God calls Christians to be holy, set apart. Spiritual growth and sanctification are a lifelong process: As God makes us holy, we are also growing in righteousness. In just eight chapters, Growing in Holiness: Understanding God's Role ...

My daughters Noelle (9) and Norah (6) have been enjoying missionary biographies from the Christian Heroes: Then & Now series. These books present inspiring true stories in ways that are acce...

Lies My Therapist Told Me, by Dr. Greg Gifford, is a dense and thorough examination of mental illness, the secular therapeutic, the mind versus the brain and how a Christian can and should respond biblically to these weighty and often per...

Heart and Habits by Greg Gifford is a deeply practical yet unwaveringly theological look at our habits and the heart behind them. Other works, like Mathis’ Habits of Grace, have delved into our spiritual disciplines; Gifford’...

Book by Susan Wojciechowski; Illustrated by P.J. Lynch At the heart of this timeless children’s story is a grieving man, Jonathan Toomey. Known in his community as Mr. Gloomy, he is the best woodcarver in the town: “He wasn’t an old ...

If I was only allowed one book other than my Bible, I would choose The Power of the Gospel, R.C. Sproul’s yearlong devotional on Romans. I have never been so blessed, encouraged, challenged, and had doctrinal topics clarified so helpful...

We all struggle with anxiety, depression, discontentment, anger, or lust. In 12 chapters that include a study guide, Jim Berg addresses our noisy souls. This book will teach you to know God better and learn to trust His sovereignty and His promise...

Review by Mikayla Rainbow, ninth grade The False Prince is the first book out of five in the Ascendance series. The author, Jennifer A. Nielson, is a Christian, though this is not expressly shown in this book or the rest ...

Written by Champ Thornton, Illustrated by Rommel Ruiz Review by Mikaela Dursma Like most parents, our children have gone through phases of being scared at night. And, as we have all been children, we all understand that fear. ...

Sojourner Songs by Ben Palpant If you’ve never read (or considered reading) a book of poems, Sojourner Songs by Ben Palpant is a great starting place. Palpant, who is from Spo...

Awe by Paul Tripp Review by Justin Holland Awe is, at its core, an examination of our hearts and their propensity to worship idols. Paul Tripp delves into this subject with descriptive, accessible prose that helps...

If you've read the book review by Clyde Sousa (age 13) you might be asking, why is a Christian church reviewing a Greek myth book? How do myths about f...

Why is a Christian church reviewing a Greek myth book? Book reviews editor Stacy Ott writes here about the benefits of reading myth to value truth ...

Have you seen those yard signs with statements such as “Love is love” or “No human is illegal”? Or maybe you’ve had co-workers repeat mantras like “Abortion is health care,” and you’ve felt uneasy because you’re not sure how to r...

Jerry Bridges begins his book Transforming Grace by claiming that perhaps God’s grace is one of the least understood doctrines in Christianity. Going into reading this book, I believed his assertion to be wrong, that my knowledge o...

This is a book you can judge by the cover (which is attention grabbing and beautiful). With every page, it gets better and better. The images are strong, dynamic, and thought provoking. But even more beautiful is the story of our King from the cre...

I have a white, three-ring binder that has the words “Christmas Countdown Planner” running down the spine. Its pages include a calendar which starts counting down with all the things to do to get ready for Christmas, beginning the last week of...

How People Change by Timothy Lane and Paul David Tripp is the most practical book I’ve read on discipleship to date. This is a dense volume chock-full of biblical truth and encouragement, belying its humble 254 pages, leaving little exc...

“Toothy Cow!” On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness is Book One of The Wingfeather Saga. Written by Andrew Peterson, a Christian author and singer/songwriter, this series is a family favorite of ours. The ...

“You mustn’t wish for another life. You mustn’t want to be somebody else. What you must do is this: ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks.’“I am not all the way capable of so much,...

Pollution and The Death of Man is an ominous-sounding title for a Christian book. But stewarding the environment is something Christians need to think about, as these concepts are clearly addressed in the Scripture (see Genesis 1:28, 2:15...

Review written by Frannie Sousa (age 9). The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill is a sweet story that all kids will love if you read it aloud. This story, set in 1948, is told by 10-year-old Frederika (or Fred...

Most people know about the diary of Anne Frank and the Jewish girl in the Netherlands who wrote it. My Friend Anne Frank will give you a new perspective about Anne and the true story of her best friend and Holocaust survivor Hanna...

This is the second book in C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy, but it can be read stand-alone—in fact, I read it before I read the rest of the trilogy. Like Lewis’ Narnia series, this book feels a bit like biblical fan fiction. Though not technically...

Every family has their own unique traditions and memories at Christmastime. An Orange for Frankie is a children’s book by Patricia Polacco. It is a poignant story about 10-year-old Frankie, her grandmother’s youngest brother. ...

A Jewish wedding tapestry, an old church, an elderly woman, a plasterer, a young boy, and a pastor are at the heart of this children’s book written and illustrated by Patrica Polacco. Christmas Tapestry spans generations and contin...

What does the Bible have to say about sexual desires and relationships? What is to be done if you or a loved one is experiencing same-sex attraction? How do we engage a world that says your identity is bound up i...

Exercising our imaginations helps us to imagine the wonderful stories that God shares with us in His Word. How is it possible for us to picture Jesus walking on water, or Peter catching a number of fish so large that the net was breaking, or a rid...

As an attendee of the Transform Biblical Counseling Conference in February, I received the book Counseling One Another: A Theology of Interpersonal Discipleship by Paul Tautge...

First, the elephant. Why is an obscure, witchcraft-featuring piece of historical fiction on our church’s website? Paul writes in Philippians 4 that we are to meditate on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excel...

Fear and anxiety are a part of life. What causes you to be fearful and anxious? Is it your finances? Is it the fear of what others think? Perhaps it’s even the fear of death. Author Edward T. Welch offers a short guide to walk us away fr...

Have you ever been in a place where it feels like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel? In times of trouble, do you ever think to yourself, why me? Can we really count on God to be there for us in our times of calamity? When we feel like we...

When I think of grandparents, I am reminded of my own grandpa who tirelessly worked the ground to make a living. I remember being lifted up by weather-worn hands. He was a quiet man but spoke deeply of the things of God. Grandparents are ...

For the second year in a row, I was unable to keep up with reviewing every book on the church blog (though I have published many more reviews on Goodreads, and will be posting ...

Like last year, I’m using Tim Challies’ reading challenge to help guide my reading for this year. I’ll post monthly updates this year for tho...

Like last year, I’m using Tim Challies’ reading challenge to help guide my reading for this year. I’ll post monthly updates this year for tho...

Groups like ACBC (The Association of Certified Biblical Counselors) are highly recommending Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund. You might be wondering, what is all the hype? Should I read it? Others are weighing in, saying this book is “d...

Like last year, I’m using Tim Challies’ reading challenge to help guide my reading for this year. I’ll post monthly updates this year for tho...

Like last year, I’m using Tim Challies’ reading challenge to help guide my reading for this year. Unlike last year, I’m not going to attempt ...

Well, like everyone else, I started this year with good intentions. And, like everyone else, my intentions didn't amount to much! Thanks, 2020. But seriously, for all its grieving, frustration, and difficulty, there were some pretty solid silver l...