Christian
Fiction
Francine Rivers – Redeeming Love
Bestselling author Francine Rivers skillfully retells the biblical love story of Gomer and Hosea as a tale set against the romantic backdrop of the California Gold Rush. The heroine, Angel, is a young woman who was sold into prostitution as a child. Michael Hosea is a godly man sent into Angel’s life to draw her into the Savior’s redeeming love. This remarkable novel has sold over 200,000 copies and was among the top 10 on the ECPA fiction bestseller list for four years running.
Francine Rivers – Mark of the Lion Series
This best-selling trilogy chronicles a tale of persecution and perseverance of 1st-century Christians in hedonistic Rome.
Francine Rivers – Leota’s Garden
Award-winning author Francine Rivers opens a world full of vibrant characters with a powerful story of hope. In this stunning novel, Francine explores the new life that love can bring to a decaying garden of broken relationships. Through the lives of 84-year-old Leota, her granddaughter, and a college student with all the answers, Francine leads readers to ponder the value of life and truth in a way that only she can.
Francine Rivers – And the Shofar Blew
In the Old Testament, God called his people to action with the blast of the shofar, a ram’s horn. God still calls his people today. In this relevant and timely contemporary novel, dynamic young preacher Paul Hudson is committed to building his church–but at what cost? As Paul’s zeal and ambition build, he loses sight of the One who called him. As Paul and those around him struggle to discern what it truly means to live out their faith, they must ultimately choose between their own will or God’s plan.
Francine Rivers – The Atonement Child
Readers will enjoy and be challenged by this best-selling contemporary fiction novel by popular author Francine Rivers. When tragedy strikes Dynah, a devout Christian with a bright future, the Carey family struggles to cope. In considering the question of abortion, Dynah and her family must come to terms with God’s provision and goodness and what it means to live out the truth even when the cost is high.
Francine Rivers – The Scarlet Thread
When Sierra discovers her ancestor’s handcrafted quilt and reads her journal, she finds that their lives are very similar. By following her ancestor’s example, she learns to surrender to God’s sovereignty and unconditional love.
Francine Rivers – Her Mother’s Hope and Her Daughter’s Dream
The first in an epic two-book saga by beloved author Francine Rivers, this sweeping story explores the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters over several generations. Near the turn of the 20th century, fiery Marta leaves Switzerland determined to find life on her own terms. Her journey takes her through Europe and finally lands her with children and husband in tow in the central valley of California. Marta’s experiences convince her that only the strong survive. Hildie, Marta’s oldest daughter, has a heart to serve others, and her calling as a nurse gives her independence, if not the respect of her mother. Amid the drama of WWII, Hildie marries and begins a family of her own. She wants her daughter never to doubt her love – but the challenges of life conspire against her vow. Each woman is forced to confront her faulty but well-meaning desire to help her daughter find her God-given place in the world.
In the dramatic conclusion to Her Mother’s Hope, the Cold War has begun and Carolyn is struggling to navigate her shifting family landscape and the changing times. With her mother, Hildemara, away in a tuberculosis sanatorium, Carolyn develops a special bond with her Oma Marta. But when Hildie returns, tensions between she and Marta escalate, and Carolyn feels she is to blame. College offers the chance to find herself, but a family tragedy shatters her independence. Rather than return home, she cuts all ties and disappears into the heady culture of San Francisco. When she reemerges two years later, more lost than ever, only her family can help rebuild a life for her and her daughter, May Flower Dawn. Just like Carolyn, May Flower Dawn develops a closer bond with her grandmother, Hildie, than with her mother, causing yet another rift between generations. But as Dawn struggles to avoid the mistakes of those who went before her, she vows that somehow, she will be a bridge between her mother and grandmother rather than the wall that separates them forever. Spanning the 1950s to the present day, Her Daughter’s Dream is the final chapter of an unforgettable epic family saga about the sacrifices every mother makes for her daughter – and the very nature of unconditional love.
Non-fiction
Lee Strobel – The Case for Faith: A journalist investigates the toughest objections to Christianity
R110 @ the 3ci book shop)
Award-winning reporter and author Lee Strobel (The Case for Christ) once again uses his investigative skills to address the primary objections to Christianity. As a former atheist, Strobel understands the rational resistance to faith. He even names the eight most convincing arguments against Christian faith:
1) If there’s a loving God, why does this pain-wracked world groan under so much suffering and evil?
