God's Great Story: A Daily Devotional for Teens (Nielson)

Young adulthood is often a pivotal stage in the life and faith of a believer. Christian teens are confronted with many challenges, making it harder for them to adopt effective Bible-reading habits. How can teens maintain a deep and fruitful relationship with Scripture while managing busy schedules and exciting new stages of life? 

God’s Great Story by Jon Nielson unpacks Scripture from Genesis to Revelation, helping young adults grasp God’s full narrative and form helpful reading habits to keep a strong relationship with the Lord. Designed to be read in a year, each of the 365 daily devotionals includes a summary, a practical application, and a guide for personal prayer and meditation. Readings build off of each other to help readers grasp God’s grand story of redemption and the full saving work of the Son. 

Author

Jon Nielson (DMin, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) serves as the senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Wheaton, Illinois. He is coeditor of the book Gospel-Centered Youth Ministry and author of the Theology Basics suite of products. He and his wife, Jeanne, have four children.

Endorsements

“Our teenagers’ valuable attention spans are pulled in different directions, and powerful narratives attempt to explain the world to them. However, there is only one story that deserves their thoughtful consideration and assigns meaning and value to everything they can see and everything they can’t see. Teens need to know this story and the one who wrote it. In a season of life when time seems to stand still, God’s Great Story is a devotional that will help teens get to know the one who stands above time.”
Gloria Furman, author, Labor with Hope and Missional Motherhood

“Any devotional worth its salt should motivate readers to understand and read the word of God themselves. I believe that Jon Nielson’s book God’s Great Story does exactly that. This book provides a very helpful structure for daily Bible reading to see how the story fits together to point us to Christ. If you have teenagers in your life, I’d highly encourage you to get this book for them. If you are a teenager, dive in and let this book guide you toward a lifetime of learning to live in this great story.”
Chris Bruno, President, Oahu Theological Seminary; Global Partner, Training Leaders International

“Devotionals are often either overwhelming or underwhelming. Here is a devotional aimed at young men and women that delivers perfectly. Nielson manages to emphasize the importance of Scripture reading while also informing the reader, pointing to Christ, upholding holiness, and emphasizing grace. This devotional equips theologically and stirs devotionally. As a pastor of a university church, I would be delighted if every one of our students began their day upon their knees with the Bible in one hand and Nielson’s devotional in the other hand.”
Jason Helopoulos, Senior Pastor, University Reformed Church, East Lansing, Michigan; author, The New Pastor’s Handbook and Covenantal Baptism

“The statistics are out there—America’s youth are in crisis. Both young men and women are experiencing frightening levels of depression, suicide, drug abuse, and confusion about themselves and the world around them. Worse, many (even those who are seemingly well-adjusted and happy) are drowning in a sea of apathy and ignorance about the only thing that can set their feet on solid spiritual ground: God’s word. None too late comes this thrilling book by Jon Nielson. Breaking down God’s story into a compelling play of five acts, God’s Great Story helps our teens (and perhaps their parents) navigate their way through the Bible in a year to see the big picture of redemption—and their place in it. I highly recommend this wonderful, much-needed resource!”
Chris Castaldo, Senior Pastor, New Covenant Church, Naperville, Illinois; author, The Upside Down Kingdom: Wisdom for Life from the Beatitudes