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Heroes of the Faith
Heroes of the Faith: Jim Elliot
Amidst the millions of committed Christians in each generation, a handful rise to special prominence. Learn more about their exciting and inspiring lives in Barbour's "Heroes of the Faith" series.The seeds of a heretofore impossible ministry were planted when this dedicated and versatile man became a missionary to Ecuador.
208 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 27, 2022
I enjoyed learning more about Jim Elliot's inspirational life through this book. His passion and commitment to Christ especially encouraged me. I was motivated to live each day with surrender and intentionality.
May 19, 2020
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot loose." -Jim Elliot
Very simply written for all ages, both young and old alike were really moved by Jim's story. Most of this book focuses on setting up the personality of Jim Elliot and his drive and passion so that we continue to see who he was and what obstacles he faced as he became a missionary to the Auca Indians in the Ecuadorian territory.
While the story did begin rather slow for my younger readers, by the time Jim reached the shores of Quinchua land, all of us were vested in his life and what the legacy he would leave behind.
Very simply written for all ages, both young and old alike were really moved by Jim's story. Most of this book focuses on setting up the personality of Jim Elliot and his drive and passion so that we continue to see who he was and what obstacles he faced as he became a missionary to the Auca Indians in the Ecuadorian territory.
While the story did begin rather slow for my younger readers, by the time Jim reached the shores of Quinchua land, all of us were vested in his life and what the legacy he would leave behind.
January 8, 2017
Jim publicly refused to go to the school dance. The teenager firmly believed that Christians should not dance. Jim was weary of distractions that might lead him away from God. The biggest distraction he avoided was girls! Though Jim was, “handsome, engaging, intelligent, and genuinely talented,” he intentionally kept a good distance from girls. “Domesticated males aren’t much use for adventure,” he once said.
On social gatherings, whenever a young lady caught the eye of one of his buddies, Jim would notice the spark and head straight way to his friend and whisper, “Beware, Fisher, Beware.” Jim steered far away from girls.
Prov 5:7-9
Young men, listen to me, and never forget what I'm about to say: Run from her! Don't go near her house, lest you fall to her temptation and lose your honor, and give the remainder of your life to the cruel and merciless;
TLB
When Jim went to school, he always took his Bible along, prayed before lunch and spoke freely about Jesus to any who would listen. Jim was a part of the speech team in high school but he refused to partake in a political speech during a presidential campaign - “on the grounds that a follower of Jesus could not participate in war or politics.”
Jim wholeheartedly gave everything to God. He would let no distractions take away his time from God. Jim was dedicated and focused on God. While most of his friends were out at football games or social gatherings, Jim was spending time in prayer and reflecting on God’s Word. He would do this for 8 hours a day, until finally one of his friends convinced Jim to go to a football game.
“He went to a football game that fall for the first time with mixed feelings. Although he had played football in high school, he now questioned the value of a spectator activity that consisted largely of sitting in the bleachers and shouting. There did not seem to be much point in it. After all, it was not as if the crowd was shouting praise to God. It was just a silly competition. He returned to his room more convinced than ever that his time was better spent alone in fellowship with God.”
The amazing thing about Jim is that he did not seek girls or attention. And when girls went after him, he steered away not towards them. Jim did everything to seek after God and was content to live a celibate life.
He did not seek girls. In fact he did everything to seek after God and was content to live as an “eunuch for Christ.” The verse Jim lived by and proclaimed openly is that he would be an “eunuch for the kingdom.”
Matt 19:12
For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."
(from New International Version)
Jim had accepted it! Though he did everything he could not to get married…
“The women went after Jim. He was attractive and personable and had emerged from the class a natural leader. But his reputation for being uninterested in women persisted.”
Jim was steadfast. He did not date girls and remained sexually pure.” To Jim’s dismay he could not stay single. On October 1953 Jim married a lady named Elisabeth who was just under 6 feet tall. They went to Latin America to become missionaries!
In 1945, Jim went to Wheaton college and wanted to be a missionary, in Latin America to a tribe of people who had never heard the gospel. Jim gathered whatever statistics on missions and kept them in a small black notebook that he carried with him. What was written in the black notebook?
These were the statistics that Jim read every day:
- 1,700 languages did not have a word of the bible translated.
- 90 % of people who volunteer for the mission field never got there.
- 64 % of the world had never heard of Christ
- 5,000 people died every hour.
- There was 1 Christian worker for every 50,000 people in foreign lands, while there was 1 to every 500 in the US.
Jesus said some crushing words that still ring true today.
Luke 10:2-3
"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.”
(from New International Version)
Keith Green said it is so easy for us to give money to the mission field, but he challenged Christians to go a step further. Go to the mission field and serve! If young Mormons can give 2 years before they start out in life, why cannot Christians?”
