** I’ve updated this post to include another amazing book I’ve read, so while the title won’t change, there are now 6 books included in this list.**
I love Christian books. It doesn’t matter if they’re fiction or fact, I can’t get enough of well-written and inspiring Christian stories.
You are reading: Life changing christian books
we all need some hope, especially these days, that god has a plan and that it is, in fact, for us and not against us. Whenever I feel afraid or feel like my hope is fading, I turn to these 5 books to remind me of God’s faithfulness and the hope we have in Jesus as our Savior.
Unlike my last post on Christian books that was specifically about Christian biographies (you can read it here), this list is a mix of biography, fiction, and scholarship. It wouldn’t be too dramatic for me to say that these books changed my life. how i see god, my part in his story and his plan for this world, and how he is using all of us and our specific gifts and talents in his kingdom.
5 inspiring christian books that will change your life – pin for later
why read christian books?
I know a lot of people who prefer to just read their bible (and don’t get me wrong, we should be reading our bibles) and don’t like adding extra reading, especially of the Christian variety.
i like to encourage anyone who can to read christian books, whether real or fictional, because not only do they teach us something new, or show us a vision of god that maybe we didn’t know before reading them (even if i’m not always agree), they also inspire and encourage us in our Christian walk.
If you are not a Christian yet, I recommend reading these 5 books as a great way to get to know God and his church.
When choosing these particular books, I went through my shelves and thought: what are the top 5 books that really changed my life? By that I mean they drastically altered what I thought I knew about God, how he works, and also made me think about my life and calling.
6 of the best Christian books that will change your life
* I’ve updated this post to include another amazing book I’ve read, so while the title won’t change, there are now 6 books included in this list.**
I have titled this post the top 5 Christian books, these are just my favorites. And I haven’t even scratched the surface of all the amazing Christian books out there.
- peace like a river by leif enger
- the jesus i never knew by philip yancey
- l’abri by edith schaeffer
- the magnolia chip history & joanna gaines
- hind legs in high places by hannah hupnard
- garden city by john mark comer
my top 6 christian books
I’ve chosen these five as my absolute favorites for several reasons. all five are actually quite diverse in the types of people they write about and the topics they cover. from a new take on reading the gospels to discover a jesus we might be surprised to find, to a current media sensation that everyone is talking about, these books may all be from a christian perspective, but definitely They prove the point that you can. I don’t put God in a box.
See Also: 25 Best Middle Grade Non-Fiction Books for Kids (Memoirs, History, etc.)
my top five picks are very well written. This isn’t the case with many cb’s, but these five are so well written that they draw you in.
As I read each of these, I was struck by the intricate work of God on display in these five stories. Of course you see it in every Christian book, but these five gave me the creeps to read.
Let’s dive into each book and what I personally loved about it. I hope that from this list you will find some that you love and that you also share with the people around you.
garden city
garden city of john mark eat
I never thought this blog post would ever take off or make it to the front page of google. I honestly thought no one would read it. It’s not what I usually share, so I thought it was fun to post it, but I did it anyway. now that it is one of my most viewed posts, which amazes me, I constantly wish I could add more and more books that I have loved and that have not only loved me, but have affected my life so much that I would say they changed it. but normally I refrain, because the list would never end haha. but this book. this book was too good to leave off the list, so I added just one more, making my 5 life-changing Christian books 6.
john mark comer has written about a topic that pretty much sums up what I think about most of the day. I come from a generation that completely separated the spiritual and the secular, leaving most Christians with a distorted view of what it means to be a follower of Jesus and how that influences their daily lives.
i love this book and how john mark eat just explains why we are here on earth and what we should do about it. is a must read.
the jesus i never knew
the jesus i never knew is my most recent read on this list and obviously i loved it. It was recommended to me by sarah clarkson in her book “book girls” and it is an amazing book full of wonderful lists of books, many of which I have bought and are on my “to read” pile.
the jesus i never knew is written by philip yancey, who does an amazing job of reading the gospel and taking off our “american” google glasses and helping us see a jesus who, for me at least, was truly transformational.
although this book is new to me, in fact it is not, but it has been around for a while and is recommended by many as a must read about jesus and christianity.
the jesus i never knew – by philip yancey
I opened
I read l’abri a couple of years ago and I was never the same. this book is written by one of the founders of l’abri, edith schaeffer, and is a great read to see how god uses us in many different ways to not only bring truth to the world but to change culture.
This was one of the first books I read about the transformation of culture through the beginnings of the kingdom and I loved it. it is written more in a biography style and includes a lot about the author’s life and family, as well as this amazing school.
l’abri – edith schaeffer
peace like a river
See Also: The 100 bestselling used books from 2000 – 2015
peace like a river, of the 5 books, is my favorite. is a fiction book that changed everything for me. I read it at a time in my life when, although I was a Christian, I yearned for a more “real” relationship with the living God, and this book by the amazing Leif Enger opened my eyes to God in a new way. .
Put it at the top of your reading list and buy copies for all your friends and family. this book is very well written and the story is beautiful, full of hope for desperate times.
peace like a river – by leif enger
the story of the magnolias
who hasn’t heard of chip and joanna gain by now. but have you read their biography and heard their story of how they got to where they are now?
If you know me personally, I’m sure you’ve heard my praise for this book and its history. of course i love chip and jo like most of the others, but what i love most about this book is how beautiful we see god weaving their lives together with a plan that would literally change culture as we know it.
This book was the first place I learned about “dead dreams” and what God can do when doors we thought were closed forever can be opened in time. how when we trust god with our dreams, he will take them places we never imagined. and most of all, I learned more about the amazing god I follow and how intricate his stories are. his stories are our stories and this one will leave you amazed and inspired about how great our god is.
the magnolia story- by chip & joanna wins
hind legs in high places
And last but not least Hinds’ feet on High Places. This is a beautiful Christian allegory written by the incredible Hannah Hupnard.
This is the oldest book of all, but even though it was written many years ago, it still stands the test of time and is truly transformational.
This edition is awesome and even though it’s only in October, if you liked me and are already thinking about Christmas, this book would make a wonderful gift under your loved ones tree!
hind legs in high places – by hannah hupnard
top 6 of the best christian books that will change your life – book list
I hope you enjoyed this list, I’d love to hear about your favorite Christian books in the comments below!
See Also: 25 Romance Books You Won&039t Be Able To Put Down — Elephant On The Road
check out some other posts
- Top 10 Christian Biographies That Will Change Your Life
- 6 Greatest Christian Fiction Books