2) If the miracles of God contradict science, then how can any rational person believe that they’re true?
3) If God is morally pure, how can he sanction the slaughter of innocent children as the Old Testament says he did?
4) If God cares about the people he created, how could he consign so many of them to an eternity of torture in hell just because they didn’t believe the right things about him?
5) If Jesus is the only way to heaven, then what about the millions of people who have never heard of him?
6) If God really created the universe, why does the evidence of science compel so many to conclude that the unguided process of evolution accounts for life?
7) If God is the ultimate overseer of the church, why has it been rife with hypocrisy and brutality throughout the ages?
8) If I’m still plagued by doubts, then is it still possible to be a Christian?
These are mighty tough questions, and Strobel fields them well. Rather than write a weighty dissertation about the merits of faith, he brings us along on his quest as we meet leaders in the Christian community, such as Peter Kreeft and William Lane Craig. We also encounter his everyday friends and acquaintances that serendipitously fill in the holes in each of the eight arguments against faith. The use of dialogue from personal interviews and a scene-by-scene active narrative makes this an easy and engaging read. However, easy does not mean breezy. This is a book of substance and merit, one that will help Christians defend their faith, especially during the hardest of times, when they have to defend their faith to themselves in moments of doubt. –Gail Hudson
D.A. Carson – How Long, O Lord? Reflections on suffering and evil
(R140 @ the 3ci book shop)
This clear and accessible treatment of key biblical themes related to human suffering and evil is written by one of the most respected evangelical biblical scholars alive today. Carson brings together a close, careful exposition of key biblical passages with helpful pastoral applications.
Eric Ludy - The Bravehearted Gospel
(R135 @ the 3ci book shop)
Martin Lloyd Jones - Life in Christ (exposition on 1 John)
(R125 @ the 3ci bookshop)
The Apostle John’s first epistle has brought conviction, understanding and confidence to followers of Christ for the past 20 centuries. This dynamic book of the Bible covers the practical issues that affect our everyday lives–salvation, a godly defense against loving the world, prayer, discerning false spirits, and so much more.
Christians seeking both an in-depth study of this important epistle and a careful application of the Scriptures will be drawn to this complete work. Noted Bible expositor Martyn Lloyd-Jones eloquently discusses 1 John a chapter at a time and gives the straight truth about salvation, freedom from sin and developing a deeper relationship with God. It is a strategic work for all who are seeking to live out their beliefs and faithfully follow their Savior.
JC Ryle - Practical Religion
(R60 @ the 3ci book shop)
By “practical religion” Ryle does not mean a “religion of works”, but one in which those who are saved can put their faith into practice. Lightly edited and updated, this modern edition remains faithful to Ryle’s original work, and conveys its timeless truths of what every believer ought to be, to do, and to expect.
AW Tozer - The pursuit of God
(R70 @ the 3ci book shop)
During a train trip from Chicago in the late 1940s, A.W. Tozer began to work on The Pursuit of God. He wrote all night long, the words coming to him as fast as he could put them down. By the next morning, when the train pulled into McAllen, Texas, the rough draft was done.
Although written in such a remarkably short period of time, the depth, clarity and completeness of Tozer’s message has made The Pursuit of God an enduring favorite — about 1.7 million copies in print in 15 languages.
Prepare yourself for a deeply meaningful and enjoyable experience.
A W Tozer has contributed to The Pursuit of God as an author. The late Dr. A. W. Tozer was well known in evangelical circles both for his long and fruitful editorship of the Alliance Witness as well as his pastorate of one of the largest Alliance churches in the Chicago area. He came to be known as the Prophet of Today because of his penetrating books on the deeper spiritual life.
Erwin W. Lutzer – Who are you to judge? Learning to distinguish between truth, half-truth and lies
This volume reminds readers that truth is important and that real truth is not merely a matter of individual opinion. Lutzer explains that it is the responsibility of church members to understand and distinguish biblical Christianity from the counterfeit spirituality.
A church that has made its peace with the world can no longer affect it As 21st century Christians, we have settled down to a complacent form of faith that demands very little of us, and thus makes very little impact on the world. When secular values infiltrate the church, we accept them without a twinge of conscience and congratulate ourselves on our tolerance. We believe that we no longer have the right to challenge secular trends and decisions, in or out of the church. Erwin Lutzer looks at today’s world, and confronts us with our responsibility, as believers in the church of Jesus Christ, to again be a force for what is right…not easy.
