One of the effective things we’ve done to help our kids understand Christian living is to assign a book on Christian life, then discuss it with them. It’s a great way to get a conversation going! I’ve also read Christian living books aloud to the boys each morning since they were about eight- and nine-years-old after we studied the Bible with Bible Road Trip™.
You can do it too! You’ll be surprised, once you make a habit of incorporating Christian living books into your family rhythm, how much your teens know about the Christian life, the Bible, and even deeper theology. Check out these great books to get you started.
Christian Life Books | The Basics
First Steps Box Set: 10 book set
Rebels Rescued (A Students Guide)God’s Story: A Student’s Guide to Church HistoryWater the Earth: A Student’s Guide to MissionsNew Believer’s Guide to the Christian Life
There are lots of great books on the basics of the Christian life. These are some of my favorite choices for teens.
- First Steps Box Set, series edited by Mez McConnell (Christian Focus Publications)
- This Christian living book set is only 3 days old by the publication of this post. I haven’t gotten my hands on it yet, but I love Christian Focus (and write books for them!), and I think the set sounds wonderful for helping teens think through the basics of the Christian life. There are 10 books in the set, written by several authors:
- God – Is He Out There?
- War – Why Did Life Just Get Harder?
- Voices – Who Am I Listening To?
- Bible – Can We Trust It?
- Believe – What Should I Know?
- Character – How Do I Change?
- Training – How Do I Grow As A Christian?
- Church – Do I Have To Go?
- Relationships – How Do I Make Things Right?
- Service – How Do I Give Back?
- Here’s what Christian Focus has to say about the set: “The First Steps series is written for people who have just started following Jesus. Using plain, everyday language each book explains something about the Christian life. The books can be worked through on your own, with a friend or mentor, or in a group, and no ‘church’ knowledge is required.”
- This Christian living book set is only 3 days old by the publication of this post. I haven’t gotten my hands on it yet, but I love Christian Focus (and write books for them!), and I think the set sounds wonderful for helping teens think through the basics of the Christian life. There are 10 books in the set, written by several authors:
- Rebels Rescued: A Student’s Guide to Reformed Theology by Brian Cosby (Christian Focus Publications)
- Brian Cosby explains Reformed theology in an understandable way, written especially for teens. Mr. Cosby intertwines stories and metaphors, history, and Scripture to explain each point. Your teens will be able to explain what the Five Solas and TULIP mean.
- Thinking Kids Review
- God’s Story: A Student’s Guide to Church History by Brian Cosby (Christian Focus Publications)
- From the Old Testament to present, Cosbydoes a fabulous job of giving a church history summary from a theologically conservative, Protestant viewpoint. Mr. Cosby writes in a conversational narrative that’s not pretentious, but it’s also not condescending. His voice and tone are perfect for middle and high school students.
- Thinking Kids Review
- Water the Earth: A Student’s Guide to Missions by Aaron Little (Christian Focus Publications)
- Water the Earth is a great tool to help your students think through the theology and practical implications and impact of missions, both short-term and long-term. Aaron Little hopes we can apply God’s Word and a little common sense to our view of missions. As Aaron Little mentions several times in the book, 80,000 people will die today without hearing the good news of the gospel. The theology of missions is an issue we need to address with our youth. I can’t think of a reason not to. Can you?
- Thinking Kids Review
- The New Believer’s Guide to the Christian Life by Alex Early (Bethany House Publishers)
- The New Believer’s Guide to the Christian Life does a really good job of explaining to teens (and new adult believers as well) what the Bible has to say about the Christian life. It is narrative, down-to-earth, easy to read, and grounded in Scripture. It covers both God’s love for us, and the way we express our love for God. It’s a great read for the new (or young) Christian seeking to live a life in relationship with Christ and with his body, the Church.
- Thinking Kids Review
Christian Living Books | The Bible
Taking God At His Word: Why the Bible Is Knowable, Necessary, and Enough, and What That Means for You and Me (Paperback Edition)How to Enjoy Reading Your BibleHow We Got the BiblePraying the Bible
It’s so important that our teens study the Bible. It’s also important that they learn about the Bible. These are some great books to get them started.
- Taking God at His Word by Kevin DeYoung (Crossway)
- Kevin DeYoung’s short book is a great exposition of the doctrine of Scripture. Your teens will learn that God’s Word is inspired, inerrant, and infallible. It’s also sufficient, clear, authoritative, and necessary.
