Case for Faith for Kids

Cases for Christianity for Kids

by Lee Strobel, Robert Suggs (Primary Contributor), Robert Elmer (Primary Contributor)

Why does God allow bad things to happen? Can you have doubts and still be a Christian? Kids ages 8-12 can join in this incredible search for the truth about faith in this book based on the bestselling The Case for Faith by award-winning author Lee Strobel, written in kid-friendly language that helps young readers explore their own beliefs decide for themselves why believing in Jesus and Christianity makes good sense.

Here’s a book that finally tackles the most important questions about the toughest questions surrounding faith kids often ask and wonder. This updated version of The Case for Faith for Kids is packed full of well-researched, reliable, and eye-opening investigations Lee conducted to test why people believe in Jesus, and the truths that support those beliefs. Throughout, Strobel uses his skills as an award-winning legal journalist to examine the historical records, eyewitness testimonies, and scientific evidence for faith, including Jesus’s resurrection and miracles.

Like Strobel, will you be convinced by the evidence? What will your verdict be in The Case for Faith? The Case for Faith for Kids:


Is written specifically for readers ages 8–12, presented in a way that is logical and easy to understand
Is perfect for encouraging a child’s faith development, and is also ideal for homeschool use or as a first communion gift for boys or girls
Is packed full of well-researched, reliable, and eye-opening investigations of some of the toughest questions kids have about faith and Christianity

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Childrens, Christian Living, School, Spirituality, Faith

144 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2006

About the author

Lee Patrick Strobel is an American Christian author and a former investigative journalist. He has written several books, including four that received ECPA Christian Book Awards (1994, 1999, 2001, 2005)[2] and a series which addresses challenges to the veracity of Christianity. He also hosted a television program called Faith Under Fire on PAX TV and runs a video apologetics web site.

Reviews

[Josiah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lee Strobel isn't the first hardened skeptic who desperately desired to prove Christianity false, only to scour the historical record and come to the conclusion that the faith is so well-grounded in fact that no reasonable person can reject it as untrue. Simon Greenleaf, Frank Morison, Josh McDowell, and countless other uncompromising logicians wrote definitive treatises upholding Christianity after initially approaching it as staunch unbelievers, and Lee Strobel's personal story is much the same. A big-city journalist in the early 1980s, Strobel was disgusted by his formerly skeptical wife's decision to become a Christian, and lunched a one-man investigative crusade to debunk the religion and get his rational wife back. The interviews he conducted with experts during that investigation were compiled into The Case for Christ in 1998, one of the most respected Christian apologetics volumes of the era, and now that first book and other Christian evidence manuals written by Lee Strobel have been restructured and rewritten for kids as young as grade school. Case for Faith for Kids is almost as hard-hitting as The Case For Faith for adults, not running away from any hard stances taken by the Bible or adherents to orthodox Christianity. The difference from the adult version is that Lee Strobel lays out his Biblical defense using stories and illustrations more accessible to children, leavened by a bit of silly humor. Case for Faith for Kids provides answers to young believers nagged by doubts about the legitimacy of Christianity, a serious concern for anyone ready to live their lives unreservedly in worship of a man who lived and died thousands of years ago. Is there convincing reason to accept Jesus' identity as the Son of God, gateway to heaven for those who take him as their lord and savior? Is the Bible the inerrant word of the Almighty as it claims? Case for Faith for Kids is a sincere intellectual examination of these enormous questions, led by an author who made the same inquiries himself decades earlier with no idea what answers he would find. May we all be earnest enough to ask the hard faith questions without trepidation.

"Should people who already believe in God ask for answers? If they wonder, for instance, whether God is really fair, does that mean they don't trust God enough? Should they just ignore the tough stuff and go on believing in God?
No, because questions—especially questions about faith—are too important to let us do that. Whether you believe in God or not, it's a pretty good idea to give these questions some thought."

