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Although there are many great resources for christian teens to learn more about the truths of scripture during their teen years, there is no argument that the best way for them to live out the christian faith is to read the word of god on a daily basis.

Youth ministry and youth groups are important, and youth pastors and youth workers are great at helping high school students learn and apply the Bible to the realities of life through open discussion and Bible study, but the truth is that if teenagers are going to grow to be young adults who can live out their faith in today’s world, they need to begin to have personal devotion time.

An important factor in growing in their christian life is to find the right bible for them.

Parents ask me all the time what are the best bibles for young people and how to help their kids read the Bible on a regular basis. I believe it’s important for kids to get into the habit of including the Bible in everyday life. So today, I want to talk about the best Bible for teens.

Here’s some smart advice for you: The best Bible for teens (or anyone) is the one they will read!

Tips for Choosing the Best Bible for Teens:

Let’s talk about some tips for choosing the best Bible for your kids…

Choosing the best Bible starts by choosing a good Bible translation.

A good choice for students is the New Living Translation Bible. I recently picked up a copy of this translation, and I believe it is easy to read and helps a young person stay with the bible stories while reading it. Have you ever started your bible study, but then zone out before much time has passed because you stopped understanding what the text was actually saying? A good version of the Bible will help kids read and understand god’s love for them. Other great translations for young christians are the new international version and the English Standard Version.

Choosing the best Bible requires knowing what you want to do with it.

Obviously, you want them to read it. But there’s a difference between reading the Bible and studying it. Do you want it to be a study Bible? If so, look for the best study bibles which have textual notes, a quick view of main themes of the books of the bible, and easy to understand book introductions. Some of these study Bibles give appendices or concordances as well as dictionaries of common Biblical terminology that will help the reader see the way the bible verses can be understood in today’s world. There might even be a question and answer section where students can see how the Bible applies to areas of her life. One of the special sections that has always helped me is a list of the promises of god that is almost always included in a study Bible.

Some great study bibles are:

Study Bibles are great bibles if you want to spend time really looking at If you’re looking for a Bible that is more “devotional” in its approach, you can look for a different type of Bible. Sometimes, you want a Bible for daily life and one that you can simply use for daily readings or times to reflect on what God is saying.

Choosing the best Bible requires knowing who will be using it.

Some teen girls (and boys) enjoy drawing, coloring, or journaling in their Bibles. One of the best Bibles for that is NIV journal Bible. I have a few journaling Bibles and know that they help me take notes and occasionally “sketchnote” or draw in them. They have ample space in the margins to write or draw. Another highly popular version of this kind of Bible is the NIV beautiful word coloring Bible. Young girls especially enjoy coloring and drawing, and I know this Bible has pages that are specifically for that. It would be a perfect gift for a girls ages 12-16 (and probably older).

Teen boys (and girls) often find it difficult to get past the list of books of the Bible. The teenage years can be difficult to get boys to read. There is so much vying for their attention, and the things they find on the pages of the bible don’t always excite them. It has been a struggle to get my own kids to like to read the Bible. There are a few Bibles that resemble comic books that help boys get interested in the entire bible. The action bible, while not really a full Bible, has 215 Bible stories told in picture form that tell the story of god’s love for mankind in a visual manner. It is a great idea to get this Bible for the teen guys in your life.

Other Features to help you choose the best Bible for teens

So we’ve been over study Bibles, Bibles for teenage girls, Bibles for teenage boys, and other things, but there are some other features that I believe are important when you look for a Bible that will impact your kids.

You should ask yourself if it’s important that the Bible includes a reading plan. While there are many reading plans available online, maybe you should look to see if the Bible you’re about to get has one as well. This will help your kids stay on track to read the Bible.

Is your kid going to be a college student soon? If that’s the case, you might want to look for a Bible that will help them with contemporary issues they will be facing in the university.

Is there a student edition of the Bible you’re thinking about buying? I remember getting a student edition of the NIV Bible when I was younger, and it really helped me to spend more time reading God’s Word.

Conclusion

As you can see, there is no one “best Bible for teens.” There are many factors that come into play when we are trying to find ways to help our kids come to know Jesus Christ. I hope these thoughts have helped you as you look for the right Bible and that you will find what you are looking for.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, and I’ll try to help you find a great Bible for your teen.