Books published by publisher Zondervan/Youth Specialties

No issue is taboo for How to Help Your Hurting Friend, a frank and valuable handbook of practical advice for today’s teenage girls.Previously published as Help! My Friend Is Hurting Susie Shellenberger—author and teen advocate—addresses the most vital, personal, and life-challenging issues in young women’s lives. Presented in handbook form, this biblically-based, relevant, and contemporary-focused book empowers girls to salvage and maybe even save the lives of friends. She addresses such things as self-cutting and sexual abuse in a no-nonsense way and no advice is ever vague. This classic book for teenage girls distills the wisdom of the Bible and combines it with the wisdom of many experienced and anointed counselors.How to Help Your Hurting Friend:This is a reissued edition of Help! My Friend Is Hurting.Has a new format including sidebars and intriguing illustrations.Is a great resource for teens, young adults, and parents alikeIncludes commentary on today’s challenges, advice, and a section of letters to the author with helpful, relevant responses.

Delete " Children" from back of cover. Look inside any school, youth group, or local mall—it won’t take long to notice the profound effect students have on each other. Leadership 101, written specifically for students, examines the heart of a godly leader so that students can cultivate their own God-given abilities to lead, both now and in the future.

You've seen movies and TV shows or read books that have supernatural ideas. A lot of times, it's entertaining. Boys who are warlocks with magical powers, women who see the future, a girl who sees and talks to dead people---as ideas go, these have great potential to tell a good story. But is it real? And if so, what does that mean to me? The Dark Side of the Supernatural will show you the truth behind the supernatural. It's a handbook that separates truth from fiction, while looking at each topic in light of the Bible. Bill Myers has spent years researching supernatural phenomenon, and has even made movies about it. In this book, he'll share his research, along with interviews and true-life experiences of psychics, Satanists, people who have been possessed, and even abducted by aliens. The stories he shares may sound like Hollywood movies, but they are based on real events. His encounters with a variety of supernatural topics will open your eyes to what is real and what is fantasy. You'll learn more about: * Wicca and witches * Reincarnation * UFO's * Ouija boards * Angels and demons * Ghosts and near-death experiences * Satanism * Vampires, and more If you're curious about these issues, or have friends who are caught up in them, The Dark Side of the Supernatural will uncover the truth and explain how to help.

Most people think the average teenager isn't capable of much beyond hanging with their friends and wasting time. But Zach Hunter isn't your average teenager. And he's hoping to show you that you're not either. Zach has been trying to end slavery around the globe. Most people (maybe even you) think that slavery has been over for a long time. But sadly, there are more people bound in slavery now than at any of the times we read about in our history books. Now Zach is working to end slavery and free the men, women, and children who are being held against their will. He's even found some friends in the fight, including Jon Foreman of Switchfoot and Leeland Mooring of Leeland. Just look around the world and on the news and you'll find that there are plenty of things wrong with our planet---homelessness, hunger, global warming, AIDS...the list goes on and on. And we usually look at these problems and decide they're too big for us to do anything about. But Zach is proving that one person can make a difference. And in his book, he'll reveal the elements needed to make amazing changes in your world. In the end, he hopes you'll find the thing you're passionate about---and start making changes!

Maybe you have days when you don't feel so good about yourself... You're not as tall or thin as you'd like, or maybe you don't quite fit in or you just get left out. Well, you'll start to feel a lot better about yourself once you start reading about Luke! Luke Lang calls himself a freak of nature. He's a grown man who is the height of an average fifth grader---but that's not what makes him a freak. He's also about as wide as the average Sumo wrestler (but sadly, too uncoordinated to actually compete as a Sumo wrestler!). Luke knows what it's like to feel left out or left behind. But he's got a great sense of humor about his life's misadventures, and he's sharing the hysterical stories with you, in the hopes that you'll feel encouraged---not just because you're not as freaky as Luke, but because you'll see that God can do extraordinary things through people who are pretty ordinary. While you're reading Luke's embarrassing stories, like the time he got beat up by a girl in Karate class or the time he was fighting for his life at Boy Scout camp, you'll learn a little about God's love and grace, and you'll be reminded that you were created on purpose, for a purpose.

God created us to be creative, expressive people. That’s what so many people love about music, movies, and television―the chance to experience something creative or original. These things tell a story, and we love to feel like we’re part of the story. But not everything out there is good to listen to or watch… It takes wisdom to know what to fill your mind with. This book won’t tell you what you should not listen to or watch. Instead, this book is filled with principles to help you gain the wisdom needed to help you make wise choices about what you choose to be entertained by. In Wisdom On…Music, Movies & Television, you’ll:• Explore the reasons you watch, read, and listen• Discover the importance of creativity in God’s plan for us• Understand more about Christianity and the media• Develop a worldview to help you make wise decisionsAfter you read this book, you’ll have a better understanding of why you watch and listen to the things you do, and you’ll be able to discern what is best for your own heart and soul.

FILL IN THE BLANK: MY LIFE WOULD BE MEANINGFUL IF__________________. People have all kinds of ways to fill in that blank. Some want more money. Some more influence. Others more pleasure. The point is we want MORE. But is that enough? Does devouring everything the world has to offer lead to satisfaction? In the Bible, the book of Ecclesiastes describes someone who tried to answer that question. Whether it was sex, drugs, money, power, food, relationships, or knowledge, King Solomon of Israel tried it all---and documented what he discovered in his search for purpose in his life. Living a Life That Matters lets you gaze over Solomon's shoulder as he indulges every pleasure, exercises every power, and emerges with a radical conclusion about how to live. You'll find ways that his search for meaning connects with yours and how your story can connect with your friends' as they seek meaning in the world.

