In this special bonus episode of The Jesus Storybook Bible Podcast, author Sally Lloyd-Jones gives listeners an inside look at her writing process and her hopes for “Jesus, Our True Friend.” Sally shares how she aims to paint a portrait of Jesus through these seven stories to show that it’s not about being good enough, it’s about the rescuer who’s come to love us. Plus, join Sally for a special reading of one of the new stories!

Quotes

“Children look to us for everything, but when it comes to their devotional life, I think we sometimes forget to give them hope.” - Sally Lloyd-Jones

“What I wanted to do with these stories was paint a portrait of Jesus to show them just how much love He has for each person He’s meeting. It’s not about them being good enough, it’s about the rescuer who’s come to love us.” - Sally Lloyd-Jones

“If I’m doing my job right, if I am making sure I’ve distilled the stories and I’ve gotten myself out of the way and shown the beauty of the gospel, then it’s the power of the gospel that’s taking these stories all over the world.” - Sally Lloyd-Jones

“Your job isn’t to give children all the answers, it’s to raise the right questions.” - Sally Lloyd-Jones

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Jesus, Our True Friend

The Jesus Storybook Bible

The Story of God’s Great Love collection

Robert Frost

Connect with Sally Lloyd-Jones
The Story of God’s Great Love Instagram

The Story of God’s Great Love Facebook

The Story of God’s Great Love YouTube

Sally’s website

Sally’s Facebook

Sally’s Instagram

*Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*

In a special bonus episode, author Sally Lloyd-Jones and voice actor Sir David Suchet offer a behind-the-scenes look at their collaboration on “Jesus, Our True Friend.” They delve into their individual approaches to portraying biblical figures, emphasizing the importance of simplifying stories for children without oversimplifying them. The episode also highlights their shared anticipation of hearing Jesus’ laugh and their conviction that everything they know about God points to love.

Quotes

“Sometimes I think in all that we give children, we forget to give them hope, and we are in danger of putting all the emphasis on them and what they’re supposed to be doing. And that just leaves you in despair because that’s the moral code and we can’t live up to it. I just wanted them to have [Jesus, Our True Friend] that would tell them, ‘You have a true friend and He’s with you and He loves you.’” - Sally Lloyd-Jones

“As a little girl, I had this wrong idea about God. I thought he was hard and cruel and angry and about the rules. And it’s so wrong, isn’t it? [Jesus, Our True Friend] shows God’s heart that we know comes through His son, Jesus.” - Sally Lloyd-Jones

“Being simple isn’t simplistic. In my writing, I have to distill down, but I must never dumb down. I must always get to the heart of the truth.” - Sally Lloyd-Jones

“We’re told in the Bible that we see God through Jesus. My goal was to show how kind God the Father is and God the Son. And it’s all coming from joy, that’s how the world began.” - Sally Lloyd-Jones

“It’s all love. God is love.” - Sir David Suchet

“In the West, we try to be rational and understand everything, and unless something equals something else, we’re not content. But with faith, with spirituality, one has to learn to be content living with mystery.” - Sir David Suchet

“You have to be known to feel the love, don’t you? If He knows you completely and He loves you completely, then there’s huge comfort.” - Sally Lloyd-Jones

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Jesus, Our True Friend

The Jesus Storybook Bible

The Story of God’s Great Love collection

David Suchet

Hercule Poirot

Madeleine L’Engle

Jerusalem Chamber of Westminster Abbey

C.S. Lewis

Meister Eckhart

Connect with Sally Lloyd-Jones

The Story of God’s Great Love Instagram

The Story of God’s Great Love Facebook

The Story of God’s Great Love YouTube

Sally’s website

Sally’s Facebook

Sally’s Instagram

*Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*

Sally Lloyd-Jones and Team Jesus Storybook Bible have loved connecting with listeners the last three plus years on The Jesus Storybook Bible Podcast, a place for us to share thoughts and stories from guests who give us a peek inside their everyday lives—often giving us a glimpse into the extraordinary circumstances they’ve experienced in their faith. In this episode, Sally shares a personal, special message of thanks for our listeners and recaps some of our most notable guest stories—including a never-before-shared reading from the Jesus Storybook Bible. Starting in January 2025, the podcast will be on hiatus so we can prepare for some exciting projects we have in the works. Be sure to keep up with Jesus Storybook Bible on social media, YouTube, and online to hear what new projects and initiatives are coming!

Connect with Sally Lloyd-Jones
Jesus Storybook Bible Facebook

Jesus Storybook Bible Instagram

Sally’s website

Sally’s Facebook

Sally’s Instagram

*Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*