As a mom of teen girls, I'm always looking for a good biblical book that will point my girls to God's word and Christ.

This book was an easy read that a young girl could easily go through to evaluate honestly their relationship with Christ. It was not too thick and easy to get through. I appreciate her straight forward conversational style as well.

Girls are complex beautiful creatures, more when they are teens. I really like resources for girls, because I have one. I enjoyed the simpleness and truth shared in this book. It gives perspective and wisdom you young girls. I quote this part that I loved:
"Growing in godliness takes a lifetime. As you grow, you will be tempted to grow weary to lose sight of the goal of godliness and to wonder if God is really at work in your life at all (...) where you find death, pray for new life. Where you find immaturity, pray for maturity (...). When you die to yourself and come alive in Christ, you live to glorify God by growing in godliness. (...)As you grow to look more like Jesus, you will more clearly display God´s likeness to the watching world. God will use the fruits of righteousness in your life to plant seeds of faith in the lives of otheres. And in doing so, Christ builds his kingdom. (...) Fruitful maturity in Christ is the ultimate way your life can bring glory to God. Never stip growing". That is my prayer for my little pre-teen.

Growing in Godliness is meant for teenagers which is important to realize before digging in. The tone, the attitude it is all about being a teenager...and it is all Bible based!!!

Definitely a fun, fresh approach to growing and learning about God for teens and their parents! The best parts are that it really helps address issues that teenagers face in our current time and the thought provoking reflection questions are a huge help! I can see this a a teen Bible Study guide. There are ten lessons so it is easy to divide this up in sections. It includes how important the Bible is as well as the church. I think this is really important as we live in a world that has mixed feelings about church and religion. This book is a great way to dive deep into the relevance of God, Bible and church now.

This book is for a bit older audience and I'd encourage moms to read it with their daughters. That being said, it takes a serious look at discipleship. There's a ton of Scripture throughout and it focuses on developing the character of our teens.

Raising a teen girl is not for the faint of heart. Today's world is full of challenges that previous generations never dreamt of facing. And yet, the basic foundations of life remain the same. Foremost of which is how do we live to glorify our creator? Throw in teenage emotions and peer pressure, and you're in for a wild ride.

In Growing in Godliness, Lindsey Carlson leads teens through 10 lessons that address this tumultuous time, including:

*Who we are in Christ
*God's sovereignty in all situations
*The importance of the Bible
*The importance of the church
*and more!

When I first started reading this book, I was slightly put off by some of the language. The words weren't inappropriate. It was more the tone... the edge... and maybe some of the author's illustrations. But as I read, I realized I was viewing it through the eyes of a preteen mom. And as much as I'm protecting her now, she will one day be going through growing pains like these. As I began to read through a different lens, I realized I did like this book, but would suggest it for a slightly older audience... waiting until the later teenage years. I did appreciate the fact that Carlson takes time to touch on two important topics: identity and the role of the church. Identity for it grounds us in life and keeps us from being swayed by trends. And the importance of the church that seems to have been lost in a seeker sensitive culture. All in all, I would hesitantly recommend this book, but would caution that it's probably most useful as a mother/daughter study in the older teen years.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Crossway via NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The opinions in this review are my own.

Refreshing, accessible, and insightful!

As a youth pastor's wife and volunteer, I enjoyed reading this text. Carlson addresses many of the struggles and challenges teenage girls face in growing in their faith and a deeper relationship with Christ. Topics such as sanctification, limitations, the Bible, using our words, the Church (as in community of Christ-followers), prayer, etc.

Each chapter ends with scripture-based actionable ideas, practices, and challenges, that reinforce the topic of the chapter.

I enjoyed the organization, topics, anecdotes, and scriptural support within the text, and I will be suggesting this text for our summer bible study for our high school female students.

First sentence: As a child, I was always in a hurry to grow up. I wanted the privileges and freedom that came with maturity, but I didn’t want to wait through the awkward period of growing.

Don't be like me. Don't judge a book by its cover, or by its topic.

There is a part of me that thinks it is a pity that this one is limited to such a narrow scope of readers: teen girls and perhaps mothers of teen girls. For the part that just applies to being a teen girl is so very, very tiny. Most of this one could be applicable--relevant--to readers of both genders and of all ages. For the topic is SANCTIFICATION.

Every chapter of this one embraces the GOOD NEWS of the gospel. The doctrine is strong with this one--and nothing could be more needed. Doctrine is meant to be lived out and Carlson's book encourages teens to do just that.

Another thing that I appreciated about this one was how it challenges you to think by asking important questions. For example, "Do you give your time, attention, and focus to the pursuit of knowing more about God? Or does the pursuit of growing in godliness feel like an imposition to your plans?" and "Would your words show evidence of a tender, merciful, and compassionate heart? Or would they point to selfishness, anger, or bitterness? And let’s not stop with spoken words; what about the words you type and text? If it’s “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34), then you can trust that out of the abundance of the heart, the fingers also type and text. How do you speak, type, text, and communicate with your family, friends, neighbors, and teachers? Do your words display maturity or immaturity?"