Wounded: How to find Wholeness and Inner Healing in Christ by Terry Wardle
Recommended by Dr. Al Barrow
Dr. Wardle, a professor of Spiritual Formation at Ashland Theological Seminary, describes how we can find inner healing from our emotional wounds through the transforming power of Jesus. This book is one of the best books written on inner emotional healing and gives practical steps for moving from despair to transformation. Dr. Wardle sets the tone by describing his emotional struggles and how Jesus met them. Theologically sound yet practical, this book is a must-read for those seeking emotional wholeness.
Joni: An Unforgettable Story by Joni Eareckson Tada
Recommended by Pastor Steven Grant
“This is Joni’s life story. It tells of how her young life went from blessing to tragedy, and her struggle to new hope and joy in the Lord! It is a classic, inspirational, true-life story of a great servant of the Lord.”
The Hospital by the River by Dr. Catherine Hamlin
Recommended by Pastor June Barrow
“The Hospital by the river is the memoir of a unique Christian physician who spent her entire career serving women in need in Ethiopia. Not a story from generations past, this 20th- and 21st-century story showcases Dr. Hamlin as a beautiful example of the power of God’s call to serve.”
A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows through Loss by Jerry Sittser
Recommended by Pastor Steve Clark
“This book tells the story of a Christian university professor who lost his mother, wife, and daughter in the same tragic accident. He shares his subsequent grappling with grief, God’s sovereignty, and his faith journey as he pieced his life back together. It’s the best book I’ve read on grief, suffering, and discovering God’s healing grace. Sittser is raw and honest without being cynical. He brings deep wisdom, Scripture, and personal reflection into the heart of hardship. A Grace disguised gives permission to wrestle with the most challenging questions we are often afraid to ask, without giving pat answers. Ultimately, we discover the truth of God’s grace during deepest suffering. For those who have recently experienced a tragedy or those still processing decades old hurt, I couldn’t recommend this book more highly as a companion amid suffering.”
Soul Keeping: Caring for the Most Important Part of You by John Ortberg
Recommended by Pastor Brad Rogers
“Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:38). In the prologue, John Ortberg offers a parable about a village in the Alps fed by a crystal-clear stream of water. The stream was tended daily by the Keeper of the Springs. However, the villagers had other priorities and decided to remove the Keeper from his post. Over time the waters that fed the town became cloudy and brackish and the town suffered. Ortberg describes the need to tend to our souls with this opening parable. Quoting extensively from his personal relationship with Dallas Willard, Soul Keeping is complete with wisdom that enables us to live integrated lives and resist hurry, which he describes as “the great enemy of the spiritual life,” and to clear the debris from our souls so that Jesus’ living waters flow through us.”
