Journey to the Cross: 40 Days to Prepare Your Heart for Easter, by Mary Carver and the (in)courage community, is an encouraging devotional.
Content
Focused on the 40 days of Lent, this devotional features Scriptures, short essays, encouraging stories, quotes, reflective questions and prayers. It even has room to write your reflections, etc.
In addition, the key themes of this book addresses are sacrifice, reflection, gratitude, prayer, and fasting.
For those who like to keep track, it includes a Lent devotional calendar checklist, to keep track what days have been read.
Review
As for the book itself, it’s small, durable, perfect for on the go devotionals at the coffee shop.
The beautiful artwork and word art make the book more appealing and nurture a sense of serenity.
With varying lengths of pages day to day, it is still short enough to fit into any schedule. I highly recommend this well-made devotional.
About the Author
At (in)courage you are welcome to a place of faith, connection, and friendship, where you will always find yourself among friends.
Founded in 2009 by DaySpring, the Christian products subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, Inc., the vision for (in)courage was to create a new home for the hearts of women, where women take turns pulling up a chair to share their stories of what Jesus looks like in their everyday, gloriously ordinary, and often messy lives.
Since then, (in)courage has grown into a vibrant community that reaches thousands of women every day, welcoming them just the way they are, offering a space to breathe, loving support, and resources for meaningful connection.
90 Days with the God Who Speaks, by B&H Publishing Group, is a 90 day devotional for men and women of all ages.
This particular devotional focuses on Christ throughout the Bible, through the storyline of Scripture and essential biblical doctrine.
Interestingly, this devotional’s content is based on “The Gospel Project” curriculum. This is a widely known biblical curriculum.
As well as great foundational content, this book includes biblical narrative, personal application, personal reflection questions, and prayer prompts.
Each day is only 2-3 small pages long, easy to fit into anyone’s busy schedule.
Review
For myself, I liked that this devotional’s content is biblically focuses, doctrinally accurate, personally applicable, and teachers the reader doctrine and biblical truth.
I also thought it was clever for the publisher to use the wi-fi symbol to draw the audience in. The book itself is small, yet durable – great for on the go devotionals in the coffee shop. I highly recommend this devotional.
About the Author
B&H Publishing Group, an imprint of LifeWay Christian Resources, is a team that believes Every Word Matters®. We seek to provide intentional, biblical content that positively impacts the hearts and minds of people, cultivating lifelong relationships with Jesus Christ.
Eat, Sleep, Save the World: Words of Encouragement for the Special Needs Parent, by Jamie Sumner, is a noble book.
This book is meant for special needs parents, and to help them work through their day-to-day struggles.
Including sections of determination, hope, resilience, patience, laughter and thankfulness, the author asks the reader to reflect on Scripture and their life.
Review
As a whole, the book is real, but encouraging.
As a parent and an author, I was encouraged by Sumner’s mission – to encourage special needs parents.
I highly recommend the book for those who it would apply and mean the most.
About the Author
Jamie Sumner has written for the New York Times and the Washington Post among many other publications.
She is the author of the nonfiction book on motherhood, Unbound, and the middle-grade novel, Roll with It.
She is also mom to a son with cerebral palsy and she writes and speaks about disability in literature. She loves stories that celebrate the grit and beauty in all kids.
A Mother’s Love: Celebrating Every Kind of Mom, by Anna Rendell and the (in)courage community, is a great devotional for moms.
It is conveniently broken up into sections for each stage of motherhood, using both personal and biblical examples of motherhood.
This devotional even includes blank reflection sections, Bible verses and beautiful illustrations throughout. All of these features add so much to the devotional’s messages each day.
Review
As I read it for myself, I felt peaceful, encouraged, loved, and full of hope. I highly recommend this book to mothers of all kinds, in whatever stage they find themselves. Truly a work of art!
About the Author
(in)courage
from the (in)courage community
At (in)courage you are welcome to a place of faith, connection, and friendship, where you will always find yourself among friends.