Jim Elliot became a missionary who was speared to death and in his last moments maybe he lost hope and thought he was a failure and maybe he thought he killed his friends by dragging them along. He must have thought he failed to hear God clearly. But in Heaven Jim would instantly catch a glimpse 50 years years into the future of how God turned a bad situation to good as Jim would become the most famous missionary of the 20th century, covered in LIFE magazine, books and even a Hollywood movie!
On social gatherings, whenever a young lady caught the eye of one of his buddies, Jim would notice the spark and head straight way to his friend and whisper, “Beware, Fisher, Beware.” Jim steered far away from girls.
Prov 5:7-9
Young men, listen to me, and never forget what I'm about to say: Run from her! Don't go near her house, lest you fall to her temptation and lose your honor, and give the remainder of your life to the cruel and merciless;
TLB
When Jim went to school, he always took his Bible along, prayed before lunch and spoke freely about Jesus to any who would listen. Jim was a part of the speech team in high school but he refused to partake in a political speech during a presidential campaign - “on the grounds that a follower of Jesus could not participate in war or politics.”
Jim wholeheartedly gave everything to God. He would let no distractions take away his time from God. Jim was dedicated and focused on God. While most of his friends were out at football games or social gatherings, Jim was spending time in prayer and reflecting on God’s Word. He would do this for 8 hours a day, until finally one of his friends convinced Jim to go to a football game.
“He went to a football game that fall for the first time with mixed feelings. Although he had played football in high school, he now questioned the value of a spectator activity that consisted largely of sitting in the bleachers and shouting. There did not seem to be much point in it. After all, it was not as if the crowd was shouting praise to God. It was just a silly competition. He returned to his room more convinced than ever that his time was better spent alone in fellowship with God.”
The amazing thing about Jim is that he did not seek girls or attention. And when girls went after him, he steered away not towards them. Jim did everything to seek after God and was content to live a celibate life.
He did not seek girls. In fact he did everything to seek after God and was content to live as an “eunuch for Christ.” The verse Jim lived by and proclaimed openly is that he would be an “eunuch for the kingdom.”
Matt 19:12
For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."
(from New International Version)
Jim had accepted it! Though he did everything he could not to get married…
“The women went after Jim. He was attractive and personable and had emerged from the class a natural leader. But his reputation for being uninterested in women persisted.”
Jim was steadfast. He did not date girls and remained sexually pure.” To Jim’s dismay he could not stay single. On October 1953 Jim married a lady named Elisabeth who was just under 6 feet tall. They went to Latin America to become missionaries!
In 1945, Jim went to Wheaton college and wanted to be a missionary, in Latin America to a tribe of people who had never heard the gospel. Jim gathered whatever statistics on missions and kept them in a small black notebook that he carried with him. What was written in the black notebook?
These were the statistics that Jim read every day:
- 1,700 languages did not have a word of the bible translated.
- 90 % of people who volunteer for the mission field never got there.
- 64 % of the world had never heard of Christ
- 5,000 people died every hour.
- There was 1 Christian worker for every 50,000 people in foreign lands, while there was 1 to every 500 in the US.
Jesus said some crushing words that still ring true today.
Luke 10:2-3
"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.”
(from New International Version)
Keith Green said it is so easy for us to give money to the mission field, but he challenged Christians to go a step further. Go to the mission field and serve! If young Mormons can give 2 years before they start out in life, why cannot Christians?”
Jim Elliot became a missionary who was speared to death and in his last moments maybe he lost hope and thought he was a failure and maybe he thought he killed his friends by dragging them along. He must have thought he failed to hear God clearly. But in Heaven Jim would instantly catch a glimpse 50 years years into the future of how God turned a bad situation to good as Jim would become the most famous missionary of the 20th century, covered in LIFE magazine, books and even a Hollywood movie!
October 23, 2019
Excellent! Inspiring! Simple to read out loud to my class!
July 9, 2020
Even if you know the ending, you still can’t help but smile. Like He always does, God wins. Jim Elliot really was a hero of the faith. This book was hard to put down.
April 5, 2010
There was a lot of background story as to the struggles of being extremely devoted to the beliefs he held on to while as a young man in high school in college and not being easily swayed by those around him, which I thought sounded very interesting considering how most kids get involved with whatever they feel like it in that age group. He sounded very inspiring and dedicated to God. I loved the development you got to learn about the relationship he had with his wife. You were also able to see the long term dream coming into effect and how he didn't quickly jump to wherever he FELT God wanted him to be a missionary at, but waited on God and was patient. I think that's awesome. As for the story about reaching a tribe never reached before, that is so sincere that he worked so hard to reach his goal. Once he did reach that goal it seems a bit of a loss but in the end you see that the work of God through this man was able to spread widely without him truly even having to say anything to these people. Very good story, a little slow at times or repetitive. I love learning about people who work in the mission field though, so it was worth it.
