Introduction

Christian Non-Fiction

Christian non-fiction is a wonderful place to find help in many areas. If you need parenting advice, someone has written about it. Having problems managing money? There is a wealth (pun intended!) of resources written by gifted Christians on the subject. Do you want to shore up your knowledge of history from a Christian perspective so you have an understanding of today's events? There are books for you and your children on this subject. We live in a time when you can find almost anything you need from books. Yes, you have to be discerning, but God will help you sift the wheat from the chaff if you ask Him. I hope this list will help serve as a starting place for your exploration.

This page is organized into categories. By their very nature, categories are arbitrary and often overlap. If you don't find something you're looking for in one section, try another. Also, each book is ordered by the first (if there is more than one) author's last name within its category.

I Was Wrong by Jim Bakker and Ken Abraham (1996) - This book is long (647pgs), but a good "in process" book. It reminds me never to write someone off; God often transforms a person's sins and weaknesses to equip them to "feed His sheep" as Jesus said to Peter once he'd repented and had been restored from falling. In fact, I enjoy reading of how God restores people and "Romans 8:28's them". It gives me hope and encouragement. Also, as a doctor once told a concerned mother I know when her son broke his rib, "When it's healed it will be stronger than it was before." - So will we if we let God take us all the way through the process. It is good too to see the stages one goes through during the restoration process. He could very well be a man God will use mightily in the future. - Just look at Chuck Colson.

Tramp for the Lord by Corrie ten Boom with Jamie Buckingham (1974) - This book tells what happened to Corrie after coming out of the concentration camp after World War II. It speaks of her trips around the world sharing what great things God had done for her. (For more of her story see the books further down in this section.)

A Special Kind of Hero: The Star of "Life Goes On" Tells His Remarkable Story by Chris Burke and Jo Beth McDaniel - Chris Burke is a young man with Down Syndrome, courage, and a big heart who has learned a lot about going on and developing yourself in spite of obstacles. You can not read his story without learning a lot about his parents as well. How did they help him become who he is today? I didn't agree with everything in the book, but their love for each other, their commitment to the child God gave them, and their courage come shining through.

Ruth, a portrait: the story of Ruth Bell Graham by Patricia Cornwell (1997) - This story was revised and updated from a 1983 book written by the same author. It is excellent by itself, but I found it especially interesting to read right on the heels of reading Billy Graham's Just as I Am (see below). It is fascinating to see Ruth in her own right, and to get a peek at the life of her family with Billy gone all the time. Single parents can be encouraged by her honesty about the pitfalls of raising children virtually alone. It is wonderful to know her children are grown and that God has honored her faith for them. This woman was very creative, and has an excellent relationship with her husband, her children, her neighbors, and the world. Her gifts are different than her husband's, but they complement them. She too has reached many unexpected places with the love of God.

Just As I Am by Billy Graham (1997) - Don't be put off by its length (760 pgs). I've talked to some others who have read it, and they say they too got bogged down in the middle. Skip over part of it, or lay it down for a month if you must (as I did), but try to finish it; there's some very good reading here. I appreciated his honesty and his heart for God and the body of Christ as a whole. He is a man of God who will sorely be missed one of these days when the Lord takes him home. An unexpected legacy you don't necessarily think of when you think of Billy Graham is the family legacy he and his household have left us. By their willingness to be vulnerable, his family has left a very human picture of a family God brought close to Himself, matured, then used to bless others.

Rebel With a Cause by Franklin Graham (1995) - I got a double blessing here. I learned a lot about Samaritan's Purse in Franklin's book. Also,this is another great perspective on the Graham family. Again, I appreciate the honesty with which Franklin shares his struggle of being the son of a well-known preacher. I also appreciate the way his parents handled him, and how God honored their prayers and met Franklin. He is free to serve his God in his own right with his own giftings. The only "shadow" he walks in is God's. As God says in His Word, "Whom the Son sets free is free indeed." These three biographies demonstrate godly parenting and God's faithfulness. What a gift to the Body of Christ!

