Resources for Teens: You Asked by William Edgar

Throughout the Fight Like a Girl Series, I cited various resources that parents of teens might find helpful as we navigate the waters of adolescence. In the coming weeks, I'd like to highlight some resources for our teens might find helpful as well.  While not all of these resources are written specifically for teens, they deal with many issues teens face.

A quick glance at the cover of William Edgar's You Asked: Questions And Answers about God reveals that this book asks some pretty tough questions. Far from a book of typical teen issues, this is a basic introduction into apologetics for youth. As Edgar writes, This book is for you, my friend, if you are thinking about the reasons for faith.
(pg 17) 

Edgar starts with perhaps the most foundational questions teens have, Who Am I? From there, he moves on to discuss the Fall of Man, the veracity of Jesus' existence and claims to be the Son of God, the inerrancy of the Bible, and the end of the world. He also discusses sex, love, racism, and gender equality.  (After recently hearing of a local church sitting under a sermon series on the Twilight books, I'm thrilled to say that Edgar also addresses to the vampire craze!)

Although Edgar is a seminary professor, he writes in a style that will appeal to teens without making the material too difficult (or too elementary). Most chapters are 10-15 pages in length, making them ideal for weekly reading and devotion time. I like the fact that Edgar uses Scripture, but also The Shorter Catechism and Calvin's Institutes to answer the questions posed in each chapter. He also gives a list of questions to encourage further thought and exploration of the topic.

I believe You Asked is a terrific resource for teens who may be struggling with questions about their faith as well as those who want to learn how to better defend their faith.  Parents who read along may  find that the book sparks some great family discussion, and may have some of their own questions answered in the process.

Thanks to Christian Focus Publications for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.