Two Bears, and Other Sermons for Children

J.C. Ryle refused to speak down to children. In these sermons, written for young readers in the late 19th century, he treats his audience as capable of genuine understanding, because he believed they were. These aren't condescending lessons dressed up in baby talk. They're earnest, direct appeals to turn toward Christ, delivered with the conviction that a child can possess real faith, not just a pale imitation of adult religion. Ryle challenges his young audience to examine their hearts, warning against the danger of growing up "in name" but not in grace. He speaks of following Jesus with the same seriousness he would bring to any congregation, because he truly believed children could hear it. The result is a collection that has guided generations of families - children who grew up and read these sermons to their own children, finding in Ryle's directness something rarer than comfort: honesty about what Christian faith actually costs.