From time to time we will pose questions in an effort to further discussion within the SingleRoots community. Sometimes those questions will be issues that we’re dealing with, other times they’ll be recommendations from writers or readers. For today’s post, we asked our [root]Writers, “What is one book you think all Christians should read?” Whether you’re new to the faith, or you’ve been a Believer for a while, there are books on this list for everyone.
Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard
Todd Richards, author of “Christmas Is Just Another Day”
“It is a beautiful allegory of how we are to trust God as He leads us (even when His direction does not make sense). It also encourages us to welcome Sorrow and Suffering on the journey (they are actually characters who accompany the protagonist – Much Afraid). But the biggest lesson of all is how He is never more than a prayer away from His children.”
A Scandalous Freedom by Steve Brown
Jake Harvey, author of “The Local Church: Please Help Mess It Up,” “Surely You Can Do Better than the Sunday School Answer,” and other posts
“It forces the reader to look at what they believe about God and grace. It looks at the sacrifice of Christ and says, ‘Why do we act like we have to do more?’ It offends, encourages, confuses and, when it’s all said and done, leaves the reader with a better understanding of what it means to follow Christ.”
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
Jeff Pate, author of “The Secret Ingredient to a Healthy Community” and “Instant Mania: Giving Myself Permission to Grow Slowly”
“Written by the 17th century monk, Brother Lawrence, this small, easy-to-read book, reminds us of the sacredness in mundane tasks, and that the reality of Christ’s presence can be developed in our lives throughout all we do.”
When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert
Taryn Freeze, author of “Ripping Off the Label” and “Leave the Airplane or Live in Fear”
“It really defined my work in social ministry, but it’s a great read for anyone involved in relational ministry (i.e. mentoring, community ministry, crazy relatives).”
To the Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson by Courtney Anderson
Jennifer Anderson, author of “Expectations vs. Reality,” “We Are a Forgetful People,” and others
“Not only is it a great missionary biography and a challenge to live a life truly surrendered to Christ, it also contains the text of an amazing letter Judson wrote asking permission to marry his wife.”
People Skills by Robert Bolton
Scott Gottreu, author of “Fortified Bunkers” and “Submitting to Authority”
“Everyone has arguments and wants to learn communicate better. This very simple and practical book provides information that helps people get to the heart of their inter-personal conflicts and steps to resolve them.”
This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti
James Lee, author of “The Art of Listening to God”
“This book was a real eye opener for me. Most of us live in the physical world and don’t see what goes on in the spiritual world. This book gives us a glimpse of the battle that goes on behind the scenes. It’s fiction but based on truth. A very entertaining book that was hard to put down.”
Get Out of That Pit by Beth Moore
Alisia Baker, author of “But What If I End Up Dying Alone?” and “Twisting My Spiritual Gift”
“We all have addictions and hurts that cause us to start living in ‘pits.’ Beth Moore does an excellent job talking about how we often don’t even recognize that we are in a pit. This book taught me that staying in my pit is absolutely unacceptable, and that no matter how responsible I felt for getting into my pit, God wants me out. Moore states, ‘God will be your complete Deliverer or nothing at all.’ I know that I often struggle with using my human relationships to help fix the problems and hurts in my life. God may use certain people in my life to encourage me out of my pit, but only He alone can deliver me out to complete freedom.”
How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart
Jessica Bufkin, author of “Taking Care of Myself (or, Wanting Someone to Take Care of Me Occasionally),” “Airing My Dirty Laundry,” and others
“Fee and Stuart write an easy-to-read book explaining how to correctly interpret Scripture genres. I had a lot of unconnected dots in my understanding of Scripture and this book was a vital part of my learning process. It’s practical and worth every minute.”
What about you? What one book do you think all Christians should read? Have you read any listed above?
*Photo credit: Florin Gorgin
