9 Life Changing Christian Books Worth Reading

I love finding good books that are not only interesting but also are good for me as a person. These life changing Christian books worth reading were all ones that I found a couple years ago.

When I was at a thrift shop, I found four of these books on a cart and thought that they looked interesting. After I started reading the first book, I decided to look at buying the whole series.

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The 9 Life Changing Christian Books Worth Reading

A good series of Christian books to read is the Great Lives from God’s Word series. There are nine books in this series by Charles R. Swindoll.

For each book, I have included a short excerpt from the introduction, so you can have an idea of what each book is about.

1. A Man of Passion & Destiny – David

Poet, musician, courageous warrior, and national statesman, David distinguished himself as one of God’s greatest men. In battle, he modeled invincible confidence. In decisions, he judged with wisdom and equity. In loneliness, he wrote with transparent vulnerability and quiet trust. In friendship, he was loyal to the end. Whether a humble shepherd boy or an obscure musician before King Saul, he remained faithful and trustworthy. Even in his promotion to the highest position in the land, David modeled integrity and humility…But, as we shall see, he (like us) was anything but perfect. Having earned the public’s trust and respect, he forfeits it all in a brief season of sensual pleasure. Then, as the consequences kick in, we discover another side of the man’s makeup—lustfulness as a husband, weakness as a father, and partiality as a leader.Charles R. Swindoll (p. XII)

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2. A Woman of Strength & Dignity – Esther

There’s ‘the power of a woman’ who finds herself thrust into a threatening situation that has no visible escape route. A mixture of uncertainty and danger lurks in the shadows as she finds herself virtually trapped in a no-win maze of circumstantial misery. Remarkably, she does not despair. On the contrary, she survives, she excels. It’s as if she were made ‘for such a time as this.’ Esther was that kind of woman. Unwittingly victimized by an unbearable situation, she stepped up and determined, by God’s grace, to make a difference. Throwing protocol to the wind and ignoring all her fears, this woman stood in a gap most of her peers would never have risked…She alone saved her nation from extermination. Now, that’s what I call power! Charles R. Swindoll (p. X)

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3. A Man of Integrity & Forgiveness – Joseph

Here is one of the ancient patriarchs whose presence casts a sizeable shadow across the colorful landscape of Hebrew history. Here is one on the list of God’s ‘greats’…a life lived for His glory and, equally significant, though he was terribly mistreated, lived high above the all-too-common reactions of rage, resentment, and revenge. Here is one who deliberately chose to overlook unfair offenses, to overcome enormous obstacles, and model a virtue that is fast becoming lost in our hostile age—forgiveness.Charles R. Swindoll (p. X-XI)

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4. A Man of Selfless Dedication – Moses

This volume on Moses will bring you back again and again to reality. Furthermore, it will help you relate to a man who lived in your kind of world, faced your kinds of struggles and didn’t always handle them correctly, but who, in spite of his sins and shortcomings, became useful in God’s hands for God’s sovereign purposes, in keeping with God’s perfect timing and plan….Time and again you will smile as you find yourself portrayed in the life of a very ordinary human being who, by God’s matchless grace, was able to accomplish some pretty remarkable things.Charles R. Swindoll (p. XI)

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5. A Man of Heroism & Humility – Elijah

I can think of few others who model these two invaluable traits [heroism and humility] more obviously than the prophet Elijah, whose calling was anything but calm and free from conflict. Nevertheless, as we are about to discover, the man exemplified true heroism and genuine humility amid the relentless pressure of battle…In a world that has lost its way, due in part to the lack of balanced, godly leadership, we are more than ever in need of a few Elijah-like men and women who are not afraid to live courageously before their peers as they walk humbly with their God.Charles R. Swindoll (p. XIII-XIV)

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6. A Man of Grace & Grit – Paul

This one, who himself claimed to be the least of all saints and the chief of all sinners, understood and explained grace better than any of his contemporaries. It isn’t difficult to understand why. He never got over his own gratitude as a recipient of it. God’s unmerited favor, His super-abounding grace, reached down to him in all his self-righteous zeal, crushed his pride, drove him to his knees, softened his heart, and transformed this once-violent aggressor into a powerful spokesman for Christ. A man with that much grit needed that much grace. Not surprisingly, grace dominated Paul’s message and ministry to the final moment of his life.Charles R. Swindoll (p. XII-XIII)

