Jim Burns (1) (1953–)

This bible study is part of the Uncommon series - and you just can't go wrong with these!

Jim Burns has done it again - tackled a sensitive and important subject with tact and grace!

In this sex-saturated, pornographic society teens face temptation on every side. From the Internet, cell phones, satellite TV, and raunchy movies (obviously rated incorrectly) teens are bombarded with charged images, veiled comments, innuendos, and obscene lifestyles. They have ready access to drugs, alcohol, pornographic material (in the form of movies, sexting, television and printed material), alternative lifestyles (once a hidden thing now openly and even proudly spoken of and practiced). With all this many teens find it almost impossible to stay on the straight path. In fact they struggle just to fit in and get by.

In this bible study teens are given biblical standards and practical ways to follow them. This study will cause teens to look closely at these subjects in light of scripture and will give them the courage, power, and ability to stand against the false promises of the Liar of this world.

Empower your teen to success in the area of resisting temptation. Give them the biblical tools needed for the battle Field they are in - they are after all on the front lines! We would shudder at the thought of sending our young men off to battle with out adequate training - and we would not dare to send untrained military forces into the trenches of war or across the enemy lines. Yet many teens enter their teen years untrained, and ill-equipped for the battle that they face. They are in the enemy's territory - on the front lines, in the very trenches of the battle for their soul and their future.

I encourage parents to work through this with their children. It is also excellent for youth groups.

Thank You Gospel Light for this review copy.… (mer)

Jim Burns is dedicated to equipping parents with the tools they need to educate their children about sexuality with a firmly Christian worldview. Well known for his resources such as The Purity Code for teenagers, Burns has now turned his hand to colorful, age appropriate resources for children.

How God Makes Babies is his offering for the 6-9 age group, though some parents may choose to read only parts of this book to their children or delay reading it with their children until they are older – depending upon their life circumstances and individual children.

Opening with a special note to parents Burns states:

“Studies show that when children receive values-centered sex education at home, they are less likely to become sexually promiscuous and more likely to have a healthy view of their bodies and relationships.”

This is certainly one key reason why some gentle sex education should take place even in the younger age groups. There are many others as well – glorifying God through our obedience to His plan for sex, educating our children so that they are prepared to resist inappropriate sexual activity that they may otherwise fall prey to due to ignorance, and many others.

God’s plan for sex should be treated respectfully and in age appropriate ways – thankfully How God Makes Babies certainly makes this task easier for parents by being able to open a book, read, and discuss it with their children. I had read through parts of this book with my oldest daughter when she was younger (6 or 7), but I didn’t read through the entire book with her until she showed signs that she needed to understand a fuller picture of human reproduction.

Our discussions together had slowly been becoming more detailed – particularly as she began reading the Bible independently each day. Her questions from Bible readings naturally led into some gentle explanations. We have always told our children in very simple terms that mommies and daddies cuddle together in a special way that only married people do, and that is where babies come from.

When my eight-year-old told me that bulls jump on top of mommy cows and stretch out their pee-pees inside of them (courtesy of a similarly aged relative of ours – sweet girl – and I didn’t mind at all), I knew we had to get a bit more detailed in our talks together. I wanted to be the one to provide the more nitty-gritty details, not someone else. How God Makes Babies provided us with the next step to take in our discussions.

Filled with birth color photographs, How God Makes Babies always places sexuality firmly within the realm of marriage as a normal expression of marital love, for which I am very thankful. Simple anatomical drawings illustrate the differences between boys and girls while using correct anatomical terminology. Protecting your private parts from inappropriate touches is briefly covered. A straightforward, facts focused explanation of the act of marital intimacy and conception is provided along with photos of sperm and egg coming together and the newly dividing embryo. Developmental stages of a baby in-utero are illustrated and described, followed by a description of birth, and explanations of how a new baby changes a family. There are also provisions made for diverse families that may be made up of different configurations than two parents and children (homosexual families are not depicted). Adoption is also covered.

This is absolutely a fabulous book for when you are ready to share more deeply about sexuality with your children. It can be tempting to put off these conversations, but they are vitally necessary to imbue children with a proper, God-honoring view of sexuality. Remember – sex is not bad, it’s a natural part of life, don’t be afraid of sharing about its proper, God-appointed role in life with your little ones.

Reviewed at quiverfullfamily.com… (mer)

NCLA Review - The premise is that raising teenagers is tough. Although this is certainly not a new idea, Burns uses his extensive experience in working with teens to explore the questions that every parent struggles to answer. The book is divided into two parts. The first is how to parent teens to become responsible adults. Some of the subjects he covers are: correcting behavior without crushing character, learning the developmental stages of adolescence, creating a media-safe home, teaching the purity code, the spiritual life of a teenager, and others. In the second half he discusses common problems and solutions: eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse, tattoos and body piercing, coping with tragedy, cyberbullying, driving, choosing a college, depression, dinnertime, obesity, self-injury, sleep, sexual abuse, suicide, and homework hassles. He gives symptoms to look for and suggestions for solutions. The book is straightforward with up-to-date material, including sample contracts parents can make with their teenagers, and could be used by individuals, but would be most beneficial in a discussion setting with several parents. Rating: 4 —AMB… (mer)