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Winning the War in Your Mind for Teens: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life
Do your thoughts and your life feel out of your control? Have you found yourself in a spiral of unhealthy thinking? Let God's truth become your battle plan to win the war in your mind! As teens, it can feel difficult to find a way out of our bad habits and unhealthy thought patterns, too often feeling like our thoughts are running out of control and finding ourselves off-track from where we want to be. Pastor and New York Times bestselling author Craig Groeschel deeply understands this daily battle against self-doubt and negative thinking, and in this book adapted from his bestselling Winning the War in Your Mind , Groeschel explains how you too can challenge your thinking and change the course of your life for the better, revealing the strategies he’s found that help. Drawing upon Scripture and the latest findings of brain science, Groeschel lays out practical strategies that will free you from the grip of harmful, destructive thinking and enable you to live the life of joy and peace that God intends you to live. With all-new stories, science that explores the unique realities of how the teenage brain is wired, and visually-engaging callouts and short sections that appeal to teenage readers, Winning the War in Your Mind for Teens will help God has something better for your life. It's time to change your mind so God can change your life.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published April 4, 2023
72 people are currently reading
1565 people want to read
About the author
Craig Groeschel
98 books1,667 followersCraig Groeschel is the founding and senior pastor of Life.Church, a multisite church with locations throughout the United States and globally at Life.Church Online.
Craig and his wife Amy started Life.Church in a two-car garage in Edmond, Oklahoma in January 1996. While Life.Church has grown over the years, its mission remains the same: to lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ. Today, the church is known for its innovative use of technology to spread the Gospel, launching the first fully digital church experience in 2006 and the most downloaded Bible app in history, YouVersion, in 2008.
As a widely respected leader in the Church, Craig speaks frequently at leadership events and conferences worldwide. He is a New York Times best-selling author with books about topics like dating and marriage, social media, purpose, direction, church leadership, and more. He also hosts the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast, a practical tool to spark new ideas and prompt innovative thinking in leaders at every level within any organization.
Craig and Amy married in 1991 and have six children. They live in Oklahoma where Life.Church began.
Visit www.craiggroeschel.com to be the first to hear about new podcast episodes, books, leadership events, and more.
Craig and his wife Amy started Life.Church in a two-car garage in Edmond, Oklahoma in January 1996. While Life.Church has grown over the years, its mission remains the same: to lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ. Today, the church is known for its innovative use of technology to spread the Gospel, launching the first fully digital church experience in 2006 and the most downloaded Bible app in history, YouVersion, in 2008.
As a widely respected leader in the Church, Craig speaks frequently at leadership events and conferences worldwide. He is a New York Times best-selling author with books about topics like dating and marriage, social media, purpose, direction, church leadership, and more. He also hosts the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast, a practical tool to spark new ideas and prompt innovative thinking in leaders at every level within any organization.
Craig and Amy married in 1991 and have six children. They live in Oklahoma where Life.Church began.
Visit www.craiggroeschel.com to be the first to hear about new podcast episodes, books, leadership events, and more.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 28, 2023
Received this book through Goodreads entry, courtesy of Zondervan Publishing. Nothing in the entry form prepared me for this rather unique book aimed at teens who may be struggling with various issues of growing up and feeling like they had no place to turn. Not to be confused with the “Adulting” books, “Winning the War in Your Mind for Teens “ takes a decidedly religious (Christian) track rather than a secular one. My only complaint was that various Bibles (ESV, NLT, NKJV, etc.) were used as the reference for Scriptures. Each would take a slightly different slant. So, I would rather see the author, Craig Groeschel, pick one and stick with it throughout (picky aren’t I?). Otherwise a decent book that I will pass along to the pastor of one of my local churches.
June 25, 2023
About the Book:
Do your thoughts and your life feel out of your control? Have you found yourself in a spiral of unhealthy thinking? Let God's truth become your battle plan to win the war in your mind! As teens, it can feel difficult to find a way out of our bad habits and unhealthy thought patterns, too often feeling like our thoughts are running out of control and finding ourselves off-track from where we want to be. Pastor and New York Times bestselling author Craig Groeschel deeply understands this daily battle against self-doubt and negative thinking, and in this book adapted from his bestselling Winning the War in Your Mind , Groeschel explains how you too can challenge your thinking and change the course of your life for the better, revealing the strategies he’s found that help. Drawing upon Scripture and the latest findings of brain science, Groeschel lays out practical strategies that will free you from the grip of harmful, destructive thinking and enable you to live the life of joy and peace that God intends you to live. With all-new stories, science that explores the unique realities of how the teenage brain is wired, and visually-engaging callouts and short sections that appeal to teenage readers, Winning the War in Your Mind for Teens will help you: God has something better for your life. It's time to change your mind so God can change your life.
My Review:
These days its pretty difficult to remain cool, calm, and collected. Teens or not! But the author shows us if we change the way we think or our perspective things can start to change for the better. All around us are attacks from the enemy. Today it is far worse than it use to be. Its really sad the environment that are teens have to grow up in and are faced with every day. We need to love and protect them like never before. Its our job to insure that they win this thing.
