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Scripture quotations marked TLB are from The Living Bible. © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton,
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ISBN-13: 978-1-4003-7512-7
ISBN-13: 978-0-5291-0217-1 (eBook)
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#contents
#PREFACE
#IDENTITY
PURSUING CHRISTLIKENESS: Finding Your Pace—Brooke Cooney
PERFECTIONISM: Living in a World That Demands Perfection—Jeremy
Nottingham SELF-ESTEEM: What We Should Say to Our Reflection
—Brooke Cooney BLAME: Taking Responsibility for YOU!—Chuck
Allen FAILURE: It’s Not the End of the Story—Jerry Pipes
PERSEVERANCE: The Quitting Complex—Dr. Jay Strack
#RELATIONSHIPS
FRIENDSHIP: It’s a Verb—Johnny Parker
RELATIONSHIPS: Building on the Right Stuff—Johnny Parker PEER
PRESSURE: Who Am I?—Ron Cooney
ACCOUNTABILITY: Iron Sharpening Iron—Mike Calhoun GUYS/GIRLS:
Are Girls Really That Different from Guys?—Candi Finch DATING:
Guarding Your Heart—Steve Browning
MARRIAGE: Challenging, but Not Impossible—Dennis Steeger HANDLING
CONFLICT: Seven Cs for Dealing with Conflict—Rick Young TOXIC
RELATIONSHIPS: Don’t Mess with Poison—John Leathers
BULLYING: Made in God’s Image—Derek Simpson
CYBERBULLYING: The Myth of Sticks and Stones—Shaun Blakeney #SEX
SEX: What Does the Bible Really Say About Sex?—Dr. Danny Akin SEX: No
Sex Until Marriage?—Jordan Easley
HOMOSEXUALITY: Born This Way—Ric Garland
PORNOGRAPHY: It’s a Brain Changer—Dennis Steeger PORNOGRAPHY:
Far-Reaching Consequences—Ron Cooney HOMOSEXUALITY:
Responding with Love—Michael Head SEXUALITY: Putting on the
Armor of God—Keith Harmon #FAMILY
DIVORCED PARENTS: Caring for the Victims of Divorce—Don Lough
ABSENT PARENTS: Growing Up with Absent Parents—Jeremy
Nottingham #PAIN
DOUBT: Dealing with Doubt—Dave Edwards
DEALING WITH LOSS: Facing Loss without Losing Faith—Mike Calhoun
DEPRESSION: The Depression Epidemic—Ron Luce
DEPRESSION: Down and Out?—Kelly Knouse
SUICIDE: If Life Is Getting Dark . . . for You or Someone You Know—Keith
Harmon CONFESSION: Short-Circuit Your Secret—Dave Edwards
#BODY
CHANGES: Rolling with the Changes for Guys—Greg Clydesdale
CHANGES: Rolling with the Changes for Girls—Amy Clydesdale SEX:
Taking Care of Your Temple—Jerry Pipes
ALCOHOL AND DRUGS: To Drink or Not to Drink?—Derek Simpson
#FAITH
A COMPARTMENTALIZED LIFE: Not Just on Sunday—Joseph McMurry
REPENTANCE: How Do I Get Back?—Kelly Knouse
GRACE: Guilt or Grace?—Jody Gambrell
HOLY SPIRIT: Advantage Us!—Jody Gambrell
SANCTIFICATION: Tending to Your Personal Environment—Roger
Glidewell FORGIVENESS: Forgiveness Brings Freedom—Rick Young
THE SUFFICIENCY OF CHRIST: Why Am I Never Content?—Brian
Manuel THEOLOGY: Gaining an Accurate View of God—John Paul
Basham DOING VERSUS BEING: Christianity—It’s Not What You Do;
It’s Who You Are—Brian Manuel COURAGE: Faith-Fueled Courage
—Don Lough
OWNING YOUR FAITH: Embracing Your Relationship with God—Will
Hagle APATHY: A Serious Case of Apathy—Jordan Easley IDENTITY
IN CHRIST: (Spiritual) Identity Theft—Michael Head WALKING THE
WALK: Starting Over—By God’s Grace—Matt Petty #DECISIONS &
DISCIPLESHIP
BIBLICAL INTEGRITY: Do You Have a Compass?—Ric Garland
BEING A DISCIPLE: Following Christ in a Fan-Based World—Ken Burnett
LIVING WITH INTEGRITY: God’s Guidelines for the Gray Areas of
Life—Dr. Danny Akin HONORING GOD: Dig Wells or Build Fences?
