There is a distinct set of instructions waiting for you in the heart of the Father. If you are unsure about your goals for twenty-seventeen or what steps to take next concerning college, your career, or your family, I encourage you to set aside some time to sincerely seek the heart of the Lord. Some of the ways that you can do this are by joining Christ Church in the Daniel Fast during the month of January, attending the Laying on of Hands Service on Friday January 20th, and setting aside a concentrated time of prayer daily.
Fasting helps to align our heart’s desires with the desires of God. It also helps us to quiet ourselves so that we can hear the still, small voice of Almighty God. When we position our hearts with fasting, it is like leaning in to hear the secret whisper of a loving friend, or focusing on the person across from us in a crowded, noisy place. When we fast and seek the Lord through concentrated times of prayer, we are recognizing that the plans, instructions, and purposes of heaven for our year are much too important to leave things up to chance.
No matter where you are in your walk with the Lord right now; whether you are a new Christian or have been saved since the womb, the Lord wants us all to grow. We could all stand to be better in various areas of our lives. This year, we can all commit to saying no to busyness, but yes to productivity. We can also so no to staying where we were last year spiritually, intellectually, and interpersonally. One of the ways that we can walk toward growth in these and other areas of our lives is by cultivating a love and habit of reading. The written Word of God is supreme and contains within it the knowledge, wisdom, and instruction for every area of our lives. However, sometimes, these truths are deeply hidden and not easily understood by casual or unskilled reading. Thankfully there are volumes of books that have been written to supplement scripture by using focused, plain language and context to make the truth of the Word of God come alive in our hearts and lives.
Pastor Ryan and the SQUAD have been reading, and we have combed through our personal libraries to bring you some suggestions. These are our personal favorites and some of the books that most challenged us to be better in our everyday lives. We extend them to you today, prayerful and expectant that reading them will help you to be better in twenty-seventeen.
Be Better…
…at being yourself.
The Gift of Being Yourself by David Benner
“This book came into my life at when I didn’t appreciate myself. On the surface, I appeared confident but underneath I was seeking value and worth. The author spoke simple truths about how God really felt about me, that He considered me to be a gift created from His heart. And my life’s response is to enjoy the gift that I am; being unapologetically myself. I am loved unconditionally by God for being myself in Christ, broken but fully redeemable through grace. A timeless book for accepting oneself through every journey of life. “ – Deaconess Ruth Joseph
Without Rival by Lisa Bevere
“This book has made me cry, smile, laugh, and think deeply on what it means to be without rival. It taught me that I’m not equal to anyone, but I am unique from everyone. Lisa Bevere has been one of those teacher/speakers that has impacted the way I view myself and view the world. It’s prophetic and profound.” – Laura Yumang
…at understanding God.
Good Morning Holy Spirit by Benny Hinn
“This book, though sounds simple, is truly a divine journey with the Holy Spirit. Often times, because of the day and age we live in, it’s easy to forget the true role of the Holy Spirit. Not only that, some never really understood/can understand how the Holy Spirit operates. This book is so filled with wisdom, truth, and passion that it’s hard to NOT grow from it. Every chapter I read I’m in tears. Please take a read and allow the Holy Spirit to work in, lead and guide you. It’s a true beauty.” – Kezia Harley
The Father You’ve Always Wanted by Ed McGlasson
“My biological father passed when I was 10 yrs old. From then on, God took on the task to show me what a Father truly is. This book focuses on the parable of the Prodigal Son in displaying the divine nature of God’s love.” – Deacon Gregory Pristell
…at managing relationships.
The People Factor by Van Moody
“This book challenged me to examine how I treat people and the health of my relationships, while teaching how to improve both.” – Joshua dos Santos
…at managing money.
The Total Money Makeover by David Ramsey
“David Ramsey provides 7 baby steps to financial freedom that have helped me to create a get out of debt plan. Since starting the plan I stress less about money and have started to save more to give to others.” – Patricia Nicolas
… at marriage (even if you aren’t yet married!).
