Mark Hart’s ‘Biblical Heroes’ Helps Build Heroic Children

Susan Ciancio explains how the mercy and love of Christ can be found in the pages of Mark Hart’s latest book. 

Biblical Heroes: Stories of Faith and Courage

by Mark Hart

Publisher: Ascension Press

As parents, we are always looking for innovative ways to teach our children about God’s love and mercy and to help them see the beauty of Catholicism. We want to open their minds and hearts to God through books, videos, discussion, and more. That’s why I was so excited when I found a new book by Mark Hart. And it’s a fantastic one! Biblical Heroes: Stories of Faith and Courage introduces readers to some incredible biblical heroes. 

As chief innovation officer at Life Teen, Mark Hart has dedicated his life to helping Catholics grow closer to Christ. His books, videos, and work with teens prove that he possesses something incredibly unique and special that allows him to connect with young people and help them see the beauty of the Catholic faith. His latest book is yet one more way he is reaching teens. 

Mark explained that the idea for this book was born of numerous after-school conversations with his children. Like most parents, he would routinely ask them how school was and what happened during the day, and that question spurred conversation. His kids often shared stories of the things that their friends and acquaintances faced: fear of the future, insecurity, loneliness, temptations, bullies, and more. 

Hoping to help his kids see that they and their friends were not alone in these struggles, Mark would respond by drawing wisdom from the Bible. He would explain that everything they experienced was experienced by these young heroic men and women, and he helped his kids see that they — and by extension, all people — have excellent role models within the Bible, as they learn how each character handled the situations they faced and can translate these lessons to their own lives. 

Mark explained that the challenge was then “helping the next generation find their story in the Bible story.” So he set out to give them a place to look. He wrote Biblical Heroes to teach moral courage, strength, and God’s infinite love. 

Within the pages 

For some of the chapters, Mark chose what many may think are “obscure” characters because he wanted to show that no one is obscure or unimportant. He understands that far too many people — especially today’s youth — feel forgotten by God or unnoticed. But as Mark explained, God wants us to know that we are all central figures; we are all important. Thus, you may be surprised to learn some of the names within the pages of this book and to find that one wasn’t even named in the Bible — so Mark gave him a name! 

Mark’s objective is to help kids grow comfortable with reading the Bible, so he arranged Biblical Heroes with that goal in mind. He begins each chapter talking about something kids may face in life — fear, uncertainty, loneliness, and so on. Through personal stories, Mark helps kids understand that they are not alone. He then introduces a Bible character who faced a similar situation, and he instructs the reader to pause briefly, look up the chapter and verse, and read the story for themselves. Why? Because, as Mark said, it’s God’s words that are the most important, not his. Each chapter then ends with thoughtful questions and advice for living the teaching. 

Learning pro-life lessons 

All of the characters within this book have incredible pro-life lessons to teach. As Mark explained, “Our God is a God of life.” Because He created us in His image and likeness, He wants only good for us. God wants us to live life to the fullest, to protect the vulnerable, to care for others, and to glorify Him in all that we do. 

We see these pro-life lessons in all the characters in the book, but two stand out. 

King Josiah came from a family who had led others away from God, yet he told his people that they were going to turn their hearts to the Lord and speak out against the false gods. He understood that his voice mattered, and he saved an entire nation. Josiah’s story teaches kids that their voice matters too and that they can make a difference when they speak out for God’s truths. 

Esther risked her life to speak on behalf of those who had no voice. She knew that she could be put to death for standing up for her people, but she also knew that if she didn’t speak up, countless would die. Her courage in speaking for the voiceless shows us that we can do the same. 

All of these biblical heroes teach young people to speak, share, and walk in the truth of the faith. Their inspirational stories will resonate with kids and will teach them Godlike ways to navigate the world and their interactions with others. Readers of Biblical Heroes will make friends with these characters, will see aspects of themselves in each story, and will learn how to respond in a courageous and faith-filled way. As Catholics, this is truly what we want for future generations. 

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Copyright 2024 Susan Ciancio
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