5 Resources for Parents & Students on Identity

Brett Kunkle

During this cultural moment, the conversation on identity is massive, particularly among our youth.

Who am I? What am I? What does it mean to be human? Where do I find my identity and what do I find it in? What defines me? What gives me purpose? What gives me value?

These are the big identity questions our students are grappling with. And a secular culture that has stripped God from the answers can only offer them confusion and falsehoods that bring hurt and harm into their lives.

If you’ve got a young person who needs guidance on finding their identity in the God who created and redeemed them, here are some helpful resources that I recommend:

(1) VIDEO COURSE: MAVEN’s online video course “The Image of God: Finding Our True Identity and Living it Out in the World”

Taught by yours truly, this 12-lesson on-demand video course with a 68-page workbook examines what Scripture says about your TRUE identity. This course provides an understanding of what Scriptures says about you WHO you really are, WHAT you're supposed to do, and HOW life can be so rich and joyful and fulfilling when we live according to God’s design, not our own.

LINK: https://equip.maventruth.com/image-of-god-course

(2) BOOK FOR STUDENTS: A Student’s Guide to Culture by Brett Kunkle and John Stonestreet

This book lays out the proper worldview foundation within which we ground our identity as God’s image bearers and then shows how that identity relates to so many of the pressing cultural questions that young people have to navigate. In addition, parents can read the adult version A Practical Guide to Culture—Helping the Next Generation Navigate Today’s World concurrently with their student, to foster helpful conversations and provide practical advice in guiding them through cultural challenges.

LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Students-Guide-Culture-John-Stonestreet/dp/0830778772

LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Guide-Culture-Generation-Navigate/dp/0830781242

(3) VIDEOS: The Identity Project

This collection of videos and resources will help you discover God-given identity, providing a biblically-grounded pathway to navigate these challenges with confidence, clarity, and grace.

LINK: https://identityproject.tv/

(4) VIDEO COURSE: The Holy Sexuality Project

Taught by author and speaker Christopher Yuan, this course explores our God-given identity in light of human sexuality and the current cultural conversations on topics like same-sex attraction, singleness, marriage and gender.

LINK: https://holysexuality.com/

(5) BOOK FOR PARENTS: Raising Confident Kids in a Confusing World—A Parent's Guide to Grounding Identity in Christ by Ed Drew

This book provides biblical help for parents on the topic of identity. It shows parents how to encourage their kids to find their identity in the fact that they are made and loved by Jesus, and it explores the implications and applications of this truth.

LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Confident-Kids-Confusing-World/dp/1784988677