Hannah Whitall Smith:The True Life Story of a Woman Who Endured Extraordinary Personal Pain and Tragedy and Yet Wrote "The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life" by Marie Henry (1993) Bethany House Publishers - This was a woman greatly admired by Catherine Marshall (see below), as well as many others. Reading about how she learned the things she wrote in that book, one realizes again that the gems of the kingdom of God are free but are not easily mined.

Light in My Darkest Night by Catherine Marshall/Leonard LeSourd (1989) - For those of you Catherine Marshall fans (and everybody else), this is a book not to be missed. Many times we think our favorite authors are so used by God because of their "super-spirituality." That's not true. Besides the lessons and hope she experienced at the end of this dark time, we are reminded that every one of us is imperfect. When I read this, it gave me hope that I too, with all my imperfections could perhaps become a "mouthpiece for God." By the way, at the end of her "dark night of the soul," she came back into perhaps the most fruitful season of her life. Perhaps whatever suffering God brings into my life will do the same for me?

The Five Silent Years of Corrie ten Boom by Pamela Rosewell (1986) - This was a difficult book for me to read. I always wanted to believe someone like Corrie who had already suffered so much in a concentration camp and even watched her sister die there would have lived "happily ever after." Yes, she went around the world telling what Jesus had done for her, but she still had a most difficult trial in the last five years of her life. This book really took me back to the Lord and did a work in me. It is a book I should read again. It is worthwhile reading for anyone who has to consider the issue of suffering.

The Hiding Place:25th Anniversary Edition by Corrie ten Boom and John and Elizabeth Sherrill - A true story about a young person being engulfed in World War II, hiding Jews, and ending up in Ravensbruck, a German concentration camp, and how God helped even in this most difficult situation.

Finances

For Leaders

Pastors of Promise by Jack Hayford (1997) - This is the first of The Hayford Pastor Series, and if the other two (which are scheduled to come out in 1998 and 1999 respectively) are anything like this one, I am sure they will minister to leaders far and wide. The list of those who read and appreciated the book runs six pages, reads like a who's who of American Christian leaders, and includes Bill Bright, Chuck Colson, and John MacArthur to name just a few. As I read these commendations (this is even before I got to the book, mind you), I was thinking he has the kind of reputation for godliness and integrity that I want. Because of that, God has blessed his ministry and caused his influence to cross many denominational lines. This book is rich - rich with encouragement, discernment, and godly vision for the church and pastoral ministry at the end of this century. I would call it a must read if you are a leader, and a wonderful gift to give your pastor if you are not!

For Men
I am not going to critique every book in this list, though I have read several, and given some of them to our guys as "required reading." I believe these, and other books I am not mentioning will help men who feel the need for balance in their lives. I appreciate men in the Body of Christ who are willing to be honest about their struggles and share what the Lord has shown them. They have the gift of discipling others, and they are using it well. To find several of these, you only need to look in your library catalog and reserve them if you live in Indianapolis (see link at the top of this page).

(9 Character Traits) Separating the Men from the Boys by Nate Adams (1994) - The examples he uses are very funny, and our son and I enjoyed it very much. Who says learning can't be fun?

The Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper - I know there are questions about this organization even among the church. Brothers and sisters, it is a good place for men to begin to learn "What does the Lord require of me?" It has helped wake up, encourage, and train men. Whether or not we agree with all of it is irrelevant. If you can receive it, take the good, leave the bad, and be thankful. If you can't agree with it, please don't cause those who are honestly growing from their ministry to stumble. Personally, I felt it was a good introduction to manhood for our three guys, and this and it's companion book (see immediately below) were required reading.

The Power of a Promise Kept Stories by Gregg Lewis (1995) - The first book laid out areas God wants to deal with in men's lives, and this volume speaks of what has happened in some men's lives as they have prayerfully grappled with these areas and let God work within them. It is encouraging to see examples of God at work when we seek to apply His truth to our lives.

