Recommended Readings

While there are countless books available to help people find freedom, hope, and life, these listed below are, in our opinion, the best. They share our passion for an integration of Christ-centered and clinically-effective. They are deeply practical, grace-oriented, authentically-written resources. We highly recommend you read as many as possible, especially within the categories that you are most interested in.

Jump to a specific category:

General Addiction

addictive-personality

The Addictive Personality: Understanding the Addictive Process and Compulsive Behavior

Craig Nakken
This book helps the reader understand the process of addiction, the factors that influence a person to become an addict and steps to a successful recovery.

good_new

Good News for the Chemically Dependent and Those Who Love Them

Jeff Van Vonderen
Jeff gives practical answers and advice for family members of addicts explaining how addiction develops, how addiction is treated, and what family members should and should not do to help.

bondage

From Bondage to Bonding: Escaping Codependency, Embracing Biblical Love

Nancy Groom
Understand codependency from a Biblical perspective and learn how to have healthy relationships with God and others.

boundaries

Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life

Henry Cloud & John Townsend

This reading provides help for establishing clear boundaries in order to balance personal freedom and personal responsibility in our relationships with self and others.

How to Have That Difficult Conversation: Gaining the Skills for Honest and Meaningful Communication

Henry Cloud & John Townsend

Henry and John take the principles from their bestselling book, Boundaries, and apply them to a variety of the most common difficult situations and relationships.

set_bound

Setting Boundaries with Your Adult Children: Six Steps to Healing for Struggling Parents

Allison Bottke

Allison discusses how to empower families by offering hope and healing through S.A.N.I.T.Y., a 6-step program to help parents regain control in their lives and in their homes.

Sexual Addiction

breaking_free

Breaking Free: Understanding Sexual Addiction and the Healing Power of Jesus

Russell Willingham

Understand sexual addiction, how it develops and a path of healing through authentic relationships with God and others in the Body of Christ.

healing_wounds

Healing the Wounds of Sexual Addiction

Mark Laaser

Mark offers a path that leads beyond compulsive thoughts and behaviors to healing and transformation, mapping out a Biblical approach to sexual integrity and self control.

no_stones

No Stones: Women Redeemed from Sexual Addiction

Marnie Ferree

Get practical help for women struggling with relationship or sexual addiction.

Spouses of Sex Addicts

the-journey

The Journey: Book 1

Melissa Haas

Melissa created an interactive, 10-week workbook for wives grieving the losses associated with their husband’s sexual addiction.

shattered

Shattered Vows: Hope and Healing for Women Who Have Been Sexually Betrayed

Debra Laaser

This reading provides practical and compassionate advice on navigating infidelity in marriage and helpful tools for embracing personal growth and transformation.

intimate deception

Intimate Deception: Healing the Wounds of Sexual Betrayal

Dr. Sheri Keffer

Drawing from her experience both as a marriage and family therapist and a woman who personally experienced the devastation of sexual betrayal, Dr. Sheri Keffer walks women impacted by betrayal through the pain and toward recovery.

Marriage

created_for_connection

Created for Connection: The “Hold Me Tight” Guide for Christian Couples

Sue Johnson & Kenneth Sanderfer

Learn how to identify patterns that sabotage emotional intimacy in marriage and reestablish a safe, connected bond with your spouse.

love_war

Love and War: Find Your Way to Something Beautiful in Your Marriage

John & Stasi Eldredge

Get encouragement to fight for each other rather than against each other in the sacred relationship of marriage.

7_desires

Seven Desires: Looking Past What Separates Us to Learn What Connects Us

Mark & Debra Laaser

This book examines the seven desires we all share, illustrating how men and women are more alike than different.

how_we_love

How We Love: Discover Your Love Style, Enhance Your Marriage

Milan & Kay Yerkovich

Identify intimacy imprints disrupting your marriage, understand how your love style impacts your mate and break free from negative patterns that hinder your marriage.

marriage

Boundaries in Marriage: Understanding the Choices that Make or Break Loving Relationships

Henry Cloud & John Townsend

Only when a husband and wife know and respect each other’s needs, choices and freedom can they give themselves freely and lovingly to one another. This book guides couples on a path of setting healthy boundaries for themselves and respecting the boundaries of their mate as well as protecting their relationship.

porn

Love You, Hate the Porn: Healing a Relationship Damaged by Virtual Infidelity

Mark Chamberlain

Mark shows couples how to identify and address vulnerabilities in their relationship, offers healing advice for spouses and help for the struggling partner to avoid relapse.

Families

families_grace

Families Where Grace is in Place

Jeff VanVonderen

Jeff shows parents how to nurture grace-full family relationships free of manipulation, legalism and shame.

love_kids

How We Love Our Kids: The Five Love Styles of Parenting

Milan & Kay Yerkovich

Parents will learn how to overcome challenges that arise from their own love style and cultivate a deep, secure connection with a child of any age.

raising_great_kids

Raising Great Kids: Parenting with Grace and Truth

Henry Cloud and John Townsend

This reading helps parents avoid extremes of permissiveness and over-control, while cultivating six necessary character traits that result in maturity and wisdom for their children.

