100 books like The Purpose Driven Life

I reread this book once a decade, and each time, I get more out of it. It follows a man named Larry Darrell who searches for a deeper meaning to life—spiritual enlightenment.

It’s a wonderful book, and I am sure it has inspired others to look a little deeper into what they hold important. I empathized with Larry’s disenchantment with the “good” life, and I felt, at times, I could glimpse his elusive goal within Larry's story.

The fact that it entailed giving up all possessions and hitting the road seemed perfect to me.

Markings consists of profound thoughts, quotes, and poems of the Swedish economist and diplomat who served as the second Secretary-General of the United Nations. Hammarskjöld was a successful man yet his reflections in the book depict that if success is not motivated by a higher purpose it can’t provide genuine fulfillment. I enjoy the fact that the passages in the book are contemplative and can be read during quiet hours to ponder over.

“A manual on how to damn someone to hell, written by a demon” is certainly not what you would expect from a renowned Christian author. I love this book because its premise is so insane and sounds deeply demonic.

Instead, as a Christian, what I got was what felt like a peek into my enemy’s playbook and an, at times, scathing insight into how I was failing and playing right into demonic hands. This book made me scared, made me laugh, and, at times, even made me want to cry. 

The book is easy to read and features Mother Teresa’s thoughts and words along with the thoughts of the members of Missionaries of Charity, the order established by Mother Teresa in India. Mother Teresa’s life philosophy and purpose were simple, yet powerful - loving and serving each other. It is amazing to see how a simple life lived with purpose can perform great deeds in the world and become a source of inspiration to all.

This book is short, but it contains a powerful message for children: God created you and loves you - everywhere and always. Despite its economy of words, it can spark deep conversations. The text is a wonderful affirmation for children to take into their hearts. It can be savored, but can also be a quick read on those busy nights when parents are as tired as their listeners during storytime. (For reference, God’s Great Love for You is the same number of words as this recommendation.) 

Told in first person as if God is talking, I Made the Earth is an exploration of the earth God created told in simple text young children can understand.

Engaging rhyme and rhythm with color illustrations show diverse child characters in different settings. The book begins, “So…can you guess what time it is? It’s time for Earth Day fun! You see the things in this big world? I made them—everyone!”

The book encourages readers to take care of the world God created, know God through His creation, and know that God created Earth because, “I love you.” The book closes with “Each time you celebrate Earth Day, you’re celebrating me.” Back matter includes ways children can help, fun facts about Earth Day, a note from the author, and a Bible excerpt from Genesis.

A perfect introduction for young children to learn about God’s creation and why we need to take… show more.

This book reshaped my understanding of faith during a pivotal moment in my life. I was right smack dab in the middle of giving my life over to Christ. I was looking forward to being baptized and doing a lot of studying on my own, but I couldn't quite wrap my head around what “exactly” Jesus’ death did for me on the cross. This book opened my eyes. 

This book was not just about learning the facts of Jesus' sacrifice; it was about experiencing the profound love and acceptance that comes with it. By the last page, I completely understood what happened at the cross and what it meant to me.

Lucado's ability to unravel the Easter story in a way that's both deeply insightful and surprisingly light-hearted. It's like he's peeling back the layers of Scripture to reveal the heart of God in a whole new light. Highly recommend!

We’re pulled into this story right from the title of Mitchell’s book.

Inquiring minds wonder: What miracle happened at one o’clock? Soon we discover a father who’s beginning a very long journey to find Jesus, the only one who might heal his dying son. The problem is Jesus is preaching far away in Cana. What if the man’s son passes away before he can return to him? Still, the father walks for miles and miles until he finds Jesus, who instructs the man to return home, for his son will be healed.

Could a miracle have happened at one o’clock, as soon as Jesus spoke, miles away from the sick child? We can all be inspired by this grown man who had the faith of a child and believed. 

Miley does similar things in Becoming Fire as 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!

There have definitely been times in my life that I wanted to quit! Can you identify? I keep this book handy for days like those, and every time I grab it and read it, my faith gets renewed and I get encouraged enough to keep going. This book shows how to develop faith that won't quit – and if we don’t quit, we win in Jesus!