Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Kelley Mathews

Home
Family, Parenting and Religion
He Is: A Student’s Guide to Knowing God [Author Interview]

He Is: A Student’s Guide to Knowing God [Author Interview]

Last updated on: May 23, 2019 at 12:37 pm by Kelley Mathews

He Is: A Student’s Guide to Knowing God [Author Interview] 2019-05-23T12:37:25-05:00 Kelley Mathews

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

What was your favorite part of writing this study?

My favorite part of writing this study was the opportunity to revisit a topic that’s near and dear to me. This new book is the student version of a full, 10-week Bible study I wrote several years ago on the names of God. As strange as it sounds, before I started writing, I was missing the sweet studying/writing season when my heart and mind were fully occupied with knowing God more through his many names. Writing this study gave me time and space to reset my gaze on the wonder of who God is and how he works in our lives.

What inspired you to write a Bible study for teens?

The studies I write are always the overflow of my real life and how God is moving in that particular season. Right now, I have two teens living in my home and many more that walk in and out of our front door on a regular basis. These kids have opened up their lives to me and given me permission to speak into them by leading them in the Word. Writing this study was one way for me to practice stewarding the gifts God has given me to impact the audience that’s right in front of me. Plus, I happen to think teenagers are a blast, so writing this for them was a complete joy for me!

Have you had any test readers—teens included? Did any of them help you edit/change your content during the writing process?

My two daughters and nephew and niece were my test readers (ages ranging from 10 to 16). And, oh yes! They did not hold back on their opinions and/or feedback. At the beginning, they helped me most with landing on the right format for the study. After that, most of our discussions were about making sure I didn’t use words or concepts that were over their heads and that I asked good questions that applied to them. One of my early readers was most concerned about making sure I didn’t make them do too much work. This unnamed child is all about maximum impact for minimum work, which sounds like a lot of teens I know. They also helped me with important details like choosing the font and deciding how much space to leave for writing. They even picked

the cover image. No decision was made without their final nod.

Do you suggest a particular method for readers to engage with this study? (individually, together, online or not, etc)

Actually, I wrote the study to be a blend of both methods. There are 30 daily lessons that students can engage with individually like a daily devotion, but those lessons are grouped together weekly so that they can be discussed in a group. I’m planning on leading a local group of high schoolers through the study this summer, and I’m excited to see how it works out. The content won’t be online, but I did open up an Instagram account for the study to help readers stay engaged with the content throughout the summer. (You can find it at @heissummer19.)

Can parents do this study with their teens? Or is it aimed squarely at that age group?

Absolutely! That’s one of the things that’s so great about this topic. No one is too young or old to learn about the character of God. No matter what age or stage we’re in, we all can benefit from growing our view of God. Although the daily lessons are directed to the felt needs of teens, the truths about who God is and how he works in our lives relates to us all. If parents are looking for a deeper dive into knowing God by name, they can pick up the original version, He Is: Knowing God by Name, which walks in step (but more in-depth) with the student study.

What is one fundamental thing you want a teen to understand or know when they put this book down?

I want them to know that God is bigger and better than they think he is, and he can be trusted with every aspect of their lives. No biggie, right?!

Carrie Rogers is a wife and mom of three who is passionate about God’s Word. She loves to encourage and equip others to practically apply God’s Word as they pursue Jesus in their daily lives. Carrie has authored several Bible studies and devotional books. Find her at her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

*affiliate link

Previous Post

May 2, 2019

The ECPA 2019 Christian Book Award Winners

Next Post

June 9, 2019 What Dietrich Bonhoeffer Taught Me About Surrender [Guest Post]

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category adoption art bible Bible study books compassion creation culture dogs facebook faith family friendship funeral grieving justice leadership Mardi Gras marriage memorial mental illness milestones missions MOPS movies parenting politics race relationships social media technology Thanksgiving theology trusting God Uncategorized wedding women worship

Select a Month June 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 November 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 October 2013 September 2013 October 2012 August 2012 January 2012 October 2011 May 2011 February 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did Moses' staff turn into as a sign for Pharaoh?

Select your answer to see how you score.

A branch A dove A serpent A frog

Books by This Author Books by Kelley Mathews

See All Titles »