Favorite Books on...
FYI: Just because we’ve included a book in our “Favorite Books” section does not necessarily mean we agree with every point or that we endorse the author, book, or organization without reservation. We want you to examine every book in the light of God’s Word.
God:
Tough Questions About God, Faith, and Life: Answers to the Difficult Questions Teens Ask
by Charles Colson and Anne Morse
Life is full of tough questions. But where can you turn to find the answers? The authors of this book tackle many of the hard questions young people are asking. If you’ve ever wondered if life really has any meaning, or why a good and loving God would use suffering to change us, or how to know God’s will for your life, this is the book for you.
The authors also offer insight on current issues including cloning, abortion, and politics in a way that is practical and easy to understand. This resource is perfect for providing insight on how to discuss the tough questions about Christianity with your teachers and peers. The format is easy to use and topics are addressed in a manner that is concrete and reader-friendly.
Making It Real: Whose Faith Is It Anyway?
by T. Suzanne Eller
If you've grown up going to church, or call yourself a Christian,
you've probably heard every Bible story, and everything you're supposed
to believe. But what do you really believe? Do you rely on a
hand-me-down faith or a set of rules and directions in your head and
not your heart? What does it mean to build a personal relationship with
God?
Here's an opportunity to ask these kinds of questions without feeling like the spotlight is trained on you. Making It Real will help your faith grow into a dynamic relationship with God as you get rid of "churchianity" and find out if your faith really is more than a habit. You'll discover who God is to you, if you trust Him when life is unfair, and whether you're ready to trust. Packed with real stories from real teens, practical biblical teaching, five days of devotions for each chapter, and space for journaling, Making It Real will help your articulate exactly what YOU believe and why.
Myself:
Does God Really Care What I Wear?
by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Does God really care what you wear? The answer is yes. Now what? Nancy Leigh DeMoss uses a combination of Scriptures, questions, and common sense in a compact little booklet to guide women toward an understanding of the power and purpose of modest dressing. This book will challenge you to answer tough questions like “Who decides what I wear and why?” “What message does my clothing communicate?” and “Am I seeking to honor Jesus in everything—including the way I dress?” This book serves as a reminder that modesty is ultimately an issue of the heart.
Secret Keeper: The Delicate Power of Modesty
by Dannah Gresh
Pick up this book before your next trip to the mall. Secret Keeper is a must-read for every young woman seeking to honor God’s plan for her body and beauty. This little book combines eye-catching graphics, conversational writing, and practical tips to teach readers to embrace modesty while proving that being modest doesn’t mean dressing like your grandmother. Author Dannah Gresh presents the truth about why dressing modestly matters, and then gives her readers the know-how to test their wardrobe with her very own “Truth or Bare Fashion Tests.” She proves that modesty is valuable, possible, and even fashionable!
Graffiti: Learning to See the Art in Ourselves
by Erin Davis
Young women today face many self-image and identity issues. Fueled by media in magazines, movies, and television, they are presented with a standard of physical beauty few obtain. In "Graffiti: Learning to see the Art in Ourselves" Erin Davis looks to the Bible to see what God says about our identity and what is beautiful. Ideal for women of all ages, "Graffiti" will open your eyes to the source of true and lasting beauty.
Girl Talk: Mother–Daughter Conversations on Biblical Womanhood
by Carolyn Mahaney and Nicole Whitacre
For many of us, our moms (or step-moms, or grandmas) are our primary example of what it means to be a godly woman. But the specifics of becoming a God-honoring woman can be awkward to talk about. This book is written by a mother-daughter team whose candid and conversational writing style will entertain and encourage you. The authors provide tips and strategies designed to promote open discussion and dialogue among moms and their daughters. Girl Talk will give you fresh insight into God’s Word regarding what it means to be a woman, while strengthening your relationship and ability to communicate with your own mom.
Let Me Be A Woman
by Elisabeth Elliot
Let Me Be a Woman offers the secrets to finding peace about who you really are as a Christian woman. Elisabeth Elliot uses a biblical foundation to address important issues like subordination, the single life, masculinity vs. femininity, and what makes a marriage work. Elisabeth Elliot’s style is practical and inspirational.
A Young Woman After God’s Own Heart: A Teen’s Guide to Friends, Faith, Family, and the Future
by Elizabeth George
Being a Christian is one thing, understanding and following God’s plan for your life is another. Through this book, Elizabeth George teaches you how to discover a meaningful prayer life and gives you the keys to understanding and seeking God’s priorities for your life. She addresses important topics including how to grow close to God, how to make wise choices, how to enjoy meaningful relationships, and how to build a better future. But this book offers more than just advice. It includes practical features including action steps, places for you to respond, and questions designed to drive you into the Word.
