5 Resources for Teaching Theology to Teenagers

Disclaimer: I don’t have teenagers. However, I do have a ten year old, and I’ve already started thinking about the next step in her process of discipleship. Before long we will leave “children’s” Bibles behind and move on to more age appropriate resources. As I’ve thought about the tools I might use to help my teenage kids grow in their faith, here are 5 must have resources:

The Bible. Don’t forget the Bible! People often ask me about good “devotional books.” When I mention the Bible, I usually get blank stares. Please, don’t forget the Bible! I have used and will use various other resources with my kids, but the Bible will always be central. Pick a book of the Bible, read a chapter together every night, and talk about what you read. Ask these questions, “What did that passage teach me about God? What did that passage teach me about myself?”
Visual Theology, by Tim Challies and Josh Byers. I just ordered this book on Amazon, and I read it over the weekend. It really is a unique resource. Challies has written an introductory work on basic Christianity, and Byers has added full-color “infographics” to help illustrate the ideas.
Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know, by Wayne Grudem and Elliot Grudem. Wayne Grudem is best known for his widely used Systematic Theology. In this condensed version, Grudem tackles 20 basic doctrines (Bible, God, Trinity, Creation, Prayer, etc). The chapters are short, and each ends with questions for review and discussion.
Big Truths for Young Hearts, by Bruce Ware. This is a resource that began with Ware talking to his own children about theology. Every night he spent 10-15 minutes discussing basic Christian doctrines. That practice eventually led to this book. Ware’s book contains 10 chapters that are then broken down into short sub-sections, each focusing on an important aspect of theology. Each section ends with discussion questions and a memory verse.
Concise Theology, by JI Packer. This book is a classic. Packer has written 94 short chapters on various aspects of theology. The book focuses on God from beginning to end. Each chapter contains a summary verse in addition to many scriptural references. Even though the chapters are short, some of the vocabulary and concepts are more advanced. This book is better suited for older teenagers, or even college students.