As June comes to an end, we're closing out our series on marriage, gender, and sexuality with recommendations on Biblical resources on sexuality. As we said in the introductory post for this series:
Questions surrounding the nature of self, identity, community, and love are natural. So by extension, the more precise questions surrounding sexuality, gender identity, and the nature of marriage are also normal to ask. The challenge is not whether kids and teens should ask the questions, it’s where they find the answers.
The following titles give biblical answers to questions about sexuality. Because of the nature of the content, these resources are for tweens and teens. Some are best read by an adult and then used to facilitate age-appropriate conversation while others are great to read aloud together.
Tweens + Young Teens
Challenges to Living God's Way (Ages 12-14)
In Challenges to Living God’s Way, Dr. Chris Richards and Dr. Liz Jones help young people navigate six “big issues”: cohabitation, pornography, homosexuality, gender identity, men and women, abortion. Each chapter ends with a real-life story and the book concludes by showing how God’s design for marriage and sexual purity is simply the best.
Face Time: Your Identity in a Selfie World (Ages 11-14)
Face Time helps teen girls deal honestly and wisely with issues like body image, sex, dating, substance abuse, materialism, perfectionism, and comparison. Author Kristen Hatton, a trustworthy guide for teens, wants girls to have the deep security, value, worth, love, and acceptance they crave. Instead of looking within, Hatton helps them to look up–to the one who made them and cares for them through all the ups and downs of their lives.
Older Teens
More to the Story: Deep Answers to Real Questions on Attraction, Identity, and Relationships
Long-time youth worker Jennifer Kvamme helps readers cut through the cultural confusion and find Biblical answers to questions like: Why does God care what I do with my body (if I'm not hurting anyone)?; Why does it matter what pronouns I use?; Why is sex "good" in marriage but "bad" before it? Isn't love love? Is the Bible really against gay marriage?
Born Again This Way
In this powerful and personal book, author Rachel Gilson describes her own unexpected journey of coming out and coming to faith... and what came next. As she does so, she addresses many of the questions that Christians living with same-sex attraction are wrestling with: Am I consigned to a life of loneliness? How do I navigate my friendships? Will my desires ever change? Is there some greater purpose to all this?
Is God Anti-Gay?: And Other Questions about Jesus, the Bible, and Same-Sex Sexuality
Is it ok to be gay and Christian? Does the Bible really say that homosexuality is wrong? Is sexual orientation fundamental to identity? This book frames answers to these questions with Jesus’ general teaching on sex and marriage, as well as what Jesus teaches about finding ultimate satisfaction and happiness. It challenges the current culture narrative, which inextricably ties sexuality to personal identity, and shows that the gospel is good news for everyone, whatever their sexual orientation.
For Parents and Educators
Alive: Gospel Sexuality for Students
This ten-week small group study gives teenagers and young adults a biblical, gospel-centered framework to understand sexual issues. Topics addressed include God's good design for sexuality, gender-related issues, singleness, dating, marriage, masturbation, pornography, and same-sex attraction, among others.
Pure: Why the Bible's Plan for Sexuality Isn't Outdated, Irrelevant, or Oppressive
Pure dives into the big picture of God's design for men and women regarding sexuality, and seeks to reclaim one of the clearest teaching in the scriptures: the call to sexual purity. This book will help readers celebrate God's great design for marriage and the loving boundaries he has put in place for our joy, protection, and flourishing.
Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God's Grand Story
Dr. Christopher Yuan explores the concept of holy sexuality--chastity in singleness or faithfulness in marriage--in a practical and relevant manner, equipping readers with an accessible yet robust theology of sexuality. Whether you want to share Christ with a loved one who identifies as gay or you're wrestling with questions of identity yourself, this book will help you better understand sexuality in light of God's grand story and realize that holy sexuality is actually good news for all.
Do Ask, Do Tell, Let's Talk: Why and How Christians Should Have Gay Friends
Many Christians are seeing that the church's unwillingness to befriend people who experience same-sex attraction has blocked us from engaging with the subject of homosexuality on a person-to-person level. This book is a resource for those who want to grow as ambassador-friends to their classmates, colleagues, and family members who experience same-sex attraction.
Shop these resources here: Biblical Resources on Sexuality
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