Here are 100 books that Soul Strong fans have personally recommended if you like
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I am passionate about writing, reading, and recommending books that help people understand how to improve their relationship to God and to others. Verbal advice only goes so far. The wonder of books is that they contain the wisdom of years and lived experience that can encourage and equip readers long after the writers are gone. In addition to being an author of Christian living books, I have a graduate degree in biblical studies as well as decades of experience in adult education, public relations, and ministry to women. I also speak internationally on spiritual living.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough! This insightful book had its genesis in a trip the author took with her daughters through Italy where she saw parallels between viticulture and the meaningful, fruitful lives we can live here on earth.
Bestselling author Beth Moore is perhaps the best-known Bible teacher in the United States, bar none, and a hugely gifted writer. She is also known for her deep spiritual wisdom and joyful spirit despite undergoing some very traumatic experiences in her own life, including childhood sexual abuse. Moore uses Jesus’ teaching in John 15 to introduce readers to biblical principles that help us flourish.
This is an absolutely beautiful book, inside and out! I recommend both the print and audio versions, but it’s a special gift to listen to Beth Moore read her own words.
Join bestselling author Beth Moore on a six-session journey to discover the true meaning of a fruitful and God-pleasing life with meaning.
In this companion to her nonfiction book Chasing Vines, Beth Moore explores the ways God delights in watching things grow―and how the vineyard holds the secret to how we can have a more abundant and meaningful life. As she traces the metaphor through Scripture, Beth takes you on a spiritual journey and uncovers how every part of our own lives―even the rockiest, most difficult soil―is used by God to make a difference for His Kingdom.
I am passionate about writing, reading, and recommending books that help people understand how to improve their relationship to God and to others. Verbal advice only goes so far. The wonder of books is that they contain the wisdom of years and lived experience that can encourage and equip readers long after the writers are gone. In addition to being an author of Christian living books, I have a graduate degree in biblical studies as well as decades of experience in adult education, public relations, and ministry to women. I also speak internationally on spiritual living.
As much as I appreciate the mega-bestselling devotional Jesus Calling, I honestly think that Carol Kent’s He Holds My Hand is even better. This book is a page-per-day devotional written as if God the Father is speaking directly to you.
Over 25 years ago, the author’s only son was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Out of her deep grief, Carol Kent turned to the Scriptures and began to journal what she heard God saying to her: words of comfort and healing, presence and protection. A book does not get any more authentic than that. I recommend this devotional to anyone needing to know that God is with them even in the worst experiences life can throw at us.
2018 Christian Book Award finalist (Devotion and Gift category) He Holds My Hand is a page-per-day 365-day devotional. Based on Scripture, this devotional is written as if God the Father is speaking His words of comfort and protection directly over you.
When Carol Kent’s son was sentenced to life in prison without parole, Carol was consumed with grief, sadness, and despair. She was distraught wondering why God permitted this to happen. She had prayed for her son since he was a small child. He had been raised with biblical principles and daily prayer. As Carol tried to make sense of…
I am passionate about writing, reading, and recommending books that help people understand how to improve their relationship to God and to others. Verbal advice only goes so far. The wonder of books is that they contain the wisdom of years and lived experience that can encourage and equip readers long after the writers are gone. In addition to being an author of Christian living books, I have a graduate degree in biblical studies as well as decades of experience in adult education, public relations, and ministry to women. I also speak internationally on spiritual living.
There are plenty of books on prayer. Lots and lots of them. But I have never read one prior to this that helped me understand conversing with God in ways that come so naturally to me. In Praying Personalities, Janet Holm McHenry skillfully helps readers understand what Jesus taught and practiced when it comes to prayer, while providing tools to help everyone discover the prayer styles that work best for them.
I am recommending this invaluable resource to all those longing for a richer, more meaningful life of prayer.
Discover the particular way God designed you to connect with prayer You should pray in the morning. You should write out your prayers. You should make prayer lists and pray through them every day. You should pray with others or out loud. We've all heard the "you shoulds" of prayer from pulpits, presenters, and well-meaning friends. But when none of these ways to pray feel natural, what's next? Janet Holm McHenry has studied prayer extensively, and the one thing she knows for sure is that there's no one-size-fits-all way to pray. Instead, there are different styles of prayer--and by discovering…
I am passionate about writing, reading, and recommending books that help people understand how to improve their relationship to God and to others. Verbal advice only goes so far. The wonder of books is that they contain the wisdom of years and lived experience that can encourage and equip readers long after the writers are gone. In addition to being an author of Christian living books, I have a graduate degree in biblical studies as well as decades of experience in adult education, public relations, and ministry to women. I also speak internationally on spiritual living.
