
Alive: Gospel Sexuality for Students gives teenagers and young adults a biblical, gospel-centered framework to understand sexual issues. In a changing culture where feelings about our identity inform our sexual choices, this ten-week small group resource from Harvest USA applies biblical truth in a compassionate way to sexual struggles.
Cooper Pinson, with years of experience working with students, aims to bring the theological truths of our union and communion with Christ into the world of sexuality. Students are met where they are and encouraged to talk about the issues that are part of their everyday world. At the same time, Pinson guides them to learn robust, deep, and strengthening theological content that will help them follow Jesus in how they express their sexuality.
Out of this framework, topics addressed include God's good design for sexuality, gender-related issues, singleness, dating, marriage, masturbation, pornography, and same-sex attraction, among others. Students are shepherded to understand their sexuality in light of who Jesus is and to approach these issues with truth, faith, and compassion.
"With the culture screaming skewed and destructive sexual guidance into our students' ears around the clock, we must step up and speak God's life-giving message about sex and sexuality into the lives of the kids we know and love. Alive provides much-needed gospel-centered content in a ready-to-use format that enables leaders to speak God's life-giving message about sex and sexuality into students' lives."
Walt Mueller, President, Center for Parent/Youth Understanding
"This book is helpful on many levels: it's both solidly biblical and user-friendly practical; it's pastoral and encouraging without softening the truth; and the topics it covers in chapters 4 through 10 are all ones desperately needing careful reflection from Christians today. I intend to use it with my graduate students this coming fall!"
Kevin Offner, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship Director of Grad-Faculty Ministries for Washington, DC area universities
"Confusion over sexual ethics is rife among Christians because of the messages sent by the wider culture whether the politics of identity, the omnipresence of pornography, or the promotion of promiscuity via the entertainment industry. Therefore, thoughtful teaching on such matters is vital in Christian discipleship. This excellent book provides a solid curriculum, which pastors, youth workers, and small group leaders will find most helpful in guiding people to a clear understanding of biblical teaching."
Carl R. Trueman, Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies, Grove City College
"I highly recommend this new resource! Harvest USA does a great job bringing the conviction of God's Word as well as the compassion of the gospel to bear on the issues of human sexuality. Students will not only be informed, but they will also be better equipped to offer the love of Jesus to friends who may be struggling and need a safe place to ask questions."
Michael A. Hall, Director of Training, Reformed Youth Ministries
"In the shifting sexual landscape of our time where anything goes and 'love wins,' our teenagers have readily accepted this new worldview. But when we, as parents and the church, fail to enter into the conversation, why should we be surprised when their cues come from culture? To that end, Alive is the perfect and necessary resource to help teenagers, parents, and the church evaluate the issues through the framework of God's good design of marriage and sex."
Kristen Hatton, Author of The Gospel-Centered Life for Students in Exodus, Face Time: Your Identity in a Selfie World, and Get Your Story Straight
"Talking about sexuality can be a daunting task, but Alive is an amazing study for students that clearly defines gospel sexuality by providing theologically rich teaching, practical insight, and discussion-oriented lessons. We live in a world that is constantly telling students that God is keeping them from something great, and we must show them that God is actually preserving them for something greater. This is a must-use curriculum for every student ministry!"
Jay Shaw, Youth Pastor, Briarwood Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, AL
"Students today are being bombarded with messages of broken sexuality. As parents and youth workers, we know it is important to share God's perspective, but often do not know where to start. Alive: Gospel Sexuality for Students presents a gospel-centered approach to this complex topic. It pushes us to look beyond the 'fruit' of sexual sin to the issues of the heart in a practical and grace-filled way."
Jon Shepherd, Student Ministry Director, Chelten, a Church of Hope, Dresher, PA
"As our culture has cut itself loose from any sense of biblical mooring when it comes to sexuality, Alive steps into the massive gap that our youth are now facing. It unashamedly addresses the relevant issues, and brings students through the Scriptures to understand God's will as well as the heart motivations behind each behavior. The rising generation will be well served by Pinson's biblical and compassionate discipleship."
Ben Falconer, Senior Pastor, Proclamation Presbyterian Church, Bryn Mawr, PA
This would be a great group study for teens. It talks about a lot of issues that we often try to sweep under the rug. I believe the way this is laid out and the questions it offers would highly engage the teen reader. There are truly tough topics in this study but we can't keep ignoring them, they are not going away. We need to empower our young people to deal with the many issues around them and this study will do this.
