Little Black Books

Little Black Books is a new series of short volumes written by Scott Petty and published by Matthias Media. This is “a new series of books that get straight to the point on the topics that Christians always have questions about. Not too big, not too fancy, and not at all boring. LBBs are ideal for young Christians (ages 14-20+), but speak biblical truths applicable to any age range.” Scott is a youth minister at Christ Church St Ives in Sydney, and does a good job of addressing tough issues in a way that will appeal to a younger (or relatively young or used-to-be-young) audience.

Each of the books is around 60 – 80 pages, they are relatively inexpensive (about $5 each) and they are attractively put together with distinct, contemporary styling (personally I think they look fantastic).

To this point the series has four titles.

Suffering & Evil – Sooner or later we’re all affected by suffering and evil—sometimes in horrible ways—and we often want to know why. In this short book, Scott Petty guides us through the Old Testament story of Job—a man who suffered excruciating pain and grief without ever knowing why. On the way through, Scott deals with some of the common questions people have about suffering and evil:

• Why do bad things happen to Christians?
• Does God cause suffering?
• Is God in control of suffering and evil?

The Bible – On one hand, millions of people turn to the Bible for guidance of some kind; on the other, just as many dismiss it, mock it or ignore it. But how can a book that’s thousands of years old still be relevant today? Scott Petty writes on what the Bible is and the place it should have in the lives of Christians today, and answers some common questions about the Bible:

• Hasn’t science disproved the Bible?
• Doesn’t the Bible contradict itself?
• Can I trust the Bible when I’m making decisions?

Sex – What’s the deal with sex anyway? Is it basically just a physical need that we should satisfy whenever and however we please? Or is it something dirty and sinful that a good Christian person should have nothing to do with? According to Scott Petty, God has a design for sexuality that is much better than both of these options. Scott also deals with some of the common questions young people have about sex:

• How far can I go physically with my girlfriend or boyfriend?
• Is the Bible anti-homosexual?
• What about pornography?

Predestination – Have you ever wondered whether God gave Adam and Eve free will? Or what ‘free will’ even means? Have you ever wondered whether God influences us to make the decisions we make day to day? And if he does, how exactly he does it? Have you ever wanted to know what the Bible means when it says some are chosen or predestined? Is that good news or bad news for us? If you have been a Christian for any length of time, you have probably wondered about these questions. In this Little Black Book on predestination, Scott Petty brings his trademark humour and clarity to a topic Christians often get tied in knots about.