Restoration Story: Why Jesus Matters in a Broken World

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.

My Thoughts:

Overall I really like this book. I consider it a great tool for those working through marriage problems including the process of reconciliation. It is a great tool for those who are working through trauma from sexual abuse. It is a great book for people who have had trauma in their past and want to read a book that will help, at least in some part because of the illustrations about other people, which is a strong theme about God being at work in our life despite the hard.

Other reasons why I like this book:
1. The following is the number one reason why I like this book and the first thing I think about in this book.
“Whether you realize it or not, your story is lived out within God’s bigger story.”
When I reflect on my life, and I have experienced trauma in my life, I never thought then, that my story is apart of God’s BIG story. For me, this helps. For me, it does not remove the pain, but it helps. After a hard experience is over, and there is time to reflect a bit, it helps to understand that even though it is not what I would have chosen to go through in life, and it was so terribly sad and traumatic. God does not waste any part of my life. This includes all of the hard times.
2. And as a follow-up to #1. Cheong states in chapter 2 we are to change the way we think about the hard experiences in relation to “our purpose and identity.” We focus on the pain or problem and forget “there is more going on in life.”
3. I am glad Cheong used these particular illustrations of people in this book. He also shows from beginning to end their journey in regards to the painful experiences, the impact and fallout of what happened, the moment of when they come to understand change is necessary for healing, the process of the healing journey (pulling through), and what they learned, and the results afterwards.
4. How evil tries to change the mindset, versus; how “God’s story reminds, reframes, restores, and redeems.”
5. There is a chapter addressing spiritual warfare. The “schemes” of the evil one. The next chapter is how God sees our sin. Followed by a chapter on God’s redeeming grace.
6. In a final chapter there is a topic I’ve not read about until this book. After going through a hard time of suffering we can doubt God’s goodness. We can stop trusting God period. Chapter 11 teaches us how to deal with the broken relationship we may have with God.
7. I love some of the final words in the book. It is a strong reminder that “evil doesn’t have the final word.”
“You have full access now to your everlasting God through your union with Christ. God invites you to live fully in his story now so that it can transform every aspect of your story.”

Final Thoughts:

1. I’d like the book to have questions at the end of each chapter for personal or group use.
2. I’d like the book to include prayers for people to read and either pray themselves or transpose for their benefit. A person who is struggling often has a hard time articulating the right words to pray.

Source: I received a complimentary e-book copy from New Growth Press. I am not required to write a positive review.
Audience: Christian readers with an interest in making peace with their past. This is a very good book for readers working through marriage difficulties including reconciliation.
Rating: Very good.

Overall I really like this book. I consider it a great tool for those working through marriage problems including the process of reconciliation. It is a great tool for those who are working through trauma from sexual abuse. It is a great book for people who have had trauma in their past and want to read a book that will help, at least in some part because of the illustrations about other people, which is a strong theme about God being at work in our life despite the hard.

Other reasons why I like this book:
1. The following is the number one reason why I like this book and the first thing I think about in this book.
“Whether you realize it or not, your story is lived out within God’s bigger story.”
When I reflect on my life, and I have experienced trauma in my life, I never thought then, that my story is apart of God’s BIG story. For me, this helps. For me, it does not remove the pain, but it helps. After a hard experience is over, and there is time to reflect a bit, it helps to understand that even though it is not what I would have chosen to go through in life, and it was so terribly sad and traumatic. God does not waste any part of my life. This includes all of the hard times.
2. And as a follow-up to #1. Cheong states in chapter 2 we are to change the way we think about the hard experiences in relation to “our purpose and identity.” We focus on the pain or problem and forget “there is more going on in life.”
3. I am glad Cheong used these particular illustrations of people in this book. He also shows from beginning to end their journey in regards to the painful experiences, the impact and fallout of what happened, the moment of when they come to understand change is necessary for healing, the process of the healing journey (pulling through), and what they learned, and the results afterwards.
4. How evil tries to change the mindset, versus; how “God’s story reminds, reframes, restores, and redeems.”
5. There is a chapter addressing spiritual warfare. The “schemes” of the evil one. The next chapter is how God sees our sin. Followed by a chapter on God’s redeeming grace.
6. In a final chapter there is a topic I’ve not read about until this book. After going through a hard time of suffering we can doubt God’s goodness. We can stop trusting God period. Chapter 11 teaches us how to deal with the broken relationship we may have with God.
7. I love some of the final words in the book. It is a strong reminder that “evil doesn’t have the final word.”
“You have full access now to your everlasting God through your union with Christ. God invites you to live fully in his story now so that it can transform every aspect of your story.”

Final Thoughts:

1. I’d like the book to have questions at the end of each chapter for personal or group use.
2. I’d like the book to include prayers for people to read and either pray themselves or transpose for their benefit. A person who is struggling often has a hard time articulating the right words to pray.

