rMag

I sometimes wonder if my testimony is worth hearing. It’s not a dramatic story that leaves you with an overwhelming gratefulness for God’s work in my life. I don’t have any stories of a flamboyantly sinful past, and there weren’t any major changes in what my life looked like to the casual observer from before and after Christ saved me.

Growing up in a Christian home with mostly Christian friends, I was that good church kid who always seemed to have it all together. Outward appearance would have you to believe that I was always saved and strong in my faith. And it’s too easy to believe that I’m not that bad or that I don’t need the Gospel as much as Fred over there who spent years in prison for selling drugs to kids.

Now, I know that’s not true, but when you’ve grown up Christian, the power of the Gospel can fade in your eyes. It’s too easy to feel okay with yourself and to take your salvation and walk with the Lord for granted.

That’s why Karl Graustein wrote Growing Up Christian. It challenges those of us who’ve grown up Christian to stop seeing the Gospel as mundane, and to hold fast to this faith and claim it confidently as our own — not just our parents’.

As a church kid himself, Graustein is able to humbly address many of the challenges faced by those of us who’ve grown up in the church. He tells stories, making us both laugh at and ponder upon ourselves, and points out the blessings and dangers we have as church kids. Pointing out weaknesses and struggles is simple enough, but Graustein surpasses simple, and applies the Word of God to our sinful tendencies. Each chapter convicts and encourages, and the devotional/study format of the book fosters direct application of the truths discussed to our lives.

He challenges us to think biblically, and not to assume that we really know everything we’ve grown up with as our spiritual heritage. Our faith must become our own, and we must understand it and lay hold of the truth for ourselves — not take it for granted or become bored with it. Graustein pinpoints our weaknesses, and spurs us on to grow stronger in the faith and to be more aware of how good God has been to us.

A deep sense of gratitude for the blessings we have as church kids marks Growing Up Christian. We have a rich heritage in the faith, with parents who are there to teach us and encourage us to grow in Christ. Blessings abound, and we are encouraged to take advantage of them to help us grow and become more mature in our faith — to live boldly in the faith we’ve grown up in.

Graustein proved me wrong. My testimony is dramatic and powerful. God changing the heart of a dead, sinful soul is the most dramatic, amazing story ever told, and the glory of the Gospel worked out in the life of a sinner by His grace is the most powerful sight ever seen. Growing Up Christian doesn’t just strengthen the faith of the reader, but it makes the Gospel fresh and vibrant again to those who’ve grown up hearing it all their lives.