If you’re a teenager, then you’ve got questions. You’ve got questions about life, the universe, and everything! You might, however, not want to ask your parents all of these questions, for whatever reasons; if that’s the case, here are 5 things to ask your mentor/youth pastor. Is Jesus the only way to Heaven? It might surprise you, but this is a difficult thing for a lot of teenagers to ask their parents. They’re afraid that their parents might think that they’re abandoning their faith, and they don’t want the possible repercussions of that to land on their doorsteps. Thankfully, this is absolutely the kind of question that your youth minister or mentor can help you answer. They won’t be mad at you they’re there to help you Read More

The writer of the Psalms said “I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalms 119:11). To truly hide God’s word in your heart, you need to memorize passages of Scripture. That seems like a huge undertaking; after all, there are a LOT of scriptures! To get you started, here are five Bible verses to memorize, and why they’re so valuable. The first verse I’m going to bring to your attention is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. I think the reason that this verse is so important to memorize is fairly clear; it summarizes not only God’s plan for redemption, but His reason for having such a plan in the Read More

The bible applies to us all. But there are some scriptures that are more relevant for teens and young adults, and pertain to every day life and struggles unique to your age group. Here are a few of my personal favorites. Faith: “Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.’ Matthew 21:21-22 “Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.” Romans 3:27-28 Gossip: “May the Read More

When I was a teen, I used to sit down once a day and open up my bible to a random verse, which I would then reflect on for the day. This was great, but it didn’t give me the focused daily study I craved. It was my youth pastor that gave me my first book of daily devotionals, and I never looked back. But that was before the Internet could be easily used for this purpose, and so I struggled to find the teen-centric books I desired. Modern-day teens can find a devotional every day from various websites, which make it easier than ever to have a steady focus on different passages, scriptures, and stories within the bible. You might wonder why this is any different than what I used to do, or even just daily reading. It is less the method, and more the depth that the devotional will Read More

Bible studies are a dime a dozen. But the average group won’t always offer anything special to relate to the youth of today, and so many teens are opting to create their own bible study parties to read the word of God with friends their own age. If you have considered doing the same, there are a few tips you can easily follow by to get one started, and keep it going.   Get a good teen devotional bible study guide. You can usually find fantastic deals at Christian bookstores on bulk devotional books. They may also have teen or student discounts, which will save the group as a whole a lot of money. You can also just use a teen-centered bible, and choose a verse or chapter to study each week, then discuss when you meet. Find a comfortable, Read More