Doing Life with Your Adult Children: Keep Your Mouth Shut and the Welcome Mat Out

Jim Burns Ph.D

If you have an adult child, you know that parenting doesn't stop when a child reaches the age of eighteen. In many ways, it gets more complicated. Both your heart and your head are as involved as ever, whether your child lives under your roof or rarely stays in contact.

Personal Healing and Growth

changes

Changes that Heal

Henry Cloud

This book takes readers step-by-step through the 4 basic tasks of growing up and becoming a mature person.

tired

Tired of Trying to Measure Up: Getting Free from the Demands, Expectations, and Intimidation of Well-Meaning People

Jeff VanVonderen

Get insight on how to identify the pain and shame that many Christians struggle with and invites believers to discover the freedom of God’s abundant grace.

truth

Telling Yourself the Truth: Find Your Way Out of Depression, Anxiety, Fear, Anger, and Other Common Problems by Applying the Principles of Misbelief Therapy

William Backus & Marie Chapian

William and Marie use Biblical truth to teach readers how to identify misbeliefs that are creating emotional and behavioral problems and replace them with truth.

shame

Released from Shame: Moving Beyond the Pain of the Past

Sandra Wilson

Sandra illuminates Biblical principles that lead adults out of chronic shame and into nurturing relationships with God and others.

soul

Healing the Masculine Soul: God’s Restoration of Men to Real Manhood

Gordon Dalbey

A refreshing, comprehensive picture of God’s design for the masculine soul and how authentic manhood is lived out in work, sexuality, marriage and fatherhood.

wounded

The Wounded Heart: Hope for Adult Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Dan Allender

This reading explores the dynamics and damage of sexual abuse and outlines a path of healing and growth.

Spiritual Growth

The Cure: What if God isn't who you think He is and neither are you

Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol, & John Lynch

Explore issues of identity and grace in your relationships with God and others.

falling

Falling for God: Saying Yes to His Extravagant Proposal

Gary Moon

This book will inspire you to pursue a passionate, intimate relationship with a God who–even though He doesn’t need anything from you–wants more than anything to be united with you.

pressure

The Pressure’s Off: Breaking Free from Rules and Performance

Larry Crabb

You can stop trying to get everything right. This book is an introduction to a new way of living in God’s grace.

abba

Into Abba’s Arms: Finding the Acceptance You Always Wanted

Sandra Wilson

Sandra leads readers on a personal journey of hearing God’s voice and resting in a safe and deep relationship with Him.

sacred

Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation

Ruth Haley Barton

This book explores 7 key spiritual disciplines along with practical ideas of weaving them into everyday life.

Pastors and Ministry Leaders

dangerous

Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry

Paul David Tripp

The culture surrounding pastors today is spiritually unhealthy and leads to pastors forgetting who God is and who they are. Learn strategies for living out this dangerous calling effectively and successfully.

failure

Preventing Ministry Failure: A Shepherd Care Guide for Pastors, Ministers, and Other Caregivers

Michael Todd Wilson & Brad Hoffmann

This personal guidebook for pastors and other caregivers will prepare them to withstand common pressures and to flourish in the ministry God has called them to.

waterline

Building Below the WaterLine: Strengthening the Life of a Leader

Gordon MacDonald

Get wisdom for Christian leaders in all areas of ministry, encouraging them to grow-- from the ground up--a strong, spiritual foundation.

unburdened

Unburdened: The Christian Leader’s Path to Sexual Integrity

Michael Todd Wilson

The question is not whether you struggle with sexual integrity as a Christian leader, but how you struggle. Discover a grace-based path to disciplines that will lead you the lifestyle of sexual integrity you desire.

clear

Steering Clear: Avoiding the Slippery Slope to Moral Failure

Earl Wilson

This book offers practical help for those who want to get off and stay off the slippery slope, as well as hope and healing for those picking up the pieces after a crash.

restoring

Restoring the Fallen: A Team Approach to Caring, Confronting, and Reconciling

Earl & Sandy Wilson, Paul & Virginia Friesen, and Larry & Nancy Paulson

This reading offers practical guidance on how to form a spiritual care team, as well as how to support the spouse and family of the one working through the process of restoration.

broken

Rebuilding Your Broken World

Gordon MacDonald

This book explores the reality of broken worlds and how they happen along with insights and strategies for rebuilding with help from God and others.

Leadership Development and Training

smallgroups

Making Small Groups Work: What Every Small Group Leader Needs to Know

Henry Cloud & John Townsend

Henry and John provide small-group leaders with valuable guidance and information on how they can help their groups to grow spiritually, emotionally and relationally.

spirit

Becoming a True Spiritual Community: A Profound Vision of What the Church Can Be

Larry Crabb

Readers will explore a place where God can heal disconnected people and allow them to reconnect with each other and, ultimately, with Him.

hands

Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change

Paul David Tripp

This is a comprehensive treatment of how God uses people as tools of change in the lives of others, in order that the whole Body can grow into maturity in Christ.