The Seven Seasons of a Man's Life: Examining the Unique Challenges a Man Faces by Patrick Morley (1995)

Hearing God's Voice

The Hidden Rift with God by William Backus (1990) - This book deals with disagreements we have with God and how to fight them honestly so you can grow/go on with Him. I found it to be a good checklist concerning my relationship with God.

The Way of the Heart - Desert Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry by Henri Nouwen (1981) This book speaks of the need for "contemplative silence" - in other words, the need for meditation and quiet time to nurture our relationship with God. If you have never read any books about contemplation, this is a place to start. (If you don't know what contemplation is, don't worry. It is not too often that I hear a message on being still before God. - Is that perhaps because we seldom do it in our goal and action-oriented society??)

How to Listen to God by Charles Stanley (1985) Here you can check your receiver. That is, you can find out if you are in tune to hear God as He wants you to. If you're going to read Dialogue with God (see below), read this also for the rest of the story.

Dialogue With God by Mark and Patti Virkler (1985) Bridge Publishing Inc. - This is a wonderful book for all you left-brain thinkers out there. It is hard to hear God's voice if you are not somewhat intuitive. This book talks first of a man's willingness to believe that God wanted to speak to him (and all people), secondly of his willingness to admit he didn't have that experience in his own life, and thirdly, of the way God taught him to hear. Lastly, Mark told of the practical benefits in his own life from being able to hear God, and spoke of the way to keep things from getting lopsided by using checks and balances. It also demonstrated to me once again that God has "different strokes for different folks" but that He wants to meet all of us. You may not agree with all of it, but I believe he has found a balance we could all benefit from.

Issues
Because we still struggle against sin, "issues" do not just pertain to the world "out there." The books in this section deal with both the world and the church. Some of the books will prepare us to appeal intelligently to the world for the cause of Christ. Others will enable us to give and receive hope and help if we or Christian brothers and sisters we know are struggling with certain sins or the aftermath of such sins. As a result, you will find a mixture of books here; there will be apologetics mixed in with "help" books. Why mix them? I believe to separate apologetics from help is not good. To say abortion is wrong for all the right reasons without offering help and options to the person thinking of having one, or the person who is suffering as the result of having one is a bit hypocritical - it is like telling someone who has need to "be warmed and filled" without providing any practical help.

Creationism:This is an important subject because it affects our views on abortion, euthanasia... . Why would we want to preserve a fetus that evolved through various animal stages on the way to becoming a human being? (You'd think animal rights groups today would object, though, wouldn't you?) Knowing among other things that God created each being after its own kind sheds some light on this error, doesn't it?...

The Answer Book by Ken Ham, Andrew Snelling and Carl Wieland (1992) Master Books - This has to do with creation, dinosaurs, and a lot of other things that refute evolution.

Darwin on Trial by Phillip E. Johnson (1993) - He is not for 6 day literal creation science as is Ken Ham, but many of his views are challenging and helpful.

Spiritual Abuse
God is calling us to come under His Lordship regarding church leadership. Man's leadership must not take away from the Lord's leadership in individual lives. Much damage results from ungodly domination, and we, the church, must be submitted enough to God to know His heart towards us. Then and only then will we recognize leaders who lead righteously with God's authority and blessing within the Body of Christ. These leaders are people after God's own heart.

Should we rebel against man's control? No. Should we stir up trouble in troubled churches? No. However, we can and should leave with a right spirit, refuse to gossip, and ask God to open their eyes. We need to also ask Him for what He wants us to do next. Any other response is adding to the problem. For more information and help, I suggest the following books be read prayerfully - trusting God, not these authors - to tell you what to do, and how and when to do it.

Letters to a Devastated Christian by Gene Edwards (1984,1992)

More to Come as soon as I can.

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