As another month draws to its close, I want to make sure you’re up-to-date on some of the noteworthy new Christian books that released in June. In each case I have provided the editorial description so you can learn a little bit about it.

He Is Not Ashamed: The Staggering Love of Christ for His People by Erik Raymond. “Christians belong to God’s own family. This promise is difficult for some people to believe, and even for some believers to remember in their day-to-day struggles with shame or regret. But it’s repeated throughout the Bible, reflected in Christ’s genealogy, and true of the church today; God’s family is filled with broken people whose stories are a testament to his staggering love. In He Is Not Ashamed, Erik Raymond takes a close look at the ‘family portrait’ of God—filled with imperfect people throughout Scripture—and shows that God is not repelled by anyone’s shameful past, but delights to redeem and receive those who believe in him. Studying Hebrews 2:11 and other passages in both the Old and New Testaments, Raymond shows that Jesus’s heart is bent toward those who have an embarrassing history, feel far from God, or struggle with sin. By studying God’s abounding love for undeserving people, Christians learn to accept his grace and confidently embrace their place in God’s family portrait.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
Proving Ground: 40 Reflections on Growing Faith at Work by Graham Hooper. “There is no such thing as untested Christian faith. The Bible shows us how testing experiences are common to every Christian and are part of God’s good work in making us the people he wants us to be. As we spend so much of our time working, (whether in the home, in voluntary work, study or in a paid job), our work, like every part of our life, provides opportunities to prove for ourselves that God is real and at work in his world for good. Graham Hooper has written this challenging and encouraging book for all Christians, but particularly for those struggling to ‘live out’ their faith at work, or questioning the worth of what they are doing.” (Buy it at Amazon)
Beautiful People Don’t Just Happen: How God Redeems Regret, Hurt, and Fear in the Making of Better Humans by Scott Sauls. “We all carry regret, hurt, and fear. These are burdens that weigh us down and make us feel trapped. In twenty-five years of pastoral ministry, Scott Sauls has come alongside countless individuals and communities through weary seasons and circumstances. From his own seasons of regret, hurt, and fear—including battles with anxiety and depression—he knows what it’s like to be unfinished and on the mend under Jesus’ merciful, mighty healing hand. Beautiful People Don’t Just Happen reads like a field guide that can help you: Find hope in how God is drawn toward you, not appalled by you, in your sin and sorrow; Practice emotional health with joy, gratitude, and lament; Quiet shaming, wearying thoughts with God’s divine counter-voice; Discover how the defining feeling of faith is not strength but dependent weakness; Learn what the Bible calls “the secret of being content” in every circumstance.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
Why Believe?: A Reasoned Approach to Christianity by Neil Shenvi. “For centuries, skeptics have disputed the claims of Christianity—such as belief in an eternal God and the resurrection of Jesus Christ—arguing that they simply cannot be accepted by reasonable individuals. Furthermore, efforts to demonstrate the evidence and rational basis for Christianity through apologetics are often deemed too simplistic to be taken seriously in intellectual circles. Apologist and theoretical chemist Neil Shenvi engages some of the best contemporary arguments against Christianity, presenting compelling evidence for the identity of Jesus as portrayed in the Gospels, his death and resurrection, the existence of God, and the unique message of the gospel. Why Believe? calls readers from all backgrounds not only to accept Christianity as true, but also to entrust their lives to Christ and worship him alone.” (Buy it at Amazon)
The Air We Breathe: How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality by Glen Scrivener. “Today in the west, many consider the church to be dead or dying. Christianity is seen as outdated, bigoted and responsible for many of society’s problems. This leaves many believers embarrassed about their faith and many outsiders wary of religion. But what if the Christian message is not the enemy of our modern Western values, but the very thing that makes sense of them? In this fascinating book, Glen Scrivener takes readers on a journey to discover how the teachings of Jesus not only turned the ancient world upside down, but continue to underpin the way we think of life, worth, and meaning. Far from being a relic from the past, the distinctive ideas of Christianity, such as freedom, kindness, progress and equality, are a crucial part of the air that we breathe. As author Glen Scrivener says in his introduction: ‘The extraordinary impact of Christianity is seen in the fact that we don’t notice it’.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