Becoming a True Woman: While I’m Trying to Make it Through Middle School
and
Becoming a True Woman: While I Still Have a Curfew
by Susan Hunt
Are you looking for a Bible study designed to help you develop the qualities of a godly woman? Does it seem like studying the purpose and practice of biblical womanhood is reserved for women your mom’s age? Author Susan Hunt has developed a fun and functional Bible study designed with young women in mind. The study approaches foundational issues such as the purpose of women, our design as helpers and servants, and our role in helping others live for God’s glory.
The book also equips readers to encourage and accept others, forgive, comfort, and develop a love for the church. Each lesson is scripturally based and also includes response questions, action steps, and journal pages. Choose the study that is appropriate for your age. Becoming a True Woman: While I am Trying to Make it Through Middle School is written with pre-teen readers in mind. Becoming a True Woman: While I Still Have a Curfew is designed with teen readers in mind.
Becoming a True Woman Leader’s Guide
by Susan Hunt
Are you looking for a resource designed to equip you to teach young women the foundations of biblical womanhood? Susan Hunt has created a leader’s guide with that purpose in mind. The Becoming a True Woman Leader’s Guide is a complete curriculum with everything you need to address the foundational principles of biblical womanhood with the young women in your sphere of influence. In addition to lesson plans, the guide includes application suggestions catered to varying age and maturity levels, memory verses, and suggestions for nurturing community among your girls.
Relationships:
And the Bride Wore White
by Dannah Gresh
Do you wonder why purity matters? Have your parents and youth pastors challenged you to wait but failed to equip you with the know-how you need to follow through with your commitment? Does it seem like you are the only one waiting in your sex-saturated culture? Do you long for someone to talk to instead of just hearing another one-sided sex talk?
Join the over 100,000 young women who have found the answers to these questions within the pages of And the Bride Wore White by Dannah Gresh. Dannah’s conversational style makes you feel like you’re engaged in an intimate conversation with a close friend as you learn the strategies and skills necessary to make and keep a commitment to purity. The celebration edition of the book also includes stories of triumph from girls just like you who have been challenged and changed by the message of purity presented by Dannah, proving that you are not alone in your commitment to purity. The result is a book that is both inspirational and practical. You’re going to love it!
Passion and Purity
by Elisabeth Elliot
For over twenty years young men and women have turned to Passion and Purity for guidance on their sexuality, dating lives, and desires for marriage. Author Elisabeth Elliot tells the romantic story of her relationship with Jim Elliot through letters, diary entries, and memories. This story, combined with meaningful biblical teaching, provides practical and sound advice for building your dating life on the foundation of Christ. It is honest, practical, and relevant.
Every Young Woman’s Battle: Guarding Your Mind, Heart, and Body in a Sex-Saturated World
by Shannon Ethridge
It is easy to become over-saturated by the sexual messages offered by the world. As a result, it can be difficult to develop a healthy perspective of sexuality and the possibility of purity. Shannon Ethridge offers an honest and real approach to these issues. The result is inspiring and practical. What makes this book unique is the author’s willingness to tackle tough issues through honest and open writing.
Shannon will equip you to make right choices by helping you to understand your own sexuality, your desire for attention from guys, and the influence of the sexual messages offered by pop culture. She will also give you the tools you need to guard your heart, mind, and body against sexual and emotional compromise while simultaneously driving you toward a deeper intimacy with Christ.
For Young Women Only
by Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa A. Rice
Do you wonder how guys tick? Would you love the chance to glimpse inside their head to grasp what they’re thinking? Authors Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa A. Rice have cracked the code of how guys work in For Young Women Only. This book presents the results of a national survey of over 400 young men (wouldn’t you love to have been a part of that research!) and sheds valuable insight into how God wired the opposite sex. Through survey results and real-life quotes and stories from guys ages 15 to 20, the male perspective on important issues like respect, insecurity, appearance, and physical affection is revealed. It’s like reading the secret diary of more than 400 boys! This book will help you understand the unique ways that guys were made so that you can better understand and enjoy your relationships with them.
Boy Meets Girl
by Joshua Harris
Joshua Harris wrote this book the year after he was married as a follow-up to I Kissed Dating Goodbye. It offers practical and useful information on what biblical courtship is, how it worked for Joshua and his wife, and ideas and suggestions for practicing courtship in your own relationship. Joshua describes the book as “an intentional, God-pleasing game-plan for finding a future spouse.” In addition to offering advice, Joshua presents his own story along with the stories of several other couples. As a result, the book is realistic and romantic.
When God Writes Your Love Story
by Eric and Leslie Ludy
If you could script your love story, how would it play out? Have past heartbreaks left you wondering if happily ever after is possible? Eric and Leslie Ludy reveal the secrets to answering these questions in When God Writes Your Love Story. This book focuses on the fact that God loves you and wants what is best for you; therefore He is the Master Author of your love relationships. It is a helpful reminder that only by doing God’s will can we truly find fulfillment in our relationships. The authors offer practical advice for how to build a God-honoring relationship and practice romance God’s way.
