After homeschooling for 23 years, I have the privilege of teaching teens about Jesus at a small, alternative Christian high school near me. I also have the opportunity to be health coach and personal trainer for these kids. It’s pretty awesome to influence both the physical and the spiritual health of teens. But, if they lose weight and get fit but don’t know Jesus, what difference does it make?
So, teaching teens about Jesus is the most important thing that any teacher or parent can do. Some of the best books and materials I’ve come across for doing this are published by Master Books. I used some of their books and a couple of docu-movies (Privileged Planet and The Case for Christ) earlier this year with the teens I teach. One of them said, “Wow, I actually learned something in Bible this year. I can’t wait to learn more.”
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Teaching Teens About Jesus with Master Books
One of my favorite things about Master Books is their consistency. Their curriculum, their apologetics, and all of their other books consistently point to the truth of God’s Word. This is important because the teens I work with hear a lot of conflicting messages (For example, “Education is the key to success” versus “You can’t go to school today. I need you here to watch the babies.”). They need something they can hold on to. They need a message that doesn’t change depending on who’s telling it or what subject it is. With Master Books, the message is the same across everything they do. So I can use their Anatomy and Physiology curriculum and their Apologetics books and there’s no contradictory information.
And that’s why, when it comes to teaching teens about Jesus, Master Books is my go to resource. No hunting around for hours on large book sites. No trying to compare twenty different authors, and getting more overwhelmed by the minute. Uh, no thank you. They’ve already done that hard work for me. I feel the tight shoulders drop now…
Super relevant for the super skeptical
Teens ask some of the best questions and they are champions at spotting hypocrites, even if they aren’t so great at spotting fake news. And, if you don’t have good answers that you both personally believe and live, they will not listen to a word you say. For example, if you say that you are a Christ follower and yet, you scowl at them because of the way they dress or wear their makeup, you have lost them. You better love them where they’re at if you want them to trust you and listen to anything you have to say.
They are so hungry for something real and Jesus is the most real person they will ever encounter! Master Books makes it easy to meet teens where they’re at, meet their questions head on, and show them that Christ is what they need. Take a look at some of the questions unpacked in How Do We Know the Bible is True? by Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge (two volumes!)
- Who created God? Where did God come from?
- The shroud of Turin–was it in the grave with Christ?
- Radiocarbon dating of rocks?
- Has Noah’s ark been found?
- Did the ten plagues of Egypt really happen?
Another great book from Master Books that I keep in my classroom is Replacing Darwin by Dr. Nathaniel T. Jeanson. Written by a Harvard-trained biologist, this book takes a close look at the current DNA research and how it supports the story of Noah, and ultimately, the origin of mankind. And this is important because kids want evidence. These types of books expose them to truth they won’t get anywhere else.
Great discussion starter, invitation to dig deeper
The most important thing about teaching teens about Jesus is, of course, the Gospel. They need to know why Christ came, who he is, and especially, what he did for them personally. But, to open the door to those discussions, we have to be willing and ready to engage them on the questions that matter to them. In addition to the books cited above, another book from Master Books that I found really helpful was Meet the Skeptic: A Field Guide to Faith Conversations by Bill Foster.
One of the keys to these conversations is being a good listener who asks powerful questions. Sounds a lot like a coaching conversation! When teens feel heard and safe, they are more open to what you have to say. Getting them to talk and then inviting them to self-reflect, to think critically, and consider other perspectives opens the door to receiving Christ as their Savior.
After all, Christ listened. He asked powerful questions. Christ told stories. He challenged. He loved.
If you want to have powerful conversations, if you want to impact future generations, check out Master Books.
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