Recommended Reading for Students

Pastor and author Kevin DeYoung counsels Christians to settle down, make choices, and do the hard work of seeing those choices through. “Too often,” he writes, “God's people tinker around with churches, jobs, and relationships, worrying that they haven't found God's perfect will for their lives. Or, even worse, they do absolutely nothing, stuck in a frustrated state of paralyzed indecision, waiting for clear, direct, unmistakable direction.” Just Do Something will resonate with young men and women looking for direction.

Parents of teenagers in high school will appreciate this resource as they wade through a myriad of details concerning college applications, financial aid applications and admissions procedures. Tom Shaw, as a parent of college-bound teens, and as a seasoned educator and Christian college administrator, helps parents guide their teens to making the best choice for their college experience.

Tom Shaw helps parents answer questions like: Is college the right choice for my teen? Would my teen thrive best in a secular or Christian environment? What are the differences between private, liberal arts and big state schools? How do I get involved without appearing controlling or overbearing? Written from the perspective of a Christian parent, this book places particular emphasis on the parent's role as nurturer and shepherd of their child's spiritual future.

It's easy to slip through life without taking any risks or without making life count. But life is not to be  wasted. John Piper teaches young men and women that they “don't need to know a lot of things to make a lasting difference in the world, but have to know the few, great, unchanging, and glorious things that matter and be willing to live and die for them.”

John Piper's plea to a generation is, “Don't waste your life!” This book is a passionate call to make life count for eternity. He acknowledges that there are risks for those who seek to make a lasting difference by faith, yet believes that they are risks worth taking for the cause of the Gospel.

Lee Strobel applies his journalistic perspective to answer questions about Jesus by evaluating the credible evidence that proves Jesus of Nazareth really is the Son of God.

Retracing his own spiritual journey from atheism to faith, Lee Strobel, former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune, cross-examines a dozen experts with doctorates from schools like Cambridge, Princeton, and Brandeis who are recognized authorities in their own fields. Strobel challenges them with questions like: How reliable is the New Testament? Does evidence for Jesus exist outside the Bible? Is there any reason to believe the resurrection was an actual event?

Strobel's point-blank questions make this Gold Medallion-winning book a recommended read for college students looking for pragmatic answers.

Pleasing God is not a matter of personal choice, but an imperative that must be taken seriously. In a world of self, we must give way to the priority of God if we want to experience His joy. In his popular book, Made for His Pleasure, Alistair Begg identifies ten benchmarks from Scripture that will prove invaluable as you seek to live a life that is pleasing to God.

The Bible says we must be prepared to give an account of our faith in the face of questions or opposition (1 Peter 3:15). That responsibility is especially important for parents or others who teach children God’s Word. Yet it can be quite a challenge to give biblical answers to questions younger people, and especially teenagers, ask on many contemporary topics.

In A.S.K.: Real World Questions / Real Word Answers, pastor and apologist David Robertson answers fifty-two questions posed by real teenagers from around the world. Addressing dozens of topics from Harry Potter to the gender of God to transgender lifestyles, A.S.K. is a one-stop resource for parents and youth leaders eager to give biblical guidance on a sweeping range of pressing subjects.

Written in an engaging, accessible style, A.S.K. provides clear, easy-to-understand answers that will help teenagers think biblically on numerous vital topics. Each chapter contains a key biblical text, a discussion of the chapter’s topic, recommended reading on the subject, and a closing prayer.