Learn More
Advance!, by Tim Challies (a Cruciform Quick booklet)
Your teens and 20s will be put to the best and highest use if you make them a time of sanctification. Even now you can make bold steps in overcoming sin and embracing righteousness.
The Christian faith rises and falls upon this remarkable fact: God became man. Jesus Christ had to grow from a baby to an adult, from immaturity to maturity. Even he had to submit to his parents and advance in wisdom, stature, and favor with both God and man.
Advance! is my call to teens and young adults to learn from Jesus and make these years a time of deliberate preparation for the rest of life. I plead with you to use these years not first to focus on outward accomplishments that might shape the world, but inward achievements that will shape your character. In short, I call on you to be like Jesus.
–Tim Challies
Author
Tim Challies is 
a Christian, a husband to Aileen, and a father to three teenage children. He is a co-founder of Cruciform Press, and has written several books. He worships and serves as a pastor at Grace Fellowship Church in Toronto, Ontario and writes daily at www.challies.com.
Aaron Lee –
As a high school Sunday School teacher, I am always looking for ways to encourage my students to grow in Christlikeness. Advance! is an answer to the carefree attitude of young Christians and those who think their accomplishments are worth more than their character.
Cruciform Quick
Cruciform Quick is an imprint of Cruciform Press. While Cruciform Press aims to produce books around 100 pages, Cruciform Quick aims for 40-60 pages. This constraint makes for an engaging and direct reading experience.
The book is anchored in Luke 2:52: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” Targeted at teens and 20-year-olds, the book holds to high Biblical standards. The book opens with a call to a deliberate priority of advancing in Christ-like character.
Young Christians
Four chapters are dedicated to advancing in submission, wisdom, stature, and favor. I found the chapter on stature to be compelling as it not only focused on physical stature, but also spiritual stature. Sexuality is examined and the book explains how a life of sexual purity can be produced by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Each chapter ends with around five study questions making this book an ideal resource for small group study. The book ends by asking the reader to commit to salvation, sanctification, preparation, and action. The book is never heavy-handed. It challenges the reader while keeping Christ at the center.
To be like Christ
While this book is geared towards teens and 20-year-olds, I was challenged to examine where I still need to grow in my pursuit of Christ. It is never too late to pursue him. This book is a valuable resource for anyone who will seek after him with their whole heart.
I was provided a complimentary copy of Advance! in exchange for an honest review.