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7. A Man of Heroic Endurance – Job

He appears rather boldly in the ancient book that bears his name, but since most of his story is so full of pain and loss, humiliation and hardship as he suffers through a debilitating illness and a heated, lengthy debate with several of his friends, most of us have not taken the time to examine his life in depth. A quick glance at his circumstances leaves the reader heartbroken and confused. In most minds, Job is a pathetic study in tragedy—little more than a helpless victim of unfair treatment rather than a man of enormous endurance. On the contrary, a careful examination of the man’s life—especially his response to the painful experiences that assaulted his once peaceful and God-honoring existence—will convince us that this is another hero with character qualities worth emulating.Charles R. Swindoll (p. XIII)

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8. Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives

From my earliest years I have admired people who live their lives in the shadows. They often feel the pressure of much responsibility, yet they bear up under it without seeking to be noticed. They do great work, thanks to their God-given skills and seasoned experience. Many fill significant roles and contribute greatly to the accomplishment of important tasks, all the while remaining virtually anonymous…They are the unsung heroes in the battle, the folks who do the work behind the scenes, the people who pick up the pieces, the ones who make sure everything in the project flows freely. As a matter of fact, if you ever take the time to find out, you’ll discover that many are downright fascinating individuals with stories to tell that hold you in rapt attention.Charles R. Swindoll (p. XI-XII)

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9. The Greatest Life of All – Jesus

Jesus’ story has deep roots in Israel’s soil, and His ministry was—and is—the culmination of Hebrew culture and theology; therefore, I have given great attention to His place in history. Nevertheless, because His influential life transcends history, I have not shied away from the complex and provocative theological issues Jesus addressed during His years of ministry on our planet. Biographies tend to give us insight into how the life of someone in our past continues to impact us today…but as you read about the life of Jesus Christ, I hope you will do more. I hope that your thinking about everything will be challenged. I certainly hope you will view the life of Jesus with greater clarity. But in the process, I hope you will begin to see the world differently—your own world as well as the world outside yourself. Charles R. Swindoll (p. ix-x)

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What are the books about?

Eight of the books are about the person in the title of the book.

One book, book 8 (Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives), is about multiple characters. Some of the characters written about (Samuel, Abigail, Abraham, and Jabez) are people that you would expect to be written about. Others are not your typical biblical people that you read about like Gehazi, Absalom, Achan, and Saul. Charles Swindoll has written about all of the people in these books to show us how we can learn from others—good or bad.

The books make the people come alive, and you feel like you know them.

He uses Scripture along with history and culture from the time period in which each person lived.

Swindoll helps you to understand why each person would have acted the way they did—why they made the choices they did.

How the books have impacted me

I feel like after reading this series of books, I have been able to understand more of the history and customs of biblical times.

I can see how these people were real, everyday people just like you and me.

Things didn’t always happen overnight just because the chapters pertaining to a character in the Bible seems short. For example, Moses lived in Pharaoh’s palace until he was 40, then lived as a shepherd until he was 80, and then he confronted Pharaoh at the age of 80.

So you see, God can use each one of us at any age. The series really brought that fact to life for me.

6 thoughts on “9 Life Changing Christian Books Worth Reading”

Treasure says:

August 2, 2018 at 9:53 pm

Wonderful! Thanks for sharing. I’ll have to read some of these

1. Jessica says:
  
  August 3, 2018 at 9:31 pm
  
  Thanks for reading our post! Let us know if you read any of these books! We would love to know how you like them 🙂
  
Stephanie says:

July 27, 2018 at 8:05 am

These look like very informative books. Thanks for sharing.

1. Jessica says:
  
  July 27, 2018 at 10:03 pm
  
  Thanks for the kind words Stephanie! They are very informative books, and they help you relate to biblical characters.
  
Brandon says:

July 26, 2018 at 9:04 pm

Who doesn’t love the story of Paul!
I’ll have to look into the others.

1. Jessica says:
  
  July 26, 2018 at 9:33 pm
  
  Yes, the story of Paul is awesome! The other books are really good too! Let us know if you read any of them!

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