“Faith is Like Chocolate” is a devotional book for tweens, teens, youth groups, and families learning God’s Word together. Using things like chocolate, pizza, rocks, school supplies, and a bunch of other things, you will discover why having Jesus as your bff is the best decision you will ever make.
Targeted Age Group:: 6 to 16
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
Since God created everything, I believe everything has something to teach us about God–including chocolate, pizza, yogurt, rocks, and lots more. I love looking for God in unusual places and sharing what I find with kids, so they can get to know Jesus, too. "Faith is like Chocolate" is a great reminder that Jesus is everywhere, ever day, and in every way.
Book Sample
You probably don’t remember the first time you tasted chocolate, do you? The first piece of chocolate to touch your lips probably came from your grandma, your Sunday school teacher or the nice lady at the bank.
Where you got it isn’t really all that important, though. Why you ate it…that’s what matters.
Think about it…chocolate isn’t the prettiest thing to look at. It’s a little slab of brown stuff with lines and words on it, or a small cylinder-shaped piece of brown goo (aka the Tootsie Roll®).
You know, when you actually take the time to stop to think about it, chocolate doesn’t look very appetizing, does it?
So why did you eat it? You ate it because you trusted the person who gave it to you. When they told you how good it would be, you believed them.
But what happened after that? What happened after you took that first bite? You did take another bite, didn’t you?
Of course you did! The question, though, is why? Why did you take the next bite…and the next (and the countless ones after that)?
You kept eating because the first bite was everything you were told it would be, so you expected each bite afterwards to be the same.
Do you see what happened? After that first bite, instead of trusting the person who gave you the chocolate, your faith was transferred from the person who gave you chocolate to the chocolate itself.
Your faith is in your expectation that every bite of chocolate you take will always taste like…well, chocolate!
Faith in God is a lot like eating chocolate. The first time you trusted God (put your faith in him), it was most likely because someone told you to.
Your parents or youth leaders or the preacher at your church told you it was the thing to do. They told you faith is a real thing. So since you know these people love you and want what’s best for you, you believe them and ‘do’ it. You put your faith in God by asking him to do something for you.
I’m not talking about something selfish or ‘out there’. I’m talking about something like helping you through a scary or tough situation. Or maybe something like giving you the courage to break a bad habit or resist the temptation to do something you know you shouldn’t.
Or maybe you read about faith in your Bible and decided to take verses like Psalm 37:5-6 and Mark 11:22-24 out for a spin. And when you do, you find out it ‘works’! God was there for you! You trusted him and he was there!
That’s real faith. Once you realize God can be trusted and that he never breaks his promises, your faith is no longer in the person who told you to have faith, Now your faith is in God himself. Make sense?
Knowing faith is real doesn’t always make it easy, though. Take Esther for example…
Esther was afraid to have faith. But thanks to Mordecai’s encouragement, her faith saved the entire Israelite nation. (Esther 4:15-16).
Faith is what allowed Peter to step out of the boat onto the water and what allowed Paul to be bold for Christ no matter where he was, who he was with or what condition he was in.
You probably won’t ever be royalty or find yourself trying out your water shoes. But having faith in God will put you where you need to be when you need to be there. And when your faith is your own, your life is going to be better than if you had an unlimited supply of chocolate to eat.
This doesn’t mean life will be perfect. Faith isn’t a guarantee against problems and painful experiences. But when you are faithful to God and have faith in him, you will see that nothing is bigger, better, or more important than your faith and relationship with God.
What About You
1. Why do we sometimes have a hard time putting our faith in God?
2. When and how has God rewarded you for having faith in him?
3. What do you think you can do to grow your faith?
4. Who do you admire because of their faith? Talk to them-ask them to pray for your faith to grow, too.
Links to Purchase Print Books
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Link to Buy Print Edition at Barnes and Noble
Links to Purchase eBooks
Link To Buy on Amazon
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Author Bio:
Darla Noble has been writing inspirational nonfiction, historical nonfiction, memoirs, Bible studies, parenting/family resources, and curriculum for over twenty-eight years. Darla’s popularity as an author, ghostwriter, and speaker come from her ability to entertain, encourage and educate through storytelling and practical advice. Her faith, wit, and wisdom are enjoyed by readers across the United States, Australia, Asia, and Europe.
Darla’s titles include:
All my Love, George…Letters from a WWII Hero” – a collection of letters written by army medic and Missouri native, George Burks, paired with the thoughts and memories of Benny, the younger brother he was writing to, some sixty years after the fact. Together, George and Benny remind us that we should live with gratitude for the sacrifices made that make our life possible.
“Love, Momma D”— a collection of Darla’s (aka, Momma D) most popular parenting lessons and stories that teach parents to parent from the heart with unconditional love.
“Through the Eyes of a Shepherd” – a collection of inspirational stories stemming from years of caring for the sheep on her family’s farm. Each story reminds readers that being called God’s sheep is a compliment…not an insult.
“Faith Is Like Chocolate” – a devotional book for tweens and teens that uses things like chocolate, pizza, movies, books, and even homework to encourage readers to get to know Jesus on a personal level.
“Please Pass the Memories” – a book filled with ideas advice, and instructions on how to bring the generations of your family together (past, present, and future) using stories, pictures, food, keepsakes, time, conversation, traditions, and more. Oh, and love. Always love.
Darla and her husband John have been married for forty years, are the parents of four grown children, four children in-law, and eight adorable grandchildren. When Darla is not writing or speaking, she enjoys raising vegetables and flowers, camping, spending time with her family and friends, and hanging out with her miniature dachshund, Charlotte. She is also the ‘voice’ of Gasconade Christian Service Camp, which is just a fancy way of saying she is in charge of promoting the camp via social media and newsletters. Darla is an active member of Glendale Christian Church, where she leads a small-group Bible study and is involved in a lady’s Bible study. She also serves as the promotions ‘guru’ for Gasconade Christian Service Camp in Waynesville, MO.
Darla loves to hear from her readers, so feel free to visit her website: www.dnoblewrites.com or contact her at dnoblewrites@yahoo.com and ‘like’ her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/dnoblewrites/
