Evangelicals are supposed to be experts at telling their story. From an early age you are expected to have a "testimony," a story of how God saved you from a life of sin and sadness and gave you a new life of joy and gladness. What happens if you don't have such a testimony? What if your story just doesn't fit the before-and-after mold? What are you supposed to do if your voice is not one usually heard? In these offbeat, witty, and often bittersweet essays, up-and-coming writers tell the truth about growing up female and evangelical. Whether they stayed in the church or not, evangelicalism has shaped their spiritual lives. Eschewing evangelical cliches, idyllic depictions of Christian upbringing, and pat formulas of sinner-to-saint transformation, these writers reflect frankly on childhoods filled with flannel board Jesuses, Christian "rap" music, and Bible memorization competitions. Along the way they find insight in the strangest places--the community swimming pool, Casey Kasem's American Top 40, and an Indian mosque. Together this collection of essays provides a vivid and diverse portrait of life in the evangelical church, warts and all. List of Contributors: Jessica Belt Paula Carter Kirsten Cruzen Anne Dayton Kimberly B. George Carla-Elaine Johnson Megan Kirschner Anastasia McAteer Melanie Springer Mock Audrey Molina Victoria Moon Shauna Niequist Hannah Faith Notess Andrea Palpant Dilley Angie Romines Andrea Saylor Nicole Sheets Shari MacDonald Strong Stephanie Tombari Heather Baker Utley Jessie van Eerden Sara Zarr

Bestselling author Elizabeth George follows her popular teen books (more than 400,000 copies sold), including A Young Woman’s Guide to Making Right Choices, by reaching out to tweens, ages 8 to 12, in A Girl After God’s Own Heart. Upbeat and positive, Elizabeth provides biblical truths and suggestions so tweens can thrive. She reaches out to girls where they’re at and addresses daily issues that concern them, including— building real friendships talking with parents putting Jesus first handling schoolwork and activities deciding how to dress Girls are busy developing new skills and increasing their knowledge as they grow into young women. A Girl After God’s Own Heart shows them how to establish healthy guidelines that honor God, promote their well-being, and help them get the most from this wonderful time in their lives. Perfect for Sunday school, preteen groups, and individuals.

Written as if Jesus is speaking directly to your child's heart, Jesus Calling®: 365 Devotions for Kids is now available in a fun and exciting design for boys, with devotions adapted for each day on the same theme as the adult version of Jesus Calling. Jesus Calling®: 365 Devotions for Kids focuses on the biblical promise of peace we can experience at any time and in all circumstances. With Scripture and personal reflections, the #1 bestselling author brings Jesus' message of peace--for today and every day--to your children. Adapted from the bestselling Jesus Calling, each day's devotion shares the same theme as the adult version, as well as written-out Scriptures. This is a great choice for families to read and discuss during devotional time together. Written as if Jesus Himself is speaking directly to the reader, Jesus Calling: 365 Devotions for Kids will engage your kids and help them find lifelong peace in Jesus. Reaching out with peace-filled reminders from the Word of God, these devotions will intimately and gently connect your children with Jesus--the One who meets you where you are. Help your children draw near to Him in Jesus Calling: 365 Devotions for Kids.

Evangelicals are supposed to be experts at telling their story. From an early age you are expected to have a testimony, a story of how God saved you from a life of sin and sadness and gave you a new life of joy and gladness. What happens if you don't have such a testimony? What if your story just doesn't fit the before-and-after mold? What are you supposed to do if your voice is not one usually heard? In these offbeat, witty, and often bittersweet essays, up-and-coming writers tell the truth about growing up female and evangelical. Whether they stayed in the church or not, evangelicalism has shaped their spiritual lives. Eschewing evangelical clichŽs, idyllic depictions of Christian upbringing, and pat formulas of sinner-to-saint transformation, these writers reflect frankly on childhoods filled with flannel board Jesuses, Christian rap music, and Bible memorization competitions. Along the way they find insight in the strangest places--the community swimming pool, Casey Kasem's American Top 40, and an Indian mosque. Together this collection of essays provides a vivid and diverse portrait of life in the evangelical church, warts and all. List of Contributors: Jessica Belt Paula Carter Kirsten Cruzen Anne Dayton Kimberly B. George Carla-Elaine Johnson Megan Kirschner Anastasia McAteer Melanie Springer Mock Audrey Molina Victoria Moon Shauna Niequist Hannah Faith Notess Andrea Palpant Dilley Angie Romines Andrea Saylor Nicole Sheets Shari MacDonald Strong Stephanie Tombari Heather Baker Utley Jessie van Eerden Sara Zarr