God feels the same way and He offers them a way out that they have to decide is better than what they are conditioned to believe or see. He's got us! And His Word is our book of promises that we can draw from every day to help us along the way.
**Disclosure**This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Do your thoughts and your life feel out of your control? Have you found yourself in a spiral of unhealthy thinking? Let God's truth become your battle plan to win the war in your mind! As teens, it can feel difficult to find a way out of our bad habits and unhealthy thought patterns, too often feeling like our thoughts are running out of control and finding ourselves off-track from where we want to be. Pastor and New York Times bestselling author Craig Groeschel deeply understands this daily battle against self-doubt and negative thinking, and in this book adapted from his bestselling Winning the War in Your Mind , Groeschel explains how you too can challenge your thinking and change the course of your life for the better, revealing the strategies he’s found that help. Drawing upon Scripture and the latest findings of brain science, Groeschel lays out practical strategies that will free you from the grip of harmful, destructive thinking and enable you to live the life of joy and peace that God intends you to live. With all-new stories, science that explores the unique realities of how the teenage brain is wired, and visually-engaging callouts and short sections that appeal to teenage readers, Winning the War in Your Mind for Teens will help you: God has something better for your life. It's time to change your mind so God can change your life.
My Review:
These days its pretty difficult to remain cool, calm, and collected. Teens or not! But the author shows us if we change the way we think or our perspective things can start to change for the better. All around us are attacks from the enemy. Today it is far worse than it use to be. Its really sad the environment that are teens have to grow up in and are faced with every day. We need to love and protect them like never before. Its our job to insure that they win this thing.
God feels the same way and He offers them a way out that they have to decide is better than what they are conditioned to believe or see. He's got us! And His Word is our book of promises that we can draw from every day to help us along the way.
**Disclosure**This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
June 10, 2025
As a Christian teenager with Autism, this book really helped me obtain more godly insight on how my brain works and functions. I recommend this book for any teen boy or girl who is struggling with something heavy on their back; metaphorical y speaking, as Christians, our goal is to serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but the enemy/Satan puts lies and seemingly impossible strongholds in our minds. This book can help anyone struggling with lies combat them by applying truths to their lives, and it has even helped me combat the devil and his lies. Bad relationships or horrible circumstances. these happen to us as we mature into young adults, so we need to rely ONLY on God to help nurture and protect us from these things, and to help guide us through them. So again, I recommend this book for any teenager struggling with the weights of life, and to rewire your thoughts into truths from God. “I am the way and the truth and the life.” (John 14:6). -Stay strong, brethren. Myles D. Parris
Want to read
March 19, 2023Winning the War in Your Mind for Teens is a great great book. I wish I had read it as a young adult. I think it would have made a difference for me.
Craig Groeschel takes the original book and writes it to communicate with teens. All of the great information is in this book, but the stories and information is presented in a new way. He discusses the brain and the way it changes as we grow up. He spends time on the benefits of having a brain when under 25 years of age. Also the downside of a young brain.
All of the chapters are named the same in both books, but the presentation is different. I thought this book was fun. Craig does have to admit that it has been years since he was a teenager. Same for me. This would be a great book for parents to study with their teens or in a group with teens and adults. It would be interesting to talk about the brain and its development as we age. Parents could actually learn about the brains of their teens and how to communicate with them better.
Craig Groeschel takes the original book and writes it to communicate with teens. All of the great information is in this book, but the stories and information is presented in a new way. He discusses the brain and the way it changes as we grow up. He spends time on the benefits of having a brain when under 25 years of age. Also the downside of a young brain.
All of the chapters are named the same in both books, but the presentation is different. I thought this book was fun. Craig does have to admit that it has been years since he was a teenager. Same for me. This would be a great book for parents to study with their teens or in a group with teens and adults. It would be interesting to talk about the brain and its development as we age. Parents could actually learn about the brains of their teens and how to communicate with them better.
June 21, 2023
One thing I like about Winning the War in Your Mind for Teens is it is an easy read. The pages have plenty of white space for pause, as well as exercise areas to write down thoughts, questions, answers, or notes on what you’ve learned. Perhaps my favorite portions are the exercise pages. These interactive applications really drill it into your head (so-to-speak) and promote helpful, constructive thought processes.
The book, in a sense, retrains your brain to not only think positively, but how to minimize self-criticizing, doubt, and destructive actions. The exceptional “Replacement Principle” is a beneficial tool, where readers learn to replace the lies we tell ourselves with the truth of the Scriptures!
First Line (Introduction): Let’s start with a story from my teenage years.
Genre: Non-fiction, Self-Esteem, Young Adult
Author: Craig Groeschel
Page Count: 224
Reading Age: 12+
#CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are 100% mine.
The book, in a sense, retrains your brain to not only think positively, but how to minimize self-criticizing, doubt, and destructive actions. The exceptional “Replacement Principle” is a beneficial tool, where readers learn to replace the lies we tell ourselves with the truth of the Scriptures!