- How to Enjoy Reading Your Bible by Keith Ferrin (Bethany House Publishers)
- Keith Ferrin loves the Bible and wants you to love it too. His book How to Enjoy Reading Your Bible is engaging and accessible, with a discussion section following each of his ten tips. The format is perfect for middle and high school students. The book is also a great read for parents. At 155 pages with plenty of white space, it doesn’t take long to navigate the text, and you just may find some unique and helpful hints when it comes to your Scripture reading.
- Thinking Kids Review
- How We Got the Bible by Timothy Paul Jones, PhD (Rose Publishing)
- This glossy-paged, colorful volume will reinforce some of the doctrine of Scripture. Your teens will have a basic understanding of the doctrine of Scripture, the canons of the Old and New Testament, and how we got the English-language Bible.
- Praying the Bible by Donald S. Whitney (Crossway)
- This short volume is the most helpful book I’ve read on how to pray from Scripture. It’s a wonderful volume that every Christian should read, and it’s entirely accessible for teens.
Christian Living | Dig Deeper
Grace Works! (And Ways We Think It Doesn’t)Unimaginable: What Our World Would Be Like Without ChristianityA Visual Theology Guide to the Bible: Seeing and Knowing God’s Word
As your teens learn about living the Christian life, you’ll want to go deeper with them into theology and apologetics. These three books will give you a good start.
- Grace Works! (And Ways We Think It Doesn’t) by Douglas Bond (P&R Publishing)
- Grace Works! is a wonderful exposition of God’s free gift of saving grace. The book is sectioned into 7 parts with 29 chapters (and 2 appendices) for a total of 302 pages. The chapters are hefty in material, but they’re broken up by frequent sub-headings, personal narrative, and stories of Church history, making them easier to apply and to divide into smaller chunks if necessary. Each chapter ends with readings in Scripture, the Belgic or Westminster Confessions, study questions, and a prayer focus. These aspects of the book make it ideal for family study.
- Thinking Kids Review
- Unimaginable: What Our World Would Be Like Without Christianity by Jeremiah J. Johnston (Bethany House Publishers)
- Unimaginable is a fascinating read, and entirely accessible. It’s written as a narrative history rather than a scholarly treatise, so your teens won’t struggle at all with the language and format. Dr. Jeremiah Johnston makes a succinct case for the argument that Christianity has changed the world substantially for the better as Christians strive to carry out Jesus’ teachings and commands.
- Thinking Kids Review
- A Visual Theology Guide to the Bible by Tim Challies (Zondervan)
- Visual Theology is a solid overview of the Christian life. The 155-page book is divided into four sections with two or three chapters per section. Each chapter has several graphics (the “visual” part), and the subsections of the chapters often have little icons that coordinate with the graphics for the chapter. Overall, the book is primarily text, with some color, and interesting visuals. If your middle school and high school students have been raised in church, chapters one through four will likely all be something they’ve learned before, but it’s all good information to review frequently. You really can’t hear the gospel too frequently.
- Thinking Kids Review
Bible Resources for Your Kids
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Martin Luther and the Reformation
Teach your teens about Martin Luther and the Reformation in an exciting, new way with When Lightning Struck!: The Story of Martin Luther!
As Luther’s understanding of the spiritual corruption within the Church grew, and he despaired of true salvation, Luther (now a scholar and priest) sought the Bible for answers. Following his discovery of the true gospel in Scripture, Luther began to preach spiritual freedom to his congregation, and to teach biblical (rather than philosophical) theology at the University of Wittenberg.
It was on October 31, 1517 that Martin Luther penned his Ninety-Five Theses in Latin in response to the abusive indulgence sales practices of the monk Johann Tetzel in a nearby town. Luther nailed the Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church, the scholarly bulletin board of his day, and mailed a copy to the Archbishop of Mainz. Luther hoped to start a scholarly debate about the practice of selling salvation through plenary indulgences. The response he received was greater–and more dangerous–than he imagined it would be.
Luther’s story is exciting. There are death defying moments, epic spiritual battles, narrow escapes, a kidnapping, revolution, and war. As the “Father of the Reformation”, Luther is a vital figure in Church history. His sacrifice and willingness to wage battle against the spiritual, religious, and political powers of his medieval world allowed Christians throughout time to embrace the truth of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone as explained by Scripture alone once again. May all glory be to God alone!
Read portions of the first eight chapters of When Lightning Struck!:
Grab the autographed Reformation Family Bundle!
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