"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body" -Joseph Addison
Be it an airport or an amusement park, most large public facilities boast an oversize, well-lit map with a big red indicator: You Are Here. Zooming in on the arrow or the dot, we can find our way from where we are to where we'd like to be. Even those who dread asking directions can use the map to find their way.
While Jesus is real, and as close as our next prayer, nothing explains who He is and how to find Him like the Bible. I've read it many times and cling to its truth and power with all my strength. However, jumping right into the Word of God can be daunting. While the stories of Genesis read like a great novel, we can run out of steam long before we arrive at the manger with Jesus. But take heart! There is help to be had.
Below, you will find links to my recommended readings. All of these, in one way or another, point the way to understanding God better through knowing the Bible. However, these contemporary authors have helped me clarify my questions and find my way around Scripture through clear, concise, and interesting writing, one subject at a time.
To go beyond my recommendations and browse for other materials, use the
Christianbook.com search engine located just to your right. Entering Christianbook's site will take you away, so just remember to come back and visit me. Let me know what you find and how you like it by writing to me at rachel@friendshipwithjesus.com.
Thanks for coming by!
Who Is Jesus? Fresh insights for seekers and believers alike.
Addiction Recovery: Being a new Christian, I begged God to help me get sober without going to AA. He said no. For me, recovery involves twelve-step work AND a firm foundation in the Word of God. I have survived early sobriety and all manner of life's difficulties by replacing negative thoughts and obsessions with Bible verses. I have as my higher power Jesus Christ, the one and only.
If God's so great, why does He allow such heartache? From the personal (like the death of my daughter) to the universal (why do entire nations suffer?), I needed the perspective provided by other writers to help me cope.
Learning to Listen:DevotionalsI use to hear God's voice in the morning, lest I forget to listen and start telling Him what to do.
For Women Only: From years of listening, I've learned that very few women understand that God loves them passionately and thinks they are the greatest! Most women are convinced they are not enough, or they are too much. Nothing could be further from the truth. On the contrary, when I learned the truth, it set me free.
Prayer: defined as "spiritual communion with God," one definition among many. But do you ever wonder if you're getting through? While one of my most effective prayers has been "God, please help me," understanding how to communicate better with the Lord has greatly enhanced our relationship. Give yourself a gift and read one or more of my favorite books on prayer.
Digging Deeper: Bible biographies, commentaries, reference and apologetics. Way more interesting than it sounds! This category provides a wealth of information to understand the times, the customs, the characters, and the settings for the greatest story ever told. Apologetics simply means "the branch of theology concerned with the defense or proof of Christianity." If you're a "show me" type of person, you'll find writings by others who've done the work for you. Whether you want to know what life was like at the time, or have your heels dug down in denial, you'll find what you're looking for in these reference treasures.
Heaven: The Light at the End of the Tunnel. Christianity is more than just "fire insurance"- a guarantee that we won't roast in Hell when our days on Earth are done. Christianity is a relationship with the Living God. However, the Bible teaches that there is a Heaven, and there is a Hell: a never-ending separation from God. For those of us who have placed our trust in Jesus Christ, we have an eternal home awaiting us that we can hardly begin to imagine. When my daughter Catherine went there in 2000, I set out to learn as much about it as I could. Discover the delights of our home beyond our home, with the Lord who loves us now and for eternity.