Young adults today are facing more challenges and pressures than ever before. And that’s not just a cliché. In the face of such complexities, Bible studies for young adults can provide guidance and support as they work to make sense of their world and their place in it. These studies, done in a small group or community, offer a safe environment for young adults to share problems, build confidence, explore questions, and build relationships.
Here are some of our top recommended small group Bible studies for issues facing young people today.
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Top Bible Studies for Young Adult Small Groups
Young adult Bible studies on anxiety
The latest federal data finds that half (50%) of adults ages 18-24 reported anxiety and depression symptoms in 2023, compared to about a third of adults overall. Many young adults have come of age in an era of pandemic-related issues and challenges that have contributed to poor mental health.
Get Out of Your Head, by Jennie Allen
Are your thoughts holding you captive? Are you swirling in a spiral of destructive thoughts? We don’t have to stay stuck in toxic thinking patterns.
I Declare War, by Levi Lusko
Wage war against issues that rob us of joy such as depression, fear, anxiety, addiction, negative thoughts, pride, jealousy, resentment, anger, self-doubt, and codependent relationships.
Young adult Bible studies on identity and self-esteem
Young adults are more likely to succumb to self-esteem issues: they’re less aware of who they are and who they’re becoming, so they fill in the gaps with comparisons. Social media greatly increases the opportunities for social comparison, which is the obsessive compulsion to evaluate ourselves in comparison to other people, tending to make one feel inferior.
Who Are You Following, by Sadie Robertson Huff
If we’re not careful, we can get caught trying to become like who we’re following on social media; we can start trusting voices of people we’ve never met.
How (Not) to Save the World, by Hosanna Wong
We hold back from sharing God’s love because of lies we believe, such as: Your story is not that important; you're not qualified; it would be best if you waited until everything is perfect.
Altar Ego, by Craig Groeschel
When we place our false labels and self-deception on the altar of God's truth, we discover who we truly are.
Young adult Bible studies on faith and answering life’s questions
Deconstruction: For a growing number of young adults, deconstruction is the pathway they are taking as they learn how to view their world. Deconstruction can take many forms, but turning away from faith in a crisis is a prominent one; in fact, Barna Research revealed 60% of Americans say religious belief is a matter of personal opinion, it’s not objective truth.
How (Not) to Read the Bible, by Dan Kimball
Understand and contextualize passages in the Bible that seem to be backwards on topics related to women, science, violence, slavery, and world religions.
The Christian Atheist, by Craig Groeschel
You believe in God, but…you don’t think he’s fair, you aren’t sure he loves you, you trust more in money, you don’t want to go overboard.
The Last Supper on the Moon, by Levi Lusko
Using the 1969 lunar mission as our analogy, discover God’s mission of love in sending Jesus from “outer space” to die for our sins—and how that love has the power to transform our “inner space.”
Young adult Bible studies on finding community and healthy relationships
Disconnection: Men in their 20s are twice as likely as women in their 20s to be romantically uninvolved, friendless and lonely. At its extreme, this growing isolation is contributing to the rise in suicide rates and mass shootings.
Single. Dating. Engaged. Married. by Ben Stuart
Despite our hyper-connected world, more and more people are describing themselves as lonely. Learn how to do better at figuring out life and love in today's complex world.
Loveology, by John Mark Comer
Get answers to your difficult questions about love by talking about God’s original design for love, and the fallout from misunderstanding love in our post-Eden world.
Relatable, by Louie Giglio
God has gone to extraordinary lengths to relate to us, which means we can build incredible relationships with one another and even see restoration in broken relationships that seem impossible to repair.
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Four Guidelines to Help You Keep a Strong Relationships with Your Adult Children, by Jim Burns
Annie Downs: What Obstacles to Bible Reading Do Young Women Face?
How to Reach a Generation on the Road to Emmaus, by Tyler Stanton
Young Women Never Arrive, by Allison Trowbridge
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