Hey guys
So my grandparents (mom's side) are not followers of Christ. They took their family to Catholic mass way back in the day, but that's really been their only experience with anything resembling a church service.
I recently had a conversation with my grandma when the topic of the afterlife came up. Upon asking her if she believed in heaven, she replied that she simply wasn't sure, so I can't even confidently say that she believes in God. Additionally, she seems to be under the impression that being a Christian requires one to attend a church and read the Bible.
I made a point of explaining to her that one could attend church every Sunday of their lives and memorize the entire Bible, and yet not be a Christian (although of course, Christians should go to Church, and should read their Bible). Rather, being a Christian is about trusting Jesus Christ as one's Savior and following Him as one's Lord. Moving on from there, I gave a brief explanation of the Gospel, emphasizing that one cannot possibly hope to be saved by doing good deeds, and gave the example of the criminal on the cross next to Jesus, who put his trust in Christ at literally the last moment of his life.
This seemed to make sense to her, but I think she still has a lot to process, considering that she is has barely any experience with the Biblical narrative or Christian theology at all. I know that the most important information for her to understand is the Gospel, and so in that sense, I'm not looking to provide her with an in-depth Biblical study - just the essential doctrines such as justification by faith, etc. The same goes for my grandfather, who as far as I am aware, is convinced that good works will merit his entrance into Heaven.
I only get to see them maybe 4 or 5 times a year, and so I'd like to give them something to read about when I'm not with them. I'm looking for a book(s) that:
- Is very, very readable. If you think it's too basic, recommend it anyways because it's probably not.
- Clearly articulates the Gospel
- Is engaging/relatable (not dry/boring, so they don't lose interest)
I'm anticipating that some will recommend the Bible, and that is fine, but simply even bringing up the word "Bible" at our family gatherings makes them very uncomfortable, so I'm hoping for something that's a little less "in your face", but still explains the most important message of the Bible relating to salvation
Thanks guys!
So my grandparents (mom's side) are not followers of Christ. They took their family to Catholic mass way back in the day, but that's really been their only experience with anything resembling a church service.
I recently had a conversation with my grandma when the topic of the afterlife came up. Upon asking her if she believed in heaven, she replied that she simply wasn't sure, so I can't even confidently say that she believes in God. Additionally, she seems to be under the impression that being a Christian requires one to attend a church and read the Bible.
I made a point of explaining to her that one could attend church every Sunday of their lives and memorize the entire Bible, and yet not be a Christian (although of course, Christians should go to Church, and should read their Bible). Rather, being a Christian is about trusting Jesus Christ as one's Savior and following Him as one's Lord. Moving on from there, I gave a brief explanation of the Gospel, emphasizing that one cannot possibly hope to be saved by doing good deeds, and gave the example of the criminal on the cross next to Jesus, who put his trust in Christ at literally the last moment of his life.
This seemed to make sense to her, but I think she still has a lot to process, considering that she is has barely any experience with the Biblical narrative or Christian theology at all. I know that the most important information for her to understand is the Gospel, and so in that sense, I'm not looking to provide her with an in-depth Biblical study - just the essential doctrines such as justification by faith, etc. The same goes for my grandfather, who as far as I am aware, is convinced that good works will merit his entrance into Heaven.
I only get to see them maybe 4 or 5 times a year, and so I'd like to give them something to read about when I'm not with them. I'm looking for a book(s) that:
- Is very, very readable. If you think it's too basic, recommend it anyways because it's probably not.
- Clearly articulates the Gospel
- Is engaging/relatable (not dry/boring, so they don't lose interest)
I'm anticipating that some will recommend the Bible, and that is fine, but simply even bringing up the word "Bible" at our family gatherings makes them very uncomfortable, so I'm hoping for something that's a little less "in your face", but still explains the most important message of the Bible relating to salvation
Thanks guys!
