Crash Course – a book review

About the book –





The clock is ticking... your life is changing... You are changing.

"What's my future?"

"Who might I marry?"

"Where will I go to college?"

These decisions are determined by who you truly are on the inside – what you've built the foundation of your life upon. So what is that foundation? Do you know why you believe what you believe?

In Crash Course, Daniel Darling leads you on a fast-paced 100-day journey to forming a solid foundation of faith for the rest of your life.

These short devotionals guide you

• to know what you believe and why you believe;

• to make good choices;

• to find direction;

• to stay true in a world of life; and

• to find joy in a tough world.

About the Author –

Daniel Darling is the senior pastor of Gages Lake Bible Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. For nine years, he was a writer and editor with Victory in Grace, the international outreach of Dr. James A. Scudder. Daniel was the managing editor of the monthly devotional magazine, Victory in Grace, and the Web content manager for victoryingrace.org. He also wrote for their radio and television broadcasts.

Daniel is the author of Teen People of the Bible: Celebrity Profiles of Real Faith and Tragic Failure, nominated for a Gold Medallion Award by New Hope Publishers. He has also been published in Focus on the Family, Marriage Partnership, Pray!, In Touch magazine, and many other Christian publications. Daniel is a contributing writer to Zondervan’s Couples Devotional Bible.

He writes a weekly teen column for Crosswalk.com and is a regular contributor to Stand Firm and Enrichment Journal.

Daniel has a bachelor’s degree in pastoral ministry from Dayspring Bible College.

Daniel has been interviewed on Christian radio and television, including The Sandy Rios Show, Harvest TV, Steve Brown, and many others. Daniel has also traveled extensively to India and the Middle East. Daniel and his wife, Angela, have a daughter, Grace, and a son, Daniel Jr., and reside in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.

My Review –

I found this to be a good devotional for teens. It has a simple format and layout (usually about 1-2 verses to probe each day, along with a simple thought and one challenge question or thought). Darling writes with a direct style. He asks some good, sometimes "in-your-face" questions. Here are a few examples:

• what does God think about my life?

• in what ways is God calling me to give my life for the good of others?

• God raising me to be a difference-maker? (the answer that is expected is "Yes" but then ask "How so?")

Darling will make a teen think doctrinally. It's difficult to go deep in just one or two pages, but it will make them begin exploring.

The author provides several main division to help the reader go through several areas of doctrine and life together:

Doctrine: Knowing what you believe and why

How to Make Good Choices: based on who you are in Christ

What Should I Do With My Life?: Seeking God's Will (I found Darling's 90/10 rule very helpful)

Staying True In A World of Lies: maintaining purity & not compromising

Finding Joy In A Hard World: living in the midst of hardship & trials

When I served as a youth pastor, I would have loved for there to have been a substantive devotional guide such as Crash Course. Now there is and I highly recommend it.

This book was provided by New Hope Publishers free of charge and for review purposes.

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