First Line (Introduction): Let’s start with a story from my teenage years.
Genre: Non-fiction, Self-Esteem, Young Adult
Author: Craig Groeschel
Page Count: 224
Reading Age: 12+
#CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are 100% mine.
May 24, 2023
My thoughts: WINNING THE WAR IN YOU MIND FOR TEENS.... is a self-guided book that actually can be used as a group study, especially if you are blessed with teens that like to discuss things. There are interesting and engaging topics, stories about the author's teen years (which was about two decades before mine, yeah, he relates.... but somethings never change. He explains how the brain works and how to rewire it to believe God's truth instead of the negative lies that the enemy wants you to believe. Filled with interesting stories and the cold hard truth, this book also offers questions for you to think about, challenge you, and guide you. There are also plenty of space to write your answers. Recommended fo individual teen readers, group studies for youth groups, or even small group studies. Maybe use in a Christian school or Christian teen hangout for small groups. Recommended. I was given a copy free and all opinions are my own.
February 26, 2023
This is the best book I have read on strengthening our thoughts by keeping them on the Lord. The book is aimed towards teens but as an adult I was blessed by this book. I actually read it twice as there was so much excellent advice to take in and apply. I learned so much and have already noticed a change. This book is a must for all teenagers. From the personal examples to Biblical examples, the author not only tells but shows how applying his advice can change your thought life (and therefore your life!). This could be used in a classroom, Sunday school class, family devotions or one on one. Please give this book to every teenager you know; it will change their life!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher Zonderkidz, for the temporary digital ARC that I read and gave my honest opinion of.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher Zonderkidz, for the temporary digital ARC that I read and gave my honest opinion of.
July 7, 2025
I have such mixed feelings about this book. I really wanted to love it and there was a lot that I liked about it, but it kind of missed the mark for me. There were some great insights and good tools given to help teens win “the war in their minds”, but I didn’t love a lot of the examples and felt like they wouldn’t resonate well with a lot of teens, including mine, and there were a few things I felt would not be helpful for my teens.
August 8, 2025
I love this book! Pastor Craig Groeschel did a fantastic job of outlining the importance of keeping my perspective on God. Winning the war in your mind is all about using the tools that God has given us to fight against the lies of the enemy. The tools being the word of our mighty God! I loved the exercises at the end of each chapter that challenged me to write out declarations based on the truth of God and declare them over my mindset. Thank you Pastor Groeschel for this wonderful read!
August 8, 2025
It's a really good read, but I do feel as if it was written for a more mature audience. My 8th and 11th grader were confused on some of the terminology used, but as we went through it together, they began to comprehend a bit more.
September 12, 2025
This book had like no substance. The author fills the chapters with stories from his life and the Bible, which obviously isn’t bad, but really just serves to make it the length of an actual book. You could literally read the conclusion and learn just as much.
June 16, 2024
Read this before handing it to my kids. Soooo good. I would highly recommend this for anyone with teens. I learned a lot and am ready to give it to the girls!
June 22, 2025
Pre- reading this as a book I’m using for homeschool next year. So good with lots of scripture references to apply when needed.
September 1, 2025
not one for self help books, I had to read this for school but I really enjoyed this one!
October 20, 2024
EVERY TEEN NEEDS TO READ THIS BOOK. As someone who struggles with my thoughts sometimes, a lot of the resources and tips provided in the book were lifesavers. They truly do work. Thank you God for all that you do for me 🙏🏼
I love the psychology that was incorporated into this book. A wonderful combination of both religious truth and scientific truth was blended together in a way I haven’t ever seen done before. Even if you are non-Christian, I encourage you to go in with an open mind and check this book out! It may surprise you!
When I tell you that this book made me cry, I’m not lying. The ending had me in tears. Yeah, I know. Pretty weird for a devotional/self help book, but it is what it is. The encouragement and love from this book reached through the book and wrapped me in a hug. Craig Groeschel’s writing is a gift from God. God Bless, and have a great day 🤍
I love the psychology that was incorporated into this book. A wonderful combination of both religious truth and scientific truth was blended together in a way I haven’t ever seen done before. Even if you are non-Christian, I encourage you to go in with an open mind and check this book out! It may surprise you!
When I tell you that this book made me cry, I’m not lying. The ending had me in tears. Yeah, I know. Pretty weird for a devotional/self help book, but it is what it is. The encouragement and love from this book reached through the book and wrapped me in a hug. Craig Groeschel’s writing is a gift from God. God Bless, and have a great day 🤍
June 4, 2025
BORING. YAWNING.
youth pastor book club. I don't think I am gonna take anything after this. I was so bored throughout that I was about to fall asleep.
might help others though, I'm just not a non-fiction person.
youth pastor book club. I don't think I am gonna take anything after this. I was so bored throughout that I was about to fall asleep.
might help others though, I'm just not a non-fiction person.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews