recommended books


Reading and understanding the Bible

  • ESV Study Bible

  • NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible (Previously published as NIV Zondervan Study Bible)

  • Bible Project on YouTube

  • God’s Big Picture, Vaughan Roberts — understanding how the Old Testament and New Testament fit together.

  • You Are a Theologian, JT English/Jen Wilkin — Excellent introduction to basic Christian Theology.

  • Covenant and God’s Purpose for the World, Tom Schreiner

  • Knowing God, JI Packer. Good introduction to basic Christian Theology.

  • Christian Beliefs: 20 Basics Every Christian Should Know, Wayne Grudem.

  • Women of the Word, Jen Wilkin — step by step process on how to read the Bible. Not only for women!

General christian growth/Discipleship/spiritual disciplines

  • How to Grow, Darryl Dash

  • You Can Change, Tim Chester

  • Gospel-Centered Discipleship, Jonathan Dodson

  • Gospel Fluency: Speaking the Truths of Jesus into the Everyday Stuff of Life, Jeff Vanderstelt

  • A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracted World, Paul Miller

  • Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God, Tim Keller

  • Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines, David Mathis

  • The Wisdom Pyramid: Feeding your Soul in a Post-truth World, Brett McCracken

  • The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World, John Mark Comer

for seekers/exploring christianity

  • Secular Creed: Engaging Five Contemporary Claims, Rebecca Mclaughlin.

  • Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion, Rebecca McLaughlin. (this is a longer, more in-depth version of Secular Creed)

  • Jesus Outside the Lines, Scott Sauls

  • A Doubter’s Guide to Jesus, John Dickson

  • The Reason for God, Tim Keller

  • The Prodigal God, Tim Keller

SINGLENESS, dating, marriage, sexuality

  • Does God Care Who I Sleep With? Sam Allberry

  • Is God anti-gay? Sam Allberry

  • Article: “Thoughts on LGBTQ+, Porn, Promiscuity, Community, and Christian Faithfulness”, Scott Sauls

  • 7 Myths About Singleness, Sam Allberry

  • On Marriage, Tim Keller

  • The Mingling of Souls, Matt Chandler

  • 9 Must-have conversations for a Doubt-free Wedding Day, Gary Thomas

  • The Meaning of Marriage, Tim Keller

  • Finally Free: Fighting for Purity with the Power of Grace, by Heath Lambert

  • Rescue Plan: Charting a Course to Restore Prisoners of Pornography, by Deepak Reju

  • The Death of Porn: Men of Integrity Building a World of Nobility, by Ray Ortlund

families and children

  • The Jesus Storybook Bible, Sally Lloyd-Jones

  • Shepherding a Child’s Heart, Ted Tripp — for parents

  • God Made Me and You, Shai Linne (talking about diversity and racism to your kids)

  • Arlo and the Great Big Cover-Up — beautiful story that illustrates the gospel for kids

  • The Biggest Story, Kevin Deyoung —the story of the Bible in a short book for kids

  • The Big Picture Storybible

  • God’s Very Good Idea, Trilia Newbell (diversity/racism)

  • God Made All of Me: A Book to Help Children Protect Their Bodies, Justin Holcomb

topical

  • Generous Justice, Tim Keller (how to think about justice biblically)

  • Friendish, Kelly Needham - building healthy friendships

  • No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship, Rebecca Mclaughlin

  • Untangling Emotions, Alisdair Groves. How to deal with your emotions, such as anxiety, despair and more.

  • Good and Angry, David Powlison. Specifically about anger.

  • Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament, Mark Vroegop. Dealing with suffering and grief.

  • Gospel-Shaped Womanhood, Sarah Rice

  • Jesus Through the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord, Rebecca Mclaughlib

  • Identity Theft: Reclaiming the Truth of our Identity in Christ, edited by Melissa Kruger (for women)

  • Fighting Shadows: Overcoming 7 Lies That Keep Men From Becoming Fully Alive, Jefferson Bethke and Jon Tyson

  • Manhood Restored, Eric Mason (for men)

  • Side by Side, Ed Welch — how to counsel others

  • Who You Are, Judy Cha — how to counsel others

  • Gentle and Lowly, Dane Ortlund. Focuses on Jesus’ heart for sinners and sufferers (all of us!).

  • Just do Something, Kevin Deyoung. A short and sweet book on finding God’s will for your life.

  • Every Good Endeavor, Tim Keller. How to think about your work/career biblically.

  • Work Matters: Connecting Sunday Worship to Monday Work, Tom Nelson. Another book about work (shorter than Keller’s).

  • Resolving Everyday Conflict, Ken Sande and Kevin Johnson. How to resolve conflict in a biblical way.

  • Peacemakers, Ken Sande. A longer, more detailed version of the above book.