All Things New is a story collection, showing God’s power in people’s lives. The stories are moving and inspiring, covering a wide range of experiences.

Matt McChlery, the author, starts the book with the greatest story of all, the Freedom story. The history of the world and God’s creating as well as restoring powers are clearly outlined. Chapter one is a wonderful overview of Salvation.

Then Matt moves on to his own story, showing how God still transforms lives and hearts. It starts when he is a young boy, living in Zimbabwe through to his diagnosis with cancer in 2016. It’s lovely to read Matt’s background, as in a way it helps to appreciate the other stories. It tells us who Matt is and why he has collected these stories.

All Things New then moves on to six other stories, and as I said, they range from incredibly moving to more subtle. Matt has brought out clearly that every story is a story of grace and therefore worth telling. Sometimes we might be so taken up with the spectacular that we forget to hear the quiet voice of God working in us.

All Things New has stories about people’s struggle with mental health difficulties, people drawn to God through neighbours, a drug-addicted prisoner learning about Freedom, violence being transformed into peace to God drawing people to Himself quietly.

All Things New helps us to look at Christ and His salvation and I loved how the last chapter brought us back to looking at our hearts. Do we know this restoring power in our lives? Do we have a story that reflects Jesus dying for us and being resurrected?

All Things New is a refreshing book, helping us to see God’s power over people’s lives, bringing hope to a dark world. It’s comforting to read how God is in control and how He keeps us in His hands. It also comes with a musical extra…

I received a review copy from Matt McChlery but was under no pressure or obligation to write a favourable review.