It’s incredible to see how many books are released month by month – and it can be so hard to decide what to read next! As we get come into summer, and hopefully some restful holidays, it would be a great opportunity to pick up a good book that will encourage, inspire and challenge you in your faith.
Fool Moon Rising – Kristi Fluharty and T Lively Fluharty
Fool moon rising is a brilliant parable about the moon’s pride – forgetting that it’s light is only a reflection of something greater! Through a rhyming story, this is a brilliant imaginative way to think through humility with young children, showing them that everything they have is from God.
Genuine – CB Martin
Fakes are everywhere – and are hard to spot! But six teenagers throughout the Bible help us to learn how to be genuine. This book has short, punchy chapters and encourages teens to use their formative years to become genuine adults. It’s written for 13-19 year olds, and would be an ideal book for camps and youth groups!
God’s Secret Listener – John Butterworth
There’s something fascinating and encouraging about hearing someone else’s story, of hearing how God saved them, is using them and has kept them. If you would naturally reach for a fiction book over the summer time, why not pick up this story of Berti’s journey from Captain Dosti to Pastor Dosti – the story of the explosive growth of the church in Albania after years of repressive atheism.
God of All Things – Andrew Wilson
God expressed so much about Himself as illustrated by the physical world around. Throughout the Bible we are shown how to glimpse glory in the stars and see God’s image imprinted into dust. But often we don’t dwell on these images – and we miss out on being reminded of these truths as we go about our normal lives. This is a brilliant read that I hope will spring to mind often as I go about my normal routine – reminding me that this is God’s creation, and that he has a plan.
Seed of the Woman – Nana Dolce
If you want to get into the Bible over the summer – Nana Dolce traces through 30 narratives, the stories of the women from the Garden through to the birth of Christ. Through these women, we find our place in redemptive history as it unfolds to show us Jesus. This would be a brilliant gift to give away – but well worth reading before you pass it on!
Making Faith Magnetic – Dan Strange
As I think about sharing my faith, often my worry is whether Christianity seems irrelevant to my friends and neighbours. We know that it’s not – but it can be difficult to know how to share it relevantly with those around us. Dan Strange, building on the work of Bavinck, shows us five fundamental themes that help us to connect with those who aren’t religious. He helps us show others how Jesus is the fulfilment of what they’re seeking, whether that’s in seeking their destiny or a deep connection to others.
Things We All Have in Common – Pete Jackson
We all share in ‘the human condition’. We all have desires and faith, anxiety and shame. In this short book, Pete Jackson thoughtfully shows how Jesus Christ addresses what we are all like. This would be a great book to read and then plan to share with those who don’t know Jesus for themselves – as well as passing on to Christian friends to encourage them in the faith!
Surprised by Jesus – Dane Ortlund
As Christians, we are often in real danger of forgetting how surprising Jesus is in the gospels. Dane goes to each gospel in turn, and helpfully shows us the grace of God displayed in Jesus, and how Jesus took aim at the legalism in the hearts of his listeners. This is an incredibly helpful book to refresh us in our faith and our reading of the gospels.
What God has to Say About Our Bodies – Sam Allberry
Our eternal future is destined to be a physical existence in glorified bodies. Yet often as Christians we under-emphasise the significance of the body – and our culture has become increasingly gnostic in its outlook. Sam Alberry helpfully takes us back to the bible’s teaching – looking through creation, fall and redemption to see what God’s perspective is and how we should live in the light of that.
Are You 100% Sure You Want to Be An Agnostic? – Jonathan Gemmell and Andrew Sach
I confess that I may have saved my favourite for last! This short evangelistic book is well written, witty and winsome – and well researched too! So many of my neighbours and friends don’t know what they believe about God – and this written just for them! Gemmell and Sach walk with us through Biblical passages and logical arguments – illustrated with personal stories – which build a compelling case for Jesus. This is a book that’s well worth buying in quantity and giving away liberally!
Tim Foster works for 10ofThose.com from where all these titles can be purchased. Click on any cover image to go there!
