Peril & Peace: Chronicles of the Ancient Church

"But whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven." Matthew 10:33

As a homeschooling mother, I am constantly looking for well written resources that will teach our young children solid Biblical information while holding their interest.

I was pleased to come upon the five part series by Brandon & Mindy Withrow that takes children and adults alike through a chronicle starting with the early or ancient church and finishing in the final book with the modern body. Although I have not read each and every book, I can say that we are about half-way through Peril and Peace and I am very pleased.

The chapters are lengthy, but written like a dramatic fiction quick read. My boys, ages 5 and 7 are usually on the edge of their seats with wide eyes, leaning in and ready to hear what will happen next. I'm usually in tears by the end of each chapter because of the boldness of these men and women and unswerving faith to die for their Savior. The story on Polycarp has so far been my absolute favorite and in my opinion, worth the purchase of the book if you read that story alone.


This first book in the series starts with a shipwrecked Paul and gives a visual time line of Polycarp, Justin, Origen, Caprian, etc. Each true story in this book focuses on the early Christian church and their ability to stand firm in the face of torture, persecution and death for Jesus Christ. The authors cleverly weave in a good amount of information about the culture, government officials, emperors, dates and facts about the chapter hero.

The constant thread through these chapters is entwined with the same message: The eternal flames of Hell are much hotter than the futile fire that might burn the body on this earth. The flesh may die, but the spirit lives on...how then can we deny our Jesus to save our flesh? We must be willing to confess Him and not be ashamed. What a message for our children!

The headlines are rampant these days with stories of the persecuted church. Our children have never known persecution and have such freedom within the United States. We know our brothers and sisters in Jesus around the world are not so fortunate, but as history shows us- the message of the gospel and the growth of the church explodes when those that oppose it try to suppress it.

You can purchase this series at www.cbd.com or www.amazon.com for $4-$7 plus shipping.


Blessings,
Angelena