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Recommended reading for SRCC Youth

In his #1 bestseller The Case for Christ, Lee Strobel examined the claims of Christ, reaching the hard-won verdict that Jesus is God's unique son. In The Case for Faith, Strobel turns his skills to the most persistent emotional objections to belief - the eight "heart barriers" to faith. This Gold Medallion-winning book is for those who may be feeling attracted to Jesus but who are faced with difficult questions standing squarely in their path.	Arguably the 20th century's most influential Christian writer, C.S. Lewis sought to explain and defend the beliefs that nearly all Christians at all times hold in common. His simple yet deeply profound classic, originally delivered as a series of radio broadcasts, is a book to be thoroughly digested by believers and generously shared with skeptics.
This Christian classic provides a real example of a couple who proved that emotions can be submitted to the will of God. Jim and Elisabeth Elliot’s courtship story demonstrates maturity, delayed gratification, and dedication to purity before fulfilled desire.	Helping men rediscover their masculine heart, Wild at Heart, a guide to understanding Christian manhood and Christian men, offers a refreshing break from the chorus of voices urging men to be more responsible, reliable, dutiful ... and dead. God designed men to be dangerous, says Eldredge. Simply look at the dreams and desires written in every boy's heart: to be a hero, to be a warrior, to live a life of adventure and risk. Sadly, most men abandon those dreams and desires---aided by a Christianity that feels like nothing more than pressure to be a "nice guy." It's no wonder that many men avoid church, and those who go are often passive and bored to death.
Ideal for single adults and teens, I Kissed Dating Goodbye presents the model for biblical friendship and principled romance.	Vision is a preferred future. A destination. Vision always stands in contrast to the world as it is. Visioneering, according to bestselling author Andy Stanley, is "a clear mental picture of what could be, fueled by the conviction that it should be." With warm, down-to-earth practicality, Andy Stanley explores the ordinary life of Nehemiah and his God-given vision for accomplishing the exraordinary. He shows how the life of this great ancient visionary,determined to rebuild the ruined walls of Jerusalem, reveals principles that can prepare us to find and follow God's multifaceted vision for our own lives.
What comes between "How do you do?" and "I do"? How do you find a lifetime partner in a way that's God-centered, not self-centered? Boy Meets Girl is an honest, romantic and refreshingly biblical look at relationships. It's about dating with a purpose. About friendship plus possibility. About romance chaperoned by wisdom. And it's for all ages—single or not. Married couples or parents can benefit from reading this book to encourage and counsel the single adults in their lives, too.	In Waking the Dead, John Eldredge cuts straight to the heart. With characteristic insight and wit, Eldredge explains how the renewed heart is at the center of the Christian faith. Eldredge also explores how Christian practices such as discipleship revitalize our hearts by empowering us to love God more passionately and live for the hearts of others. Waking the Dead will inspire and encourage you as you learn to live from the heart.
The kingdom of God has already broken into this world, but it is not yet fully here. Therefore, as kingdom dwellers, Christians live in tension: groaning from the brokenness of this world, but rejoicing with hope in the promise of God. This Beautiful Mess calls believers to live in the reality of His kingdom now! Not your family, not your culture, not even your church should define your view of existence — only your belonging to God's kingdom. Loving, touching, weeping, and rejoicing — it's all a part of making God's blessing of redemption known to a hurting world. Only when you practice His reign without inhibition will you begin to revel in the true gospel of grace and freedom.	Every woman was once a little girl. And every little girl holds in her heart her most precious dreams. She longs to be swept up into a romance, to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure, to be the Beauty of the story. Those desires are far more than child's play. They are the secret to the feminine heart.
Accounts of injustice from our own communities and from around the world often leave us feeling outraged and helpless. We wonder what we can possibly do in response. And we wonder where is the God of justice?Jesus, however, said, "Take heart! I have overcome the world." Gary Haugen sees the truth of Jesus' claim vindicated throughout Scripture, which portrays a God who rises up against injustice.	Since its first appearance in English translation in 1962, this little book has achieved near-classic status. Thousands of beginning theological students have had the opportunity to eavesdrop, through this book, on the opening lecture of a theological seminar by one of the twentieth century's leading Christian thinkers.
Whether you speak from the pulpit, podium, or the front of a classroom, you don’t need much more than blank stares and faraway looks to tell you you’re not connecting. Take heart before your audience takes leave! You can convey your message in the powerful, life-changing way it deserves to be told. An insightful, entertaining parable that’s an excellent guide for any speaker, Communicating for a Change takes a simple approach to delivering effectively. Join Pastor Ray as he discovers that the secrets to successful speaking are parallel to the lessons a trucker learns on the road. By knowing your destination before you leave (identifying the one basic premise of your message), using your blinkers (making transitions obvious), and implementing five other practical points, you’ll drive your message home every time!	We usually think of Bible characters as dressed with their Sunday bestlookin' good, smelling of accomplishment, and holding the posture of unshakeable faith. We marvel at these "flawless saints" while thinking, "Wow! I'm not worthy!" Hey, not so fast. Believe it or not, the most celebrated people in the Bible were plagued by doubt, bad decisions, and less than perfect reputations. In a word, most were losers! And yet, God had plans that would take them beyond their humble, imperfect lives and dub them proud members of the "losers" club.
