The Teenage Years
Searching. That is the word I use to describe my teenage years. I could not have clearly expressed it to you back then, but I was searching for answers to questions like these:
Who or what will satisfy the deepest desires of my heart?
Who or what will I value more than anything else?
Who or what will guide me both now and into eternity?
As a teenager, I looked for answers to these questions in all the wrong places: athletics, friendships, and dating. But in my early 20s, I concluded that the God who reveals himself in the Bible was the one I was searching for. He is not only the Creator and Ruler over all people and things, but he is also the one who reveals himself as the heavenly Father to all who trust in him and his Son, Jesus Christ.
As you determine the direction and focus of your life, the resources below will point you in the right direction. But don’t limit yourself to “The Teenage Years” category: the other thirty-five boxes contain resources that will help you transition into adulthood.
The Rebelution: A website dedicated to helping teenagers rebel against low expectations.
Growing in Godliness by Lindsey Carlson (1): Practical advice for establishing a Christ-centered direction for your life.
*This Changes Everything by Jaquelle Crowe (1): The author explains how loving Jesus impacts eights aspects of our lives.
*Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild by Mary A. Kassian (2): The author contrasts young women who are wild (recklessly living apart from God and his Word) with those who are wise (faithfully living with God and in submission to his Word). Note her companion guide. Young men will also benefit from reading this book to learn, for example, what to look for in a young woman.
Breaking the Idols of Your Heart by Dan B. Allender & Tremper Longman III (2 or 3): My definition of an idol is anything or anyone we love, value, desire, enjoy, trust in, or hope in more than God himself. The authors explore seven idols to which we often turn and encourage us to turn to God and Jesus Christ. The sooner you turn from these idols, the better.