January 12, 2015
Because I was remarkably ignorant (for a Christian) of the story, I read Heroes of the Faith: Jim Elliot by Susan Martins Miller after receiving it as a gift from my boyfriend.
SO. FRUSTRATING. Reading about Jim Elliot was almost painful—not because of what happened to him, but because of what an insufferable jerk he was for most of his life. I wanted to smack him the entire time. I also have mixed feelings about foreign missions anyway, and this brought all of those conflicting ideas to the fore: as the author hinted, the tragedy might have been prevented if more time had been spent in preparation, linguistic study, and less risky forms of outreach before going out to meet the Auca personally. I still gave the book three stars because the author did a good job of relating the story and of being fairly objective.
SO. FRUSTRATING. Reading about Jim Elliot was almost painful—not because of what happened to him, but because of what an insufferable jerk he was for most of his life. I wanted to smack him the entire time. I also have mixed feelings about foreign missions anyway, and this brought all of those conflicting ideas to the fore: as the author hinted, the tragedy might have been prevented if more time had been spent in preparation, linguistic study, and less risky forms of outreach before going out to meet the Auca personally. I still gave the book three stars because the author did a good job of relating the story and of being fairly objective.
September 14, 2016
This was an awesome book and tribute to a wonderful missionary of God. I had heard the story but was not sure of the men's name involved. I had been to the Mission Aviation Fellowship and to now read the story was great. The movie was great also. God used the death of the men to bring about good. I dont think I could live with the people that killed my husband. To learn that it may have been a simple photograph that caused the death of the men was hard to read also. Five men who gave their lives to serve and teach others about God. They had planned for this trip for years and at the end to have little knowledge of this tribe language wise and what seemed a small misunderstanding led to death.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2016
I've heard of Jim Elliot's famous quote before: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." This biography has been sitting and staring at me on the table next to my bed. I FINALLY picked it up to read on Easter and read 3/4 of it. It's so encouraging and inspiring to read of the lives of Christians who give their all for God for the advancement of His kingdom.
The ending was VERY surprising to me and I will leave it for you to find out. Check it out when you can!
The ending was VERY surprising to me and I will leave it for you to find out. Check it out when you can!
February 24, 2013
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep
to gain what he cannot lose."
This biography of the life of Jim Elliot keenly engaged my attention and eventually, my respect. Jim Elliot lived a life that is transparent and that was wholly given over to God. My main takeaways was knowing that our lives may seem like failures, but God can still use us, and often, His plans and purposes are far beyond what we can now see and understand.
to gain what he cannot lose."
This biography of the life of Jim Elliot keenly engaged my attention and eventually, my respect. Jim Elliot lived a life that is transparent and that was wholly given over to God. My main takeaways was knowing that our lives may seem like failures, but God can still use us, and often, His plans and purposes are far beyond what we can now see and understand.
January 30, 2008
I wasn’t sure if I’d get much more out of this book than I already had from other bios on Jim Elliot. But it was a great and would be good for someone younger to read as well. I learned a lot more about Jim’s life before he went to South America as well as the actual reason why the Aucas attacked him and fellow missionaries that fateful day.
January 7, 2011
This story really touched me.How 1 man and his friends could make a diffrence in an indian tribe.When Jim and his friends get killed by the same tribe,I learned about forgivness even in the tough times.
September 4, 2013
I couldn't put this book down. Not because it was profoundly written, rather due to the profound life it chronicled. I enjoyed how she revealed a real man who wasn't always perfect but he lived out a real pure faith that seems foreign in our 21st century culture.
June 3, 2017
This wasn't too bad for a biography, but that's not saying much.
March 25, 2021
Survival International is an organization dedicated to preserving the integrity and way of life of isolated tribes all over the world. I used to feel Jim was a hero but now he is quite the opposite, a crazed fundamentalist trying to bring imperialist and eurocentric "salvation" to Native individuals neither asking for it nor needing it.
May 12, 2022
I had never known (till I read this book) why the aucas had killed the men. It is such a wonderful story, one of the best biographies. I was encouraged by how Jim saught to do God's will in every area of his life, even if he had to wait for a loong time!
His death was not in vain!!
His death was not in vain!!
January 27, 2021
Wonderful book!
October 5, 2021
I dont remember hearing much about jim elliot
January 18, 2025
At least 3.5 stars. This is a good, accessible distillation of this man’s life & death.
September 22, 2025
A little embarrassed it took me so long to finish this book but it was worth it!
January 7, 2026
Very inspiring - makes me want to be brave for Christ and to share His message!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews