Gentle and Lowly — Dane Ortlund
I recommend this one when someone is struggling to believe that Jesus actually wants them to come to Him in their weakness, not after they’ve cleaned themselves up.
Not God Enough — J.D. Greear
This is one I recommend when our view of God has gotten a little too small. J.D. Greear challenges the ways we can unintentionally remake God into someone more manageable, comfortable, and understandable—and points us back to the God Scripture actually reveals.
I especially appreciate the reminder that God doesn’t exist to fit neatly inside our expectations. He is bigger, holier, more powerful, and more worthy of our awe than we tend to remember. And strangely enough, seeing God as He really is doesn’t make Him less approachable—it gives us a much better understanding of His grace.
Crazy Love — Francis Chan
This is one I recommend when following Jesus has started to feel a little too comfortable. Francis Chan challenges us to take an honest look at what we say we believe about God—and then ask whether our lives actually reflect those beliefs.
What I appreciate most about Crazy Love is the way it pushes against a casual, halfhearted Christianity. If God really is who we say He is, and if His love for us really is as extraordinary as Scripture says it is, then that should change something about the way we live. This book asks some uncomfortable questions, and I think sometimes we need to be willing to sit with those.
If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat—John Ortberg
This is one I recommend when fear is keeping someone safely inside what is familiar. John Ortberg uses Peter stepping out of the boat to explore what it looks like to trust God enough to take a risk when He calls us beyond what feels comfortable or certain.
What I appreciate about this book is that it doesn’t pretend getting out of the boat guarantees everything will go the way we hoped. Peter did walk on water—but he also sank. Faith isn’t about never being afraid or never failing. It’s about trusting Jesus enough to step out of the boat in the first place, and learning that He is still there when we discover we can’t do it on our own.
Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely — Lysa TerKeurst
This is one I recommend for anyone who has wrestled with rejection, feeling left out, or wondering whether they are somehow not enough. Lysa TerKeurst writes honestly about how deeply rejection can affect the way we see ourselves, our relationships, and even God.
What I appreciate about Uninvited is the reminder that our identity and worth cannot safely rest in whether other people choose us, approve of us, or make room for us. People will disappoint us. Relationships can hurt. But rejection does not get the final word about who we are. Learning to live from the security of being loved and accepted by God changes the way we respond when we aren’t accepted by everyone else.
The Wounded Healer — Henri Nouwen
This is one I recommend especially to people who care for, lead, or walk alongside others. Henri Nouwen challenges the idea that we have to have everything figured out—or have all of our own wounds neatly resolved—before God can use us in someone else’s life.
What I appreciate about The Wounded Healer is the reminder that our own experiences of pain can deepen the way we meet people in theirs. We don’t minister from a position of having all the answers. We come alongside people with humility, compassion, and a willingness to be present. Our wounds don’t have to disqualify us from caring for others; surrendered to God, they can become part of what teaches us how to care well.
Searching for Enough: The High-Wire Walk Between Doubt and Faith — Tyler Staton
This is one I recommend for anyone who has wrestled honestly with doubt—or felt guilty for having questions they thought Christians weren’t supposed to ask. Tyler Staton doesn’t treat doubt as something we need to hide or be ashamed of. Instead, he explores what can happen when we’re willing to bring our questions honestly into our relationship with God.
What I appreciate about Searching for Enough is that it makes room for the tension between faith and uncertainty without suggesting that we simply settle for uncertainty. Sometimes wrestling with what we believe is part of developing a faith that is actually our own. And sometimes the questions we’re afraid to ask are the very ones that push us toward a deeper understanding of who God is and what it means to trust Him.
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry — John Mark Comer
This is one I recommend when life has become so busy, noisy, and rushed that following Jesus has somehow become one more thing squeezed onto an already overflowing schedule. John Mark Comer challenges the assumption that hurry is simply an unavoidable part of modern life and asks what it is doing to our ability to actually be present—with God and with one another.
What I appreciate about The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry is that it doesn’t simply tell us to slow down for the sake of feeling less stressed. It points us back to the way of Jesus. If we want to become more like Him, we have to pay attention not only to what Jesus taught, but also to how Jesus lived. Spiritual formation takes time, attention, and space—and hurry has a way of stealing all three.
The Table 