“Christmas time is here, happiness and cheer…” Nothing says curl up with a really good book, next to the chestnuts roasting by the fireplace more like Christmas Time! (For the record, I’ve never roasted chestnuts, by a fire or any other place for that matter.) But you know that time that you get to sneak away from all the hustle and bustle of the season, for a few hours just to escape into another world or feed your soul with self- help preparation for the new year. Well here is your ultimate holiday gift guide to accomplish just that for you or the reader in your life. Click the image to access the book via Amazon.
Visioneering by Andy Stanley
Visioneering is the engineering of a vision. It’s the process one follows to develop and maintain vision. “Vision,” writes Andy Stanley, “is a clear mental picture of what could be, fueled by the conviction that it should be.”
In the bestselling Visioneering, Stanley builds a compelling case for the necessity of a clear, God-ordained vision for each of the roles of your life. Whether you’re a parent with a vision for your children or a CEO pursuing a corporate vision, Visioneering is the perfect tool to help you develop and maintain God’s unique purpose for your life.
Marriage God’s Way by Scott LaPierre
At its best, marriage brings joys and blessings rarely seen in this life. At its worst, marriage generates pain and conflict, often because husbands and wives do not fully understand their roles and responsibilities.
Wouldn’t it be great if husbands and wives had access to clear, simple instructions on how to have a wonderful marriage? Such instructions exist! As the author of marriage, God placed the recipe in His Word that shows husbands and wives how to experience the marital blessings available to every couple. Whether you are preparing for your wedding, newlyweds, or marriage veterans, you will learn those instructions in Marriage God’s Way.
Pastor Scott offers a clear guide on the Bible’s view of marriage. He explains:
- Scripture’s commands for husbands and wives
- Godly love and how to show it
- Submission and headship
- Biblical intimacy
- How to build your marriage on an indestructible foundation
Scott LaPierre combines clear teaching from Scripture with practical application for daily married life to encourage, challenge, and equip you to experience a healthy, joyful, Christ-centered relationship.
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
California’s gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep.
Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside.
Then she meets Michael Hosea, a man who seeks his Father’s heart in everything. Michael obeys God’s call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel’s every bitter expectation, until, despite her resistance, her frozen heart begins to thaw.
But with her unexpected softening comes overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband’s pursuing love, terrified of the truth she no longer can deny: Her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael does…the One who will never let her go.
A powerful retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea, Redeeming Love is a life-changing story of God’s unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love.
Self Made by Nely Galan
What does it mean to be self-made? It’s not just about having money, but financial empowerment is where it begins. It means getting out of survival mode, where you are one problem away from catastrophe. It means changing your mindset from instant gratification to goal orientation. It means being able to sleep at night without worry. It means being rich in every way: rich in money, rich in family, rich in love, rich in time—abundant!
For Nely Galán—entrepreneur, TV producer, and real estate mogul—helping women to become self-made is a movement and a mission. Galán pulls no punches. She is the straight-talking friend and mentor you’ve always wanted, and here she shares valuable, candid, no-nonsense lessons learned on her own path to becoming self-made (“There is no Prince Charming”; “Think like an immigrant”; “In your pain is your brand”; “Don’t buy shoes, buy buildings!”). You’ll read inspiring stories of women who started and grew businesses out of ingenuity, opportunity and need. You’ll find exercises to help you identify your goals and your strengths. You’ll learn tips and tricks for saving money, making money, and finding “hidden money” that can help jump-start your self-made dreams.
When you become self-made, the change in you inspires change in those around you, because one of the greatest rewards of a self-made life is seeing how the sparks from your personal revolution can light a fire in others. So come, join the Self-Made movement. The revolution starts inside of you!
His Leadership Her Trust by Heath Wiggins
“PIONEERING”! This ground-breaking look into relationships uncovers the secret of how Christian men can increase the level of trust and respect of their girlfriend, fiancée, or wife to the point where she actually wants to follow him. Early in his marriage, Heath knew the direction he wanted to lead his family but struggled with how to get there. He needed to learn how to be a better leader in order to accomplish their dreams, but no one could show him how to do it. So he went back to school and spent the next 10 years researching how to provide leadership in a relationship and gain the trust and respect of his wife. Men need more than money or the title “husband” to be the leader in a relationship with today’s contemporary women. This book is the first of its kind to break down and teach men, in four practical steps, exactly how to provide leadership in a relationship, how to gain a woman’s respect without demanding it, and how to get a woman to trust his judgment and decision making—all within the Christian context.
