People frequently ask me for book recommendations. So I thought I'd create a couple posts listing my
go-tos. The ones I always mention to folks. Today's list includes Bible Studies and Christian Nonfiction Books that gave me a richer understanding of Scripture. 

Bible Studies 

The Inheritance - Beth Moore. Of course, no women's Bible study list would be complete without this lady on it. But I can actually say this is my favorite of hers. I reference it all the time when preparing to teach. I've gone through it a half dozen times. My listening guide is filled with notes, worn and coming unstapled. Our church copy is almost always out on loan. The foundational Bible study for me.

Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted - Priscilla Shirer. Do you think Jonah's a familiar story? We did too until we went through this study. We learned that God had some new things to teach us about Jonah and the big fish from our time in this little book written by a minor prophet. Every time I read through Jonah, I recall things I learned from this study.

Ruth: Loss, Love & Legacy - Kelly Mintner. This one always gets a mention when someone wants a non-video study. Workbook with homework. I haven't done this one but I wholeheartedly endorse it because trustworthy resources (girlfriends people) tell me they loved this study. One friend told me she could now read any verse in Ruth and tell you a truth she learned from this workbook. 

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World -  One of the first Bible studies I taught more than five years ago. Teachings from it still resonate with me. We did this one as a book study but it's been updated with videos from the author. I've always felt like we give busy Martha a bad rep. It takes all sorts of personalities to do the work of the church. This study shows us the good and bad in both sisters. It made them, dare I say it, human.

Christian Nonfiction

Beautiful Outlaw - John Eldredge. I loved this one! The author teaches us about the true character of Jesus through discussions of the culture, the inflection of Jesus' words and biblical history. When our group read this book, we often mentioned how helpful it would be if Jesus had recorded an audio version of our Bible…. "Beautiful Outlaw" helped bring Jesus to life for me!

Vanishing Grace - Philip Yancey. You can go ahead and just read anything by this author. He's a very logical thinker and a great writer. My copy of this book has underlines and notes throughout. What role do Christians play in portraying a wrong picture of Jesus?

One in a Million - Priscilla Shirer. I could have easily included multiple studies and books by any of these authors. But I included this second one by Priscilla Shirer because, again, it taught me so many nuggets about the Israelites leaving Egypt for the Promised Land. I remember things I learned from this book every time I read Exodus. Further, this book offered a lot of application.

I could go on and on. But do tell. What studies and books do you always find yourself recommending? What ones opened your eyes to more truth in Scripture?