Do you feel as though you're on the outside looking in? Jesus understood what it meant to live on the periphery. He chose to live in the margins because that's where broken lives are mended, where the wounded hear good news---and where he'll transform your life!	When Lee Strobel's wife became a Christian, he found that the positive changes in her were too noticeable to ignore. Since he had a law background (Yale Law School), and was an investigative reporter, Strobel decided to subject the claims of Christianity to the type of scrutiny he used in reporting on legal cases for a major newspaper. The result: The Case for Christ, a book which chronicles Strobel's journey from atheist to Christian, and offers a compelling argument for the veracity of the Christian faith.
Brokenness. We deny it, but our innumerable doubts and fears reveal its constant presence. We try and hide from it, but it's lurking behind every concealed corner. In Searching for God Knows What Donald Miller explores the countless ways that we try to fix our brokenness, which work about as well as the attempts of the king's men to put Humpty back together again, and clearly guides us to the fix we've been frantically looking for: redemption. Through clear biblical teaching and witty, engaging stories, Don Miller will help us to confess our brokenness and find the fix we've been searching for.	Do recent scientific discoveries provide definitive proof of the existence of God? In his characteristic narrative style, Strobel brings this complex topic to vibrant life as he demonstrates how science undergirds Christian beliefs. His conclusions are certain to bolster your faith, as well as break down barriers between seekers and God!
Athlete or musician, quiet or "the life of the party" - every student you encounter is unique. No two are the same, but all have something in common: each is wired for worship. Not just any worship, but for that of their Creator! Designed for high school and collegiate settings, the Wired for a Life of Worship Leader's Guide assists leaders in challenging students to know God's purpose for their lives and guide them in fulfilling it. Mirroring the student version of Wired, the Leader s Guide contains additional teaching resources and ideas for group interaction, as well as the same thirty-day worship journey to explore the depth of God's character as a path to know Him more intimately.	Mike Yankoski's life went from upper-middle class plush to scum-of-the-earth repulsive overnight. By his own choice. From the United States capital to San Diego, Yankoski and his traveling companion, Sam, journeyed as homeless men for five months. Not for a project or even in response to a dare. He needed to know if his faith in God was real---if he could actually be the Christian he said he was apart from the comforts he'd always known. So, with only a bag on his back, a guitar in his hand, and Sam by his side, he set out. And like any traveler in a foreign land, he returned a different man. Yankoski's unusual, captivating, and challenging story will rock your own world...perhaps even change your life.
Can you love a God who doesn't make sense? Like Anne Lamott's Traveling Mercies, Miller's memoir-like collection of essays wrestles with the paradoxes of the Christian faith, describing his journey back to a culturally relevant, infinitely gracious Savior. A mind-changing perspective for those who believe that organized religion doesn't meet their spiritual needs.	The simultaneous existence of God and evil can be difficult for even the most erudite to fathom. Wright examines this troubling puzzle---and proposes a Christian response. Fresh, creative, and deeply biblical, Wright's answer focuses on the centrality of the cross and the responsibility of believers to bring Christ's healing and forgiveness into the world.
Help teenagers grow into healthy adults who take responsibility for their behavior, values, and lives! The father of two teenage boys, best-selling author Townsend shares experienced, biblically based insights, including how to bring order to an out-of-control household; set limits and still be loving parents; define legitimate boundaries for the family; and instill godly characteristics.	The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis, is one of the very few sets of books that should be read three times: in childhood, early adulthood, and late in life. In brief, four children travel repeatedly to a world in which they are far more than mere children and everything is far more than it seems. Richly told, populated with fascinating characters, perfectly realized in detail of world and pacing of plot, and profoundly allegorical, the story is infused throughout with the timeless issues of good and evil, faith and hope. This boxed set edition includes all seven volumes.
Normally confident moms and dads grow weak-kneed when their children enter—gasp!—puberty. Barbara and Dennis Rainey, parents of six teenage or older children, map out the unfamiliar, demanding landscape of both pre-adolescence (ages 10-12), as well as the teen years that follow. “Preadolescence is when convictions are shaped; adolescence is when convictions are tested,” they advise parents. In Parenting Today's Adolescent the Raineys help children and parents build a satisfying relationship while forging a vision for a productive, God-honoring life—before, during, and after adolescence.	When theologian Hans Frei first coined the term "generous orthodoxy," he envisioned a Christianity that included both liberal and conservative views. Expanding on Frei's vision, McLaren provides a model based on a radical Christ-centered theology that's driven by love, defined by missional intent, and reflects an ecumenical perspective. Provocative and challenging!