When New Growth Press reached out to me with the opportunity to read and review Alive: Gospel Sexuality for Students, I was ecstatic! This may seem a strange admission considering the book deals with a touchy topic but with over five years of experience serving in youth ministry, I knew this book would be timely and much needed. Part of the Vision of the book states, "We want to talk about the issues that are part of our everyday world. But we also want to lead you toward robust, deep, and strengthening theological content that will help you follow Jesus in the area of sexuality. As you hopefully identify with the content, our prayer is that the content will in turn challenge you to grow further in your Christian walk," (pg. 1). Alive isn't necessarily a chapter book but rather a 10 week study for groups of students to go through together. Each week provides a different topic for discussion and each topic relates in some way to sexuality. The book is divided into two sections. The first section is for students and the second section is a leaders guide. I appreciate the thoughtfulness that went into this aspect of the book because youth ministries don't often have large budgets in which money can be spent on books for students and separate guides for leaders. This book is a great resource for youth ministry leaders because many of the questions require students to critically think about the scenarios and thoughtfully respond. As a former youth ministry leader, I really appreciate that the questions are set up in such a way to allow for discussion rather than just a fill in the blank option with only one "right" answer. The questions are also faithful to point students to what Scripture says about each of the ten topics. There are sections of the book that create opportunities for larger group discussions and sections also designed for guys and girls to separate and talk. I feel that having the questions crafted in this manner will really aid youth leaders in fostering discussions about sensitive subjects. I really appreciated that the questions for the separate group discussions did not change based on gender. I believe this is so important because it is generally assumed that sexual sins are primarily a struggle only with men. Having experience serving in youth ministry, I know that this is not the case. While the outward action may be the same, the heart intention behind it can often be different and Alive does a great job of allowing students opportunities to discuss that and look to Christ as their only hope for conquering sin, sexual or otherwise. Alive also encourages students to use their sexuality to bring Christ glory - a rare, yet much needed point that is imperative for students to consider. I really enjoyed reading Alive and highly recommend it. I have never seen quite a resource before and am thankful to have received this book prior to parenting teens as I feel it will greatly aid in that too. I received Alive compliments of New Growth Press in exchange for my honest review.
When New Growth Press reached out to me with the opportunity to read and review Alive: Gospel Sexuality for Students, I was ecstatic! This may seem a strange admission considering the book deals with a touchy topic but with over five years of experience serving in youth ministry, I knew this book would be timely and much needed. Part of the Vision of the book states, "We want to talk about the issues that are part of our everyday world. But we also want to lead you toward robust, deep, and strengthening theological content that will help you follow Jesus in the area of sexuality. As you hopefully identify with the content, our prayer is that the content will in turn challenge you to grow further in your Christian walk," (pg. 1). Alive isn't necessarily a chapter book but rather a 10 week study for groups of students to go through together. Each week provides a different topic for discussion and each topic relates in some way to sexuality. The book is divided into two sections. The first section is for students and the second section is a leaders guide. I appreciate the thoughtfulness that went into this aspect of the book because youth ministries don't often have large budgets in which money can be spent on books for students and separate guides for leaders. This book is a great resource for youth ministry leaders because many of the questions require students to critically think about the scenarios and thoughtfully respond. As a former youth ministry leader, I really appreciate that the questions are set up in such a way to allow for discussion rather than just a fill in the blank option with only one "right" answer. The questions are also faithful to point students to what Scripture says about each of the ten topics. There are sections of the book that create opportunities for larger group discussions and sections also designed for guys and girls to separate and talk. I feel that having the questions crafted in this manner will really aid youth leaders in fostering discussions about sensitive subjects. I really appreciated that the questions for the separate group discussions did not change based on gender. I believe this is so important because it is generally assumed that sexual sins are primarily a struggle only with men. Having experience serving in youth ministry, I know that this is not the case. While the outward action may be the same, the heart intention behind it can often be different and Alive does a great job of allowing students opportunities to discuss that and look to Christ as their only hope for conquering sin, sexual or otherwise. Alive also encourages students to use their sexuality to bring Christ glory - a rare, yet much needed point that is imperative for students to consider. I really enjoyed reading Alive and highly recommend it. I have never seen quite a resource before and am thankful to have received this book prior to parenting teens as I feel it will greatly aid in that too.
This small group resource is an essential guide for every youth pastor and leader to use in teaching their high school students in church how their relationship with Jesus Christ empowers and equips them to stand firm in the faith and find hope in the truth. It is ideal for high school students due to the nature of the addressed topics and, as the study says, “best used in gender-specific smaller group settings” (Pinson 66). This Harvest USA resource addresses a broad range of categories on sexuality that few studies have. Simply, this is a resource churches need in order to challenge their youth to grow further in their Christian walk as they learn what it means to live sexually faithful and holy lives in a sexualized culture.
