Bad to the Bone: Fifteen Cool Bible Heroes Who Lived Radical Lives for God

by Miles McPherson

The stories of 15 biblical heroes teach that teens can devote themselves to Christ and live lives that go against the grain. Ages 13-17.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0764222805
• ISBN13: 9780764222801
• Release Date: August 1999
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.4"
• Age Range: 13 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 8 to 12

Customer Reviews

Be a "bad to the bone" wild rebel for the LORD!

Why name a Christian book after George Thorogood's goofy rock song about wild living? Because being rebellious is godly as long as you're rebelling against the right things; that is, against the WRONG things. God's how-to-manual, the Bible, is filled with people who lived wild lives -- for God. They threw caution to the wind and allowed the LORD to use them powerfully and supernaturally. They were godly rebels who rebelled against evil and worldliness. They were "bad to the bone" -- radically committed to God all the way down to the bone. Today, God is still looking for those who will boldly "sell out" to Him ~ 2 Chronicles 16:9. Miles McPherson's book examines 15 Bible heroes who lived radical lives for the LORD and asks these questions of the reader: Are you radically committed to the LORD? Are you loyal to Him? Do you say 'No' to sinful ways or distractions? Do the words 'No Fear' describe you? If so, that's great; if not, what's holding you back? Here's a smattering of the Bible characters mentioned in the book and the qualities that made them "bad to the bone" for the LORD: -- Josiah became king of Judah (the southern kingdom of Israel) when he was very young and started seeking the LORD at the age of 16 ~ 2 Chronicles 34:2-3. What's strange is that the two previous kings had set a bad example for him ('bad' as in evil). This didn't stop Josiah from getting fired-up for God and implementing numerous positive reforms in the nation. How about you? Do you seek God, pray, read the Bible, attend church, serve with your gifts, etc. without being told or coerced, like Josiah? -- Daniel refused to be defiled by the king of Babylon's royal food and insisted on living on vegetables and water ~ Daniel 1. How about you? Do you refuse to be defiled by worldliness and worldly distractions and eat your spiritual vegetables? It takes DISCIPLINE to be a serious disciple of Christ. -- Don't be a fool like Manasseh who rejected the godly example of his spiritual mentors and became one of Israel's most wicked kings ~ 2 Chronicles 33. In other words, just because you have righteous and loving friends, parents, relatives or teachers doesn't automatically guarantee that you'll be godly. If you're determined to be a knucklehead like Manasseh, that's what you'll be. After a lifetime of evil Manasseh ultimately repented, but only after being dragged to Assyria in shackles and thrown into a smelly dungeon. That's great, but there's still a strong hint of folly -- Manasseh was the type of person that would only turn to God after severe tragedy hit. Don't be like that. Serve God wholeheartedly when everything's peaches and cream. -- The day shepherd boy David offered to fight the intimidating hulk Goliath he told King Saul, "I USED to keep my father's sheep" ~ 1 Samuel 17:34-36. The thing is, he was tending his sheep that very day! In other words, David recognized the opportunity to fight Goliath as a huge turning point in his life. It was the day he would

Of interest to a wide range of teenagers.

I teach a Sunday School class for teenagers from ages 13 to 19, which is challenging because it is so hard to find material of interest to a group with such a wide range of ages. This book worked beautifully for us. There is a good balance of humor and seriousness in it and the personal life stories are interesting enough to keep teens awake early on a Sunday morning. It also required little time on my part to prepare for each week's lesson.

Best yet!

This book is one of the best books for a total of the best 15bible heroes of the bible. I really loved the book. I would definetly tell all of my friends about this book if they had not already read it. It is a must read.

Bad to the Bone is good for the soul

This book is very good for all teenagers. It is a 13 week bible study that is broken down daily. The chapters are short to keep a teens wandering interest, but packed with a lot of usable information. If you are a youth leader, or just want a bible study for your teen, look no further.