The Miracles of Jesus: A 30-Day Devotional for Students by Tony Myles and Seth McCoySonlife, 143 pp., 2007, $8.99
www.sonlife.comPraying the Scriptures for Your Teenagers by Jodie BerndtZondervan, 298 pp., 2007, $12.99
www.zondervan.comOne Minute Bible 4 Students: With 366 Devotions for Daily Living by Doug FieldsHolman Bible Publishers, 395 pp., 2007, $14.99
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Versatile and engaging,
The Miracles of Jesus is a simple-yet-powerful devotional that challenges students to see miracles in a whole new way, not the mundane things we use the term “miracle” for (i.e., “It was a miracle I passed the test.”). Each chapter has a portion dedicated to prayer, reading, response, insight and reflection. The questions in the reflection part are relevant and honest. I’m planning to adapt the devotional into 30 weekends of teaching because of the solid outline that surrounds each week’s devotion. Myles and McCoy have a hit. Very practical and honest,
Praying the Scriptures for Your Teenagers is a potent tool for parents in the battle against anxiety and worry. The book is divided into five main parts, featuring prayers for a teenager’s character, relationships, health and safety, victory over temptation, and the future. Jodie Berndt uses a devotional-style approach to provide background into the topics using biblical illustrations. At the end of each chapter are some prayers that can be personalized and prayed. Keeping a parent focused on God and His word through trying times with a teenager is no easy feat, but Berndt has made a great effort. Created as a daily devotional of sorts, the
One Minute Bible 4 Students compiles Scripture readings from the Old and New Testaments that cover the same event or topic. For instance, day 166 (June 14) has the main topic of “God Is Righteous” followed by Psalm 7:6b-9, Jeremiah 23:5-6 and 1 John 2:1-2. Filled with tidbits of additional thoughts and info, the
One Minute Bible 4 Students comes close to erring, in that it spends a lot of time telling students what they believe, rather than allowing students to discover, learn, and practice what they believe. —Jeremy Phifer
Up: Devotions for Faith that Connects by Tim Baker with Jenn DoucetteRevell, 2007, 192 pp., $11.99
www.revellbooks.comUp asks “why” more often than a 4-year-old. Yet, somehow, it’s never annoying. This book supplies a devotional a day for 12 weeks. Each week asks a “why” question, and for seven days your students can meditate on topics such as “Why should I be humble?” and “Why should I serve others?” The tone is breezy yet serious and quite engaging. Each day could be a five-minute read or a half-hour rumination, depending on how deeply one thinks about the questions. The design is directed toward guys, but any teen can benefit from this great little devotional book. —John Dunham