Surviving Spiritual Heartbreak by Jennifer Jenkins
To have your will align with God’s, experience the manifestation of your greatest desire, and be able to fully enjoy the promise, is to realize the fullness of God’s unmerited grace. To have your will align with God’s, recognize the existence of your greatest desire, obtain confirmation that the promise is indeed true, and then, to be stripped of it, is to experience spiritual heartbreak and the fullness of God’s unmerited mercy and love. If you have ever experienced the latter, or have a desire to understand a loved one who has, you will find hope and encouragement in this straightforward, eye-opening account of one woman’s journey from the pit of spiritual heartbreak to the discovery of her purpose and promise. Discover how the breaking of your heart has prepared your Spirit for the fulfillment of your purpose and procurement of your promise.
Fervent by Priscilla Shirer
You have an enemy . . . and he’s dead set on destroying all you hold dear and keeping you from experiencing abundant life in Christ. What’s more, his approach to disrupting your life and discrediting your faith isn’t general or generic, not a one-size-fits-all. It’s specific. Personalized. Targeted.
So this book is your chance to strike back. With prayer. With a weapon that really works. Each chapter will guide you in crafting prayer strategies that hit the enemy where it hurts, letting him know you’re on to him and that you won’t back down. Because with every new strategy you build, you’re turning the fiercest battles of life into precise strikes against him and his handiwork, each one infused with the power of God’s Spirit.
New York Times bestselling author Priscilla Shirer, widely known for her international speaking, teaching, and writing ministries, brings her new role from the 2015 film War Room into the real lives of today’s women, addressing the topics that affect them most: renewing their passion, refocusing their identity, negotiating family strife, dealing with relentless regrets, navigating impossible schedules, succeeding against temptation, weathering their worst fears, uprooting bitterness, and more. Each chapter exposes the enemy’s cruel, crafty intentions in all kinds of these areas, then equips and encourages you to write out your own personalized prayer strategies on tear-out sheets you can post and pray over yourself and your loved ones on a regular basis.
Fervent is a hands-on, knees-down, don’t-give-up action guide to practical, purposeful praying.
Crash The Chatterbox by Steven Furtick
“I used to think that someone who struggled with the kinds of weaknesses I deal with daily was useless to God. I felt so often like I was drowning in internal dialogue I couldn’t control. It had been the soundtrack of my life for as long as I could remember.
Yet everything changed when I began to realize God has given us the ability to choose the dialogue we believe and respond to. And once we learn how, we can switch from lies to truth as deliberately as we can choose the Beatles over Miley Cyrus on satellite radio.
This is the key to pressing ahead and doing God’s will anyway, even as you are bombarded with thoughts, feelings, and even facts about why you can’t do it.
I’m now awakening to the reality that we can access the power of God’s promises to constantly crash the system of our broken beliefs. I’m learning how to overpower the shouts of the Enemy by bending my ear to the whisper of God’s supernatural truths about my identity in Him and His strength in me.”
-Steven Furtick
Dance Into Destiny by Sherri L Lewis
An unlikely friendship between a purposeless socialite and a purpose-driven church mouse leads them on a passionate pursuit of God’s destiny and balance for their lives.
Keeva Banks is in danger of flunking out of grad school – again. She can’t seem to get it together because, honestly, she doesn’t really know why she’s in school. She’s desperately in need of a sense of purpose to give meaning to her life. Shara Anderson has that sense of purpose through her intimate relationship with the Lord, but needs some balance in her Christian walk. Through divine orchestration, the two women meet, and their lives are forever changed.
Dance Into Destiny is a story of friendship, love, and overcoming issues from the past. It illustrates how pursuing an intimate relationship with the Lord is the key to reaching one’s true potential and fulfilling one’s God-ordained destiny and purpose.
Sp waht about you, have you read any of these books? What are some of your all-time favorite books to read?
