Showing results by author "Simonetta Carr" in All Categories

From before the creation of our world, God intended to have a people to love forever, enjoying their company as they enjoyed His. Jesus told his disciples that he would build this church, and nothing could destroy it (Matthew 16:18). God has kept his promise. For two thousand years, Christ has continued to preserve His church even when destruction looked likely. Simonetta’s book starts after the death of Jesus’s 12 apostles and continues to today: it’s a fascinating story that helps you know the God who planned it and who is keeping His church for an even more exciting future.

Outside of the people in the Bible, Augustine of Hippo is the most influential person in church history. Yet how many people know his story? In this book, Simonetta Carr introduces young listeners to the life and ministry of Augustine. Listeners will come to know Augustine's personal struggles and the high value he came to place on the Bible and truth. Listeners will also see the difficult days in which Augustine lived, learning about his disputes with false teachers and the turbulent times during the fall of the Roman Empire.

Living only until her execution at age 17, and ruling England for less than two weeks, Lady Jane Grey is still remembered for her intelligence and steadfast defense of the gospel. Declared by the dying (Protestant) King Edward as his successor to the throne—instead of his half-sister Mary, as his father's will decreed—his quick decision caused confusion for Jane's succession, which was quickly overcome by Mary's gathering forces and Naval support.

Born in Florence, Italy, in 1499, Peter Martyr Vermigli decided that he wanted to teach God's Word when he grew up. After many years of study, he became a well-respected leader in the Roman Catholic Church, yet he questioned the church's teachings because he believed they were contrary to the Bible. Eventually forced to flee Italy and the Roman Church, Vermigli joined the Reformers north of the Alps and devoted the rest of his life to teaching, preaching, and writing about the great truths of the Protestant Reformation.

Irenaeus is remembered for his work in helping the church to preserve the faith handed on by the apostles and to defend it when it was attacked. In this simply written book, Simonetta Carr shows young listeners the difficulties the early church faced and how Irenaeus taught Christians to discern truth from error by listening to the Bible. To Christians, the lessons Irenaeus taught are as important today as they were in his time.

From armed bodyguard to galley slave, from loving husband and father to fiery preacher, John Knox was moved by a relentless passion for the honor of God and the purity of His truth and worship. Yet when he was a schoolboy growing up in the small Scottish town of Haddington, he could never have imagined that he would become a major leader of the powerful movement that transformed Scotland into one of the most committed Protestant countries in the world.

Simonetta Carr’s newest children’s biography introduces us to a father of the Chinese evangelical church, Pastor Wang Mingdao. Mingdao is remembered for standing firm for the true gospel, even though it cost him his earthly freedom. Even after a moment of weakness during persecution, Mingdao found restoration in Christ and kept the faith through twenty-three years of imprisonment. His courage and strength provide a modern example of how Christians can trust the Lord and remain faithful in times of hardship and persecution.

In 1730, nineteen-year-old Marie Durand was arrested and taken from her home in a village in Southern France for the crime of having a brother who was a Protestant preacher. Imprisoned in the Tower of Constance, Marie would spend the next thirty-eight years there. Simonetta Carr introduces us to the inspiring life of a woman who could have recanted her Protestant faith and gained release, but held fast to the truth and encouraged others to do so as well.

John Owen was a great Puritan preacher who lived in England. In this book, Simonetta Carr informs listeners about Owen's life, revealing some of the things that interested him while in school, the care he showed to people when he became a pastor, and the influential books that he wrote. Listeners will also come to understand the difficult times in which Owen lived, and how he handled the terrors of war and religious persecution.

Anselm is probably the greatest theologian who lived during the time between Augustine of Hippo and Thomas Aquinas. His compelling yearning to know and love God as He is revealed to us in Scriptures shaped his life and permeates all of his writings. He found the greatest joy in communion with God, but was thrusted into the difficult political scene of the 11th-12th centuries. He didn't work well with kings and, at one point, he had most of the English leaders against him.

Simonetta Carr introduces young listeners to the story of John Bunyan, from his rebellious youth to preacher of the gospel and prisoner for the sake of Christ. His example of faithfulness to God will inspire listeners as they learn about this important figure of church history.

B. B. Warfield lived at a time when many people—even those who considered themselves Christians—were questioning the authority of God's Word. For centuries most people in Europe and North America had taken for granted that the Bible was the word of God, but in Warfield's lifetime they were wondering whether it could still be trusted. Warfield was confident that the Bible could be trusted, and as a professor of theology at Princeton Seminary, he devoted his life to teaching and writing about its authority and other important issues of theology.

Charles Spurgeon is considered one of the greatest preachers in the history of Christianity. In this book, Simonetta Carr informs us how young Charles learned to look to Christ alone for salvation, and how he never tired of point others to his savior. See how God used this young country boy to preach to thousands, provide training for pastors, start orphanages, and stand against those who denied basic teachings of the Bible. Interesting facts and a compelling story combine to introduce young listeners to this important British preacher.

Thomas Boston was born in 1676 in Duns, Scotland, during a time of religious conflict. Seeing his father imprisoned for his beliefs, Thomas understood that he too might suffer for his faith someday. As a young pastor, Thomas discovered an important book that helped him understand God’s grace more clearly. As helpful as that book was, it also sparked debate in the Church of Scotland and plunged Thomas and other pastors into a heated controversy. Hear how Thomas stood firmly in the face of opposition, defending more than just a book—he was defending the truth of the gospel.

“A really excellent introduction to an amazing female saint from the fourth century. Simonetta Carr gives a very personal feel for Macrina, as well as being theologically and historically rich!” JOHN BEHR, Regius Chair of Humanity, University of Aberdeen; and author of numerous works on patristics