I love this book because I have worked in ministry to women for over 30 years, and I’ve never read anything remotely like it. I picked it up and literally did not get out of my chair until I finished it, even with heavily underlining many parts.
Although I have never been a victim of physical or sexual abuse, the author wrote this from the perspective of one traumatized by another woman whom she thought was a good friend and trusted spiritual advisor. What is especially helpful is that Williford’s unusual story is interwoven with her long-time therapist’s peer-reviewed insights and principles. I recommend this to anyone who has been victimized, as well as those who want to walk alongside survivors in their journey to healing.
“I didn’t know I was being manipulated. I didn’t know the signs.” “I didn’t know the cycle of abuse, or that it’s normal to feel guilt for something that’s not your fault, to have complex emotions about your abuser as you heal. I learned that I could set boundaries, choose not to reconcile, and still pursue the internal freedom of forgiveness.” – Tricia Lott Williford
A seasoned author and masterful storyteller, Tricia Lott Williford encountered the public trauma of the death of her husband, but she held quietly the private trauma that happened at the same time: grooming, manipulation, sexual…
Hi, I'm Elizabeth Bristol and I’m just a regular person. For a long time, I ran from God because, well, I didn’t want Him telling me what to do. Then something amazing happened. Mary Me: One Woman’s Incredible Adventure with God describes my journey into this wild new relationship with God through Jesus Christ who helped me break free from the lies I’d believed so I could be the me He created me to be. I found out God’s way cooler than I ever imagined and that He has an adventure for everyone. So, I became passionate about wanting to help others find theirs because no matter where you are with God, there's always more!
Miley does similar things in Becoming Fireas Miller does in Friendship with Jesus but with her own flavor.
Every week, she camps on a different story of the Bible.
You walk a mile in the sandals of a different character each day. That way, you develop a deeper understanding of the passage than you would if you just read it once and connected with the characters you naturally understand.
Take the story about the sisters, Mary and Martha. Everyone relates to Martha who's super busy. That's our culture these days, right? But not as many people relate to Mary who camps at Jesus’ feet wanting to take in everything He has to say.
I certainly didn't until God Mary'd me so much so that I ended up writing a book about it.
Through Becoming Fire, God will personalize the Scriptures for you, too!
Becoming Fire invites the reader to engage in the age-old practice of listening to stories to activate our creative imagination. Thirty-three meditations arranged for daily reading would enhance the prayer and Bible study of people who are seeking a personal, vital love relationship with Jesus Christ.Ideal for all ages, Becoming Fire will be of interest to the serious seeker as well as a useful tool for beginners in their spiritual journey. Each daily entry is followed by a question for contemplation and personal spiritual growth.
I am a retired professor, was raised in a refugee camp, one of a family of 9 living in one tent. studied in Palestine, Egypt, Germany, and America, have Ph.D. in economics; scholarships financed my education journey. I lived a life no human has lived or can live, because some of the times I lived had come and gone and cannot come back again. I taught at 11 universities on 4 continents, published 60 books in Arabic and English: books on economics, politics, culture, history, conflict resolution, philosophy, racism, novels, and poetry. True intellectuals cannot stay in one area because issues that shape mankind's history and man’s destiny are interconnected.
Believers in God see him as the creator of man and women in his own image. Firm believers tried throughout history to model themselves as they imagined God. But God, the author says, evolves through his relationship with man, and man becomes rival to God. So believers and non-believers discover that God, the protector of the poor and weak, becomes a warrior who nearly destroys all humans and animals he created by causing the flood. So rational people realize that God is a tribal chief who gets angry, kills, destroys, loves some and forgets many more. This book is a must-read for all believers and non-believers. I found this book unusual in telling amazing stories about God and his actions and reactions.
What sort of "person" is God? What is his "life story"? Is it possible to approach him not as an object of religious reverence, but as the protagonist of the world's greatest book—as a character who possesses all the depths, contradictions, and abiguities of a Hamlet? This is the task that Jack Miles—a former Jesuit trained in religious studies and Near Eastern languages—accomplishes with such brilliance and originality in God: A Biography.