Great list of books! I get time off starting Thursday and I said I was going to take time away from blogging also and enjoying a great book sounds divine! I will have to check some of these out!
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Thanks for stopping by Carissa! I hope you enjoy them and your time off!
Carissa,
If you want a signed copy of Marriage God’s Way, please let me know!
“God has given us the ability to choose the dialogue we believe and respond to. ” This. I have to remember this for the new year!
That Steven Furtick is a BEAST!
Fervent is the only book on this list I have already read. And I actually plan to read it again. I am building my 2017 reading list now. So I will be checking some of these out for sure!
KenyaRae recently posted…Giving Myself [and You] the Gift of Authenticity
Yes, I was just thinking I need to reread that and Crash the Chatterbox next year!
KenyaRae,
If you want a signed copy of Marriage God’s Way, please let me know!
I love my inspirational books! I love signing up to review them but I end up not getting past the first chapter.
I read on my commute into the office and back home. That is my me-time and I can read some great books. I read Taraji P. Henson’s book.
Oh how I wish I had that luxury. I drive in so I have to be alert, hahaha!
First and foremost, great post! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful array of self help, romance, leadership, and prayer guides. I bought the DVD of War Room and a copy of Fervent for a friend of mine. I’m currently facilitating a six-month bible study using “Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed” (which is a study of King David) written by Priscilla Shirer and two other teachers.
I just LOVE her work. She is in my top 5 of preachers/ speakers.
No, I haven’t read these books but they all seem to be very interesting. I hope I will have some free time during Christmas to read at least one book! I haven’t done it for a while.
I’m with you Karolina! I am thinking about starting to do audiobooks. Because sometimes I just don’t have the time. Thanks for stopping by!
How awesome! I do love to read. I’ll have to add some of these books to my list.
Awesome picks, love! I have lots of book-junkies in my life that would love to get these! I have been at a loss for what to get them so this gift guide really helps!
These are great inspiration books. Thank you so much for sharing. Adding to the list!
Hi Tiffani,
Thanks for preparing this list. I was particularly glad to see the second book :).
If anyone reads this and wants a signed copy of Marriage God’s Way, please let me know! https://scottlapierre.org/contact/
In Christ,
Scott
Nothing like a good book to cozy up to. I’ll have to keep an eye out for these when I’m searching for my next read.
Dance into destiny definitely will be on my list this year. I’m aiming to read a book a month. Thanks for sharing love!
There are some interesting titles on this list. I have Scott’s book, Marriage God’s Way, in my reading queue already. I hadn’t heard of Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers and will have to add that to my list as well.
I jotted down a few of these because I think that I can get lost in them. I love a good book. Thanks for sharing this list!
I read Redeeming Love in 2002 and it was so beautiful. I truly enjoyed Fervent.
This is a great list! The two that stick out to me are ‘Self made’ and ‘Redeeming Love.’ I think I’ll treat myself and buy these two while on holiday break.
Thank you for the suggestions. I think Marriage Gods way will be one I will check out. The title sounds interesting.
Hi Kim,
If you’d like a signed copy of Marriage God’s Way, please let me know 🙂
https://scottlapierre.org/contact/
Holidays are my lazy days and also time to curl up with a good books. These are perfect!
I haven’t heard of most of these books but my mom is a big kindle reader. Will have to gift her a few!
I really wish I was a reader. I try to get into it but I have too many distractions. I find that audio books work perfectly with my lifestyle. I can get lost in a good audio book. Maybe I can find some of these in audio format.
This is a great list of recommendations. There is nothing better than getting cozy and reading some good books.
Looks like a fantastic selection of gifts for a book lover.I think I might be gifting a few of these to me.
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Not hsure and of any of these but I do like the sounds of the set made book. It sounds interesting
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Thanks for the great list! I only read Dance Into Destiny and really enjoyed it!
“Self-made” is more up my alley. I love self-help books for some reason.
Omg so many awesome book suggestions!! The book self made looks like my kind of read
I think I’d enjoy any of these books. Marriage God’s Way is on my list now.
Hi Valerie,
I’m glad to hear that! :).
If you’d like a signed copy, please let me know!