The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller
“A book filled with wisdom and insight for all types of people – no matter the age, or whether you’re dating, courting, engaged, or disinterested. It’s a reminder that marriage is glorious but hard. That marriage essentially is denying your selfish will to serve your spouse, everyday, regardless of how one feels.” – Francis Socorro
The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian
“This book was a gift to me as a new wife, and after reading it I found it to be even more of a gift than I expected. It shared the importance of having a relationship with God where we, as wives, take the challenges of marriage directly to Him – before responding, before gossiping and even before making attempts to find answers ourselves. I would absolutely recommend this book because it brought so much life to the power we have as wives (in our marriage, not over our husbands) when we make the conscious, daily decision to pray about EVERYTHING!” – Tiffani Cody
…at leading.
The Catalyst Leader: 8 Essentials for Becoming A Change Maker by Brad Lomenick
“Upon my first read, The Catalyst Leader challenged the leveraging of my leadership for the collective good and God’s ultimate purpose. The eight (8) essentials highlighted by Lomenick provided a practical rubric in assessing personal values and character development. As a millennial leader, I found the author’s examples and illustrations enlightening and refreshing. A must add to your leadership library!” – Pastor Ryan Faison
…at knowing your identity in Christ.
A Jewel in His Crown by Priscilla Shirer
“…a great book for Christian women to know their identity in christ and how we should perceive and carry ourselves.” – Kayla Kinard
Kingdom Man by Dr. Tony Evans
“This book challenged me to expand my thinking towards legacy in my family generations beyond me as a man who serves Christ. It helped me understand some of my God given duties as a man, and ways to use them in my future family structure to properly serve Him through my role as husband, father, and ministry leader.” – Daniel Cody
Kingdom Woman by Dr. Tony Evans & Chrystal Evans Hurst
“Kingdom Woman is a great book for women desiring to be the Kingdom women they were created to be. I was reminded of both my worth and purpose in life. It’s an insightful book that uses Biblical references and practical life experiences to empower you to be the woman God has destined you to be.” – Wodline Hippolyte
…identifying the snares of the enemy.
Addiction & Grace: Love and Spiritually in Healing of Addiction by Gerald G. May, M.D.
“This book humbled me as a studied psychologist. This book is very transparent and helped me identify addictions in my own life and learned how Grace is the only possible way to free addictions. This book also explains when the first addiction took place in the Garden with Eve and man’s sinful nature with addictions.” – Shekinah Powlett
…at being a disciple of Jesus Christ.
The Heavenly Man: The Remarkable True story of Chinese Brother Yun by Paul Hattaway
“This is an amazing story of a Christian who is not afraid to face the most severe suffering for the Gospel of Christ. The Heavenly Man provides a window into the persecuted church, specifically in China, and opened my eyes to what Christianity outside of the United States looks like. This book will inspire you to be radical in your faith and will cause you to question, “Am I focused on the right things in my faith journey?” My heart for missions grew tremendously from this book.” – Allison Lebo
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
“This book challenged me to assess the amount of devotional time I was dedicating to God. It challenged me to identify critical areas of spiritual lack, and become more intentional with staying in constant communication with God, building a stronger and deeper relationship with God, and remaining in His presence at all times. If you ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you where you are, this book will provide the necessary methods with its intentionality in getting closer to God.” – Elvis Gyan
…at praying strategically.
Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan for Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer by Priscilla Shirer
“This book was extremely practical and covered various areas in one’s life, like passion, purity, relationships, etc. Another thing I loved about this book were the index cards in the back in the book that makes you write out your prayers on paper. This was my first read in 2016 which really helped to set the tone for the year for me. I still have my prayer cards from the book on my wall. Must read for everyone!” – Marline Francois, MSW
…at being a vessel.
Smith Wigglesworth on Power to Serve by Smith Wigglesworth
“I would recommend this book because it challenges me not to make any excuses. I’m pro education and was astonished at how God took a regular, blue-collar plumber and raised him up as a conduit for miracles, signs and wonders. Smith would often encourage those who witnessed God’s miraculous power through him by saying “God can use you to do the same.” It’s amazing how humility clothed Smith as many considered him the Apostle of Faith. Faith for miracles, signs and wonders isn’t just for those who are in an office of the five-fold ministry, but for any who dare to believe.” – Larry Clifton
AUTHOR: CRYSTAL BROCKINGTON
Crystal Brockington is a Young Adult Leader at Christ Church and a student at Dallas Baptist University (Online!). She enjoys writing, singing, and playing with other people’s children. Follow her shenanigans on social media @CTBrockington