—Case for Faith for Kids, P. 10

The tone of Case for Faith for Kids is set from the start by the author's assertion that doubts regarding eternity and salvation shouldn't be taken lightly or put off indefinitely. The truth of God has potential to affect us forever, and nothing could be more serious than that. Many who grow up in the church seem fearful of examining Christianity too closely; will the structure collapse like a house of cards if one starts poking it, suddenly leaving the lifelong believer without indemnity against the afterlife? That's a terrifying prospect after growing from childhood in the assurance of salvation through Jesus. But we're not truly better off if we only think we're saved, and our promised home in heaven is nothing more than a naive illusion. What former skeptics have that many lifelong believers do not is the understanding that reasoned faith in Jesus is a product of historical awareness rather than a self-preserving fantasy that God has a plan to protect us in the afterlife. As a result, converted skeptics can have stronger, more effective faith than those who've been in the church since birth, but that needn't be the case. The Bible lays out a blueprint for finding assurance in the faith: Jesus commanded his followers to inquire after him, search for him, then knock on the proverbial door and he will open it. That's the sensible approach to Christianity, and the Bible advocates it time and again. One shouldn't fear accidentally demolishing Christianity by raising tough questions, because it's not a house of cards: faith in Jesus is a mansion built on the unshakeable rock of the person and principles of Christ, and that mansion can never be dislodged. Believers are encouraged to test the structural integrity of the faith as they would check the foundation of a new house before purchasing it; if you'd go through such measures to affirm the quality of a home you'll live in for only a matter of years, how much more thoroughly should your eternal residence be vetted?

"It's time to really go after these questions. If you ask and think and search for the answers with all your heart, maybe you'll finally discover that every answer leads to God himself. Because, as Saint Augustine said, 'All truth is God's truth.'"

—Case for Faith for Kids, P. 13

Case for Faith for Kids centers on five general objections to Biblical Christianity, starting with the problem of evil, and Lee Strobel's treatment of the subject is one of the best I've read. When God created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, they were flawlessly designed, with no comprehension of or inclination toward evil. The sin nature did not exist. Yet for mankind to love God, the choice to not love and obey him had to be afforded also, or the relationship would be nothing but vapid mimicry. So while every other tree in the garden was available for Adam and Eve to eat from, God created a tree that was off limits, and warned the humans that to eat of it would mean death. Manipulated by Satan, Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree and the consequences were as God said. Their rebellion against the creator, who had provided them everything they could ever need, poisoned human nature with sin, a defect they passed down to every generation thereafter. God didn't create evil: we did, and the world has suffered for our choice to indulge the sin nature rather than throw off its chains and turn to God. Every human in history is at fault for the world's evil. Because we rejected God and enslaved ourselves to darkness, we must deal with the ramifications, which God allows us to suffer in keeping with our decision to live apart from his guidance and grace. Yet the Almighty didn't turn his back and leave us to our miserable demise, the Bible says. Because he loves us despite our bent toward evil, God sacrificed himself on the cross as payment for the wrongdoing of humanity, and applies that payment on behalf of all who turn from their rebellion and accept his offer of freedom from sin and death. Do you want a fallen world sullied by evil, or do you prefer an end to suffering, heartache, and guilt? Case for Faith for Kids frames the discussion beautifully and clearly, using key passages from the Bible to illuminate the problem of evil and how we can address it. But my favorite part of the section is what Lee Strobel writes about the aftermath of tragedies like Hurricane Katrina, when people have a habit of drawing close to the troubled, donating time, money, and possessions to aid the afflicted. "Whenever bad things happen, good people seem to come from every direction, ready to help. Maybe God sends them. Maybe he's not ignoring people's problems after all." How reassuring it is to think that though God lets us be harmed by the consequences of our choice to live in rebellion against the one who created and sustains us moment by moment, he loves us too much to not minister to our wounds through roundabout means. The God of the Bible refuses to forsake humanity, all the way to the end of the age. He is the ultimate provider for believer and unbeliever alike.

