Recommended Reading for Young Adults

It seems that as each generation reaches early adulthood, the world produces yet another batch of self-help books and how-to guides meant to help young men and women thrive—or at least survive! So often, though, such books leave us yearning for something more.

Truth For Life recommends the following books, which all have one thing in common: they draw lasting truth and life-changing application from the rich well of God’s Word. The books on this list, filled with both timeless classics and modern treasures will help guide young adults down the path of true contentment, encouraging them to grow in holiness and reminding them that there is indeed something incredible worth living for each day.

Respectable Sins

by Jerry Bridges available from NavPress

The Christian journey is a life of practiced godliness, but too often we overlook or minimize sins that, while corrosive and destructive to ourselves… (more)

The Christian journey is a life of practiced godliness, but too often we overlook or minimize sins that, while corrosive and destructive to ourselves and those around us, are overshadowed by more flashy, headline-grabbing sins. This classic book from Jerry Bridges helps readers understand and commit to a life of holiness by examining patterns of behavior we often accept as normal rather than as violations of God’s law.

cover image for rare jewel of Christian contentment

The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

by Jeremiah Burroughs available from Banner of Truth

Burroughs’s writings, some published before and others after his death, were numerous, but The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment is one of the most… (more)

Burroughs’s writings, some published before and others after his death, were numerous, but The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment is one of the most valuable. Its author was much concerned to promote peace among believers of various persuasions and contentment in the hearts of individual believers during what he described as “sad and sinking times.” The Rare Jewel concentrates upon this second aim. It is marked by sanity, clarity, aptness of illustration, and warmth of appeal to the heart as Burroughs presses his lesson home with all the fervor and cogency of a true and faithful minister of God.

Is This It?

by Rachel Jones available from The Good Book Company

Sooner or later, most of us find that adult life is not all it’s cracked up to be. At some point we take a look at where we’ve got to and wonder, “Is…

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Sooner or later, most of us find that adult life is not all it’s cracked up to be. At some point we take a look at where we’ve got to and wonder, “Is this it? Why did no one warn me that adult life was going to be this… difficult?”

Rachel Jones is twenty-something, trying to keep it together, and ready to say what we’re all thinking. Whether you’re just feeling a bit lost or having a full “quarter-life crisis,” this funny, honest, hopeful book reveals the difference Jesus makes to the challenges of adulting.

Thoughts for Young Men

by J. C. Ryle available from Banner of Truth

There are four great temptations that plague most young men: sloth, lust, love of pleasure, and peer pressure. J. C. Ryle—the last of the great… (more)

There are four great temptations that plague most young men: sloth, lust, love of pleasure, and peer pressure. J. C. Ryle—the last of the great Puritans—tackles each of these subjects with a tenderness and tact which is unsurpassed. If it was difficult to be a young man in the days of the nineteenth century, when Ryle first penned Thoughts for Young Men, it is all the more difficult to be a young man in the twenty-first century world of image overload, radical individualism, and rampant sensuality. Thoughts for Young Men remains to this day one of the most relevant and helpful books on the subject in print.

Don’t Waste Your Life

by John Piper available from Crossway

Some people spend their lives on trivial diversions, seeking worldly comfort and pleasure above all else. But Jesus said, “Whoever loses his life for… (more)

Some people spend their lives on trivial diversions, seeking worldly comfort and pleasure above all else. But Jesus said, “Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it,” pointing to the eternal purpose and God-exalting joy to which all Christians are called. In this best-selling book, John Piper passionately warns readers of the dangers of a life that counts for nothing, calling Christians to take risks in their lives that matter for eternity—with a passion for the glory of God that seeks to make much of him in all spheres of life.

The Mortification of Sin

by John Owen available from Banner of Truth

In this abridgment of The Mortification of Sin, the famous Puritan John Owen shows the need for Christians to engage in a lifelong battle against the… (more)

In this abridgment of The Mortification of Sin, the famous Puritan John Owen shows the need for Christians to engage in a lifelong battle against the sinful tendencies that remain in them, despite their having been brought to faith and new life in Christ. Owen is very insistent that believers cannot hope to succeed in this battle in their own strength. He sees clearly that the fight can be won only through faith in Christ and in the power of the Spirit. Fighting sin with human strength will produce only self-righteousness, superstition, and anxiety of conscience. But with faith in Christ and with the power of the Spirit, victory is certain. The temptations in times like Owen’s and ours are obvious on every side; the remedy to them is clearly pointed out in this practical and helpful book.

Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will

by Kevin DeYoung available from Moody Publishers

Why won’t God reveal his special will for my life already?Because he doesn’t intend to...So says Kevin DeYoung in this punchy book about making…

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Why won’t God reveal his special will for my life already? Because he doesn’t intend to... So says Kevin DeYoung in this punchy book about making decisions the godly way.

Many of us are listening for the still small voice to tell us what’s next instead of listening to the clear voice in Scripture telling us what’s now. God does have a will for your life, but it is the same as everyone else’s: Seek first the kingdom of God. And quit floundering.

With pastoral wisdom and tasteful wit, DeYoung debunks unbiblical ways of understanding God’s will and constructs a simple but biblical alternative: live like Christ. He exposes the frustrations of our waiting games and unfolds the freedom of finding God’s will in Scripture and then simply doing it.

This book is a call to put down our Magic 8-Balls and pick up God’s Word. It’s a call to get wisdom, follow Christ, be holy, and live freely. To just do something.

Made for His Pleasure: Ten Benchmarks of a Vital Faith

by Alistair Begg available from Moody Publishers

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… (more)

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.

Knowing God

by J. I. Packer available from IVP Academic

For over forty years, J. I. Packer’s classic has been an important tool to help Christians around the world discover the wonder, the glory, and the… (more)

For over forty years, J. I. Packer’s classic has been an important tool to help Christians around the world discover the wonder, the glory, and the joy of knowing God. Stemming from Packer’s profound theological knowledge, Knowing God brings together two important facets of the Christian faith: knowing about God and also knowing God through the context of a close relationship with the person of Jesus Christ. Written in an engaging and practical tone, this thought-provoking work seeks to transform and enrich the Christian understanding of God.

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life

by Donald S. Whitney available from NavPress

Donald S. Whitney changed how Christians approached the spiritual disciplines with the original release of this bestselling classic. Whitney draws… (more)

Donald S. Whitney changed how Christians approached the spiritual disciplines with the original release of this bestselling classic. Whitney draws from a rich heritage of godly believers from Christian history, guiding readers through a carefully selected array of disciplines including Scripture reading, worship, silence and solitude, journaling, and more. He shows how the spiritual disciplines, far from being legalistic, restrictive, or binding as they’re often perceived, are actually the means to unparalleled spiritual liberty.

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