This review first appeared on Amazon’s website here.

“Sacred Hope” is a book written for students by a Youth Pastor shaped by the experiences and conversations with his own students. This is not an abstract work; this book flows from real-world ministry with students.

Joshua Hayden does a wonderful job mixing in personal stories and experiences with both current cultural references and classical faith markers to help bring alive and make real the notion of sacred hope. The experiential aspect of the book gives students who think and process in various ways the opportunity to interact with the message of hope. This is not a vanilla book – it is challenging, yet encouraging, and it speaks the truth about the life-changing message of hope to all who are willing to journey with God.

This book is good for both individual and group study. Adults, especially parents and youth workers, would benefit from reading this book as well. I liked the book so much and felt that the message of sacred hope as described in the book was so important that I gave each student in our youth ministry a copy!

Josh is a very good friend of mine.  To really understand how good this book is for students (and parents and youth workers, too), you should read my review with that knowledge in mind.  I know Josh’s youth ministry well.  I know many of his current and former students.  I know the things he has written in his book are borne out of hard ministry together with those students and that this book was an expression of his love for his students and the conversations they are having together and the journey of faith they are on together.

Buy this book for a student you know (or for yourself)!  You’ll be blessed in doing so!