There are lots of things your teenager could choose to do first thing in the morning: scroll through her phone, incessantly pick apart every perceived flaw on his face in front of the mirror, or try to work in a quick round of Fortnite.
Since we’re all no doubt guilty of filling our days with similarly unfruitful tasks, we know that we’re usually better off when our mornings begin when we ground ourselves in the truth of God’s Word. Of course, we want the same for our teenagers.
Enter Paul David Tripp’s new devotional New Morning Mercies for Teens: A Daily Gospel Devotional. Tripp’s original devotional, New Morning Mercies, has become wildly popular for good reason: it gives readers a daily dose of the gospel that is simple, distilled, and yet theologically rich. Tripp’s tone is always pastoral and colloquial, making the reader feel personally ministered to through his words.
With Tripp’s new edition, teenagers are welcomed into a daily rhythm of receiving mercies from God’s Word for each morning. So while a round of Fortnite might be fun, there is no better way for a teenager to gear up for the day ahead than with a steady dose of the truth of the gospel.
All 365 entries begin with a simple thesis statement of sorts for the entry ahead, giving teenagers a nugget of gospel encouragement to hold on to as they begin their day. Tripp then expands on this opening thought in a short devotional passage, always drawing in Scriptural truth and applying it to real-life experiences.
In these entries, teenagers will learn about important topics like sin, church, worship, relationships, and grace. Tripp leaves the reader with a short verse from Scripture and a reflection question, ensuring that the truth on the page makes its way into the teenager’s heart and head.
Perhaps Tripp’s greatest strength as a writer is to continually communicate the truth of God’s love for sinners in 365 unique ways. Tripp realizes that our sinful hearts are prone to forget, so we need to be reminded daily of the gracious nature of our God, seen especially in the person of Jesus.
A sentence on the book’s back cover summarizes it best: “Focused less on behavior modification and more on encountering the living God, this devotional will help young people grow in their love for Jesus, find freedom and joy within his boundaries, and live for his glory.” What more could we want for our teens? In a world where teenagers are constantly told to do more, be better, and stay true to themselves, New Morning Mercies for Teens will re-orient them to the abundant life offered to them through Jesus and his Word.
As a plus, each entry in New Morning Mercies for Teens relates directly to the corresponding entry in New Morning Mercies, making it the perfect starting point for gospel conversations with your teenager. Parents could perhaps take Tripp’s daily refection question and dialogue about it with their teen over breakfast or in the car ride to school.
While New Morning Mercies for Teens is worth a read just for the daily entries, Tripp also includes a bonus chapter with Q and A for teens. In this section, Tripp tackles questions from topics such as pornography, church, social media, hell, and more. His answers are simple and concise, yet they offer teenagers a thoughtful biblical response to some of the culture’s most pressing questions.
We all know it’s not easy to be a teenager in today’s world. Like all of us, they need God’s mercies which are indeed new every morning (Lam. 3:23). Whether your teenager is already in a good rhythm of spending daily time with the Lord, or if they are just starting to warm up to Jesus, consider New Morning Mercies for Teens as the perfect addition to their bedside table.
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