7 Great Books For Your Summer Reading List

I don't know about you, but I love a good road trip! And I love a good book on my road trip too—usually more than one book, actually. 

2020 wasn't a great year for road trips, but it was a great year for reading! With all the social distancing and quarantine many of us found a good bit of extra time for reading. That was a hidden blessing! I hope this year we'll still find time for reading and we'll be able to throw some road trips in there as well! 

Today, let me share with you some books I've been reading that you'll want to add to your list for that road trip I hope you're planning. 

I love this Dr. Seuss quote! ​"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go." I want to go a lot of places—MORE ROAD TRIPS! So, let's get reading!

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Our children are facing cultural "giants" that previous generations could never have imagined. Secularism, depravity, immorality, and apathy taunt Christians with a barrage of hate and intolerance. Will our children be equipped to stand strong against these giants or will they be overcome? That is the question Christian parents are asking.
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In this book, Ken Ham gives us a powerful message about the importance of raising strong believers who can stand in the face of a world that will challenge, disparage, and seek to eliminate their faith. He also helps prepare parents to equip the next generation to thrive in the face of cultural adversity and emerge as tomorrow's Christian leaders.

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This new edition of A Praying Life includes an expanded chapter on using the practical “prayer cards”―a hallmark of the teaching found in A Praying Life―and a chapter on the need and use of prayers of lament. ​

Prayer is so hard that unless circumstances demand it―an illness, or saying grace at a meal―most of us simply do not pray. We prize accomplishments and productivity over time in prayer. Even Christians experience this prayerlessness―a kind of practical unbelief that leaves us marked by fear, anxiety, joylessness, and spiritual lethargy.

Prayer is all about relationship. Based on the popular seminar by the same name, A Praying Life has discipled thousands of Christians to a vibrant prayer life full of joy and power. When Jesus describes the intimacy He seeks with us, He talks about joining us for dinner (Revelation 3:20). A Praying Life feels like having dinner with good friends. It is the way we experience and connect to God. In A Praying Life, author Paul Miller lays out a pattern for living in relationship with God and includes helpful habits and approaches to prayer that enable us to return to a childlike faith.

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​Renowned pastor and New York Times bestselling author of The Prodigal Prophet Timothy Keller explores the power of prayer in his book Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God​.

​Christians are taught in their churches and schools that prayer is the most powerful way to experience God. But few receive instruction or guidance in how to make prayer genuinely meaningful. In Prayer, renowned pastor Timothy Keller delves into the many facets of this everyday act.

With his trademark insights and energy, Keller offers biblical guidance as well as specific prayers for certain situations, such as dealing with grief, loss, love, and forgiveness. He discusses ways to make prayers more personal and powerful, and how to establish a practice of prayer that works for each reader.

​Dr. Keller’s previous books and biblical teaching have helped millions, and with Prayer, he’ll show them and us how to find a deeper connection with God.

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The ultimate objective of Twelve Inches is to take the reader from a life of little consequence for God’s Kingdom to one that shines brightly for Jesus in action, faith, and testimony.

​​“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10

​"This verse prompted a revolution in my spiritual life. After being a Christian for several years, I was confronted with the truth about my spiritual life. While meditating on that verse, I realized my life was not spiritually abundant at all. What followed was a deliberate pursuit of the abundant life that Jesus promised His followers.

My story is similar to many other Christians’, who know what the Bible says about their God, but have a hard time applying His Truth to their lives. I realized that there were habits, attitudes and people in my life that were preventing me from fulfilling my full potential. These issues needed to be addressed if I were to achieve fulfillment in life." —Patricia Holbrook

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​Discover a movement of Christian young people who are rebelling against the low expectations of their culture by choosing to “do hard things” for the glory of God.

Foreword by Chuck Norris. “One of the most life-changing, family-changing, church-changing, and culture-changing books of this generation.”—Randy Alcorn, bestselling author of Heaven

Combating the idea of adolescence as a vacation from responsibility, Alex and Brett Harris weave together biblical insights, history, and modern examples to redefine the teen years as the launching pad of life and map a clear trajectory for long-term fulfillment and eternal impact.
 
Written by teens for teens, Do Hard Things is packed with humorous personal anecdotes, practical examples, and stories of real-life rebelutionaries in action. This rallying cry from the heart of revolution already in progress challenges you to lay claim to a brighter future, starting today. Now featuring a conversation guide, 100 real-life examples of hard things tackled by other young people, and stories of young men and women who have taken the book’s charge to heart, Do Hard Things will inspire a new generation of rebelutionaries.

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Joy, peace, and power—these are only some of the gifts promised to those who trust in the name of the Lord. Praying the Names of Jesus will lead readers into a richer and more rewarding relationship with Christ by helping them to understand and pray His names on a daily basis.

By understanding the biblical context in which these names and titles were revealed, readers will gain a more intimate knowledge of Jesus and His plan for their lives. They will also begin to see how each of His names holds within it a promise: to be our Teacher, Healer, Friend, and Lord—to be God with Us no matter the circumstances. Prince of Peace, Lamb of God, Bread of Life, Yeshua... Through His names and titles, we come to understand more fully how Jesus reveals God's heart to us.

Praying the Names of Jesus focuses on 26 of His most prominent names and titles to provide six months of devotions. Each week provides a unique devotional program designed for personal prayer and study or for use in small groups. Praying the Names of Jesus is the companion volume to the bestselling Praying the Names of God. In ways both surprising and profound, it reveals a rich portrait of Jesus that will move readers toward a deeper experience of His love and mercy.

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​Do you feel discouraged, even defeated, in your battle against habitual sin? Are you dismayed or surprised by the situations that bring out your fear, anger, or distress? In Idols of the Heart, Elyse Fitzpatrick delves into the heart of the problem: deep down, we're all idol-worshippers who put our loves, desires, and expectations in God's place—and then suffer the consequences of our misplaced affections. Yet God loves his people and can use even our messy lives and struggles for his glory. Fitzpatrick shows us how to better search and know our hearts, long for our gracious Savior, and resist and crush our false gods. Includes questions for further thought. 

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Tell us if you have read any of these, and what you've been reading lately?