Every Bit of Who I Am: Devotions for Teens

by James Calvin Schaap

Overview

Writer James C. Schaap helps teens answer the one question they all have: "Who am I?" This devotional begins with an honest look at identity, explores why each person's life matters, and looks at who we are in Christ. In 238 powerful one-page devotions based on Bible verses and Heidelberg Catechism excerpts, teens will dig deeper into faith as they see that every bit of who they are hinges on their relationship with God. Makes a wonderful profession of faith or graduation gift.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781562127886
Publisher:	CRC Publications
Publication date:	06/01/2001
Series:	Devotions Series
Pages:	254
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

James Calvin Schaap is a retired English professor who has been something of a writer for most of the last 40 years. He writes and narrates a weekly essay on regional history for KWIT, public radio, Sioux City, Iowa. He lives on the northern edge of Alton, Iowa.

Table of Contents

	Introduction: "Every Bit of Who I Am"	11
1	Spitwads
2	Friends
3	Count on It!
4	Just Imagine
5	Confession
6	No Hoax
7	What You Can't Do
8	Every Last One of Us
9	It's natural
10	Face It
11	Unless ...
12	It's Not My Fault
13	Hell
14	More Than a Wink and a Nod
15	Self-Preservation
16	Powerball Dreams
17	Heroic Canaries
18	The Supreme Sacrifice
19	No Mere Mortal
20	Perfectly Stupendous
21	Breaking Up the Ice Jam
22	Fundamentals
23	Good News, Bad News
24	Tough Love
25	The Lessons of History
26	Grafting
27	Head Knowledge
28	No-Brain Faith
29	What Is Truth?
30	The Leap of Faith
31	The Gift
32	Sheer Grace
33	At-one (ment)
34	More Than Just a Warm Heart
35	The Whole Thing
36	Discuss--But Don't Fight!
37	A Creed Beyond Doubt
38	It's Simple--and It Isn't
39	Into Three Parts
40	The Trinity
41	So Big
42	Awesome
43	The Old, Old Story
44	What Do You Need?
45	Mourning to Gladness
46	Breathtaking
47	Providence
48	God and the Weather Channel
49	An Intrusive God
50	Despair
51	Hitting Bottom
52	Sovereignty
53	Savior
54	No Other Name
55	The Real Thing
56	Messiah
57	Lunatic Prophets
58	In Our Place
59	The Lion and the Lamb
60	By Faith Alone
61	You're a Prophet
62	You're a Priest
63	You're a King--Now
64	You're a King--Forever
65	Begotten
66	Belonging
67	Jesus Gives a Quiz
68	Born in a Barn
69	Magnificat
70	Away in a Manger
71	Suffering and SUVs
72	Then Is Now
73	Cursed and Crucified
74	A Cross and a Crooked Chunk of Cement
75	Ghosts and Old Graves
76	Just the Beginning
77	No Scars
78	The Kingdom of the Dead
79	Bad, Bad Places
80	Winners
81	Voted Off the Island
82	Humpty Dumpty and God
83	God's Headquarters
84	History--and Old Baseball Gloves
85	Lifted Up in Prayer
86	One of Us
87	Chicken Little
88	A Thousand Years
89	A Carry-Out Faith
90	Puppies and Other Gifts
91	On Patrol
92	Unimaginable
93	Faith and Sight
94	The Last Judgment
95	He Is Lord
96	Stones Rolled Away
97	The Holy Spirit
98	Head and Heart
99	A Personal Savior
100	The Catholic Church
101	Harvest Time
102	Scowling in Church
103	Better Than Bucks
104	Bowling Alone
105	Forgive and Forget?
106	Want a New Body?
107	Whispers of Eternity
108	What No One Knows
109	So What?
110	'Fess Up Time
111	"Nobody's Perfect"
112	At the Heart of Things
113	The Tower Experience
114	No Bragging
115	Un-American
116	What Peter Earned
117	What God Does
118	How We Come to Faith
119	The Preaching of the Word
120	Are We All Preachers?
121	On the Job
122	Eating and Drinking