The StoryChanger: How God Rewrites Our Story by Inviting Us into His by David Murray. “Each person’s life tells a story. These stories have happy chapters, sad chapters, boring chapters, and exciting chapters. Some people seem to author their own stories, while others have the pens snatched from their hands. Some stories feel hopeless. Can our stories ever be rewritten? Will they have a happy ending? David Murray introduces readers to the StoryChanger, Jesus Christ—the only one who can rewrite human stories with his better Story. Both Christians and non-Christians will discover how God’s Story can transform their own messy stories into stories worth telling.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
A Still and Quiet Mind: Twelve Strategies for Changing Unwanted Thoughts by Esther Smith. “Are you distracted by racing or anxious thoughts? Distressed by intrusive or irrational thoughts? Struggling with sinful or untrue thoughts? You may feel trapped in your own head, but God and his Word have given you many different ways to find freedom. In this practical and sympathetic guidebook, biblical counselor Esther Smith provides twelve powerful strategies that are targeted to different thought struggles. Each chapter is filled with a variety of exercises so that you can begin to change your thoughts right away and live at peace.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
Tell Me the Stories of Jesus: The Explosive Power of Jesus’ Parables by Albert Mohler. “‘He who has ears, let him hear…’ The Prodigal Son. The Good Samaritan. The parable of the mustard seed. The stories Jesus told during his earthly ministry are packed with such memorable images and characters that they now permeate our culture’s popular imagination. But what if their familiarity has muted their powerful message, causing today’s readers to miss their ability to shock and transform? In Tell Me the Stories of Jesus, renowned pastor and theologian R. Albert Mohler Jr. unlocks the power of Jesus’ parables for readers today. Jesus perfected the art of telling parables–short stories with a surprising twist and an explosive message that confronted his listeners with surprising (and often uncomfortable) truths about the human heart and the kingdom of heaven. But two thousand years later, modern readers may not grasp the cultural and historical context that made these stories so compelling for Jesus’ original audience. Mohler brings Jesus’ stories to life, uncovering the context and allowing readers to hear these stories in all their shocking, paradigm-shifting power.” (Buy it at Amazon)
A Better Encouragement: Trading Self-Help for True Hope by Lindsey Carlson. “Women thrive on encouragement, connection, and support. And yet, this desire leads many to be culturally catechized by a multibillion dollar self-help industry. Because foolish motivational messages flow freely from the world like a dripping faucet and are repeated by the person in the mirror, women remain discouraged, disconnected, and alone. If women believe happiness and success are their responsibility, they will assume discouragement must be too. Women need better news. In this hope-filled book, Lindsey Carlson leads weak and weary women to the well to find better refreshment in the living water of Christ, who speaks a better word of encouragement than the world. As women are connected to God’s promises and God’s people, they will be better encouraged to endure with their hope fixed on Christ.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
Christian Parenting: Wisdom and Perspectives from American History by David P. Setran. “Today’s parenting guidance can sometimes feel timeless and inviolable—especially when it comes to the spiritual formation of children in Christian households. But even in the recent past, parenting philosophies have differed widely among Christians in ways that reflect the contexts from which they emerged. In this illuminating historical study, David Setran catalogs the varying ways American Protestants envisioned the task of childrearing in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. Comparing two main historical time periods—the colonial era and the Victorian era—Setran uncovers common threads, opposing viewpoints, and the cultural and religious influences behind the dominant parenting ‘postures’ of each era. The implications of his findings matter for today’s big questions about parenting…” (Buy it at Amazon)
The Seed of the Woman: 30 Narratives that Point to Jesus by Nana Dolce. “The Seed of the Woman traces the gospel storyline through the narratives of women―from the garden of Eden to the times of the matriarchs, the judges, the kings, the Exile―to the birth of Christ. In this thoroughly biblical and encouraging book, Nana Dolce opens up their lives and uncovers deep truths that shape our daily life and faith. Through the stories of these thirty women, we find our place in the fabric of redemptive history as it unfolds to show us Jesus, the promised Seed of the Woman.” (Buy it now at Amazon)

