John Stonestreet - A Practical Guide to Culture: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Todays World

What people are saying about

Everyone who works with students and cares about their future needs this guide. Its exactly what the title says: practical. John and Brett have filled this book with clarity, wisdom, and loving advice on the most important issues facing this generation.

Eric Metaxas, author of Bonhoeffer and nationally syndicated radio host

Culture is dynamic and changingand that change often comes in waves that threaten to overwhelm us. But as Christians, were able to secure ourselves to solid, unchanging truth in the chaotic ocean of culture. John Stonestreet and Brett Kunkle show us how to navigate the tides and pass those skills on to the next generation.

Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family

A Practical Guide to Culture is a profound, witty, and forthright manual written by two concerned dads who also happen to be two of the most effective worldview and apologetics experts of our day. Based on their deep experience working with tens of thousands of teenagers, John and Brett show how to stop giving in to a degrading culture that makes kids unhealthy and sad and how to start raising kids who love Jesus and live without fear and regret.

Jeff Myers, PhD, president of Summit Ministries

I wish John Stonestreet and Brett Kunkle had written A Practical Guide to Culture years ago. As a parent and youth pastor, I was often concerned about the impact the culture might have on my children and students, and I wasnt always sure how to address the challenges. John and Brett have written a hopeful, engaging book that will prepare parents, educators, and youth leaders to equip young minds. This isnt just a survey of culture; its an active, purposeful, and thoughtful action plan. If you want your students and children to represent Christ in a fallen world as they thrive in their Christian walk, A Practical Guide to Culture is an essential guide.

J. Warner Wallace, cold-case detective, adjunct professor of apologetics at Biola University, and author of Cold-Case Christianity, Gods Crime Scene , and Forensic Faith

Will the next generation be defined by the radical cultural shifts taking place, or will the culture be defined by a generation committed to the radical love, redemptive truth, and restorative grace of Jesus? In A Practical Guide to Culture , John Stonestreet and Brett Kunkle provide a biblically based roadmap designed to assist a generations navigation through the difficult currents of relativism, decadence, and apathy, while simultaneously shining the light of Christ.

Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference

A wise and accessible guide for Christian parents in these rapidly changing times. Stonestreet and Kunkle do more than scratch the surface; they take us deeper into the underlying worldview issues that give rise to so many conflicts in our culture.

Trevin Wax, Bible and reference publisher for LifeWay Christian Resources and author of several books, including This Is Our Time

A Practical Guide to Culture is smart, clear, and incredibly helpful for Christians trying to raise faithful, resilient children in a post-Christianand increasingly anti-Christiansociety. This is a book written by intelligent men who know how to relate big ideas to daily life in terms everyone can understand. When people ask me, But what can we Christians do about the collapsing culture?, I will emphatically recommend this book as the place to begin. Im buying two copies: one for my familys use and one for my pastors.

Rod Dreher, author of The Benedict Option

A Practical Guide to Culture lives up to its name. John and Brett have written an insightful, timely, and easy-to-use book that will help youth influencers guide students through some of the most murky issues of our day. They tackle issues like consumerism, pornography, gender identity, racial tension, and more. And they do it with both clarity and conviction. If you are a parent, teacher, or youth worker, this book is an indispensable guide.

Sean McDowell, PhD, author, speaker, and professor

Using illustrations, data, and ideas, John and Brett masterfully explain why were facing the contemporary cultural challenges we are. They uncover what God wants us to understand about them and what we can do. Their explanation of the Bible and the way they consistently frame issues with the Bible story is a refreshing perspective I havent seen or heard. Its compelling and extremely valuable. You and your children can move from anger to love, despair to hope, apathy to involvement, fear to confidence, ignorance to wisdom, and isolation to collaboration. Youll be empowered and full of hope.

Kathy Koch, PhD, founder and president of Celebrate Kids, Inc.

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO CULTURE

Published by David C Cook

4050 Lee Vance Drive

Colorado Springs, CO 80918 U.S.A.

David C Cook U.K., Kingsway Communications

Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6NT, England

The graphic circle C logo is a registered trademark of David C Cook.

All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form without written permission from the publisher.

The website addresses recommended throughout this book are offered as a resource to you. These websites are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement on the part of David C Cook, nor do we vouch for their content.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked THE MESSAGE are taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 2002. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.; NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, copyright 1960, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org).

The authors have added italics to Scripture quotations for emphasis.

LCCN 2017931374

ISBN 978-1-4347-1101-4

eISBN 978-1-4347-1178-6

2017 John Stonestreet and Brett Kunkle

The Team: Tim Peterson, Keith Jones, Amy Konyndyk, Nick Lee, Jennifer Lonas, Abby DeBenedittis, Susan Murdock

Cover Design: James Hershberger

Cover Photo: Getty Images

First Edition 2017

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031517

To Erin and Sarah, the loves of our lives and the mothers of our children, who make us better men, better fathers, and better at what we do.

We outkicked our punt coverage when we found you.