“Simply put, author Dan Cooley’s Bizarre Bible Stories and Bizarre Bible Stories 2! utilize a vernacular, contemporary writing style intended to reach an audience of children and youth with solid Christian doctrine and practical application. The discussion questions interspersed throughout the text are thoughtfully designed to promote interaction between parents and their children on numerous topics of interest. Cooley’s books reflect his passion for providing spiritual food to children in a manner they can easily digest. His attention to detail is evident from cover to cover.”
Dr. Gene A. Getz
Author of over 50 books including The Measure of a Man, President of the Center for Church Renewal
“Paul urged Timothy: ‘you know those from whom you learned...’ These captivating biographies and stories will equip and encourage parents, youth pastors and others who want to ensure the enduring faith of youth in the church.”
Daryl Busby, PhD
Dean of Canadian Baptist Seminary, Director of DMN Program, ACTS Seminaries, TWU
“Finally, a book that illuminates some of the coolest, oddest, and fantastical true stories of the Bible that, when read, young people can say, ‘Wow! God really wants me to be THAT radical? THAT powerful? THAT bold?’ Dan Cooley does this in the simplest and most profound way...he inspires students to read the stories in the Bible for themselves. Study it. Glean from it. And then go into the real world and live it.
Chad Barrett author of Journey to Freedom: The Pursuit of Authentic Fellowship Among Men, Director of Child Evangelism Fellowship, Houston area
“WOW! As a mother of two boys, I certainly see the need to ground our children spiritually. Dan’s book is a tool to help us as parents ground our children in the Word. Dan pulls you into the Scripture and gives you a glimpse of what it was like. He encourages you to dig in God’s Word and pull out God’s personal message to you. There is no greater blessing than bringing God’s Word to life for our children!”
Susan Weagant
Author of Essentials of the Heart
© 2013 by Dan Cooley
Published by Heritage Builders
3105 Locan Ave., Clovis, CA 93619
Third printing, December 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means - for example, electronic, photocopy, recording - without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cooley, Dan, 1957–
Bizarre Bible stories: flying pigs, walking bones and 24 other things that really happened / Dan Cooley.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 151) and index.
ISBN 9-780615-30735-0
1. Bible stories. [1. Bible stories.] I. Title.
BS547.3.C66 2004
220.9p505—dc22 2003017273
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture is taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189. All rights reserved.
Scripture marked GOD’S WORD is taken from GOD’S WORD and used by permission. Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Scripture marked ICB is taken from the International Children’s Bible, New Century Version, copyright ©1983, 1986, 1988 by Word Publishing, Dallas, TX 75039. Used by permission.
Scripture marked NIV is taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Scripture marked MESSAGE is taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
Contents
7. Time for a Haircut
8. The World’s Most Expensive Water
9. She Couldn’t Hide from a Blind Man
10. He Kills Four Hundred Men and Runs from One Woman
11. God of the Flies
12. Don’t Call This Man Baldy
13. The Disease That Jumps
14. The Invisible Army That Was
15. The Loud Army That Wasn’t
16. The Crazy King
17. A Hand without a Body
18. Angel in Jail
19. The Underwater City
20. When Bones Walk
21. When Pigs Fly
22. The Grave Robber
23. Caught in a Lie
24. Hungry Worms
25. Escape to Slavery
26. One Big City
Books That Helped
Acknowledgments
Index
My old seminary prof said, “It’s a sin to make the Bible boring.” My four children agree. If you’re looking for a predictable children’s Bible story book, don’t buy this one. There are no stories about Jonah and the great fish in here. If you’re expecting a story about David and Goliath, you’ll be disappointed. This book even does the unthinkable in a children’s devotional: It skips Noah and