Dive into Scripture to see Jesus' mission, miracles, and message as author Angie Smith helps us sort through the confusion to truly understand who Jesus is and how we can know Him.

This devotional journal is written for girls of all ages--just like you! It will engage you in topics specific to the issues you face each day. Read about themes like beauty, courage, dignity, identity, integrity, and value, and be encouraged to find everything you need in Christ! Gain confidence as you learn that the God who created you delights in spending time with you. Write down your thoughts in the journaling space provided as you embrace these words of truth.

"Hands down my favorite book for teen girls." Rosaria Butterfield, author, The Gospel Comes with a House Key Your teen years matter. Of all the ways you're learning and changing during the busy teenage years, your growth in Christ is the most important. God intends to use your teen years as a launching pad into a lifelong pursuit of looking more like Jesus. This book will help you prioritize your Christian growth—pointing you to the resources God has given you in his Word, in prayer, and in the church; offering help for managing your emotions, watching your words, and bearing spiritual fruit; and challenging you with ways to center your life around this important task. Even as a teenager, you have all it takes to grow in godliness.

“I used to be a lesbian.” In Gay Girl, Good God, author Jackie Hill Perry shares her own story, offering practical tools that helped her in the process of finding wholeness. Jackie grew up fatherless and experienced gender confusion. She embraced masculinity and homosexuality with every fiber of her being. She knew that Christians had a lot to say about all of the above. But was she supposed to change herself? How was she supposed to stop loving women, when homosexuality felt more natural to her than heterosexuality ever could? At age nineteen, Jackie came face-to-face with what it meant to be made new. And not in a church, or through contact with Christians. God broke in and turned her heart toward Him right in her own bedroom in light of His gospel. Read in order to understand. Read in order to hope. Or read in order, like Jackie, to be made new.

Is your tween prepared for what’s ahead? It used to be that middle school was the time to talk to kids about topics like modesty and body image. Unfortunately, the at-risk demographic for distorted views on the body is now girls ages 8–10. Fortunately, Dannah Gresh has provided a resource for this need. True Girl is geared to helping tween girls understand their dignity in Christ. It features a creative self-help text format that includes sidebars, quizzes, games, exploded quotes, and graphics to help them absorb the message. Here’s what author Dannah Gresh has to say about the motivation behind the book: “My past fifteen years of studying at-risk teen and tween behavior has over and over again led me to good news: girls who are exposed to an age-appropriate, Bible-based understanding of beauty and fashion between the ages of 8-12 tend to be less likely to engage in early sexual activity or have body image issues. They are also more likely to have healthy friendships, excel academically, and become positive social contributors in their com­munities, all while expressing their beauty and value appropriately. "It’s not rocket science. It is social science paired with a whole lot of prayer and Bible study. We can change what tween girls see when they look in the mirror by changing what's inside their hearts.” This is the heart behind True Girl:a desire to teach tween girls how valuable they are and how to honor their God-given dignity. Ultimately, it’s about grounding girls in their identity in Christ so the tumultuous teen years don’t uproot them. This book pairs with True Girl Mom-Daughter Devos, allowing moms a helpful resource for walking through this formative time with their tween girl.

Join biblical culturalist Krisi McLelland as she takes you back to Jesus' first-century world, explaining the historical and cultural climate of His day. This 7-session Bible study is a look at several of Jesus' interactions with women.