Some studies report that the average person experiences about 60,000 thoughts a day and eighty percent of them are negative in nature. Journey’s fictional stories, embedded in Jewish and Roman history, are intended to help flip your script inside a new angle on an old story. Listen with a fresh ear to Father’s voice through the Spirit’s power coming from Jesus’ mouth.

The classic hero’s journey is shaped like a checkmark—medium to low and high at the end. Stories in this third volume of four in Jesus’ Silent Years are at the bottom of the checkmark. These low points are the furnace that shaped his character more than any of the other books in this novel series. Spoiler alert—Jesus is imprisoned, abused by willful excess and absence, and depressed. This Son of Man is tempted and tried in all points as we are. Embedded in these old stories is a training manual for how to live wisely in today’s world regardless of your faith, or lack of it.