Mark Dever – The Message of the Old Testament: Promises made and The Message of the New Testament: Promises kept
(R285 and R225 respectively at the 3ci book shop)
The Old Testament is the story of God’s promises to his people. Throughout its pages the reader can find promise after promise from God, all of which are fulfilled in the New Testament–in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Author Mark Dever introduces readers to the Old Testament as a glorious whole so that they are able to see the big picture of the majesty of God and the wonder of his promises.
Mark Dever surveys the historical context, organization, and theology of each New Testament book in light of God’s Old Testament promises. His message is that of the New Testament itself, one of hope fulfilled.
Spurgeon – Lectures to my students
(R170 @ the 3ci bookshop)
Preachers often quote Spurgeon today because he had an ability to explain Christian truth to ordinary people with pointed, memorable statements. The people who heard and read his words were effectively taught theology and enjoyed it. He was a dogged defender of the Bible as God’s truth.
There was another side to Spurgeon’s Character, he had a sensitive and loving nature that was the spur to him preaching the gospel, so that as many people as possible could hear the good news about why Jesus Christ came to spend time on earth, building a church for eternity. This also showed through in his warm pasturing of his congregation and the setting up of a college for future ministers of the gospel.
Spurgeon realised that he could influence the church beyond his own lifetime if he could encourage future pastors to trust the Bible, love people and preach the truth fearlessly. To achieve this he collected his lectures to his college students and published this book. It has been a classic of pastoral theology ever since and is still used to train ministers to this day.
CS Lewis – Mere Christianity
(R105 @ the 3ci bookshop)
Mere Christianity is the most popular of C. S. Lewis’s works of nonfiction, with several million copies sold worldwide. Heard first as radio addresses and then published as three separate books, this book brings together Lewis’s legendary broadcast talks in which he set out simply to ‘explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times.? It is a collection of scintillating brilliance which remains strikingly fresh for the modern reader, and confirms C. S. Lewis’s reputation as one of the leading Christian writers and thinkers of our age.
JC Ryle – Holiness
John Charles Ryle’s best-known works have been reissued and widely read over many years. The fine qualities of his writings have ensured that his books are still popular and useful. This present volume has become a classic work and is known and loved by many throughout the world.
In days when evangelical preachers are accused of being either superficial or dull, we have here a great example from one who was neither of these things. As Bishop Ryle explains and applies his texts with his customary simplicity and directness, the reader will find his conscience pricked and his soul examined. Ryle’s Holiness has become essential reading on this most important subject and the first chapter on ‘sin’ has rarely been bettered.
Brian S Borgman – Feelings and Faith
Weaves together biblical exposition and practical application to demonstrate how emotions relate to the Christian life.
Emotions are a vital part of what it means to be a human being made in the image of God and redeemed in Jesus Christ. But often our emotions confuse and mislead us. So what is the proper place for emotions in a Christian’s walk of faith?
In Feelings and Faith Brian Borgman draws from his extensive biblical knowledge and his pastoral experience to help readers understand both divine and human emotions. After laying a biblical foundation he moves on to practical application, focusing on how Christians can put to death ungodly emotional displays and also cultivate godly emotions.
This biblically informed, practical volume is helpful for pastors, counselors, and serious-minded Christians who wish to develop a full-orbed faith that encompasses their emotional life.
JC Ryle – Regeneration
In this powerful work, Ryle explains that divisive, often derided, term ‘born again.’ He explains what being ‘born again’ means, why it is necessary and how you can tell whether you are.
JC Ryle – A Call to Prayer
J.C. Ryle knew that praying is as natural – and as necessary – to spiritual life as breathing is to physical life. If this book was apropos in his day, it is doubly so in ours. This booklet is Bishop Ryle’s clarion wake-up call about prayer. It is a potent remedy for spiritual apathy and weak Christianity. If you heed Bishop Ryle’s advice, your walk with the Lord will be energized by an infusion of vitality and spiritual power you never imagined possible.
JC Ryle – Is all scripture inspired
Is all Scripture inspired? Are the very words and expressions used by the writers from God, or does inspiration mean something less than this? Ryle was convinced that the very words are from God, and that only this view makes sense of what the Bible itself claims. Here he eloquently defends this position, answers objections, and applies the truth to the conscience of the reader.
