The cozy season is finally coming to a close in Ellisville, but that doesn’t mean an end to the reading season. It’s always a good time to find new books, especially faith-based books.
The Bible is the only book you truly need as a Christian. However, there are tons of Christian books that help you learn more about the faith, get closer to God and simply enjoy reading.
Here are nine Christian books to add to your to-be-read pile.
In The Prodigal God, Tim Keller explores Christianity intellectually through the parable of the prodigal son. This book serves as the perfect follow-up to Keller’s earlier book, The Reason for God.
In that book, he argues that belief in God is the only rational answer, and his objective was to evangelize and confirm belief. The Prodigal God is geared more toward readers who want to go deeper into the Christian message and find hope and salvation.
Keller is considered a contemporary C.S. Lewis, so his books are a must-read if you enjoy classic theology books like Mere Christianity. This book is also a good choice for people looking to get a better understanding of what Christianity truly is.
Consider recommending The Prodigal God to agnostics finding their way to faith and even atheists looking for an accurate view of Christian beliefs.
John MacArthur finds a lot of modern Christian messaging diluted. The Gospel According to Jesus challenges “easy-believism” with powerful questions about what it means to be saved.
MacArthur reminds readers that being a Christian means servitude to Christ and authentic faith means doing everything for Him. He argues you can’t have Jesus as a savior and not as Lord and deals with the relationship of repentance, obedience, commitment and salvation by grace alone.
This book is perfect for Christians who feel they are in need of revival. It will help you grow your relationship with Jesus, challenge yourself to figure out what you truly believe and question if your actions reflect those beliefs.
Experiencing God focuses on creating a relationship with Jesus and knowing and following God’s will. It presents a 7-step process for finding God’s will for you and relates those steps to biblical examples.
This book has faced some criticism, and many of the ideas it argues for are contested. But it’s one of the modern Christian classics and should be on your reading list because, whether you agree with the author or not, you will find out more about yourself and your relationship with God.
Pilgrim’s Progress is a classic allegory. It follows Christian, who represents the pilgrim, through a Gulliver's Travels type adventure where he meets many challenges, temptations and sages.
This book makes many statements about the Christian journey, the shortcomings of the church and how to preserve faith. It’s a must-read for anyone looking to strengthen their belief and anyone interested in the history of Christianity.
Saint Augustine’s Confessions is a classic Christian work that has been studied for hundreds of years by Christian scholars. It’s one of the most moving pieces of Christian literature and remains relevant today.
Confessions is a personal narrative of Saint Augustine’s rise to power, internal moral struggles and return to God. It holds powerful philosophical and religious insights that can help you grow in your own faith.
Leota’s Garden is a faith-based novel about love and relationships. It explores family tensions, forgiveness and grace through the connection between Leota and her children and grandchildren.
Leota is an old, lonely woman whose children believe she was an uncaring mother because she spent most of their childhood working to support them. But when Leota’s daughter, Nora, tries to be too overbearing with her daughter, Annie, she decides to meet her grandmother to decide for herself.
Karen Kingsbury has been called “Queen of Christian Fiction” by Time magazine, and her heart-wrenching and profound book, The Chance, reflects that title.
The Chance is the story of Ellie, a single mom who has lost her faith, and Nolan, an athlete with strong faith but terrible grief and loneliness. They find healing through reconnecting and finding letters they put in a time capsule as kids.
The Masterpiece is a contemporary Christian romance by Francine Rivers. It gives a message of redemptive love and salvation.
The story follows Roman, a rich, famous artist with a graffiti-criminal alter ego, and his new assistant, Grace. Their pasts and personal demons slowly bring them together.
For seniors who enjoy historical fiction, The Timepiece by Beverly Lewis is a great addition to bookshelves. It tells a story of faith in adversity as Adeline tries to find acceptance in a community with many secrets and painful history.
