Zondervan, 1,664 pp., $29.99

The Rock Solid Faith Study Bible for Teens from Zondervan is a great resource for student pastors, parents and teenagers. I like that it has a no-nonsense approach to addressing important biblical truths teenagers need to know. Many teen study Bibles focus on dating tips and moralistic teaching, but the sidebars and teaching points in this Bible always point to a deeper understanding of who God is and what His purposes are for believers. The concordance is the best I’ve seen in a teen Bible, and the study resources are great. This is definitely a study Bible I would use in my student ministry.
—Dustin Slaton, Minister of Students & Recreation, First Baptist Church, Terrell, Texas. He has been involved in student ministry for more than 10 years and is driven to develop disciple-making student leaders who will impact their generation.

The Bible is a hardcover book which, in my opinion, is a must for a teen study Bible. It is the NIV translation, which is a good sixth to eighth grade reading level and recognized across multiple denominations. Each book of the Bible begins with an overview page with a simple outline of the book and a paragraph about the background. It has a good concordance in the back that is very good for a typical Bible. It would get a lot of use when looking up particular words or phrases. It also has other sections that focus on people, important verses and promises. However, the book overview page is too simplified. I would like to see more in terms of outline and background. It’s not much of a study Bible in terms of having notes located within the Scripture as adult study Bibles do. I absolutely would use it for middle school and high school kids. It has a series of application boxes for life application, and I could see them being used in group study (Sunday School, small groups, etc.) and in individual study (i.e., devotions, personal reading).
—Chris St.Clair

This Bible has a great look and layout. The sidenotes through the Bible help explain and bring a deeper understanding of various topics and people throughout the Bible; however, this Bible is better served in the hands of a new believer or those in early middle school. Is this a resource youth workers can use in their groups? Yes, I would recommend this resource for either a new believer’s group or late elementary/early middle school groups.
—Tim McDaniel, Worship Pastor, Southside Christian

I have examined and used a wide variety of Bibles in my ministry. There are a lot of choices out there. I use many different Bibles in lesson preparation. The Rock Solid Faith Study Bible for Teens is probably one of the most solid study Bibles I have seen. The principles and promises areas will be great tools for teens as they strive to get closer to God. My favorite section is the “Rock Solid Truths” you find throughout the Bible. This Bible is not only great for teens but would also be a good resource for anyone who teaches teens. I plan to make it one of my top teaching resources.
—Rev. David C. Lannan, Youth Pastor & Assistant Sunday School Superintendent, Speedway General Baptist Church Indianapolis, Indiana

In a market flooded with a variety of teen Bibles and youth devotional books, The Rock Solid Study Bible for Teens at first glace just blends in with the crowd.  Once you begin to go through it and take some time to read the sidebars and notes such as the Unshaken God and Rock Solid Truth, you begin to see depth in its simplicity. It does not try to use flashy graphics, cartoons and the usual overused clichéd stuff of other teen Bibles. The Rock Solid Study Bible is pretty much what it title claims: rock solid, with its excellent study helps, challenges and overall solid spiritual basics the average teen needs. It is a good resource to have available around the office for new believers or for students growing in their faith.
—Dan Istvanik, middle and high school youth pastor, Ohio; has been in youth ministry for about 18 years; he shares his resources, “ran-dumb” thoughts and weekly ministry Top 10’s on his blog.

The Rock Solid Faith Study Bible for Teens is Zondervan’s teen Bible using the 2011 NIV translation. Its study notes, which follow six different themes running through the entire Bible (i.e., Rock Solid Truths, Rock Solid Promises, Unshakeable People and so forth) are engaging, helpful and biblically sound. Each theme is also nicely indexed. Personally, I look for tools to help teens become self-feeders of God’s Word. This Bible is lacking in that regard, but it doesn’t sell itself as that type of study Bible. It does, however, appear that it will live up to its tagline to help teens “build and defend your faith based on God’s promises.” The questions posed and insights offered in the study notes make this Bible a handy tool for one-on-one and small-group discipleship.
—Barry Shafer has been in youth ministry for more than 20 years. As director of InWord Resources, he has written numerous Bible studies, teen devotionals and is the author of Unleashing God’s Word in Youth Ministry (Youth Specialties/Zondervan).

The Rock Solid Faith Study Bible is an amazing text for students. I am recommending my students needing new Bibles to purchase this text. It is doused in various promises throughout the text that is highlighted so students are sure to see them. How often are our students needing a fresh, quick reminder of the promises of God? This Bible helps to accomplish just that.
—Chris Pope, Pastor of Students, Cornerstone Community Church, Spokane, Wash., where he lives with his wife, Nicole, and son, Noah.

Is there a way to decline an offer to review a Bible without saying you hate baby Jesus? I couldn’t think of one, so when my friends at Salem Publishing/YouthWorker Journal offered, I accepted. The Rock Solid Faith Study Bible for Teens is just that. Rock. Solid. The Scripture is there in all of its NIV glory; but on top of that, there are plenty of features. Each book has an introduction, the back is filled with maps, and there are lots of sidebar features. Principles and thoughts, examples and applications, this Bible has something for everyone. For the teen who doesn’t know where to begin, there are various reading plans. If you were trying to create a study Bible that removes all the excuses before teens use them, then this one is a great fit.
—Rick Nier, Pastor of Youth & Christian Education, Winona Lake Free Methodist Church, Winona Lake, Indiana.

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