{"product_id":"whats-your-story-25-pack-paperback","title":"What's Your Story? (25-Pack) - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eChamp Thornton\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePeople disagree about all sorts of things. Politics, religion, sports teams, musical taste, and even whether the world is flat or round. When you think about it, people debate nearly everything. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYet would it surprise you to know that most human beings live in ways that are very similar to each other? All over the globe, deep patterns bind all cultures together. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen it comes to scientific patterns, none of us can argue with gravity (or if you try, it might not end well for you). Or did you know that if you flipped a coin one hundred times, it's almost certain to land on the same side (heads or tails) seven times in a row? So even randomness isn't really random; there are inescapable scientific rules in the universe. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe same is true for human patterns. Countless books and movies follow a common shape: people find themselves in need, yet by the end have overcome those challenges. Similarly, don't we all know that life is supposed to have meaning? Even when someone despairs that life has no more meaning, their misery communicates something isn't right. And the same pattern applies to a tragedy. For instance, we all know, instantly, that murder isn't just tragic, it's pure evil. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo no matter who you are or where you live, there are deep patterns that lie beneath your story. Beneath everyone's story. And if you'll take time to look, these patterns also point to something bigger. They're like threads in the fabric of the real story of the whole world. And like every plot, this story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the beginning, the world came into being through the work of the Creator. God made \u003cem\u003eeverything\u003c\/em\u003e (not just stuff like trees and oceans and squirrels). God is the one who also embedded deep patterns into his world: gravity, mathematic probability, tides, planetary rotation, weather patterns, your circulatory system, a sense of justice and injustice, and so forth. God made all these things. They're part of his plan, the beginning of the story. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe middle of this story is where things get complicated. And isn't that the way all stories work? Human beings turned away from their Creator and the way he designed life to work. They decided to live as if they were the makers of life and reality. But just like ignoring the laws of gravity doesn't make them go away, this decision didn't go well. Like a cancer on the Creator's world, sin began to spread across everything. (And that's another deep pattern, isn't it? All of us are broken. And aren't we more selfish than we'd like to admit?) \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd as the story unfolded, the Creator could have simply started over. Like a sketch that's not quite turned out as hoped, he could've crumpled it all up, and started again. But to fix it, he did something harder. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHere the plot reaches its climax: the Author himself entered the story. God the Father sent his Son--fully God--to become fully human. He felt pain; he suffered injustice. And where no one else had succeeded, the Son overcame sin and evil. How? By absorbing it into himself; by giving his life so others could live. In doing this, he brought the original plot to completion. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGod the Father was so pleased with the rescue that his Son had achieved that he raised him from the dead and put him where he belongs. Today the Son, Jesus Christ, sits on the throne of the universe. He's the hero. And that leads us to the conclusion of the story. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe biggest pattern in the universe today is that Jesus Christ is Lord. He's King, the hero of the real story of the world. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo if this story and all these patterns are real, how should you respond? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFirst, acknowledge the Author. Tell him--you can talk to him silently or aloud--that even if you don't understand everything, you believe in him. Second, tell him that you've also come to see what's true about yourself. You've seen your selfishness, your sin, and you don't want to live that way any longer. You want to live with Jesus as your King. Third, ask him to forgive you. He already died to take care of your sin, so your response is to rely on what he's already accomplished. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOf course, some people will disagree with what you've just read. But what about you? Will you accept or reject the big story and deep patterns that God has created? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAre you ready to step into the true story of real life? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf you are ready to start living the true story of life, you can begin by praying a prayer like this: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eDear Jesus, I believe you are the true King of the world. I believe that I have sinned against you but that you have died for my sin and are alive today. I believe that you want me to follow you as the only Author of my story. Please become my Lord and Savior. Please guide me to a church that believes the Bible and will help me follow you. In Jesus's name I pray, amen.\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eChamp Thornton\u003c\/strong\u003e (PhD, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the director of children and family resources at Crossway and the author of numerous books for kids and families. He and his wife, Robben, live in Newark, Delaware, and have three children. You can learn more about Champ at champthornton.com.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.65 x 5.51 x 4.06 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e September 17, 2024\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45922922954949,"sku":"9781682164280","price":11.77,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0757\/6718\/5605\/files\/Q9V-o6bCTT9781682164280.webp?v=1772513970","url":"https:\/\/selloorium.com\/products\/whats-your-story-25-pack-paperback","provider":"Selloorium","version":"1.0","type":"link"}