Hudson Taylor: Deep in the Heart of China

Janet and Geoff Benge

Ages 8-12

Hudson Taylor’s life as a clerk and doctor-in-training is anything but exciting until he encounters Christ and receives a clear mission for his life: to travel into the heart of China and preach the Gospel. The road is anything but easy, with personal heartbreak, deadly voyages, and uprisings brewing against foreigners in the very cities Hudson travels to. But throughout it all, he will discover again and again the faithfulness of a God who answers prayer and delivers his people.

Question 1 - Throughout the book, Hudson relied completely on God to supply his needs, even if it meant he put himself in danger or ran out of money. And in each situation, God supplied what Hudson needed. Have you ever seen God provide for your needs when you sought Him in prayer?

Discussion Guide - Discuss times when you have seen God very specifically answer your prayers and meet your needs.

Question 2 - Even though Hudson was a faithful follower of Jesus, he experienced much personal loss and the death of people in his family. How does this line up with what the Bible teaches about life for Christians here on this earth?

Discussion Guide - Read John 16:31-33, Philippians 3:8-11 and Romans 8:28-29. Discuss how God has told us that we are to expect trouble and difficulty in this life. These troubles allow us to share in Jesus’s suffering, and God uses them to conform us more to the image of His Son.

Question 3 - Several times in the story, people spread rumors about Hudson to make others think he’s untrustworthy. Yet God continued to provide for Hudson. What lesson can we learn from Hudson Taylor about trusting God in the midst of difficult and unjust circumstances?

Discussion Guide - Discuss how Hudson models trusting God with his reputation and obediently following God no matter the circumstance. You can also discuss how these situations once again show how Christians can expect to encounter difficult circumstances in this life.

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