We live in a broken world and many times we end up looking at the world and ourselves through our own broken lenses. Our past hurts, betrayals, and failures shape our beliefs, hamper our relationships, and crush our self-worth. But author Robert K. Cheong’s Restoration Story – Why Jesus Makes Sense in a Broken World offers an opportunity to find rest for your soul by learning to obey and trust God through His own story.

The restorative lessons use examples from many real-life challenges. Most readers would be able to relate to some of the feelings of abandonment, loneliness, and self-doubt, and hardships such as infertility, adultery, adoption, and rape. In any case, restoration through seeking Christ transcends any possible hardship or emotional obstacles.

Readers steps through biblical truths of God’s love with the goal of readjusting the lenses through which they view themselves, others, and their worth. Each chapter ends with a suggested scripture and reflection points.

For most people, making sense of their broken identity in Christ will take a great deal of self-reflection, which isn’t really emphasized in this book. However, Cheong wrote a supplemental study guide for those who want to dig deeper into making sustainable changes in their lives. I didn’t read the study guide (Restore: Changing How We Live and Love Study Guide), but think it would be necessary for someone who is truly striving to change their life and/or mindset. Simply reading about the concepts won’t likely prompt a lasting shift.

Who would enjoy this book:
Many of us are broken in some way and all of us would benefit from a closer relationship with Jesus, so this book is pertinent to a fairly broad audience. But it’s specifically geared toward those who face interpersonal struggles with family or friends, such as those who feel lonely or abandoned or otherwise not belonging. Readers willing to open their hearts to the truths of Jesus and His love for them would find hope of a beautiful future In this book. Anyone willing to do the hard work to truly open their heart and mind should supplement Restoration Story with the Study Guide.

How this book affected me:
Restoration Story is well-written and provides a solid and well-rounded biblical foundation. I’m in favor of any book that encourages readers to seek a relationship with Christ, as this one does. But because making meaningful change in anyone’s life requires a significant amount of self-awareness and reflection, I would have liked to see a few more key reflection points at the end of each chapter, in addition to the suggested scripture readings. I felt the book, without the Study Guide, should have been able to stand on its own a bit more.

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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.

Each season we reevaluate the required reading lists used in our leadership development processes. This season, Restoration Story will be added to those lists, especially for our pastoral team and our missional community leaders. Restoration Story is a masterful work. Robert leads his readers to reframe every detail of their stories within the framework of God's redemptive story, intentionally guiding readers to rehearse the gospel, and reorient all of life on Father, Son, and Spirit. This book fuels hope by pointing readers to God's gentle and loving work of restoration. Readers will grow in their capacity to care well for their own souls and for the souls of others, in light of God's restoration story. The subtitle reminds readers that Jesus matters in our broken world. Every word in this book works together, beautifully displaying how Jesus matters, and why he is our hope. Restoration Story should be required reading for all those committed to the care of souls.

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.” (1) 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. Read it and start to reframe your story within God’s greater/bigger/more grand story of the Gospel

"I wouldn't give a fig for simplicity on this side of complexity, but I would give my life for simplicity on the far side of complexity." This line, attributed to Oliver Wendell Holmes, captures why I believe Restoration Story is so important and necessary in our fragmented times today. Language is paramount in society - it shapes and animates cultures and civilizations. This is where Robert's book is most desperately needed right now. By providing a practical framework and language for bringing the church's mission back to life, individual church members are empowered to focus on what matters most: God's loving heart for his broken world and his invitation to experience and transmit his comfort and care in the common struggles, not despite them. God’s love can change anyone’s story and use even our most painful moments and shameful themes to reveal his greatness and be a blessing to others. Here we find compelling contemporary illustrations of gospel-centered discipleship in the gritty details of real-life -- ones that we can identify with ourselves and work through together with others.

I've spent years counseling young women and I know--how you view your story shapes who you are. I've seen girls who feel utterly defeated, because they don't know what God is doing, or how He could love them. I wish I had this book years ago--it's what they need to hear!
This book encourages us to understand our story in light of God's--seeing how the Fall clouds our vision, and common struggles can distract us--but also seeing how God has a plan to make us new, and is giving us His Spirit, right now, to experience His love, and all the promises that He has given us.
I love how practical Restoration Story is, and I also love how it follows the stories of several different characters. I'll admit, sometimes non-fiction books are hard to get through--but the stories made me want to keep reading, to see how each of the characters would respond! All in all, a great way to learn truth that reframes how you look at the world, and see "examples" of how it can change your story.
Highly recommend, for anyone wrestling with their own story, or even just someone who wants to go deeper in understanding God's love for them--and how it helps us to love others!

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 lov