Christian Resources to Strengthen Your Faith

April 14, 2021 Laura Bailey

I recently read the article by Brett McCracken, “ The Wisdom Pyramid,” and it challenged me to think about the information I consume. Does this steady stream of content fuel a God-honoring lifestyle, or does it offer a detour from my personal Bible study priority?

We have an unlimited amount of content right at our fingertips. So how do we decide where to spend our most precious commodity, time? I am grateful for the blogs, devotionals, podcasts, magazines, and books that provide answers to every desire and many I didn’t even know I had. Still, I find the abundance of content is overwhelming, and I struggle to discern which is the best use of my time.

I will always argue that the bulk of our attention should be reading, studying, memorizing, and praying God’s Word, the Bible. However, there are a host of resources (many free!) that will aid us in our pursuit to live a life holy and pleasing to God. Along with the proper prioritization of Scripture, these tools can encourage us to live with a Christian worldview and view everything through a biblical lens. Below are a few resources I have found particularly helpful in Bible study, sanctification, applying Scripture to everyday life, and marriage and parenting.

Bible Study:

Women’s ESV Study Bible – Includes reflections for connecting Scripture to daily life, character sketches, verse commentaries, specifically for women.
John MacArthur’s NIV Study Bible – Introductions to each book of the Bible, scripture commentaries, maps, and timelines to help you understand the Bible in context.
Blue Letter Bible Reading Plans – Choose from various reading plans centered around reading the Bible in one year.
Help Me Teach the Bible Podcast – Nancy Guthrie interviews Bible teachers on books of the Bible, breaking down overall themes, key passages, and practical application.
The Bible Recap – Roughly 10 minutes commentaries that follow a chronological study of the Bible.
ESV Scripture Journals – Bible text on one side and a blank page on the other allow for you to write out your thoughts, insights, and meditations as you study the Bible.

Living with a Christian Worldview:

Albert Mohler, The Briefing – “A daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview. “
Kindled Podcast – “ Every episode offers gospel hope and encouragement as it unpacks theological, cultural, social and political topics from a Biblical worldview.”
White Horse Inn – “This weekly show features regular round-table discussions on faith, culture, and apologetics. “
Let’s Talk – “ Each episode talks about a different topic and how to apply biblical wisdom to everyday life.”
Real Christianity – “Dale Partridge offers 10-15-minute answers to difficult theological and pastoral questions.”
Christianity Today Online and print publication – featuring articles that help us grow in our sanctification
The Gospel Coalition – Gospel-centered resources and articles to point people to Christ.

Marriage and Parenting

Christian Parenting – articles and resources to help as we seek to raise godly children.
Risen Motherhood Podcast – applying the Gospel to motherhood. (website and book too).
Natasha Crain – A valuable resource to help us as we train godly children in a secular world. (podcast, books, and blog).
Kids Bible Stories – My children love to listen to these in the car and before going to bed. She does a great job presenting the Bible in a way that children can easily understand.
Focus on the Family – numerous resources on marriage and parenting. They have a podcast, YouTube channel, articles, and books.

In His abundance of grace, God has gifted many with the ability to discern, dissect, and discuss the Bible. I have been guilty of using the above resources to replace instead of enhancing my time in the Scriptures. God desires His children to fix His words on our hearts and minds, the key being His words, not someone else’s. I’ll close with these words of encouragement from Jen Wilkin, author of Women of the Word, another fantastic resource for Bible study, “If we’re not careful, we can replace the study of the Bible with study about the Bible.” May we fill our spiritual tanks overwhelming with a personal study of God’s word, and as needed, top it off with the rich resources provided by our brothers and sisters in Christ.