“Help! I’m the parent of a teenager!”

Help is on the way. Parenting Your Teen by the Spirit is the third of a four-book series on parenting by Sally Hohnberger. Sally urges parents and others who have contact with teens to motivate them to reach out to Christ in a personal way. By befriending teens and listening to their dreams, you can encourage them to develop their talents and to learn new skills that will be useful in their adult lives.

“Young adults at age fourteen, fifteen and upward are learning the ‘art of flying.’ These early lessons under our watchful care and Spirit-directed encouragement are essential prerequisites to proper independence. . . . As we come into a healthy, heart relationship with our youth, instructing them in the way to go, in an attractive manner, we make God real, personal and attractive,” Sally says.

But it is not enough for your teens to know that Jesus is with them. They must know that Jesus is in them enabling changes in their outlook, desires and character. The only thing preventing any of us from spiritual growth and overcoming is our own choice every minute.

By the age of thirteen a youth should:

1. be well-versed in Scripture;
2. know the voice of God as distinguished from the voice of his flesh;
3. have a meaningful and regular personal time with God.

The good news is it’s never too late to begin. Commit your life to the Lord today, and show and tell your teens how much you and God love them.