Not-So-Nice Bible Stories: Gory Deaths

Overview
Drowned. Burned. Hanged. Crushed. Stabbed. Eaten by dogs.

This is not a book of fairy tales. Happy endings are few and far-between. This is a book of history—true tales of people who lived and died long ago. 

These 18 chapters give you cool trivia, factoids, and things to think about, like

• Why the story is in the Bible 
• How it can guide your life
• What it shows you about Jesus

These TRUE stories show how God’s justice smashes the sinful, the sinister, the sneaky; and they show how Jesus conquers death and gives you life.

Praise for Not-So-Nice Bible Stories: Gory Deaths
“I'm always on the lookout for inventive books to keep our family devotions engaging. Jonathan Schkade’s are the first ones my children bring to me themselves and inform me, ‘It's devotion time!’ Schkade's writing style is entirely honest, introducing hard biblical truths, while utilizing humor and lightheartedness when helpful, and always leaving room for God’s abundant mercy to shine through. I especially enjoyed the sidebars and sections like ‘Just wondering!’ and ‘That reminds me’ to introduce connecting Scripture passages and fun (and sometimes creepy) historical facts. Gory Deaths gives us an out-of-the-box vantage point of some of the messier stories of Scripture, drawing in kids and adults alike. Our family gives it a 10!”
—Deaconess Heidi Goehmann


“When addressing difficult passages in the Bible, it can be tempting to do one of two things: gloss over it and skip to the easier, happier verses or exploit the ick factor to shock others into listening. Jonathan Schkade, in his new book, does neither. Gory Deaths, the first of Concordia Publishing House’s Not-So-Nice Bible Stories, could easily have become a book to make kids and adults alike squirm just for the fun of it, but Schkade knows that this book has a greater purpose.

“When we contemplate the mortality of others and ourselves, we are confronted with the full weight of our sin. And then, we see the full love and grace of our Savior. Through engaging text, helpful asides, and added research, readers will gain a better understanding of these true Bible accounts as well as a better understanding of their Lord. Kids (and adults!) who read this book will learn that we have a God who has seen it all—and who has gone through it all for us. Life can get messy and downright gory, but our Redeemer is with us in every part of our lives and goes through His own gory death to bring us restoration and resurrection.”
—Lisa Clark, author of The Messengers: Discovered

—Dr. James Pingel, Director of Graduate Education, Concordia University Wisconsin

About the Author
Jonathan Schkade (pronounced “Skah-dee,” rhymes with “body”) is a procrastinator, pardoned sinner, and author of several children’s books. He is a regular contributor to the Arch Book series, My Devotions, and Portals of Prayer. Jonathan has a degree in elementary education from Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska. He lives with his wife Kristi and their two daughters in Jefferson City, Missouri.


About the Illustrator
Gleisson Cipriano is an illustrator and comic artist working from Bauru, in the countryside of São Paulo, Brazil. Most of his time is invested in studying, drawing, and consuming creative content.