Inspirational Book Recommendations You’ll Love! (Part 2 of 3 on Women of Faith’s Unwrap the Bible Conference)
“I thought two books arrived yesterday.” Hubster John commented while nearly wiping out on two more packages that arrived today.
“Yes, well, …I ordered used books thru’ Amazon and they’ve shipped from all over the place. They are much cheaper as some of these books look like they’d be textbooks for Seminary.” I pleaded my case.
“And we know for sure,…” John teased, “YOU, of all people, need more books…”
Oops.
Book addiction noted, I’m delighted to report in on one of many favorite parts of Women of Faith’s “Unwrap the Bible” Conference from February 21-22. Last week we unpacked Beth Moore’s and Lisa Harper’s talks. (For more information, please see Houston We Have an Answer….. )
This week we’ll hit highlights from the Panel Discussion with all five speakers: Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, Lisa Harper, Christine Caine and Sheila Walsh. We’ll also discuss points from Priscilla’s talk.
Sheila facilitated the Panel by asking the girls what their favorite, most helpful books were, as well as what their daily time with the Lord looks like. (This was rapid-fire-away-time bustin’ with resourceful information!!!)
Priscilla Shirer mentioned two books she’s very fond of. One is The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament by Sandra L. Richter and the other is The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbathby Mark Buchanan. She says both of these made huge impacts on her.
(I’m currently reading The Rest of God and am highlighting paragraphs on every page as well as consulting an on-line dictionary…quite the vocab Mark has! I’ll be writing about this eye-opening book soon.)
Regarding her quiet times, Priscilla said, “We must be in God’s Word even if we don’t understand it! Continually search it out. Keep placing your face before Him. Pray for understanding.”
Sheila said one of her all-time favorite books is by Philip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew. Haven’t met a book by him yet that hasn’t been well worth your time.
Sheila emphasized, “Daily quiet times are so essential because one of the greatest lies the enemy spews is that God doesn’t love us, leaving us with the wound of abandonment. “
While she didn’t brag on her newest book, my buddy Liz Curtis Higgs, whom I was with at the conference, said The Storm Inside: Trade the Chaos of How You Feel for the Truth of Who You Are is Sheila’s best writing yet.
Sheila also armed us with: Psalm 143:8 – “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” (NIV)
I love the wording in the ESV: Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.” The study notes say, “The reminder of God’s steadfast love enables him (David and us!) to endure….The expression lift up my soul is one of deep dependence and allegiance.”
What an endearing verse to start your morning. Thanks, Sheila!
Christine Caine mentioned two favorite books: The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative and The Mission of God’s People: A Biblical Theology of the Church’s Mission (Biblical Theology for Life) both by Christopher J.H. Wright. (These are the seminary-like-textbook ones I spoke of earlier! True tomes.)
Christine said of her daily quiet time: “Reading the Gospel transforms us to transform others. Getting in the Word produces fresh truths and understanding. “ She added, “We’ve got to keep it fresh and keep it real.”
Beth Moore chimed in with a great suggestion: “Ask God to do the supernatural like He did in Luke 24, where Jesus opened the peoples’ eyes to recognize Him and to Scripture. “ (v. 31)
Beth said she frequently uses Bible software such as www.biblegateway.com , concordances and commentaries, and the book, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine by Wayne Grudem.
Lisa Harper also mentioned Wayne’s book as well as books by Craig Blomberg, two of which are on my radar (loads to choose from if you checkout www.Amazon.com or www.Christianbook.com ):
The Historical Reliability of the Gospels and Preaching the Parables: From Responsible Interpretation to Powerful Proclamation.
Beth and Christine also mentioned www.biblehub.com and the NET Bible Reader’s Edition. Go to: www.bible.org to see the wealth of information you can access, which is the ministry that created the NET.
Praying this plethora of resources hasn’t fried your brain yet, let’s close out with pearls from Priscilla:
I’ve been blessed over the years to hear Priscilla’s Daddy, Tony Evans, speak as well as her sweet Mother, Lois Evans. Once in Nashville, other buddies in Women’s Ministry and myself heard Priscilla and her Mother speak. What a blessed family. I must say, Priscilla preaches like her Daddy. Powerful. Very Powerful.
For her talk, Priscilla chose Jesus’ Mother, Mary, to teach us a few principles. She said, “God wars for your soul. We must stand guard against the enemy. We must not be just believers, but total trusters in Jesus Christ. We must believe He’ll be for us and will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.”
Priscilla took us to the book of John, chapter 2 where Jesus and His disciples and His Mother, Mary, attended a wedding in Cana. True to a Mother’s ways, Mary pointed out to Jesus they were out of wine.
Priscilla enlightened, “Running out is the prefix to running into Jesus. The primary way to see Jesus is to pay attention to where He leaves us:
If we don’t move,
If we don’t run, and
If we don’t try to circumvent our circumstances.”
Big lesson for those of us “fixers” out there to be patient….Sigh…
Priscilla added, “We don’t always have to try to make sense of Jesus, much less the season we’re in.” Isaiah 55:8 reminds us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.”
Before she closed, Priscilla gave the most powerful case for believing and trusting in God. As if in a chess match, she began with Genesis and ended with Revelation pointing out Satan’s attacks…But with each one, she beautifully reminded us that “God had another move”…and what He did to counter Satan’s attacks, culminates in His ultimate victory in Revelation. We all wanted to jump to our feet!
John 20:30-31 says, “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (NIV) We must believe…
Priscilla’s pep talk nearly over, she said, “Don’t allow the Cross to lose its’ power. Redemption is yours.” Lord, please help us remember this.
Don’t miss Priscilla’s newest book, God is Able. She takes you thru’ Ephesians 3:20-21 in the most fun and gutsy way. You’ll shake your head and say, “Now why haven’t I seen it that way before?” You’ll come to believe “HE. IS. ABLE.”
Please join me next week as we wrap up Part 3 of 3 of “Unwrap the Bible” with morsels from Christine Caine, the most enthusiastic fireball I’ve heard recently, plus Sheila Walsh, the “Steady Eddy” of Women of Faith. You’ll be blessed by their messages.
‘Til next time!