Dog tales and other short stories
This book contains twenty short stories. The first nine are about a dog called Goldie. All the stories point to a biblical or moral message or truth but this is introduced in a subtle and gentle way. Jesus used story telling in his day to get his message across when he related the parables. These stories will appeal to children and adults.
Pastor John writes:
"My children loved me telling them stories when they were young. They are now grown up but I am now often asked to speak to children in church, school or Sunday school. The first time I did this I talked as I would to adults and gave them something between a lecture and a sermon. This resulted in a room full of long, bored faces. Amazingly I was invited back and so the next time I told a story. As a result I found that I became a popular visitor to these groups. Children even met me in the street and asked me when I was coming to tell another story. Goldie, my dog and the inspiration behind many of the stories, was even invited to accompany me! There is a picture of my dog on the cover of the book. I hope you enjoy reading these stories and enjoy your story telling."
Jesus didn't write theology textbooks, or even give lectures. He told stories. And Jesus didn't usually give explanations as to the meaning of his stories. The meaning was in the story for the listeners to work out themselves. The stories are suitable for all ages but some will appeal more to a younger and some will appeal to an older age group.