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Children’s Bible stories published with social justice focus · The Daily Article

• 0:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's Wednesday, October 22nd, 2025, and you've joined us for Dinnison Forum's Daily Article Podcast.
• 0:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: Today's Daily article is written by Dr. Jim Dinnison, co-founder, and narrated by Chris Elkins.
• 0:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: A group of new children's storybook bibles is being published to reflect a progressive focus on diversity, inclusion, and social justice.
• 0:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: One is titled, The Just Love Story Bible, and is a quote, Justice-oriented storybook for children ages 4 to 10.
• 0:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: Authored by Reverend Jackie Lewis and Reverend Shannon Daily Harris, it features 52 Bible stories and illustrations portraying characters in black, brown, and tan skin tones.
• 0:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: The author said they hoped to prompt children to ask questions and challenge traditional beliefs about God, Jesus, and the biblical narrative.
• 0:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: For example, Lewis describes her story book's presentation of Jesus' resurrection, quote, Did that happen?
• 1:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: For me, it matters more that children know that love never dies, so that's where I landed.
• 1:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: In quote, Reverend Lewis's bio on her church's website describes her congregation as quote, a Christian universalist multicultural, multi-ethnic rainbow coalition that understands what Jackie Preaches.
• 1:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: Love liberates.
• 1:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: period.
• 1:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: In quote, this focus is not new of course, Rob Bell generated controversy with his book a few years ago, Love Wins, in which he argues for a universalist theology that rejects the existence of hell.
• 1:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: When people debate same-sex marriages and marriage, an LGBTQ advocate will inevitably proclaim the mantra, Love is Love, as though this wins the argument and ends the
• 1:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yesterday, we focused on the power of love to change the world, but not just any love from any source expressed in any way, but God's love manifested by God's spirit when we make God's son our Lord.
• 2:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Let's think about this for a moment.
• 2:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: a philosopher would say that love has no ontological status, meaning that it has no independent existence.
• 2:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: We say that we feel love for someone, but we do not feel love unless it is for someone.
• 2:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Try this yourself.
• 2:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: Attempt to feel love right now in the abstract, apart from a particular object of that love.
• 2:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: Similarly, we say we act in love.
• 2:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: But we cannot do so unless our action is directed at someone.
• 2:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: Try to act in love right now in the abstract, apart from a particular object.
• 2:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: As Stephen Covey observed, love is a verb rather than a noun.
• 2:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: So if someone says that love liberates or love wins or love is love, we need to know more.
• 3:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: Who is the one loving?
• 3:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: Who is the one being loved?
• 3:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: Consider these.
• 3:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: David's love affair with Bathsheba led to deceit and murder revealed in 2 Samuel chapter 11.
• 3:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: We read in 1 Kings 11 that Solomon's love for, quote, many foreign women turned him to idolatry and led to the division of his kingdom.
• 3:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: German boys and girls who joined the Hitler youth swore, quote, always to do my duty with love and loyalty for the Führer and our flag.
• 3:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: In quote, the ACLU is backing a drive to challenge bigger me laws, part of a larger move to normalize and legalize polyamorous and polygamous love.
• 3:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: And Wikipedia lists a large number of pedophile groups advocating for sexual love,
• 3:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: Between adults and children, our problem with love is its source.
• 4:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: In Jeremiah 17, verse 9, we read, The Heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick.
• 4:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: Jesus described our heart condition this way in Mark 7, verses 21 and 22.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: From within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft,
• 4:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality in the slander, pride, foolishness.
• 4:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: As a result, we need a spiritual heart transplant.
• 4:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: We need the new heart only God can give us stated in Ezekiel 36 verse 26.
• 4:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: When we are born again as his children through faith in his son
• 4:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: Frederick Bikner said of this reality, the gospel is bad news before it is good news.
• 4:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: It is the news that man is a sinner to use the old word that he is evil in the imagination of his heart, that when he looks in the mirror all in a ladder, what he sees is at least eight parts chicken phony slob.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: This is the tragedy.
• 5:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: But it is also the news that he has loved anyway, cherished, forgiven, leading to be sure, but also led for this is the comedy, in quote.
• 5:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: According to Tim Keller, quote, the gospel is this, we are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe.
• 5:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yet at the same time, we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.
• 5:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: In quote, here's the catch, we must experience the risen Lord Jesus personally to experience the transformation he can make in our lives.
• 5:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: He alone can forgive our sins, save our souls, transform our character, and manifest himself in and through us.
• 5:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: Love wins when it's his love.
• 6:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: God assures us in Zefaniah 3 verse 17, new living translation, the Lord your God is living among you.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: He is a mighty Savior.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: He will take delight in you with gladness.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: With His love, He will calm all your fears.
• 6:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.
• 6:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: Coming on this promise, first 15, our devotional ministry, quotes Brennan Manning.
• 6:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply love by Jesus Christ, and I have done nothing to earn it or deserve it.
• 6:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: Will you make his awareness yours today?