:26)," and "How should we stand up for those who need help? (Nehemiah 5:7-11)." Sidebars titled "What's it Mean?" or "On the Edge" appear on almost every spread within the text of the Bible, and are written in a youthful, contemporary voice. These sidebars take the intimidation out of the formal, metaphorical language while also venturing into cozy interpretations of its meaning. In the Book of Isaiah, a sidebar asks readers to remember the pride they felt toward kindergarten art projects, such as plaster imprints of their hands or pipe-cleaner sculptures. "Just as you carefully crafted your kindergarten masterpiece, God crafted each part of your being just exactly the way He wanted it.... He thinks you're awesome. And you are, because you're His." Extreme Word also features numerous full-page profiles of inspiring young adults in the Bible, including "Ruth, a woman of loyalty," "John Mark, a man of persistence," and "Rhoda, a woman of prayer." --Gail Hudson
| 