We shift from the problem of evil to the clash of science versus religion. Scientists are trained to accept conclusions only if they can be validated by the scientific method, but some stories in the Bible appear to defy laws of physics. How could Jesus have fed 5,000 people at once with just a couple small fish and loaves of bread? How did he transform water into wine for the wedding at Cana? How could Moses have caused the ten plagues of Ancient Egypt? We don't see miracles like these in everyday life, so accounts of hundreds of miracles in the Biblical era is hard to swallow. Yet the Christian apologist that Lee Strobel interviews has an easy answer for the conundrum. If God Almighty created the cosmos out of nothing, why should small deviations from the natural course of events on our little planet be too difficult for him? Surely an omnipotent being can circumvent the natural laws he put in place. Such a God could also undoubtedly protect his infallible words in the Bible to show mankind the way to eternal life. Compared to calling the universe into existence, it would be easy. Answers are out there for virtually every challenge we can conjure up against the Christian faith, and where issues remain so we can't be certain of every last detail, Lee Strobel's apologetics expert has a good rule of reasoning. "I became a Christian because I cared about Jesus. I have experienced him, just like I would 'experience' something in science or regular life. You don't have to have all your questions answered to come to faith. You just have to say, 'The weight of the evidence seems to show this is true, so even though I don't have answers to all my questions, I'm going to believe and hope for answers in the long run.' That's what happened with me. And the more I've seen the evidence of science and history, the more it has strengthened my faith." Matters of faith and God demand high standards of proof because of what's at stake, but not unreachable standards. If the evidence overwhelmingly supports the veracity of the Bible, particularly in its claims about Jesus, we should place our faith in it. One hundred percent certainty isn't possible in anything, but that doesn't stop us from making decisions every day. The same applies to faith, careful as we should be to test its credibility.

Lee Strobel and the experts he interviews don't merely defend Christianity against attack. They also present proactive arguments in favor of belief, strung together convincingly in chapter three. The existence of God makes sense of the universe, for without an intelligence to orchestrate its practically infinite intricacies, there's no rational explanation for the existence of anything. An intelligent mind is required for the formation of complex systems. Readers interested in deeper exploration of this topic can track down another Lee Strobel faith defense book for the younger set, Case for a Creator for Kids. The existence of God also accounts for the supernatural mysteries of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Perhaps most significantly, Case for Faith for Kids states, God is the only viable rationale for absolute standards of right and wrong. "If you think about it, if there were no God, every idea would just be an opinion. You couldn't say that murdering or stealing were 'just wrong, period.' It would be like red or blue, chocolate or vanilla—one answer would be as good as the other." Almost all of us hold to belief in absolute right and wrong to some degree, but the concept is baseless without an almighty God to be the standard from which absolute rules are created. Right and wrong flow eternally from God's character, according to the Bible, and only by aligning with God can we reconcile ourselves to doing what's right for the right reasons.

The next section wrestles with the exclusivity claims of Christianity, showing equal parts intellectual verve and humility as differences between major world religions are teased out. Is it reasonable to view faith in Jesus as the only correct belief system, and categorize all others as frauds? This is a bone of contention with many who accuse Christians of religious bigotry for supporting Jesus' claim that he's the only way to heaven. Lee Strobel and his interview subject for this chapter, author Ravi Zacharias, bring attention to key information that's often omitted from the debate. With dramatic fundamental disparities between the world's religions, they can't all be right; it's logically impossible. And just as funny money or counterfeit tickets to a concert aren't accepted as the genuine article because the person holding them believes they're real, neither does it make sense that belief in false gods somehow becomes true simply because we wish it. We're responsible to check out the authenticity of our religious system just as we would confirm the nutritional content of food before consuming it. And while there are ambiguities about the fate of those who've never heard of Jesus, Ravi Zacharias reminds us that the preponderance of evidence identifies God as a supremely fair being, and our uncertainty about aspects of the afterworld shouldn't keep us from placing our faith in what we know of him. We have every reason to believe God will be fair on judgment day.

