While there are a number of things we can do with our teens to help them develop their faith, including reading the Bible with them, praying with them, and looking for opportunities to have deep conversations on important topics, we can also help our teens develop and grow by providing them with solid Christian books.
Take a look at ten books that will help grow your teen’s faith.
Christian Books for Your Teen to Read
When Lightning Struck!: The Story of Martin Luther by Danika Cooley
When Lightning Struck!: The Story of Martin Luther is a fast-paced, action-packed novel of Martin Luther’s life, teen readers (and more than a few adults!) will be introduced to a fascinating time when princes ruled Europe and knights roamed the countryside. They’ll learn about a time when powerful forces lined up against each other and believing the wrong thing could get you killed.
When Lightning Struck! is far more than just an adventure story, of course. It also tells a theological story. Drawing carefully from Luther’s own words, this book introduces readers to a kindred spirit who struggled with what knowing God through Scripture means for daily life. They will understand what was at stake and how powerfully liberating Luther’s idea of grace through faith was in his time and in ours!
Read portions of the first eight chapters of When Lightning Struck!.
Life Hacks: Letting God Sort It by Mary-Louis Stone
Life Hacks: Letting God Sort It is a teen guide to living modern life through the guidance of God’s word. This book helps your teen look at God’s “hacks” for life through a series of 50 to-the-point devotions.
A Young Person’s Guide to Knowing God by Patricia St. John
A Young Person’s Guide to Knowing God covers the important questions teens have about God through real-life stories, prayers, and thought-provoking questions. Topics covered include:
- Who is God and what is he like?
- Why is there so much suffering in the world?
- Wasn’t I born a Christian?
- Does Jesus care about me?
- Can I really know God?
You Asked: Your Questions. God’s Answers. by William Edgar
You Asked: Your Questions. God’s Answers. tackles twenty-four questions young people ask from a biblical, common sense point of view. Questions answered include: ‘Where is God?’ ‘Can we trust the Bible?’ ‘What about love and sex?’ ‘Does God love gay people?’ ‘When will the world end?’ ‘Are there vampires?’ ‘Can I have real friends?’
Rebels Rescued: A Student’s Guide to Reformed Theology by Brian Cosby
Rebels Rescued: A Student’s Guide to Reformed Theology intertwines stories and metaphors, history, and Scripture to explain Reformed theology for your teens. Each chapter is followed by four or five “Reflection Questions” meant to spur teen to apply what they’ve learned. This is an excellent resource from Brian Cosby.
Read my review here.
Water the Earth: A Student’s Guide to Missions by Aaron Little
Water the Earth: A Student’s Guide to Missions 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 doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to highlighting the broken, narcissistic theology of the West, but he does hold out hope that we can apply God’s Word and a little common sense to our view of missions.
Read my review here.
God’s Story: A Student’s Guide to Church History by Brian Cosby
God’s Story: A Student’s Guide to Church History does a fabulous job of giving an overview of church history 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. In 138 pages, Brian Cosby takes us through the important points of church history beginning in the Old Testament and ending with the challenges and blessings facing today’s Church.
Read my review here.
Input – Output: Getting to the Heart of Personal Prayer and Bible Study by Jo Boddam-Whetham
Input – Output: Getting to the Heart of Personal Prayer and Bible Study will encourage your teens to spend time in God’s word and praying. These spiritual disciplines are essential to your teen’s growth and this book will help them better understand the importance of taking time to meet with God.
101 Devotions for Guys: From the Lives of Great Christians by Rebecca Davis
101 Devotions for Guys: From the Lives of Great Christians takes stories directly from Christian history. In 101 devotionals for boys, each two page spread includes a short story from Christian history followed by a relevant Bible verse and a very short prayer.
Read my review here.
101 Devotions for Girls: From the Lives of Great Christians by Rebecca Davis
101 Devotions for Girls: From the Lives of Great Christians takes stories directly from Christian history. In 101 devotionals for girls, each two page spread includes a short story from Christian history followed by a relevant Bible verse and a very short prayer.
Read my review here.
Giving good Christian books to your teen to read is a great way to encourage them to grow in Christ. These 10 books are a great start!
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!:
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Those book look so neat and useful! Young people really need books that lead them to Jesus at their own level… they don’t completely feel adults or kids, but can definitely grow and identify as God’s warriors if equipped properly. God bless you for such a wonderful giveaway!
This would be so helpful. My eldest is in a really dark place right now and I so desperately am looking for ways to help her.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Where is the actual entry form to win the books for teens?
Hi, Tori. It’s near the bottom of the post under the big Giveaway title and before the Posts You’ll Love title.
There’s just a black box showing in that spot on my computer. 🙁
Can you try a different browser, Emily? It’s working for me on Chrome on my cell and my laptop.
I am such a book nut. I love building a personal library for my family. These books look as if they would be a great addition!!
Very exciting!!
I would love them for my son!
I’m loving all of these giveaways! Thanks so much!
the devotionals
All the giveaways, especially the devotionals are wonderful!
Thanks so much this would be a great package to win.
What excites me the most about these books is my love for books and being able to share them with others in my life. Thank you!
I’m excited about the high school bundle!
I’m always looking for good-for-them books for my kids to read! Thank you!
These books look amazing for my son!
It’s always good to have extra books, right?
Several here I would love to read myself before passing on to all my favorite teens!
The books look great!
We love to read
Even if I don’t win, I definitely found some new titles to put on my ThriftBooks wishlist! Thanks for the recommendations!!
Love this list! Thanks for the recommendations! Hope to use these with my young teens!
These look like excellent books for teenagers!
With 3 teens still at home, these look great.
What amazing resources!
Thank you for the chance to win these books. They will be a great addition to my homeschool. I can add or switch these books to the must-read list for my children and myself to read.
Thank you for this opportunity!
These all look great! Hoping I win, but even if I don’t I will take some notes on a few that I may try and buy for my daughter. Appreciate your telling about them.
I’d love to have my 13 year old read some of these!
We are always on the lookout for good books!
Thank you for highlighting these resources.
Winning these will be an invaluable resource and well needed, great blessing. Thank you so much.
Always a need for more books leading kids to the LORD.
These books would be great not only for my kids but as gifts for the many kids that we know that also walk with God.
What an amazing selection. Some of these I had not heard of, but know they would be great for my kids.
My girls are big readers. I’m always on the lookout for more books that grow them spiritually.
These will be super helpful to reinforce what our children learned in Christian school as we’re moving them into public school.
I’m always looking for devotionals for my girls so can’t wait to check that out!
Does God’s Story: A Student’s Guide to Church History go over the early Church Fathers (Ignatious, Polycarp, etc?) I’m reading Cold-Case Christianity and finding the early — pre-Nicea track that we have for the Scriptures fascinating.
These seem like such uplifting books! I wish I had had them when I was a teen!
Can’t wait to read these!
Thank you for the opportunity to win these great book giveaways!
Thank you so much for the giveaways!
Wow! There are a lot of great resources on this list.
awesome! I’m always looking for books for my soon to be teen on his walk with God!
These look like great reading for our summer!
This is a great giveaway for teens! Social media has taken over so many of their lives, getting them into some good literature about faith is a big deal! Thanks for doing this giveaway.
I would love to put some sound, theological content into the hands of my teen boys!
Nothing better for a family of bookworms! 🙂
These look like some great life lesson books, thank you for the opportunity.
Thanks for the great recommendations!!
I’m most excited for a simple way to spend time with my kid!
My teen devours non-fiction books written for Christians. She would be elated to have nee books to read this summer. Thank you for doing giveaways!