‘Jesus Calling’ Author Sarah Young Dies at 77
‘Jesus Calling’ author Sarah Young passed away from cancer Thursday night, just days after it was reported she was failing health. She was 77.
Published in 2004, Jesus Calling has 45 million copies in print. It is one of the most recognizable devotional books in recent history and has spawned a multitude of spin-offs, all the while being one of the most dangerous books released in the last twenty years for it’s espousal of mysticism, speaking for God, extra-biblical assertions, automatic writing, and rejecting the sufficiency of the scriptures.
In an obituary released by her publisher, Laura Minchew, Senior Vice President and Group Publisher of the Children’s and Gift Book Group at Harper Collins Christian Publishing, writes, “Sarah was a dear friend who will be deeply missed. Through nearly 20 years of publishing with Sarah, I had a firsthand seat at seeing millions of lives changed through the Jesus Calling books. Her books have met people in their darkest hours, taught children about Jesus, and changed lives for eternity. Knowing Sarah professionally and personally has been the privilege of a lifetime.”
Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Sarah earned her undergraduate degree in philosophy. She credited her background in philosophy and Francis Schaeffer’s Escape from Reason as her motivation for studying with L’Abri Fellowship, a Christian community in a tiny Alpine village in France, where she became a Christian. Sarah earned a master’s degree in biblical studies and counseling from Covenant Theological Seminary. There she met Stephen Young, whom she married in 1977.
In 1977, Sarah and Stephen joined World Presbyterian Missions, which in 1983 merged into Mission to the World (MTW), the global missions-sending agency of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). They spent eight and a half years planting churches and ministering in Japan. From 1987 to 1991, Sarah and Stephen were on loan to Mission to North America, working with the Westminster Japanese Church in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1991, Sarah and Stephen moved to Melbourne, Australia, and began a Japanese language church in cooperation with the Presbyterian Church of Victoria. In 2001, the Youngs moved to Perth, where Sarah began contemplating and eventually revising her personal devotional journals into the manuscript for what would become Jesus Calling. In 2013, Steve and Sarah returned to Nashville, Tennessee, where they remained active with the PCA.
Sarah is survived by her husband, two children, and six grandchildren.
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How tragic it is when someone like that passes from this world and faces judgment after promulgating so much false teaching. The only thing we can hope is that somehow, someway, the Lord sent someone to her, and he used that to give her a new heart that was circumcised. Based on the evidence we have on Young’s fruit, we have reason to doubt that.
Matthew 7:1-5 ESV
I actually had a well-respected local minister recommend Young’s book during a Bible study. It was years before I tossed it and I am still ashamed of my lack of discernment.
If you don’t like her, she’s probably a decent teacher! Your “refutation” of her claims is pathetic – yes there is more to communion with God than reading the Bible. It’s called prayer. The Bible itself mentions it once or twice. If that’s mysticism, then call me a mystic!
Jesus Calling is one of the most blasphemous and heretical books of our time and it has deceived many people and even robbed many precious souls of their salvation. Sarah Young was deceived and she deceived others. Sarah Young Channeled a false Jesus and she dabbled in the occult. There is clear documentation on that. Mysticism is at best, unbiblical. At worst, it is satanic. Had Sarah Young been saved, she would have pulled and burned every heretical book she’s ever written and publicly warned others of her own deception. The Holy Spirit would have convicted her of that.
You’re writing wise, scriptural words, Lestie. That won’t do for the people who like to be led by their own foolish hearts.
‘The heart is deceitful above all things…’
Yeah, David, but the thing is she didn’t point to biblical prayer as described in the scriptures, she added her own instructions, too. Your comment doesn’t even remotely deal with that, you just typed a knee jerk reply because you don’t like the truth.
These kinds of books are a bad idea, whether or not they reflect Scripture. Let Jesus’ words remain as they are in the Bible. There are no new words from him to be written down. We have the Bible, which is sufficient for us to know God and serve him forever. – Doug Groothuis
Exactly. Nuf said.
Sarah Young’s influence may have reached more souls to embrace faith in the Bible than we could count in our worship services. As far as I know, she never claimed her ‘words’ were equal to scripture although actual Bible quotes accompanied her devotionals. I offer the following Bible Scripture for all your reader’s consideration: John:10-16
‘May have reached’
‘As far as I know’
Your comment might say something meaningful.
Listen to yourself. Be kind. I agree with Julia, she did quote scripture on every single page with whatever was written in italics. Nothing extra biblical from what I recall from when I read her devotional books (there wasnt anything, or give me an example). I’m sure Sarah Young has great rewards in heaven for her contributions to the kingdom and helping people learn to be more intimate with their Savior. Who are all these people to judge her when they haven’t read her books? False witnesses! Her Mansion is likely bigger than all these haters’.
I thought Jesus Calling was wrong and too bold for anyone to write in 1st person of the Christ UNTIL I compared it with the reference scripture at the bottom of the page (took awhile). IT’S spot on every single time. I’ve read it daily for years. I’ve shared it daily. If just for a moment, just long enough to reflect what it says, As I read, with a fresh heart, I have peace, patience, Love, understanding, faith, joy even for a little while, I have learned that Yeshua Hamashiach loves me every morning. For those that can read scripture fresh in the morning and come away feeling like that, you have found GOD’s Love for you.