FAITHFULLY DIFFERENT {Crain} Book Review & Giveaway

During 2021, I posted a review of the first book I’d read by Natasha Crain, Talking with Your Kids About Jesus. My family loved that one. So, I knew I wanted to get the FAITHFULLY DIFFERENT book.

FAITHFULLY DIFFERENT hit the best-seller list within the first two weeks after it released in February 2022. Published by Harvest House, this 268-word paperback book is a powerhouse of insightful information and biblical encouragement.

The Author

Natasha Crain, the author of four books, is also a national speaker, blogger, and podcaster. In addition to Talking with Your Kids About Jesus, she has written two other apologetics books: Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side and Talking with Your Kids about God.

Crain’s articles are featured in Focus on the Family and the Christian Research Journal, and she’s been interviewed on radio shows nationwide. In addition, she offers many helpful blog posts at www.natashacrain.com.

She earned an MBA from UCLA, a BA in Economics from USC, and a certificate in Christian apologetics from Biola University. Natasha and her husband live in California with their three children, who recently transitioned from a Christian school to homeschooling.

Natasha Crain has an exceptional talent for clearly explaining current worldviews and then comparing those to a biblical worldview. Biblical references used throughout this book are from the English Standard Version.

Also, Crain has a gift for outlining practical steps Christians can take when conversing with people who have different worldviews.

Who is the Best Audience for FAITHFULLY DIFFERENT?

FAITHFULLY DIFFERENT is written for adults, but I think high school students would find it extremely helpful as well. It is for Christians, particularly Bible-believing Christians. (2 Timothy 3:15-17; John 17:17).

One point the author makes is that Christianity today is a worldview minority. Even though statistically, 65% of Americans identify as Christians, only 6% “hold a functional biblical worldview.”

John Stonestreet says “this kind of extreme minority status means there is constant pressure on Christians to live in a secular way and to hide beliefs that our neighbors find unbelievable.”

Many groups and organizations regularly promote their ideas, plans, and catch phrases. When more than one group pushes the same ideology, their terminology can become popular household-words. Initially, many ideas sound “good.” But how do they line up with God’s Word?

FAITHFULLY DIFFERENT teaches Christians how to discern between current worldviews, the pressures they apply, and how to respond with true, biblical faith.

The Meat of the Book

Natasha Crain emphasizes throughout the book how we live in a world with challenging views. We live in a culture where many people believe “feelings are the ultimate guide, happiness is the ultimate goal, judging is the ultimate sin, and God is the ultimate guess.” She points out how Christians, many unknowingly, are allowing secular worldviews to infiltrate and redefine their Christian worldview.

Twelve chapters, grouped into four parts, cover these areas:

The New Normal – where she explains how a biblical Christian worldview is in the minority and why secularism is compelling.

Faithfully Different Believing – where points are made about regaining a supernatural worldview and reexamining beliefs.

One of my favorite chapters in this section is Chapter 5, “Reestablishing What We (Should) Actually Believe.”

Faithfully Different Thinking – where guidance is given on reclaiming what rightfully belongs to a biblical worldview.

I’ve got a lot of words underlined in Chapter 8, “Reaffirming Biblical Morality.” There’s an enlightening section about how certain words have been redefined over the years.

Faithfully Different Living – where readers learn when and how to recommit to speaking God’s truth. I like how motivation and techniques are addressed.

Each chapter ends with suggestions for further reading as well as “Questions for Discussion or Reflection.”

At the very end, there’s a bibliography, additional comments by the author, recommended reading, and more.

Recommendation

If you’re wanting to learn more about the meaning of some of the terminology you’ve been hearing, then this book will help clarify secular naturalism, secular individualism, secular deconstruction, virtue signaling, critical theory, secular indifference, secular cancel culture, and secular relativism. Readers will also learn more about the secular pressures against evangelism and how to overcome barriers.

Natasha Crain courageously, yet gently, shares the truth of God’s Word. She accurately pulls in current day examples and quotes from Christian, as well as from non-Christian sources to emphasize her points.

Young adult and adult Christians, I highly recommend you read this book. Christian parents, pastors, youth pastors, and teachers especially need to read it.

Giveaway Details for FAITHFULLY DIFFERENT Book

On Friday, March 11, 2022, we will randomly select a name from this blog’s email subscriber list as the winner of a free copy of FAITHFULLY DIFFERENT. If you’d like your name placed in the drawing TWO times, then be on the email list and leave a comment below.

CONGRATULATIONS to Demetria in Michigan. Your name was selected from this blog’s email subscriber list as the winner of this book. Yay! I’ll be in touch via email.

I purchased my own copy of this book. Also, I received a FREE copy of this product in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

A freelance writer, Sally Matheny’s writing is published in worldwide, national, regional, online and print publications including Appleseeds, Clubhouse Jr., Homeschooling Today, and The Old Schoolhouse.

As a writer, blogger, and speaker, Sally encourages parents to live victorious and to courageously tell the next generation wondrous things. Connect with her on several social media sites, but her favorite hangouts are at SallyMatheny.com and Pinterest.