There’s so much information out there, so many books and resources, podcasts and shows which shout at us to be read or watched or listened to. Living in a world that is in information overload and saturated with people’s opinions and comments can be overwhelming. How do I know which ones are good? What ones speak with real, biblical truth? Which ones are going to be helpful for me?
Having so many options of what to read about isn’t always a good thing. Sometimes we just need somewhere to start, so here’s a few recommendations on a few different topics that get you started. We’ve highlighted these books with the aim of helping you grow and mature in your faith. They’ll help you in your relationship with God and equip you to stand firm as an addition to your regular bible reading.
Dig Deeper – Andrew Sach and Nigel Beynon
This book gives you a tool kit for being able to read the bible for yourself and with others, a great starting place to get to grips with the bible for yourself. It’s clear, easy to read and gives practical examples throughout to practice what you have been reading about. I have thumbed through this for help so many times and keep coming back to it! As a youth leader it’s often what I use when I’m writing talks, bible studies, one to ones or even a whole term of dates for the youth programme. In my opinion I think people should just be handing these out, along with a Bible whenever anyone becomes a Christian!
The Valley of Vision – Arthur Bennett
Don’t let the cover put you off! It’s a book of old prayers by the Puritans but they are so powerful, they manage to hit the nail on the head quite a lot of the time when I’m unsure how to pray or make me think about what I’m asking from God. Don’t get me wrong I’m not thinking you’ll whip this out next time you’re asked to pray out loud (!) but when we read/hear good prayers it helps develop our language and broadens our horizons on what we can pray for. I take a prayer a day, sometimes taking a line and then expanding on it or reading over the whole thing 3 or 4 times to get it into my system and let my mind meditate on what is said. It’s a total treasure trove of old language but it’s such good stuff!
The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness – Timothy Keller
A short book that packs a punch! We are often wrapped up in what we think other people think of us, we are often focussed on ourselves in a way that leads us to despair or pride. This book helps us to see that in Christ we can rest in him, we don’t need to worry about what others think. We forget about ourselves and remember how God sees us. It’s the kind of book I want to read every week because I go back to old habits so quickly. It is also the kind of book you will want to give to your friends because it is accessible and speaks into what most people in our culture today struggle with.
The God who is there – D.A Carson
This book is a helpful introduction to the Christian faith, helping us understand the story and message of the bible. The book goes through the whole narrative of the bible and helps us to see how we fit into God’s great story. It not only helps us understand the Bible better but helps us know how best to explain God’s story to others clearly and faithfully. Don’t be put off by the chunky size of the book, it is written in a way that assumes no or little knowledge of the bible which makes it accessible to read and can also be given to a seeking non-Christian.
The Plausibility Problem – Ed Shaw
You might be thinking this is an odd choice when you read what it’s subtitle is, but this is single handedly the best Christian book I have read in the last number of years! It’s a wonderful look into how churches can encourage those who are struggling in this area but also how a church can be looking out for everyone no matter their background or sexual orientation. I found this book incredibly helpful as a single person, at times I’ve struggled to be single but this is just great at giving a biblical and honest look at how we can use our singleness or celibacy for good in the church now. Even if you’re in a relationship it encourages us all to look out for one another and use our God-given situations to help others and glorify him.
True Friendship – Vaughan Roberts
In an age of technology and social media, it’s easy for friendship to be reduced to snapchats and mentions in instagram stories, many of us are connected but still lonely. In this short but helpful book, we are challenged to go back to the bible and reconsider what true friendship is, why it matters and what that looks like practically. As I read it, I found myself challenged not so much by what kind of friendships I should be pursuing, but what kind of friend I am.
In His Image – Jen Wilkin
I don’t think it’s possible to read this book without being changed and challenged. The author, Jen, takes us through 10 ways that God calls us to reflect his character like his holiness, faithfulness and patience to name a few. She manages to explain huge truths about God simply and effectively so that anyone can start to reflect these attributes in their daily lives. We all know we should be more patient or more loving but willing ourselves to be those things won’t help, we need our hearts changed by God and this book points us to Him and His Word throughout.
Just do Something – Kevin DeYoung
A book for when you’re thinking about the wisdom of God and want to know what the best thing to do is. We now live in a world where the opportunities are endless and the possibilities of what we could be doing with our lives is just a never ending list. This is a simple but practical book about just doing something – the clue is in the title! It shuts down our fluffiness or over-spiritualising waiting for God to give us a sign and just tells us to get on and serve the Lord well wherever we are.
Confronting Christianity – Rebecca McLaughlin
In today’s society, it can be hard to live out your faith especially when difficult questions that we are not sure how to answer are thrown at us. The kind of questions that make us uncomfortable and the kind of questions we hope no one will bring up. This book tackles some of these questions head on, not shying away from them. Rebecca tackles the questions thoroughly and compassionately. Not only is it helpful in equipping us to be able to answer these tricky questions, it is also written in such a way that you can buy a second copy and give it to someone who is not a Christian.
The Top 100 Questions – Richard Bewes
This book is amazing. It’s got loads of questions that non-Christians might ask us (100 to be exact…) and then about a page of an answer. It’s really good for reference and helpful because it answers so many different questions and gives a succinct answer without lots of difficult words. I find it really easy to read and not the kind of one you need to read the whole way through. Perfect for when you need a quick answer to a friend’s question or you’re interested in apologetics.
This isn’t an exhaustive list and we’d love to chat to you if there’s specific topics you want reading material on. There’s so much out there but I find the best thing to do is just pick up a book about a topic that you are interested in and see where things take you from there! The likelihood of you finishing a book will always be higher when you are actually interested in the subject! Another helpful way to get into books is if you read something with another person. Get a friend on board, choose a book from this list and get started.
