Joyce Meyer - Teenagers Are People Too!

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from The Amplified Bible (AMP). The Amplified Bible, Old Testament, copyright 1965, 1987 by The Zondervan Corporation. The Amplified New Testament, copyright 1954, 1958, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, (NASB), Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, (NIV) Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982, by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotation marks TEV are from the Today's English VersionSecond Edition 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Copyright 2002 by Joyce Meyer

Life In The Word, Inc.

P.O. Box 655

Fenton, Missouri 63026

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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First eBook Edition: October 2002

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ISBN: 978-0-446-55447-3

I wish to dedicate this book to my son Daniel. God spoke to his father and me in our hearts to have him at a time in our life when we thought we were finished having children. Once again God surprised us.

Daniel has been a tremendous blessing to us. He has always been full of zest for life, had an abundance of energy and loved to have fun. He is caring; he loves to take care of people, especially those who are hurting or in need. We have always recognized in him a compassionate heart and a sensitivity to help people and have always felt that God gave him to us for a great purpose in His kingdom.

Around the age of fourteen Daniel began to talk to us about his desire to work with youth someday. Many young people change their mind monthly about what they want to do in life, but Dan always stuck to his original vision. He did other things in the ministry as he grew up. He worked in the warehouse, traveled with us working behind the tape table, set up television equipment, served as a cameraman and was one of our top television editors. But he was always open with us about the fact that someday he knew he would work with youth.

Dan, you have already made your dad and me very proud of you, but I believe the marvelous things you will do with your life are only beginning. You are on the very threshold of great and mighty exploits. God has blessed you with a wonderful wife in Charity, and I know that as the two of you step out to follow your dreams, we will not be disappointed in you.

We are very happy to be in ministry with you reaching out to the youth of our generation. I believe with us working together, and with the help of the awesome team of people God has given us, we have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and to help an unlimited number of young people find a deep personal relationship with Jesus Christ, as well as fulfill His call on their lives.

A dults look at the next generation and can't understand why kids are killing kids, why teen pregnancy and suicide rates keep rising, why their kids are more interested in going to a keg party than church. They can't understand why teenagers are doing things they would never have dreamed of doing when they were that age.

We cannot live in a society that was built on the foundation of God's Word and, once the building is finished, try to remove that foundation. A moral catastrophe is inevitable.

As our culture moves further away from the biblical truths from which our moral fabric was woven, teenagers find it harder and harder to follow rules and guidelines which seem archaic and impractical in today's world. But where does society's influence end and personal responsibility begin?

Let's make a decision to breed respect by showing respect.

Parents, you cannot expect your children to be responsible to obey you if you never release any authority to them. Teenagers, if you want your parents to be patient with you, start sowing seeds by being patient with them. Realize that some of the changes in every generation are always hard on those who are still around from the previous generation.

If you're wondering what Joyce Meyer, successful mother of four, knows about teenagers, just read the advice above. It's hers. And it's just a taste of the perspective-shifting wisdom this book has to offer. (Was it mentioned that she's a successful mother of four?) She speaks from years of experience, not just theory.

Never have teenagers had such comprehensive blueprints into the world of adulthood. There are some adults who have spent years searching for these guidelines on spiritual and emotional maturity. Using the Bible as God's ultimate prescription on how to live a successful, outrageously wonderful life, Joyce Meyer tackles the most relevant issues teenagers face: emotional pain and disappointment, fear, loneliness, overcoming your past, priorities in relationships and the future.

You have tremendous worth and value. You had the vulnerability to pick up this book and ask for guidance. And you have the courage to start making the decisions now which will affect your future and make a difference in the world around you. By incorporating these valuable lessons, you are not only making a difference in your generation, but also the next.

The decisions you make today are the building blocks for your future. Make them wisely.

Consumed by the Call,

Ron Luce

President of Teen Mania Ministries

I have heard an abundance of talk concerning the fact that teenagers need to show more respect for adults, and, of course, that is true. It is also true that adults need to show more respect not only to teenagers, but to children in general.

Sometimes as adults we act as though children are not really people, at least not important people like we think we are. This type of an attitude is offensive to God Who created all of us including teenagers and respects each of us.

The Lord has been dealing with me personally about taking more time to talk with young people, not judging them according to their outward appearance, but realizing that many of them have strong gifts, including gifts of leadership, and letting them be themselves.

Most of the management of one organization I deal with are all under thirty years of age. As I met with all of them several months ago, it began to sink into my middle-aged brain that I might be missing some opportunities by not hiring more people directly out of high school or college. Businesses usually want experienced help; however, nobody ever gets any experience unless given a chance. Someone gave me a job when I was still in school, and I can do the same thing for others.