123	Swooshes, Signs, and Sacraments
124	Show-and-Tell
125	What's Sacred and What's Not
126	Only Two
127	Reminding
128	Saul Sees the Light
129	Ritual
130	Why?
131	Lydia's Story
132	The Command
133	Blood Brothers and Sisters
134	Commemoration
135	Horror Movies
136	Nourishment
137	Post Toasties
138	Some Mayn't
139	Supervision
140	King of Kings
141	In Our Lives
142	Carry the Keys
143	When People Are Wrong
144	Keys and Swords
145	Forever Thankful
146	From the Inside Out
147	Doing Good, Feeling Good
148	By Our Love
149	Conversion Software
150	Getting Cranked
151	Death of the Old Self
152	Hear the Joy
153	A Wildfire of Joy
154	Love and Hate
155	"Only What's Done for Christ Will Last"
156	Here's the Story
157	The Ten Commandments--for Israel or Us?
158	The Cross and the Ten Words
159	Foundations
160	Other Gods
161	God and Money
162	Fashioning God
163	The Cathedral at Canterbury
164	Snake Worshipers
165	Drivel
166	Abusing the Name
167	Blasphemy!
168	Anachronism
169	Saint Christopher
170	A Matter of Freedom
171	Church--Who Needs It, Really?
172	The 24/7 Sabbath
173	Deadbeat Dads
174	Honoring
175	Respecting Mystery
176	Growing Up
177	No Sweat
178	Loving Ourselves
179	Capital Punishment
180	Community
181	Adultery
182	Commitment
183	Unfaithful
184	Unchastity
185	Trying to Manage Things
186	A Little Number Crunching
187	Loving Things
188	The Love of Money
189	Even in Our Families
190	Raisin Bread
191	False Witness
192	Reasons to Lie?
193	The Cynic
194	Strictly Speaking
195	Desire
196	Media, Marketing, and Coveting
197	The GQ Christian (and Spouse)
198	Billy Graham
199	Losers and Winners
200	Bar Mitzvah
201	When to Pray
202	Close to God
203	Beggars to Givers
204	Keep in Touch
205	How to Pray
206	Chums
207	"Know Thyself"
208	The Bottom Line--It's Simple
209	Everything We Need
210	How, Not What
211	Kids
212	"'Death Spiral' Around a Black Hole"
213	Definition
214	Like the Hypocrites
215	Whatever You Do
216	The Battle and the War
217	Couch Potato
218	Listening for God's Voice
219	The Iron-Pumping Church
220	"Marching Along"
221	Lord Jesus, Come Quickly
222	Obedience
223	Self-Denial
224	Zaniken
225	Modesty
226	Compassion
227	Confidence
228	The Miracle of Forgiveness
229	The Forgiven Forgive
230	Forgiveness and Godliness
231	Lead Us Not
232	The Devil
233	Temptation Island
234	"The Flesh and the Spirit"
235	Our Only Comfort
236	Grumbling and Singing
237	Raised Hands
238	Amen
	Afterword: "Every Bit of Who We Are"	251

Editorial Reviews

Gr 6 Up-The only thing slick about this volume is the cover art: there are two beautiful teens gazing off into spiritual longing with their best deep, dark, sad-eyed "gee mom why can't I have a motorcycle?" stares. But inside, everything is plain and simple. There is one meditation per page (238 in all). Each one begins with a Bible quote and a catechism phrase and ends with a brief prayer. The devotions are clearly written and easy to follow. Teens involved with retreat programs and Christian prayer groups will no doubt find some of them useful. Put them alongside the "Chicken Soup" books (Health Communications) as spiritual comfort food. However, unlike the devotions/meditations of Thomas Merton, Catherine Doherty, or Henri Nouwen, or even the spiritual poetry of the late Jane Kenyon, these selections don't challenge readers. Nonetheless, like comfort food, they go down easy.-Herman Sutter, Saint Agnes Academy, Houston, TX Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

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