Many believers with recurrent intellectual doubts fear their lack of confidence could cost them God's grace, but nowhere does the Bible say doubt cancels salvation. Faith is strenuous work, even with a basis for it is as strong as our reasons for accepting Christianity. Can one be a Christian and harbor doubts? Case for Faith for Kids has sound advice regarding the dual nature of faith and doubt. The Bible doesn't command blind faith, but reasoned, experiential belief based on facts, and that's been the Christian way since the first days after Jesus' death and resurrection. The reason Christianity swept the world was the witness of individuals in Ancient Jerusalem who met and spoke with the resurrected Jesus in the flesh and risked their lives to tell others about it. Early Christians were murdered by the government for publicly testifying that Jesus rose from the grave and will return someday to bring justice back to the world spoiled by Adam and Eve, yet those first believers refused to be silenced. Because of this solid foundation in historical fact, we have reason to believe Biblical faith is valid. "Another word for faith is trust. Some things are easy to trust—that the sun will come up tomorrow, or that doing homework will help your grades. Seeing is believing, and you've seen those things happen and built your trust on what you've seen…True faith is about managing to believe what already happens to be true. It's a step taken in the same direction that the evidence points…So you look at your skateboard. Will the wheels come flying off if you trust it at high speeds? It's one thing to just hope they won't. It's another thing when your older brother, who's good with fix-it stuff, says, 'Hey, I've checked it. The wheel axles are solid!' That's more than just hope. That's moving ahead based on trusting solid evidence." That's been the Biblical approach to faith ever since Peter, James, Thomas, Paul, and the other apostles started spreading the gospel worldwide using the power of Christian evidence. It's one of the most appealing things about the faith in any age.

We see belief in action among kids in the contemporary world in the next four chapters of Case for Faith for Kids, short fictional stories that demonstrate the failures and triumphs of kids attempting to live out an attractive faith among non-believing peers. Sometimes they stand their ground as examples of the positive change Jesus can effect in his followers, but just as often they falter and have to regroup and figure out where God would have them go from there. Christians are as vulnerable to sin as anyone, and will routinely misstep in their walk with Jesus. These four stories show that imperfect young believers have hope of becoming winsome witnesses for Jesus, that the important thing is growing in faith every day by taking direction from the Holy Spirit and studying the Bible, disciplines which act as calisthenics for one's faith. Being a good child of God is a lifelong endeavor one improves at gradually, and there are millions of others walking the path who desire to help you grow stronger in faith. That's why Lee Strobel wrote this book, to bolster the confidence of Christians of all ages in the validity of their belief system, and he concludes Case for Faith for Kids by reiterating his support for seekers beginning their quest to find the truth about God. "Have a great trip. Enjoy every moment. Bring along your best questions and a good, God-given mind to think them over with. You're going to have a great time, because there's one thing about this trip: It's not just the destination that's fantastic. The journey is wonderful too. It's filled with hope, new friends along the way, and new things to learn all the time. Best of all is realizing that when you get to the end of the trail, all of your questions will be fully answered." That conclusion to the long, winding road of life is the blessed assurance Christians seek, when the final vestiges of doubt will fade forever as our faith is confirmed by God and we can hear him say "Well done, thou good and faithful servant" as he welcomes us into his rest. And sin and death will never threaten us again.

Children weren't Lee Strobel's target audience when he published his earliest titles defending Christianity, but he's made a quality apologetics book for them in Case for Faith for Kids, with the help of a pair of coauthors. Christian youth need books like this to let them know it's okay to seriously question their faith, that God isn't displeased when we use the brains he gave us for purposes of critical thinking. Case for Faith for Kids compellingly reinforces the historicity and reliability of Christianity while encouraging us to continue exploring to find further validation and challenge to our beliefs. I would likely give the book three and a half stars, and I recommend it to any Christian parent or mentor to read and discuss with their kids. You'll be surprised how much more confident you both feel in your faith. And that, I have to think, means Lee Strobel has done his job.

[Kymberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that talks about why we can trust God and His word, the Bible and that it is okay to have questions, just seek answers. I am excited to see God use this in young people's lives as well as others!

[Megan Iranpour · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. While this one did touch on a few questions my daughter had, it’s arguments weren’t succinct enough for her to repeat back many of them without review and discussion between us. The “stumper stories” at the end lacked resolution, which really bothered her. While this one was by no means worthless, we liked it less than the Case for Christmas. The most important question that she had that this book purported to answer was: do the people of all religions go to heaven and are they punished for never knowing God? I have a very deep-thinking eight-year-old and she felt it answered the first part of her question but not so much the last. A good starting point.

[Kelly Boggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book for kids. It’s a good jumping off point but doesn’t get very deep, and I think middle school kids could go deeper, so I’d recommend this for elementary age.

It encourages kids to ask questions and not just have blind faith. That’s probably the best concept my kids got from the book as we read it together.

[Ariail Lankford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book with a lot of examples and case studies fleshed out. There are also discipleship questions at the end of each chapter which I really appreciate. The only negative would be that it doesn’t exactly provide basic answers of faith to some of the questions kids may asked or be asked. It gives examples to prove truth but not really any answers.

[John Morr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. This book talked about why you need to have faith in Christ. In the last pages in this book it had several real life examples to show why you need to have a case of faith. I recommend this book to Christians. It makes a strong point on why you need to have faith.

[Wren · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books help with the hard questions that we encounter as Christians!

[Taren Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family read. The kids liked this book best of the series

[Rachael · Rating 1 out of 5]

Indoctrinate much? If you want your kids to be conformists, incapable of thinking for themselves, narrow-minded, and sociologically stunted, this is the book for you!

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

Very good for kids and adults as well. Answers many questions and makes you think. Does not dissapoint. Buy it.

[J.D. Camorlinga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today we are reviewing a Christian apologetics book written for the 9 and up crowd, titled Case for Faith for Kids(Updated and Expanded). It was written by Lee Strobel, bestselling author of The Case for Faith, The Case for Christ, and The Case for a Creator and holder of law and journalism degrees; Rob Suggs, author and illustrator of several children’s book projects; and Robert Elmer, author of numerous novels including books for young readers.

Reading Strobel’s “The Case for…” series for the first time several years ago was a groundbreaking experience for me. It was my first foray into the land of Christian apologetics, and I quickly discovered that Strobel’s books were written in such a way that reading them never felt like drudgery, though they dealt with philosophical, historical and technical subjects. By presenting the evidence and terminology in plain language, “The Case for…” books invite Christians to ask tough questions, think more deeply, and find solid answers about their faith, Creator, and Savior. So, as I began reading Case for Faith for Kids, I was interested to see how Strobel would present the information without causing mental fatigue and subsequent brain shutdown in young readers.

In 144 pages, Case for Faith for Kids details several common objections and assertions presented by non-believers and skeptics(and even, regrettably, some believers), and then provides reasoned answers to the objections. The authors manage to distill a wealth of logical and philosophical arguments into language and arguments that are appropriate for young readers. For example, the first subject tackled is a big question: “Why would a good god allow bad things?” In brief interview-style segments and plainly worded “bad thing” scenarios, readers are walked through a concise explanation of the nature of evil, God’s role in evil, and free will. By the end of the chapter, the problem of personal and natural evil is determined to be the result of mankind’s free will choices, rather than machinations of God. Sophisticated arguments undergird the highly accessible language and format of this and the other four chapters in Part 1 of the book.

Part 2 contains four vignettes that directly relate to the material covered in Part 1. One of the stories depicts several young people attempting to sneak into a movie showing using counterfeit tickets. The realistic scenario covers the material presented in Chapter 4 – whether the world’s religions all lead to the same God – and serves as a cautionary tale against compromising one’s morals. The book ends with an exhortation to decide which of the four “D”s the reader will become; will they become a Denier, Delayer, Departer or Delighter?