Looking for love? Ever have these thoughts? 'Does God really want to help me get a guy? It's hard to believe that God cares about what guy I like. And sometimes it's hard to tell that he cares about my family life. Things aren't always as great as I want them to be.' Ruth, an amazing woman from the Bible, knows about disappointment. She lived a life filled with loss, poverty, and pain. But she leaned on God and found that he could provide her with the love of her life and fill her heart with joy. If you've ever felt left out or hopeless---or if you're looking for love---have faith! This Bible study on the book of Ruth will help. But don't worry; it's not like studying at school. You can do as much or as little at a time as you want, and you can do the study with a friend or a whole group of friends. Secret Power to Faith, Family, and Getting a Guy will introduce you to a real Cinderella story---as Ruth leaves behind her life of sadness for a world of delight. You'll learn how to apply the lessons Ruth learned in her life to find goodness in every area of your life---your family, your friends, and even that guy you really like.

You've read about historical U.S. figures in school textbooks. Maybe you've even seen a mini-series or movie about some of the leaders of America's past. But right now you're living in the midst of history in the making. You are watching a man with an unlikely story become one of the most important people in American politics today. It doesn't matter whether you've heard him speak, or even whether or not you agree with his politics. The life of Barack Obama is an inspirational story for anyone who has ever felt abandoned, alone, different, or who has wanted to do great things and make a difference in the world. Learn about the life-shaping experiences Barack Obama faced as he: * was raised by a single mom and his grandparents * rose to the top of his class at Harvard law * accepted a faith that gives his life deeper meaning * left a lucrative career in law to work in public service In 1967 Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke out about the state of our country and its leadership, saying, 'We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now.' Barack Obama was only six-years-old when that speech took place, and forty years later he stood in the place where Abraham Lincoln once stood, and announced he was running for President because of what Dr. King called the 'fierce urgency of now.' He recognized a country once again in turmoil and a nation looking for something different---something better. As you read about the life of Barack Obama you'll be encouraged, inspired, and challenged to look at the world around you and see how you can take your own improbable journey to change it.

Is God really involved in my life? Does God care about what happens to me? How do I know? If you've ever asked these questions, let the real-life experiences of teenagers and young adults help you find some answers. Inside the pages of this book you'll find true stories about God showing up in the midst of pain, loss, life, and growing up as an adolescent. People just like you put their experiences into words, describing what happened when God stepped in at a critical point in their lives. Futures were altered forever, and these storytellers learned something new about God and themselves. Join in their journeys as you read stories about: * a drowning guy who's lifted from the water to a rock 15 feet above the ocean * a girl who's healed after years of satanic ritual abuse * a girl who escapes date rape when she cries out to God * a guy about to accidentally run over three young girls when God intervenes * a girl who turns her life around after being kicked out of college for drug use No matter who you are, what you've done, or what's happened to you, God is with you. And whatever you think you know about God, you'll gain new perspectives about his true character when you glimpse how lives were changed and how God protected, healed, and loved them through some of their most desperate struggles and soul-searching moments.

Why I am a missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, mystical/poetic, biblical, charismatic/contemplative, fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, catholic, green, incarnational, depressed- yet hopeful, emergent, unfinished Christian. A confession and manifesto from a senior leader in the emerging church movement. A Generous Orthodoxycalls for a radical, Christ-centered orthodoxy of faith and practice in a missional, generous spirit. Brian McLaren argues for a post-liberal, post-conservative, post-protestant convergence, which will stimulate lively interest and global conversation among thoughtful Christians from all traditions. In a sweeping exploration of belief, author Brian McLaren takes us across the landscape of faith, envisioning an orthodoxy that aims for Jesus, is driven by love, and is defined by missional intent. A Generous Orthodoxy rediscovers the mysterious and compelling ways that Jesus can be embraced across the entire Christian horizon. Rather than establishing what is and is not 'orthodox,' McLaren walks through the many traditions of faith, bringing to the center a way of life that draws us closer to Christ and to each other. Whether you find yourself inside, outside, or somewhere on the fringe of Christianity, A Generous Orthodoxy draws you toward a way of living that looks beyond the 'us/them' paradigm to the blessed and ancient paradox of 'we.' Also available on abridged audio CD, read by the author.

God might not be asking you to build an ark, but he is asking you to help him change the world. So don't worry...you won't have to grow out a beard or spend 40 days in a rainstorm. Believe it or not, changing the world can be as simple as everyday acts of kindness. Whether you do something good for someone in your family, or that new kid at your lunch table, or the neighbor around the corner, you can make a difference and help change the world---or at least, their world, for now. Inspired by the Universal Pictures movie, Evan Almighty, starring Steve Carell, Do Good will show you how you can help change the world by doing good every chance you get, right where you are, right now. You'll discover: * how you can live every moment with God * what to do when life (or God) interrupts your plans * where to look for opportunities to do good * what to do when people around you think you're crazy * how you can make a difference in the world within your reach Most of all, you'll begin to see why you're the perfect person to help God change the world---starting right now!