October 11, 2003
Column #1,154
"Revolve:" A Bible for Teenage Girls
"Revolve" looks like a
magazine for teenage girls, with three smiling females on the cover and
zippy headlines: "Are You Dating a Godly Guy? Beauty Secrets You've Never
Heard Before. Radical Faith: What Scripture Really Means."
"Guys Speak Out on
Tons of Important Issues."
"Revolve: The Complete
New Testament," is the perfect gift for a teenage girl.
Its Introduction,
beneath photos, one of a guy and a gal, is engaging: "This Bible is about
radical devotion and revolutionary people. It is a book that God breathed
into the hearts and minds of people who were grappling with life and rising
to the challenge of faith in the extreme.
"The stories were
written by and about dreamers and risk-takers - people who bet their lives
on what they could only see through faith. They were people who took a
chance on God..."
Next to Matthew 3 are
"TOP ten Random Ways To have Fun With Your Friends: Go to a Christian
concert.... Volunteer at an animal shelter together."
The next page is a
Blab with this Q: "I'm nearly fourteen and I have never even had a
boyfriend. Am I the only one? All the people in my class must think I am
pathetic."
A. "Don't let what the
world think is important become important to you. You live by a different
set of rules than other people. You live by God's Word. God wants you to
seek him first and he'll give you all the rest in good time."
Matthew 3:1-2 is a
fresh translation in this New Century Version of a familiar verse: "About
that time John the Baptist began preaching in the desert area of Judea. John
said, "Change your hearts and lives because the kingdom of heaven is near."
(Not "Repent.")
In a Box on the verse
is punchy advice:
"Learn it: Your heart
is sinful and needs to be changed.
"Live it: Figure out
one thing about the way you're thinking that's wrong. Ask God to help you
really focus on changing it for two weeks."
Another box called
"Radical Faith" has a more extended commentary on Matthew 7:12: "Do to
others what you want them to do to you."
"This verse has been
called the ‘Golden Rule.' It's as valuable as gold and it'll work every
time you use it...Look at what Jesus says leading up to this. Love people
who are against you; pray for the person who's mean to you; if someone wants
to borrow something, give him more than what he asks for and don't ask him
to give it back. You wouldn't dare ask anyone to treat you that well - you'd
feel like you were using her - but you'd like it if she did, right?"
"Jesus isn't telling
you to be a doormat. He's showing you how to follow his example. His whole
life was about two things: pleasing God and helping other people. He wants
you to be more concerned about others than you are about yourself."
Next to a shot of a
teenage boy in a "Guys Speak Out" box is a Q. Do you prefer to hang out with
girls or guys?
A. Guys. Girls can be
so needy - constantly asking how they look. Guys just like to hang out and
have fun."
In the middle of
Matthew 13, is a blue headline: DIDYA KNOW? In a Given Week, 75% of Young
Adults Report Praying.
Ten questions beneath
three smiling girls are devoted to: Do You Have a Healthy Body Image?
I feel comfortable in
a swimsuit. A. Never B. Sometimes C. Often D. Always
When I look at myself
in the mirror I cringe. A. Always B. Often C. Sometimes D. Never
Below are
commentaries. Those picking mostly A's and B's with a Poor Body Image:
"Come on girl! Do you know that God created you and he calls your body a
‘temple of the Holy Spirit?' 1) Start a balanced fitness routine and make
sure you are eating well. 2) Make it a goal to run in a charity race in a
few months – it will give you something to work towards."
That has nothing to do
with Matthew 21. But it will be read. The next page is a "Radical Faith"
analysis of Matthew 23:8-9, about how Jesus enjoyed hanging around notorious
sinners and hated religious snobs, who "actually thought they were better"
than others. By contrast, Jesus treated all followers equally: "God never
sees you as inferior to anyone."
Great messages for
teenage girls.
|