David N. Washburn - Secrets I Gotta Know!: A Teens Guide Through the Parables of Jesus

A Teens Guide
through the
Parables of Jesus

BY David N. Washburn

Secrets I Gotta Know!

Trilogy Christian Publishers A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Trinity Broadcasting Network

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Copyright 2022 by David N. Washburn

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright 1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.TM Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.TM Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN: 978-1-68556-382-0

E-ISBN: 978-1-68556-383-7

Table of Contents

chapter one

God

Introduction: The Code!

Say What?

A Question Soccer Practice An Answer!

Getting Smashed!

The Spelunker

chapter two

Grace

Introduction: A Game of Words

The Gift of Grits!

A River A Cliff A Hope

Forgive Little Love Little

It s Not Fair!

chapter three

Love / Forgiveness

Introduction: The Catch-All!

Where Were You When I Needed You?

The Gift

The Man of the Street

Deceived!

Running Away from Home!

An Awakening

The Grumpy Grandpa

The Secret Science Experiment!

c ha p t e r f o ur

Trust / Faith

Introduction: Dont Jump from the Plane!

I Found a Penny!

The Photo Album

Facing the Unbeatable Foe!

Letting Go to Grab Ahold!

Old Man on the Park Bench

Livin the Dream!

The Scavenger Hunt

I Met a Real Christian!

chapter five

Discipleship The Cost!

Introduction: Go Big or Go Home!

Santa Claus Came to Town!

Heart Always Beats Height!

The LOLO Principle

Played Any Hopscotch Lately?

Lip Service Wont Do!

A Surprise in the Museum!

The Case of the Toothpick!

The Poser!

Alphabet Soup Time

chapter six

Prayer

Introduction: Gods Gift of Autocorrection!

A Strange Encounter!

The Babysitter (The Lords Prayer)

A Wing and a Prayer!

The Bully!

chapter seven

Accountability

Introduction: Pay the Fiddler!

It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time!

Trying to Herd Cats!

Last Chance, Kiddo!

Tarnished Trophies!

Not the End, but the Beginning!

Dedication

This book is dedicated to all the lambs : teens who are seeking the truth; those who are seeking God (Jesus).

This book is dedicated to all the sheep : parents and grandparents who are searching for ways to share their trust and faith in Christ (God) with their own children and grandchildren.

This book is dedicated to my wife, Cathy. Without her prayers, encouragement, and support, I would have given up long ago!

Foreword

The Wannabe!

The questions Who is God? or Does God exist? are forever questions. A forever question is one that everyone asks at some point in life. Only we can decide the answer!

Have you ever met a wannabe? You know, people who identify themselves one way but dont live or act anything like their own definition?
For example:

• People who preach peace, but are the first to bully.
• People who call you friend, but gossip about you behind your back.
• People who call themselves Christians, but live no differently than non-Christians.

All of these are wannabes.

Theyre the skim milk version of the genuine article. Theyre deceivers and liars!

This book is written to help you answer one question, Who is Jesus?

Its purpose is to challenge you to determine:
Was Jesus a liar? Was Jesus crazy? Or is Jesus who He said He is? Theyre questions raised by C. S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity .

I encourage you to examine your own understanding and relationship with Jesus by asking questions. Your trust and faith in Christ (God) cant rest on what somebody said you should believe. Your faith must be based on what you believe in your heart. Belief is an act of trust. Its an action you take. The basis of your faith must be based on trust. Only through trust can a relationship grow and mature. Why would you trust or place your faith in someone you dont personally know? Thats crazy, right? The process of un-crazy begins when you ask questions and have the courage to pursue the answers. Who is this Creator God who claims to love you so much that He willingly died on a cross? Why would the Creator of the universe even want to share His life with you forever and always?

As you read, I invite you to record your thoughts and opinions. Each story and parable poses questions on which to journal. Heres the wonder: when you read this book again later on, youll discover your answers might change! I wont tell you why, because I think youll be able to figure that out by yourself!
This book contains two forms of writing:

1. A story Something that helps you understand specific ideas within a chapter.
2. A parable Something that will help you see things differently.

The parables are based on the parables recorded in the Bible that Jesus used to address a question somebody asked or an attitude someone displayed. Each story and parable includes a Bible reference. I encourage you to read the scriptures yourself from your own Bible.

Its always fun to share a story or parable and invite others to share their thoughts!

chapter one

God

Introduction

The Code!

Every tribe, every nation, and every people have created some sort of god to serve and worship. Polytheism is having many different gods. The ancient Greeks created many gods from their imaginations.