Matthew A. Price - Questions Id Like to Ask God

Our purpose at Howard Publishing is to:

Increase faith in the hearts of growing Christians

Inspire holiness in the lives of believers

Instill hope in the hearts of struggling people everywhere

Because Hes coming again!

Questions Id Like to Ask God 2004 The Forest Hills Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved

Published by: Howard Publishing Co., Inc.
3117 North 7th Street, West Monroe, Louisiana 71291-2227
howardpublishing.com
www.SimonandSchuster.com

Printed in Mexico

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Book concept by Anderson Thomas Design, Inc.

Cover design by Matt Lehman, interior design by Matt Lehman and Joel Anderson

Cover photography by Kristi Smith, Anderson Thomas Design, Inc.

Photography on pages 9, 14, 22, 23, 47, 58, 62 by Joel Anderson, Anderson Thomas Design, Inc.

ISBN: 1-58229-354-6
eISBN: 978-1-451-60517-4

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations within critical articles and reviews.

Scripture quotations not otherwise marked are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scriptures marked KJV are taken from the Holy Bible, Authorized King James Version. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 50189

Italics in Scripture have been added by the author for emphasis.

WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD,
BECAUSE ANYONE WHO COMES TO HIM MUST BELIEVE THAT HE EXISTS
AND THAT HE REWARDS THOSE WHO EARNESTLY SEEK HIM.

HEBREWS 11:6

OK, HERES THE TRUTH: IT DOESNT MATTER WHERE YOURE FROM or where youre going. It doesnt matter if youre tall or short; male or female; brown, black, or white. It doesnt matter if youre headed for the Ivies, the Big Ten, the Big 12, the SEC, the ACC, trade school, or bay one at Jiffy Lube. No matter who people think you are, no matter who you think you are, no matter who you really are, the truththe true truthis that deep down inside of you is a desire (a longing if you want to be honest about it) to connect to something that transcends everyone you know, everything you see, and (especially) everything you are.

Well guess what? Your quest for utter certainty and spiritual absolutes can have a happy ending. But you need to know that, despite what some people say, there is only one truthonly one path you can take that leads to total peace of mind and eternal salvation.

And how can anyone possibly know this? Its because only one faith has a Redeemer. Only one religion has a loving Creator, Jesus Christ, who gave His life so that everyone who calls on His name and believes in Him will be saved for all eternity. There are no final exams, no feats of strength, no special diets, no long hours chanting and staring at the ceiling. Just ask and believe. Thats it.

Of course, as with most things that are simple, there are layers of complexity in the Christian life that a thousand lifetimes cant uncover. In fact, discovering different facets of who God is and why He created us makes Christianity a daily, moment-by-moment joy. Thats why Poetry of the Soul isnt a typical guided-journaling series. Sure, its designed to help you discover who you are in Gods eyes, but more importantly, it will help you grow to know Him and love Him more deeply.

Theres another important point that should be made. Poetry of the Soul doesnt treat young people like, well theyre young. Yes, the graphics are cool and your bookstore probably displays their copies in the youth section. But truthfully the whole idea of treating anyone between the ages of thirteen and nineteen as anything less than a fully functioning human being has only been an accepted viewpoint (and a rather condescending one at that) for the last fifty years or so.

Look in the Bible. Nowhere do you find special consideration given for a young persons age when it comes to their understanding of what is true and perfect and good. Nowhere is someone told, Well, since youre only sixteen, you cant have clearly formed opinions on whats right and wrong, and so we wont hold you responsible for your actions.

Look at American history. In almost every era, with recent exceptions, there has been an age of accountability when a child passes into adulthood. At that point they would be expected to help on the family farm, to bear arms to protect their community, and to worship with their parents. While they probably enjoyed the company of other young people, they werent shuffled off into youth groups at church, and they didnt think they should wait until after theyd graduated from college or got a full-time job to start acting responsibly. They were vital members of society and were expected to conduct themselves as such.

There is no better example of this than the way God called young people to do and believe great things in both the Old and New Testaments. As a young boy Samuel heard Gods voice and knew that he was meant for a lifetime of ministry. God chose Mary, most likely at the age of sixteen or seventeen, to be the mother of Jesus.

If God held young people in such high regard thousands of years ago, why doesnt He feel the same today? The short answer is that He does! Any person of any age who seeks God will find Him. Anyone who desires to know why they were created and what Gods purpose is for their life can find out by simply and earnestly asking, seeking, and believing.

And thats the purpose behind Poetry of the Soul. Its our desire to help young people in their search for answers that pop culture and false religions are unable to provide. Its our mission to equip young people to think for themselves, to take up positions of leadership, and to set an example of godliness for their lost and confused peers.

Most of the journal pages require deep and personal reflection. As you fill in these lines, read the accompanying text first and then answer the questions with wisdom and maturity.

And remember: If youre past the age of thirteen, then youre a young adult. Its time to think like one, to act like one, to serve like one, and to lead like one. We pray that Poetry of the Soul will help you clarify and affirm your convictions as you begin the exciting journey that awaits you.

Youve got questions.

Lots and lots of questions. And boy, oh boy, do people have answers. Lots and lots of answers. It should be a perfect world, right? Well, unfortunately, the answer to that question is no.

The problem is that most people base their view of the world on how they feel at that particular moment or what some celebrity says on TV or the latest mind-enhancing book from some therapist with a bad accent and an even worse haircut. Heres a tip: Any philosophy that can be summarized on an infomercial and any religion that says you can work your way to heaven (and in some cases back to earth again) can only answer the question of how much money is in your pocket.

Oh yeah, and how much money is in that jar on your shelf. Other than that, its all just a lot of hot air and cheesy music.