It’s a verse every Christian believes in until he suffers some great wrong. It’s a verse every Christian affirms until he is called to implement it in his own life. And it’s just then that the words seem to transform from clear to opaque, the application from simple to obscure. In 1 Corinthians 6:7 Paul speaks of lawsuits between believers and says “Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?” It’s better to suffer injustice within the church, he says, than to harm Christ’s cause before the world. It’s better to suffer harm quietly than to express outrage publicly. If you sue a brother and win, the church has already lost.

This is just one application of a much wider principle that is repeated throughout the New Testament, a principle that calls Christians to behave with humility and meekness, even in the face of grave injustice. Christians are not to retaliate when wronged, nor to repay evil with evil, nor to curse those who harm them. Rather, we are to bear patiently through suffering and persecution, we are to endure hardship, we are to entrust ourselves to God. We are to do all of this even—and perhaps especially—when our trials come at the hands of those who profess Christ.
None of this is easy. It is no small thing to suppress our natural instinct for vengeance or to set aside our natural longing for retaliation. It is no small thing to allow ourselves to be wronged and then to meekly suffer the consequences. It may be one of the greatest challenges we are ever called to face. Yet we can be equal to the challenge if we take hold of the grace God offers us.
To be equal to that challenge, we will need to look back, look up, and look forward.
We will need to look back to Jesus Christ who serves as our perfect example and who calls us to do no more than he has already done. As unjust as our persecutors may be, his were certainly worse. As grievous as our losses may be, his were certainly far greater. Yet he endured his suffering meekly and now “to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21). He entrusted himself to God and obeyed God to the very end, and so may we. So must we.
Then we will need to look up to see God as sovereign, God as reigning over this world and all its affairs. We have to believe and understand that our suffering falls under the sovereignty of God. Whatever we have suffered has not taken place outside of his will, beyond his providence, or past the jurisdiction of his sovereignty. This injustice was not unforeseen by God and did not catch him by surprise. Rather, he in some way willed it and permitted it. And he now expects us to respond in a way that is consistent with his Word, even when to do so pushes us beyond all our natural capacities.
And we will need to look forward to the day when all suffering will be soothed, all injustices will be righted, and all rewards will be dispensed. By suffering meekly today, we are preparing ourselves to be rewarded later. When we refuse to demand satisfaction in this moment, we are expressing faith that a time will come when God will make all things right. When faith becomes sight we will have not the least doubt that God has done all things well. Even this.
It may be God’s will that the most difficult thing he ever calls you to do is to endure being wronged, and to do so in a way that displays Christian character. It may be that the greatest challenge of your life will be to endure injustice with meekness and patience. It may be that God’s specific calling upon you is to suffer wrong and to do so without taking vengeance and without losing the joy of your salvation. But by looking back and looking up and looking forward, you can suffer well, and you can suffer long, and you can suffer in such a way that you display the beauties of the gospel of grace, the beauties of Jesus Christ himself.
(There will inevitably be many “what about” questions that follow an article like this and, indeed, that follow any consideration of 1 Corinthians 6:7. Those would be a subject for a different day but for now let me challenge you with this: with this passage, as with certain others (e.g. submission to government, honor toward parents), our first instinct often seems to be how to avoid its plain teaching rather than how to implement it. So today let’s keep our focus on its plainest teaching: “To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?”) 

This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by The Good Book Company. They have five book bundles for giveaway, featuring titles to encourage you that the Gospel is Good News for everyone. The giveaway will close on March 24th at noon EST.

Is God Anti-Gay?(Expanded and Updated) by Sam Allberry
Author and speaker Sam Allberry has expanded and restructured his best-selling book, which draws on his own experience as a believer who experiences same-sex attraction. As well as exploring Bible passages that talk directly about homosexuality, this new edition frames the whole discussion with Jesus’ general teaching on sex and marriage, as well as what Jesus teaches about finding ultimate satisfaction and happiness. It also challenges the current culture narrative, which inextricably ties sexuality to personal identity, and he shows that the gospel is good news for everyone, whatever their sexual orientation.
This sensitive exploration of the Bible’s teaching on sexuality has been written to help both Christians and non-Christians struggling with the Bible’s teaching on this issue, whether they experience same-sex attraction themselves or not.
Essential Christianity by J.D. Greear
Drawing on passages from Romans 1 to 12, J.D. Greear unpacks the essential aspects of the Christian message, showing both secular and religious people what the gospel is and how it addresses our most pertinent questions. The gospel, as he explains, is not just about life after death; it’s about reclaiming the life we’ve always yearned to live.
Whether you are exploring the core concepts of Christianity or you are a weary Christian wanting to rediscover the excitement and joy of knowing God, this warm and compelling explanation of the goodness, truth, and power at the heart of the Christian faith is for you.
This resource can be used for outreach or discipleship and is great to read with other people. It can also be used alongside J.D.’s Romans video series on RightNow Media.
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Life with Jesus by Tim Chester
What does Christian discipleship look like in practice? This 12-session discipleship course, perfect for individuals or groups, looks at how the gospel and God’s grace can shape our attitude towards church, Bible reading, prayer, suffering, how to use our money and many other aspects of life.
Incorporating Bible study, clear explanations and thought-provoking discussion questions, these sessions can be completed in around an hour and are designed to be used flexibly in different contexts: individually, in small groups, or one-to-one. Includes plenty of material to engage mature Christians as well as new believers, and an emphasis on practical, real-life application to help people follow Jesus in every area of their lives.
Is Easter Unbelievable? by Rebecca McLaughlin
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is an extraordinary thing to believe. Such a supernatural event is the stuff of make-believe, many think. Yet millions of Christians around the world believe that Jesus’ resurrection was a real, historical event. Indeed, “if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” and Christians are “of all people most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15)
In this concise book, respected apologist Rebecca McLaughlin outlines the evidence that Jesus really did rise from the dead and why it’s the best news ever. Ideal to give away at Easter outreach services and events, as well as to give to new Christians wanting to remind themselves of the evidence for their faith.
God’s Very Good Idea Board Book
Using simple sentences and stunning illustrations, this board book shows toddlers that they are made by God to be the people they are. And it teaches them that God made everyone to be different (different sexes, skin colors, and interests), but he values all of us equally as people made in his image.
This foundational book on value and diversity makes a perfect gift for toddlers. (The corresponding storybook for 3-6-year-olds expand on these truths, adding more detail, explanation, and context.)
Again, there are five packages to win. And all you need to do to enter the draw is to drop your name and email address in the form below.
Giveaway Rules: You may enter one time. When you enter, you permit The Good Book Company to send you marketing emails. The winners will be notified via email, and those who do not win will receive an email with the option to download a free e-copy of Is Easter Unbelievable?. The giveaway closes on Friday, March 24th at noon EST.