—Brent Crowe WORSHIP: What’s the Point?—Chris White
#LEADERSHIP & MISSIONS
THE GREAT COMMISSION: Making Disciples—John Paul Basham GOD’S
CALL: Answering God’s Callings—Brent Crowe LIFESTYLE: Making
an Impact Right Where You Are—Ken Burnett LIFESTYLE: Missions—
for Life!—Christian Nichles LIFESTYLE: Live a Life of Mission—Matt
Petty
LIFESTYLE: Needed: World-Class Change Agents—Roger Glidewell
LEADERSHIP: Living Out Your Faith—Will Hagle
YOUNG LEADERS: Jesus Chose Who?—Chris White
MENTORING: Coaching and Being Coached—Chuck Allen SERVANT
LEADERSHIP: The Power of Humility—Ron Luce
#COMMUNICATING
SOCIAL MEDIA: Using Your Influence for Good—Brad Hobbs
TV: Culture and Reality TV—Joseph McMurry
MEDIA INFLUENCE: Movies, TV, Music, Internet: How Much Is Too
Much?—Dr. Jay L. Sedwick IMPACTING CULTURE: In the World, but
Not of It—Steve Browning LANGUAGE: Coarse, Crass, and Offensive
—Dr. Jay L. Sedwick GOSSIP: Help Stop the Epidemic—John Leathers
#RANDOM STUFF
INERRANCY: The Truth of Scripture—Dr. Jay Strack HELL: Is There Really
a Hell?—Matt Roden
PARANORMAL: Does Paranormal Activity Exist?—Matt Roden HUMAN
TRAFFICKING: Hope for Freedom—Shaun Blakeney LIVING IN
AFFLUENCE: Spiritual Poverty in an Affluent Culture—Christian
Nichles #ENDNOTES
#CONTRIBUTORS
#preface
Since the dawn of the early church, Christians have gathered to worship Jesus
Christ, the One who freely gave His life that we might know Him in an
intimate, personal relationship. We were created to worship Him in earnest
prayer, to fellowship and encourage one another, and to live according to the
Word of God. By God’s grace, the result would be a strong and unified body of
believers inspired to go confidently out into the world as servant leaders who
share the good news and offer a tangible expression of love through missions.
Sadly, many Christians find themselves disconnected from fellow believers,
if not from God Himself; questioning the fundamental doctrines of the faith; and
timid in their understanding of a Christian worldview. This uncertainty is
understandable given the volume of chatter and the variety of opinions floating
through the universe on a daily basis. Who is right? There is absolutely no
question: the Word of God is truth, and this will not change regardless of the
culture’s voices.
Student Leadership University was founded on this scripture: “Sanctify the
Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who
asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter
3:15). SLU exists to train students how to be confident in their beliefs and able
to clearly articulate why they believe what they do. Wanting every person to
have this kind of confidence, we set out with much prayer and deliberation to put
together this collaborative effort of #CriticalIssues and #AbsoluteAnswers.
If you combine all of the contributors’ impressive resumes and lifetime
accomplishments, you have over two hundred years of experience at your
fingertips. Among the writers are seminary presidents and professors, dedicated
educators, and some of the most experienced and effective youth ministers on
the planet. What you have in your hands is a great work, written by those who
understand the culture and language of your generation and who are dedicated to
providing biblical clarity about critical issues. More importantly, they know that
the Scriptures are able to make us “wise unto salvation” as we think deeply and
Description:Compiled by youthleader Jay Strack, this book is a contemporary resource solidly based inScripture that parents and youth leaders can use to answer the tough questionsteens have about life. Today's teens are coming of age in a broken, fallen world.The rise of technology has brought new problems th
