Teen’s Choices 30 ways to Rock your World

Title: Teen\'s Choices 30 Ways to Rock Your World
Author: Walnut Grove Press

(guest post by Danny Kim)

Teen’s Choices 30 ways to Rock your World by Walnut Grove Press (Editor) is a book that every Arkster should read.

In this book there are thirty choices that involve your average teen’s everyday life at school and at home. There are passages in the bible, quotes from famous authors such as Max Lucado(3:16 Numbers of Hope) and C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia), a theme with a short passage and a prayer at the end. In this book my favorite choice is “Following Jesus.” In this choice it has a quote that states, “Resolution one: I will follow Jesus. Resolution two: If no one else does, I still will.” Every morning during my QT I read this book and it really is a book that can go great with the One Minute Bible. Reading this book is a great way to live a better life.

Disciple: A Handbook for New Believers

Title: Disciple: A Handbook for New Believers
Author: Juan Carlos Ortiz

“Disciple” by Juan Carlos Ortiz should be required reading for every Christian! Think you know what it means to follow Christ? Think again. Our pastor had given me just one chapter of the book to read, and I was blown away. I’ve been a Christian since I was eight years old, but this one chapter showed me that I knew absolutely NOTHING about truly being a follower of Christ! The reason this book is so powerful is that Pastor Ortiz takes such complex ideas and concepts about the Christian life and actually makes them easy to understand. He goes beyond the surface level of just being a Christian by name and challenges us to go deeper into living the life of a true disciple (follower) of Christ. It’s not about Jesus answering our prayers and doing things for us like some magic genie; it’s about us becoming more and more like Jesus everyday and doing whatever He tells us to do because He is our Lord and Master! If you’ve heard him in person, you know that Pastor Ortiz is an amazing speaker, a balance of depth and humor, and his illustrations (remember the trapeze, anyone?) really stick in your mind. My personal favorite in this book is his steak illustration. That one metaphor is the core idea of this book and has changed my view of God forever! Do you want a better understanding of what it means to truly follow Christ everyday? Do you want your faith to go from just being a set of beliefs to being a true lifestyle that makes a difference? Then read “Disciple” and prepared to get rocked!

NIV/Message Parallel Bible

Title: NIV/Message Parallel Bible
Author: Zondervan Publishing

I’ve always wanted a NIV/Message parallel Bible. I work in youth ministry so the Message translation comes in handy quite often. I didn’t want to carry around my standard NIV and a separate Message Bible so I bought this parallel Bible instead.

First, to those who try to knock the Message translation for it’s lack of accuracy… The point of the Message Bible isn’t for literal accuracy. If you want a transliteral Bible, buy the NASB. The Message Bible is for those who want a more freeflowing Bible that reads like a story. If you’re in youth ministry like me, then you’ll know the importance of a translation that’s easier to comprehend by teenagers. The Message is written in a more modern writing STYLE that relates more with today’s youth…though it’s not specifically made for youth ministry. It helps nonetheless.

Second, I only gave this review 4 stars for a couple things. I like my Bibles to have Jesus’ words in red. This Bible didn’t have it. No biggie, but it would have been nice. Also, I also would have liked to have the verses of the Message portion of this Bible to be numbered along with the NIV half. I often times refer to just specific verses with my youth kids and it’s a bit of a pain to try and find the exact verse(s) without the reference numbers.

Overall, a good tool. Whether you’re using it to preach or using it for personal growth, this Bible will definitely help you grasp a better understanding of God’s Word.