Faithbook of Jesus: Connecting with the Twenty-Something Generation

Over the years, I have read many devotionals spanning the spectrum from Oswald Chamber's classic My Utmost for His Highest , to the small quarterly devotionals that can be picked up at almost any church published by Radio Bible Ministries. Most devotionals fit a relatively standard format of daily one page readings. Usually these readings are based on some section of scripture, and more often than not it rests on one verse. Faithbook of Jesus by Renee Johnson is no different.

Faithbook.. is a fifty-two week, daily devotional that is specifically geared towards a "twenty-something" audience. As such, most of Miss Johnson's devotions are based around things that most young adults would be dealing with in this new millennium. Originally written for her blog, these devotionals have been edited and put in book form. She deals with issues that run the gamut from pre-marital sex to how we deal with the culture around us.

As I stated before, the format of the devotionals is nothing new. There is a pithy title at the top of the page, a verse to draw inspiration from, the devotional (consisting of 3-4 paragraphs), and then an insight at the bottom of the page. The insight is meant to either get people to dig deeper or call people into action.

What is unique about the format are a few new features at the bottom of the page. Not only does Renee offer insight, but she also has taken quotes from people that have posted to her website and used them to enhance the devotional. She also has added little prayers where she addresses Jesus with different names such as "Design-Label Jesus", or "Thirst-Quenching Jesus". Granted some of these names are little distracting and kind of hokey, but all in all they help the reader see that Jesus is more than one dimensional.

My favorite feature is the call to interact and be part of the "community".  At the end of each devotional, Renee asks a question and then invites the reader to respond on her website. In this post-modern culture, this is what people are looking for. We just don't want to read someone's idea of something, we want to interact with them and share our ideas as well.

The devotions themselves are at times really good and at times rather quaint and full of bubble gum. The moments that are the most brilliant and bright are the ones in which Renee gets very personal with her struggles to stay pure and to stay satisfied in her singleness. It is these sections that draw the reader in the most, connecting with them on a level other devotionals don't.

Faithbook of Jesus is not for everyone. But the target audience will most likely receive it with open arms. The twenty-something age group is a market that has not been targeted effectively by this type of genre. Although there is room for improvement, Faithbook does connect on many levels and is worth checking out. Renee Johnson is a bright light in the next generation of Christian authors.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."