The facts + story + application approach applied by Strobel et al. seems to be an effective technique for transferring the information to young minds and then helping it to stick. For children in junior high and high school, the wording(it can seem a bit condescending to the older crowd at times as it attempts to use “hip” lingo), scenarios, and illustrations may be too childish, and the original The Case for Faith may be more edifying and suitable.

Overall, the usefulness of this book is twofold. On the one hand, for a child 9+ years of age, it is appropriate reading material and a springboard for further apologetical investigation. On the other hand, the book will prove handy for parents who would like to acquire language and examples that can be shared conversationally with older children or quickly adapted for conversations with children younger than 9.

I would recommend Case for Faith for Kids as a good tool for beginning conversations about deep, faith-related issues, firming up belief foundations, and reassuring young children that it is okay to ask the big questions.

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charleston has been asking some pretty big faith questions lately. We’ve spent quite a bit of time on apologetics in the past, including in our Foundation World View curriculum, and I’ve answered a lot of his questions based on my own Biblical study. But I thought an extra resource could be beneficial, which led us to this kid-friendly version of a popular apologetics title for adults.

The book is mostly written to an audience of kids who have previous familiarity with God and Scripture, and it seeks to answer some of the questions kids ask most, such as why God would allow bad things to happen, whether or not Jesus is the ONLY way to God, and if it’s okay to call yourself a Christian but still experience doubts. The book includes historical evidence and scientific proof, as well as the ideas from prominent philosophers and theologians. In the book’s final chapters, we are given short stories about kids/teenagers facing some of these questions in real-life situations, prompting readers to contemplate how THEY would respond.

I am a huge believer that kids are exceedingly capable of grasping challenging ideas, and I’ve loved digging into theology and apologetics with Charleston (and even the twins, who are only four). I liked the questions asked in this book, and the responses were totally on point. However, I didn’t love the format that is a little chaotic and seemed to be trying TOO hard to be relevant and kid-friendly. There is lots of random (secular) trivia and silly dialogue-style sections that distracted from the main messages, leaving both Charleston and me confused rather than engaged with the content. The book easily could have been twice as long based on content alone, yet the extras that were supposed to make it “fun” made it feel TOO long (not great for a book that comes in under 150 pages).

I’m glad that we read this and do feel it helped to quell some of Charleston’s concerns. It prompted good discussion and has us eager to dig deeper into these topics through other more robust resources. If you’re looking for books on faith to hand to your kids, this one could be helpful and certainly won’t cause any faith-based harm, but I’m determined to find some better resources (books written for kids AND parents, not books intended solely for parents, as I have plenty of those), and will be sharing them when I do!

My Rating: 3.5 Stars (Rounded to 3 Stars on Goodreads) // Book Format: Print

[Emma Filbrun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Case for Faith for Kids attempts to answer questions such as, “Why would a good God allow bad things to happen?” “Can I have doubts and still be a Christian?”

Read my full review here.

[Denae Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was probably the first theological book I'd ever read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It has nothing on the more famous and greater works (Case for Christ adults and Mere Christianity to name two), but it's great for those who are about middle school. I read it in sixth grade.

[Yuliia Mamonova · Rating 5 out of 5]

It really is good for the kids to read this book and think out of the box about faith. Especially loved the last part with practical examples on how to explain faith to your peers. Highly recommend to read it with your children.

[Anna ♥☻☺♫♪ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a good book for christians and its the only good non-fiction book i ever read!

[Maryann Spikes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lee Strobel's "The Case for Faith for Kids" summary (SPOILERS) with commentary http://www.ichthus77.blogspot.com/201...

[Brian Winstead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for kids explains the gospel in a way they can understand

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking for a book to share with my grandchildren, this was recommended by local book store. The use of examples to show concepts works great with children.

[Caleb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book that asks you five good questions while being funny. I highly recommended it.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I encourage you to read it if you are looking for faith advise.