Recommended Books

God of Sex: How Spirituality Defines Your Sexuality (Peter R. Jones)
Christians need to understand the connection between spirituality and sexuality. Peter Jones gives an honest appraisal of contemporary sexual trends and analyze them against God’s clear (and beautiful) design for sex as a spiritual expression.

Hooked: New Science on How Casual Sex is Affecting Our Children (Joe S. McIlhaney Jr., Freda McKissic Bush)
Society tells us that sex is an act of self-expression, a personal choice for physical pleasure that can be summed up in the ubiquitous phrase “hooking up.” Millions of American teenagers and young adults are finding that the psychological baggage of such behavior is having a real and lasting impact on their lives. They are discovering that “hooking up” is the easy part, but “unhooking” from the bonds of a sexual relationship can have serious consequences. A practical look into new scientific research showing how sexual activity causes the release of brain chemicals, which then result in emotional bonding and a powerful desire to repeat the activity. This book will help parents and singles understand that “safe sex” isn’t safe at all; that even if they are protected against STDs and pregnancy, they are still hurting themselves and their partner.

Girls Uncovered: New Research on What America’s Sexual Culture Does to Young Women (Joe S. McIlhaney Jr., Freda McKissic Bush)
Girls Uncovered provides fundamental wisdom and practical advice to help parents, counselors, and church leaders guide young girls safely through the challenges through reckless sexual culture so they can achieve their potential and enjoy full health, hope and happiness.

I, Isaac, Take Thee, Rebekah: Moving from Romance to Lasting Love (Ravi Zacharias)
Learn from the life of Isaac and Rebekah. Ravi Zacharias draws five points critical to the long-lasting success of every marriage from the biblical story of the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah and how true love holds together the emotions and the will.

I Kissed Dating Goodbye: A New Attitude Toward Relationships and Romance (Joshua Harris)
Written by Joshua Harris when he was only 21, it challenges common societal understanding of dating and relationships. This book might offer you a better way to approach relationship and keep it pure.

Boy Meets Girl: Say Hello to Courtship (Joshua Harris)
Written after I Kissed Dating Goodbye, this book is intended to uncover steps between frienship and marriage.

Filled with inspiring stories from men and women who have rediscovered courtship, Boy Meets Girl is honest, romantic, and refreshingly biblical. Keep God at the center of your relationship as you discover how to:

• Set a clear course for your romance
• Get closer without compromise
• Find support in a caring community
• Deal with past sexual sin
• Make the right decisions about your future

Passion and Purity: Learning to Bring Your Love Life Under Christ’s Control (Elisabeth Elliot)
Elisabeth Elliot candidly shares her love story with Jim Elliot and very honest about temptations, difficulties and sacrifices that led to victories of two young people who honor commitment to Christ.

Even more relevant to young people today, this is a repackaged edition of her classic book, Passion and Purity.

The Ring Makes All the Difference: The Hidden Consequences of Cohabitation and the Strong Benefits of Marriage (Glenn T. Stanton)
Cohabitation is hands-down the fastest growing family form in the United States and most Western nations. Most of these couples view the arrangement as a step toward marriage, or as a substitute for marriage. But does living together truly give people what they are longing for?

Author Glenn Stanton offers a compelling factual case that nearly every area of health and happiness is increased by marriage and decreased by cohabitation.

Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board (Bethany Hamilton)
Soul Surfer is a moving account of Bethany’s life as a young surfer, her recovery after the attack, the adjustments she’s made to her unique surfing style, her unprecedented bid for a top showing in the World Surfing Championships, and, most fundamentally, her belief in God. It is a story of girl power and spiritual grit that shows the body is no more essential to surfing—perhaps even less so—than the soul.

Body and Soul: A Girl’s Guide to a Fit, Fun and Fabulous Life (Bethany Hamilton)
Body & Soul helps young girls develop a healthy lifestyle, understand their changing bodies, gain confidence, and establish a pattern of healthy living starting at a young age. This book includes workouts specially developed for young girls by Bethany’s personal trainer, recipes and information on healthy eating based on “Bethany’s food pyramid,” which follows the Mediterranean diet, and advice on deepening your spiritual health, for a total body wellness book perfect for growing girls. This isn’t a book about Bethany, this is a book about wellness, becoming your best “you,” through physical and spiritual balance, because spiritual health is just as important as physical health.

When God Writes Your Love Story (Expanded Edition): The Ultimate Guide to Guy/Girl Relationships (Eric & Leslie Ludy)
In their most popular book, bestselling authors Eric and Leslie Ludy challenge singles to take a fresh approach to relationships in a culture where love has been replaced by cheap sensual passion. When God Writes Your Love Story shows that God’s way to true love brings fulfillment and romance in its purest, richest, and most satisfying form. This new edition includes an extra chapter from Leslie Ludy about the surprises of life after marriage!

“I had dreamed of a perfect love story for my entire life. But somewhere in the midst of the endless cycle of temporary romances, my dreams had shattered.” How can I find a love worth waiting for?

Lay the foundation now—whether you’ve met your future spouse or not—for a lifelong romance. Bestselling authors Eric and Leslie Ludy invite you to discover how beautiful your love story can be when the Author of romance scripts every detail.