Silence is not an option. In a culture freely expressing and speaking on sexuality, the church cannot be quiet. While the need to speak up is important to the church in general, it is absolutely crucial to teach the youth of the church how to stand firm as Christians with conviction and compassion in a culture of confusion and compromise. As an associate pastor of youth and families, my passion is for these young people to see how to steward their sexuality faithfully in an entitled culture. That is why I am grateful for Alive: Gospel Sexuality for Students, a youth ministry resource edited by Harvest USA staff member and speaker Cooper Pinson. Questions to Guide In this 10-week small group study, students will interact with God’s design for our sexuality, what went wrong with sexuality, how to get to the heart of the problem, while addressing sensitive topics like pornography, masturbation, homosexuality, and transgender and giving guidance on subjects like dating, singleness, and marriage. Each lesson follows the structure of sharing a scenario, posing reflecting questions, considering the issue, looking at the issue in life, and summarizing the point of the lesson. The resource itself is divided into two sections: a student’s guide and a leader’s guide. The student’s guide makes it apparent the study is not intended to be lecture-based as it is filled with questions for students to work and struggle their way through. The leader’s guide provides possible answers and pointers to the questions of discussion in the student’s guide. The last section of this guide features an appendix to think through issues of abuse and rape and contains a glossary for terms that may be unfamiliar to those participating in the study. Essential Guide for Every Youth Leader This small group resource is an essential guide for every youth pastor and leader to use in teaching their high school students in church how their relationship with Jesus Christ empowers and equips them to stand firm in the faith and find hope in the truth. The 10-week study shows students how a biblical worldview tackles these tough topics on sexuality. The resource takes the group to Scripture in every lesson to see what the Bible says. For students, their guide provides no answers for their questions but encourages them to understand and handle their battles and struggles as they are in union with Christ as believers. For leaders, they are given possible answers to the questions in the student’s guide and are given pointers as they lead the study in a conversational and interactive manner focused on discussion and application. A Package Deal? Because of the distinction between the student’s guide and leader’s guide, I do wonder if this small group resource would be better as two separate books. I see the value of formatting the two guides into one book but due to the list of questions in the student’s guide and the possible answers and pointers in the leader’s guide, having them both in one place is not exactly a package deal. Splitting up the two guides into two books would make more sense in a study on such sensitive subjects. Of course, this minor critique does not take away from the content of this study. For Churches and High Schoolers In conclusion, this 10-week study for youth is ideal for high school students due to the nature of the addressed topics and, as the study says, “best used in gender-specific smaller group settings” (Pinson 66). This Harvest USA resource addresses a broad range of categories on sexuality that few studies have. Alive: Gospel Sexuality for Students is the resource churches need in order to challenge their youth to grow further in their Christian walk as they learn what it means to live sexually faithful and holy lives in a sexualized culture. I received this book from New Growth Press in exchange for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and are my honest review of the book.
I have six kids that I've raised to be teens and young adults. I've had my fair share of "the birds and the bees" talk. I'm not embarrassed to discuss sexuality with my kids and am open to listening to them when they want to talk about it. I also want my kids to turn to God for all aspects of their life, including sex. With that said, I'm not blind to the fact that kids usually listen to their peers more than their parents when it comes to sexuality. Alive: Gospel Sexuality for Students is a 10-week devotional that explores and studies several topics related to sexuality. Because of its deep extensive content, I'd recommend it for students who are in high school. The book should be used in a small group that is guided by a leader. The book itself is divided into two sections - the Student's Guide and the Leader's Guide. There is no homework to do but there are questions to go over with the group, along with Key Truths and Concepts. Some of the topics covered are marriage, dating, masturbation, and homosexuality. All areas explored are backed by verses and scenarios in the Bible. I think an hour to an hour and a half of time each week is plentiful to cover that week's discussion. This Bible study is a good resource to help older students openly engage and talk about sex - the good, the bad, and the ugly - with fellow believers their age.
Sexuality is a hot topic anywhere except in the church. Christians don't like to talk about this "taboo subject", and because of that, many people, young adults and teens especially, don't know how handle compromising situations regarding their sexuality or the sexuality of others. Because, to Christians, "sex is bad and gays are wrong". No explanations given. So the goal of Alive is to inspire conversation within a small group regarding this topic and to give a Biblical foundation to why Christians believe what they believe. New Adult fiction is a rapidly growing genre. More and more teens and young adults are presented with movies and books that grapple with questions and situations faced by these new adults, and as I'm sure you could guess, sexual orientation is at the top of the list. I am a very strong Christian, and sometimes the messages in these books (which are not Christian) can cause even me to take a step back and think, "Well they do have a point..." Young adults definitely NEED to be able to talk about their concerns, ask their questions, and even confess confusing feelings, and because most churches don't allow that "type of talk", they go to their friends, who may or may not steer them back to The Word. Alive: Gospel Sexuality for Students is a resource for providing a place to talk. It's not a study in which individuals read a lesson and discuss it later. The "lesson" alone IS the discussion and is intended to be guided by a leader. Each week you're given a scenario, which are realistic and likely to happen to anyone, verses, and questions. They range from Christian scenarios, such as "what's the point of dating if it's nothing but sexual temptation anyways?", to answering big questions, like "how would you define pornography?", using scripture. Because this is a RESOURCE, I wouldn't recommend it to be read on one's own, nor would I recommend it be used by a group leader who is not already knowledgeable on the topic. It is a book of questions, not a book of answers (though it does have a leader's guide in the back of the book, it is only a guide however). I do recommend it for small groups though, especially those with students and young adults. Because of the above, I give Alive: Gospel Sexuality for Students 4 out of 5 stars and I'm pleased to see such a good resource available for churches to empower students in their sexuality.