Using the Hebrew Bible as his text, Miles shows us a God who evolves through his relationship with man, the image who in…
The question I have for Christian authors is this: are we Christian authors or authors who are Christian? The realm of horror is the perfect genre to explore the human condition in all of its depravity. Why do Christians avoid this genre when at the end of the day? I grew up watching horror movies with my grandmother and I enjoy the thrills and chills, the questions the genre asks, and the various ways horror can be depicted. Christians understand the dark forces that underlie our natural world. And we understand the darkness within ourselves. But unlike Hollywood horror, we know what the solution – Christ. So that’s why this is a passion of mine.
I first heard the audio dramatization of this book on a podcast call The Untold Podcast, showcasing speculative fiction from Christian authors.
The story is short, telling of our unnamed narrator who is struggling with sin in his life. He reads the Bible verse, if thy hand offend then, cut if off. From there begins his meltdown into wanting to take off his hand because he has done sinful things with it.
What made this one so chilling is the rational outlook of the narrator. Then comes the grisly bits that make you squirm in your chair as you listen. Now, it’s in book form and I guarantee you, it’s a very good book. Thank God for grace!
I am an ordained minister with over 10 years of experience serving as a pastor in both the hospital and church settings. I’m also a mom of three children, ages 2, 5, and 7. I routinely get asked for resources to help raise children in the Christian faith. As both a pastor and a mother, I am a strong advocate for teaching children a theology they won’t have to heal from. All the books I recommend are progressive, inclusive, and diverse. I’ve done extensive research when it comes to faith-based literature, and I’m passionate about finding the best books to recommend to families.
If you’re a parent who wants to raise their children in the faith, this is a primary resource to have on hand. Kids are always wondering what God is like. This book is a useful tool in showing children just how good God is. It explores all kinds of diverse metaphors and instills the important truth that God loves us all.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The late, beloved Rachel Held Evans answers many children's first question about God in this gorgeous picture book, fully realized by her friend Matthew Paul Turner, the bestselling author of When God Made You.
Children who are introduced to God, through attending church or having loved ones who speak about God, often have a lot of questions, including this ever-popular one: What is God like? The late Rachel Held Evans loved the Bible and loved showing God’s love through the words and pictures found in that ancient text. Through these pictures from the Bible,…
I am first and foremost an avid reader of a variety of genres, but women’s/romantic fiction is my favorite. I have a passion for God and His ability to pull us out of the deepest pit and transform a life of beauty from the ashes of our past. Although I write from a “Christian” viewpoint, I prefer characters with flaws and books that deal with women’s issues in a realistic way, not glossed over or hinted at. Which is why my tagline is “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ In my opinion, the harder our characters fall from grace, the more powerful their redemption or testimony will be.
A contemporary retelling of the story of Dinah in the Bible, Justice deals with the effects of pregnancy resulting from rape and I was overwhelmed with the way Ms. Conrad resolved the issues facing her hero and heroine. The story is well-written and fast-paced without sacrificing God’s truth and redemptive powers.
Jake thought he was meant to marry Brooklyn, but now she's pregnant, and he had nothing to do with it.
As Brooklyn wrestles with questions about what her pregnancy means and how it will affect her relationship with Jake, she can't bring herself to tell him the truth.
To make matters worse, if the man who owns the bookstore across from Jake's coffee shop, has anything to do with it, the baby will ruin them both.
Can Jake and Brooklyn overcome the obstacles thrown in their path, and finally find the truth in God's love and in each other?
Books have been an important part of my faith journey. I set aside time each morning to read scripture, and devotional material, to meditate and pray. As I read about the experiences of others my faith increases and I know God better. As a writer I express my own faith through words and invite others to know God better by experiencing Him with time set aside in the mornings. More Love is part of a series of small books that I have created to give readers experiences to connect with God and to know His love.
Eugene Peterson writes, “Morning prayer anticipates the day in hope.” This gentle book of Psalms and prayers is a gem. Each day has just a few sentences from Eugene Peterson to take me deeper into the Psalm or scripture passage. The thoughts are reassuring and peaceful, helping me start the day with a focus on God.
