What unanswered questions do you have about your life? Some of us struggle to find meaning, others wonder about identity, and all of us want to be loved. Your story the events and relationships that define you will guide how you answer those questions. But God has a story too. His story is about sending Jesus to this broken world to mend all that is broken. Author Robert Cheong, a pastor and counselor, helps readers connect their story to God's story which will transform how they live and love.
We all have our own back story our sometimes unconscious beliefs that have been shaped by our families, relationships, and life experiences. Our stories shape the personal narratives we live out: "I am not loved." "No one cares for me." "I have to be better than everyone around me." "How I look is the most important thing about me." Our back story guides us in how we relate to God and others. But are these beliefs true? And how are they affecting our lives today? Cheong helps readers unpack their story and learn to live out of God's new story. Readers will discover how to retell their story out of who God is, what he's done, and the call to love him and others.
Learn how the dynamics of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation shape our present struggles, confirm our future hope, and ensure our ability to live in God's power today. At the intersection of God's story and your own, you'll find that his love sustains you in your weariness, guides you in your confusion, and comforts you in your suffering. The story of his love will compel you to live for him.
Restoration Story can also be used alongside Cheong's Restore: Changing How We Live and Love Study Guide.
"There is always a need for rich, practical, and transformative gospel resources, and Robert Cheong's Restoration Story is one of the best I've seen. This book takes people on a heart-exposing, faith-igniting, and life-changing journey. This seasoned pastor has invested years helping people see their story through the lens of Scripture's gospel story. I am so glad that, because this work is now in print, countless more will journey through God's story and find themselves, find their Savior, and find their way to healing of heart and mind, and with it find a brand-new way of living."
Paul David Tripp, Pastor; conference speaker; author of New Morning Mercies
"Too often, we can wrestle with how Jesus makes a difference in our everyday lives. Restoration Story not only gives us a glimpse into how our life experiences impact how we live and love but reveals how God's story reframes and redeems our story. This resource will be invaluable in helping the church to make disciples and bear one another's burdens as we live and love in this fallen world."
Elyse Fitzpatrick, Author of Counsel from the Cross
"God's restoring work is brought back into focus through this masterfully crafted book. By consistently giving clear insight and using the stories of the main characters, Robert Cheong helps us to understand how God promises restoration throughout his story and does so in ways that impact our hearts and lives. I am grateful for Restoration Story, as it is a helpful resource that extends the invitation to a deeper life and love found in Jesus Christ."
Brian Howard, Executive Director, Acts 29
"Beautifully simple, clear in flow, and practical in application, Robert Cheong has delivered us a small group resource that will help us connect to God and each other. Fine-tuned by years of pastoral wisdom and group expertise, Restoration Story helps us see how grace reframes our story and delivers God's power for change. If you want to connect deeply with others around rich content for reflection and discussion, you've got the right tool in your hand!"
Dave Harvey, President, Great Commission Collective; author of When Sinners Say I Do and I Still Do!
"The best thing about Restoration Story is that it is both biblically faithful and gospel-centered. But that's not all that excites me; this book is field tested by men and women with a wide range of ages, ethnicities, and Christian experiences. Moreover, Dr. Cheong has created a reproducible model that doesn't require experts to lead. This work will help pastors and leaders disciple people to care for one another how Jesus and the apostles envisioned. I highly recommend you reading, learning, and reproducing what is taught in this book, as I've seen firsthand the profound impact that it has had on our church members."
Jamaal Williams, Lead Pastor, Sojourn Church Midtown; president, Harbor Network
"Robert Cheong's Restoration Story is a gospel feast and will prove to be a most helpful aid in discipling believers, equipping leaders, resourcing cohorts, and aiding counselors. Robert invites us to find our place in God's story as both characters and messengers doing the heart work of spiritual formation. He understands the narrative nature of growth in Christ, taking us through the four-fold plotline of the Bible: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Consummation. So well written, and creatively illustrated, I will look forward to using this resource in my coaching ministry."
Scotty Smith, Pastor Emeritus, Christ Community Church, Franklin, TN; teacher-in-residence, West End Community Church, Nashville, TN
"Forged in the trenches of pastoral ministry and written from a deep belief in the power of Christ for personal transformation, Restoration Story is a fresh resource for pastors and ministry leaders to use in their local churches as they work with men and women desiring to see God, his Word, and his people transform their lives. I've seen the fruit of this firsthand as a pastor at Sojourn Midtown and throughout our network of churches."
Dave Owens, Executive Director, Harbor Network
"Robert has endeavored to clearly articulate and bring to bear in daily living aspects of the fullness of the gospel that go well beyond the moment of conversion to remind us of the rich halls of grace we find in the writings of Paul (Ephesians 3:14Ð19). He does so with a detailed and gracious encouragement that points us toward the very narrative thread of the Scriptures as a whole. It is indeed, as Robert has pointed out in his writings and teaching, only the grand metanarrative of the Triune God that can bring much needed meaning and restoration to our own stories of brokenness in our everyday. I have always been sharpened from co-laboring with Robert and find his teaching to be clear and deeply rooted in an abiding love of God, his Word, and the people of God found in the church everywhere. As one who works with the church on a global level, I have seen that Robert's insights, being from the Word, transcend cultural boundaries and are accessible and revolutionary to people everywhere. I heartily recommend Robert's book as an invaluable resource for anyone desiring to lead communities of faith into greater love of the Savior."
Paul Athanasius, Cross-cultural worker and trainer
"As a Christian and a pastor, I've been so encouraged by how many people have benefited from Robert's work. Personally, it has blessed me as I have learned what it means to be cared for by God and his church. As a pastor, it has transformed the way I preach to my church and how I engage in personal counseling. The beauty of it all is that I see people truly experiencing God."
Moe Hafeez, Family Pastor, Cornerstone Church, Atlanta, GA
"As a writer, I know firsthand how God has used the process of storytelling to challenge, heal, and cultivate my relationship with him. But for some shortsighted reason, I never thought how significant it might be for others. With Restoration Story, pastor Robert Cheong taps the power of storytelling for discipleship, inviting participants to find their personal stories in God's larger one. So pick up this book and discover a good, gracious Author, who's writing the story of his people even now."
Hannah Anderson, Author of Humble Roots: How Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul
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Creation fall redemption consummation like you've never heard before. A great framework for viewing the grand narrative of the bible in a systematic way. Cheong writes really well .. Very enjoyable
I’ve gone through a lot of trauma in my life - trauma as a child, as a teenager, & then to alcohol abuse into my 20s. Then I became a believer and wanted to erase my story prior to knowing Jesus. This book is so helpful to remind me that ALL of my story, the good and the bad, is still part of God’s plan and fits right under the umbrella of THE story. Thank you so much, Robert Cheong.
If you find yourself struggling to overcome thoughts and feelings that affect your life such as shame, guilt, sorrow, anxiety, anger, and fear—Restoration Story is what the doctor ordered. The author uses real life examples of individuals whose souls have suffered by self-choices or from others they trusted which I found myself relating to. Restoration Story reminds us that we are yoked with the almighty and to lean on the body of Christ—the church, to give us strength as we face life’s daily trials. With God’s untiring love and our fellow Christian warriors, we can find the courage to move forward and live a fruitful life here on earth—in anticipation for future glory in heaven. Another key take away for me was to remain in relationship with God through his word—The Bible. In doing so, we will be able to fight the “flaming arrows"of the evil one" who wants us to live our lives in darkness, void of God’s love and light. If you are seeking more peace and joy as you journey through life, I strongly recommend reading this book!
Words cannot express how much God has used Robert Cheong and his teachings and writings in Restoration Story and the Restore workbook to change and impact my life. I see myself, God, and God’s story differently. It is simple, but it is not simplistic. There is so much beauty to abiding in Christ and knowing that every circumstance is an opportunity to know and experience God’s love.
It was somewhere around chapter 3 that Holy Spirit used this book to completely change a concept of my identity that I had not realized was totally off. I have been a maturing Christian for a lot of years and have some biblical counseling background so the importance of a Christian keeping their identity in Christ is not a new concept. I am not perfect at always remembering this for myself so when I first sat down to read this book, I was expecting similar material to what I've read before, but presented differently, and was looking forward to it as a wonderful reminder from a perspective that might help those ideas sink in a bit more. Boy did I get that and more. Taking the reader through the story arc of the Bible (Creation, Fall, Redemption, Consummation), Cheong does a marvelous job of using real life example intertwined with Biblical and Gospel truths to emphasize how much we need God's story, and specifically Jesus. The end of chapter reflections are well thought out and give you an opportunity to engage with what you've just read and what Holy Spirit might be revealing to you. I recommend this book for anyone who considers themself to be a Christian. Even if identity and counseling through God's story are "old hat" for you, I strongly recommend you pick up this book and savor its pages. Even if you are unchanged, chances are you know someone who can really use the way Cheong delivers God's very Good News of Jesus and how he changes our lives, and who we think we are, permanently.
There is something powerful about a story. All of us have one, and all of us are looking for a better one. Robert Cheong, in his new work Restoration Story: Why Jesus Matters in a Broken World , keys into this universal fact about people offering not just a better story for us, but a larger story that reframes ours. Cheong uses the framework of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Consumation to tell God’s story. In this book we also get to meet Steve and Emma, a couple whose struggle with infertility leads to infidelity; Mark, a single and lonely man who struggles with shame and guilt; and Nikki, a workaholic who has sacrificed her life for her job. As anyone’s story there is more bubbling below the surface and as Cheong walks us through God’s story he connects these stories to God’s story and reframes them. Each of these people, as they are confronted with different aspects of God’s story learn and reframe their own story in light of God’s, and we are, all the while encouraged to do the same. The strength of this book is its connection to how stories are operating features of people. When I read this book these truths are where I think this book shines in explaining and helping us see how helpful this is in counseling. 1) Everyone has a story that they don’t know well enough - One of the biggest strengths is that most people we meet will have a story to tell. One they can tell with precision, with all of the facts, but rarely can they make sense of everything in their story. In fact, as counselors, most people we meet will have major parts of their story that still greatly affect them today because they haven’t been able to make sense of it. Cheong brings this truth out as he shares the stories of Steve & Emma, Mark, and Nikki. Particularly, you see the beginning of Mark’s change start through observing themes in his life (34). We all do well to help our counselees walk through their story. 2) Everyone needs the Gospel to organize their story - If we only help people to understand their stories and have some better self-understanding it won’t ultimately help them. Cheong writes, “God is not inviting you to endless introspection, to reexperience your past, or to relive your pain. Instead, God wants you to know and experience his nearness and goodness in the seemingly insignificant parts of your story. He wants to show you his tenderness and power in the significant movements of your story…God wants you to understand the gospel story as a restoration story, where he restores your soul, your relationships, and ultimately, your God-given humanity.” (4) Cheong wants everyone to understand how God sees their story. How he sees their sin. How he sees them in light of the cross. How his promises for the future affect our story today. These are the truths that will reframe our past, present, and future in way that invite change in the hearts of God’s people. I would encourage anyone who feels confused about their lives and how God fits into it (basically everyone struggling with anything) to read this book.
I've wavered between three and four stars for this, but I'm leaning toward four because I think the author truly cares. I could see the desire and heart behind the message and I appreciated that. I really like the idea behind Restoration Story a lot. The framework for the chapters lays out a beautiful message, one that resonates with me. Learning to see our stories through the lens of God's story is powerful and freeing. I truly did enjoy the heart behind this book. But I didn't love the execution. First, this is such a little thing, but it makes such a huge difference--much of the book was written in giant blocks of text. Large paragraphs are difficult on the eyes and difficult to keep up with. It would be so helpful to break your paragraphs up and keep your points more concise and interconnected. Part of what contributed to this were the long strings of repetitive lists. (i.e. grace, faith, hope, love, encouragement, comfort, and confidence) These long lists popped up frequently. And so much of the material felt repetitive, in part, because of them. Sometimes short and to the point is more powerful. I have mixed feelings about the narratives, but they're mostly negative. I think this could have been a really effective tool and it's a neat idea. But again, the execution just missed the mark for me. The book intermittently inserts tidbits of stories from four fictional people. The stories are designed to illustrate the author's point, and in theory, that would work really nicely. But at many points the illustrations didn't feel natural, which makes the point moot. If the characters and their stories don't feel realistic, I'm not going to connect to them. I found myself irritated that they just "instantly" (I can't count the number of times I read that) understood, had clarity, and were at peace with God's word. That isn't how it works in the real world. Sometimes it's months of confusion, hurt, and emotional desert. That doesn't mean God isn't there. It just means we are in the middle of a storm. And, yes, we do have to choose to trust Him, and yes, He does give us comfort and peace in the most bizarre of situations. But personally, I've rarely experienced instantaneous understanding of His word and how to apply it to my life. The stories felt contrived and thus negated the effects they were meant to have. An additional note about the stories: there were a few points that they sort of just shoved in there that also could really take someone by surprise. So, for content warning for others: one girl works through a rape in her past and another guy struggles with pornography. Neither of these are at all graphic or explicitly shown in the book, but they aren't handled with the most sensitivity either. Both instances came out of the blue and could really take someone off guard since the rest of the book goes nowhere near any other sensitive topics. I'm not opposed to reading a book with these topics, but some people need a little warning. And furthermore, again, they felt thrown in just to give the people something traumatic and/or to struggle with. Real life examples are fine, good even, but this didn't feel purposeful or well thought-out in my opinion. The people didn't really respond like people. They responded like the author needed them to, which just irritated me because they felt fake. And the tool could have allowed the reader to see themselves in the material, to see how it could apply, how they themselves faced struggles and brokenness, and how God's hope and truth can see them through. But I think trying to follow so many different issues and storylines just muddied the waters. Fictional stories can be amazing for allowing readers to connect on a deeper level, but because this is a nonfiction book, I don't think the author really took the time to pour into the fiction stories what would have made them work well. In the nonfiction sections themselves, I liked a lot of what the author was trying to say. But it was difficult to parse through what he did say to get to the point. Lewis is challenging to read and takes time to digest. This wasn't the same kind of challenging. (Additionally, I will admit, I wasn't a fan of the use of the word "fantasy" throughout the book because I'm a fantasy writer myself, but I saw their point. I just wish it had been clarified what they meant, instead of assumed. I'd have chosen a more specific term, personally.) Though there were headings, I often struggled to see how the narrative beneath the heading related to the heading, and thus, how it connected to the chapter and overall message of the book. There's a lot of good pieces in here! But connecting them was difficult. It didn't naturally flow very easily for me, which jarred me out of the book and made me stop and think, "What are we talking about again?" And why? I'm not sure I'd read it again, but perhaps others would still benefit from it. The themes and overall message are good and worthwhile. But I'd love to see them revised and presented in a clearer, more concise, thoughtful, and engaging way.