With so much confusion about the role of men in our society, it's no wonder so many parents and teachers are a loss about how to bring up boys. Our culture has vilified masculinity and, as a result, boys are suffering. Parents, teachers and others involved in shaping the character of boys have lots of questions. In Bringing Up Boys, Dr. James Dobson, America's most trusted expert on family issues, tackles these questions - and offers advice and encouragement based on a firm foundation of Biblical principles. A must-read book for parents, teachers, social workers, youth leaders, counselors - anyone involved in the challenge of turning boys into good men.	Brian McLaren, one of TIME magazine's "25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America," is back, this time to lead readers on a journey that will prove to be as unsettling and groundshaking as it is thrilling and life-changing. Unafraid of controversy or the uncomfortable gray areas of life, McLaren's quest is to find the essential message of Jesus' life - even if it overturns our conventional ideas, priorities, and practices.
The challenge to reach in, hang on, and get ready is repeated in the all-new Extreme Encounters. Featuring daily devotional readings with NKJV passages in a portable and affordable format. The same kind of graphics and content you loved in the Extreme TeenTM Bible is captured in the Extreme Encounters. These smaller devotional readings are sure to give a daily map to help you stay extreme for Jesus.	Why do we want justice and fairness? What causes people to enter into relationships? How is it that we long for and enjoy what's beautiful? Wright makes apologetics accessible to modern seekers by explaining how each of these basic human values leads us to the mystery of God.
We know there's something more. We sense it, we feel it, and we want it. But how do we find it---a spirituality that stands up to the questions of an honest, searching mind? "This book is for those who need a fresh take on Jesus and what it means for us to live the kind of life he teaches us to live," writes Rob Bell. "This pursuit of Jesus is leading us backward as much as forward ... I am learning that what seems brand new is often just the discovery of something that has been there all along---it just got lost somewhere and it needs to be picked up, dusted off, and reclaimed." Velvet Elvis offers original and refreshingly personal perspectives on what Christianity is really about.	For nearly 30 years, this best-selling classic has helped people understand the basic truths of the Christian faith. Now additional insights from the late author's notes and a more contemporary format make it even more valuable to your spiritual walk! Explains the Bible, God, Jesus, man and sin, Satan, salvation, the church, and more.
Send your teenagers on a 30-day adventure to discover the defining character traits of Jesus' disciples---things like fear, boldness, laziness, hunger, strength, immaturity, alienation, and sensitivity. Hey, wait a minute! Sound like somebody you know? Each biblically based reading features obvious---and not so obvious---truths and lessons, first-person teen commentary, and points to ponder.	A remarkable resource from one of our most beloved leaders! In Basic Christianity John Stott clearly explains the fundamental claims of the Christian faith and explores how these beliefs impact the lives of believers. This volume is perfect for seekers who are desperate to know whether Christianity makes sense and believers who long for a deeper understanding of Christian belief. This resource deserves a place on every disciple's shelf.
Putting a modern spin on the concept of a quiet time with God, these seventy devotions for students by students include insightful readings that build your faith. 7 Minutes with God offers up ten weeks of creative, seven-minute meditations on God's Word-including ideas on how to put what you learn into practice through fasting, prayer, and community service. Each devotional is written for students, by students. Wake up each morning to your new quiet time with God. Start a habit of looking to God first every day of your life.	Think you know everything there is to know about Jesus? Think again. In 70 short, engaging, and unpredictable daily readings, learn more about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Written by students, for students, every devotion tackles an issue relevant to your life. Ask yourself: What was Jesus really like? Why did God send Him to the Cross? How can we be more like Him?
For generations, people all over the world have been touched by the godly insights of Oswald Chambers. Now Everything Counts presents his work in a new and fresh form especially designed to speak to today’s generation.Writer Steve Case has distilled and expanded the truth, wisdom, and spiritual insight so that a new generation will be moved by these soul-stirring revelations.	There is powerful scientific evidence against Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. And the implications are momentous, because ever since publication of The Origin of Species in 1859, evolution has been contesting man's traditional ideas about the meaning of life. Now, however, it's Darwin who's on the retreat, as facts from diverse branches of science challenge the theory's validity.
During college, a professor remarked, "Being a Christian is about choosing Jesus and deciding to do something incredibly daring with your life." Taking up that challenge, Shane's faith led him to dress the wounds of lepers with Mother Teresa, visit families in Iraq amidst bombings, and dump $10,000 on Wall Street to redistribute wealth. In The Irresistible Revolution, you'll be challenged by a radical Christianity passionate for peace, social justice, and alleviating the suffering found in the local neighborhood and distant reaches of the world. Live out your faith with little acts of radical love as you join the movement of God's Spirit into a broken world.	We have schedule planners, computerized calendars, and self-stick notes to help us organize our business and social lives every day. But what about organizing the other side of our lives---the spiritual side? One of the great battlegrounds of the new century is within the private world of the individual. The values of our Western culture incline us to believe that the busy, publicly-active person in ministry is also the most spiritual. Tempted to give imbalanced attention to the public world at the expense of the private, we become involved in more programs, more meetings. Our massive responsibilities at home, work, and church have resulted in a lot of good people on the verge of collapse.
Maximize your leadership potential with these powerful leadership principles! A top professional in personal and corporate leadership development, John Maxwell outlines the basics of effective leadership - including exerting influence, determining priorities, empowering others, and implementing team strategies. This readable guide is essential for everyone who wants to make a positive difference at church, home, or office.