Founded in 2009 by DaySpring, the Christian products subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, Inc., the vision for (in)courage was to create a new home for the hearts of women, where women take turns pulling up a chair to share their stories of what Jesus looks like in their everyday, gloriously ordinary, and often messy lives.
Since then, (in)courage has grown into a vibrant community that reaches thousands of women every day, welcoming them just the way they are, offering a space to breathe, loving support, and resources for meaningful connection.
Big and Little Activity Devotional by Rachel Swanson, is a great book for all ages!
Content
Not only are there activities for kids and adults, the book is laid out so that the child and adult can do the same activity at the same time (and age appropriate to each one). The book literally folds open facing the adult and the child at the same time.
Not only that, each page contains a biblical devotional for you and your child to learn and discuss together.
Recommendation
I highly recommend this activity book for families seeking to do fun, interactive devotionals for their kids.
Though it is a short, well written devotional, it is so convicting! A sword of the Spirit piercing right through my heart.
Yes, I did choose to read this on purpose, because I know I needed to hear truth about my habits from God’s Word.
Our habits don’t just happen – they are triggered by a desire or need we seek to meet.
Habit Loop
Today’s devotional talked about the habit loop: cue, routine, and reward.
For example, you sit down to watch TV at night (cue), grab a tasty snack (routine), and your body feels better from positive chemicals released in your body (reward).
Ouch!! So convicting! This has been a constant struggle for me to break this habit.
Since our bodies store more fat from food we eat at night, and the food keeps me awake, I’ve been reminding myself of a different reward. Better sleep!
However, when I get the snack craving, mint gum works for me. It actually tricks my body into thinking I’m not hungry.
Also, sometimes you think you are hungry, you are really just tired or thirsty – same chemical in the body is so confusing sometimes!
Scriptures to Reflect
1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.“
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.
For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.“
Ephesians 4:22-24 ESV
“…to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.“
Psalms 26:2 NIV
“Test me, LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;“
Know you are not alone in having bad habits to break. Don’t be afraid to make the first step, just because you might mess up. Get back up, and try again. God is faithful to help you and give you a way out, to resist temptation.
Epic Devotions by Aaron Armstrong, is a great kids devotional, in connection with The Gospel Project for Kids curriculum.
Content
Each devotion includes a Bible passage to read, encouraging kids to read the Bible. Also included, are a quoted verse, the event description to establish context, foreshadowing to Christ’s coming and the Gospel, and a life application section.
Life Application
I like that there’re several options for application: an explanation of relevance to the passage and reader, a step of action, a question to challenge the reader to share the gospel, and a memory verse.
The memory verse is most often from a different part of the Bible, encouraging cross-referencing and knowing God’s Word in its fullness.
“The Gospel Project”
This kids’ devotional has great illustrations, in connection with “The Gospel Project for Kids.” This way, kids can grow into the devotional, if they are already familiar with the curriculum and illustrations.
Review
Each devotion is lively and biblically authentic, and includes more scriptural accounts than most devotionals for kids.
This book is the real deal!
About the Author
Aaron Armstrong is an author, blogger, and Brand Manager for The Gospel Project, based outside of Nashville, Tennessee.
He has written several books, including Epic: The Story that Changed the World as well as the screenplays for the documentaries Through The Eyes of Spurgeon, and LUTHER: The Life and Legacy of the German Reformer.
He writes daily at BloggingTheologically.com, and his writing has appeared on numerous websites including The Gospel Coalition, For the Church, Crosswalk.com, and ChurchLeaders.com.
On-the-Go Devotional: 200 Devotions for Teens, by Leslie Hudson, is a great book to get teens into God’s Word.
Content
No matter busy they are, these short, and to the point devotionals are organized in an appealing and user-friendly way.
Each day is focused on a topic, and includes a verse of Scripture, explaining the passage and how to apply to everyday life. It also gives teens actions steps for that day.
Topics include, for example: humility, worry, joy, freedom, faith, hope, friends, family, salvation, etc.
Recommendation
It only takes one to two minutes to read, but is quality content, highly valuable for teens today.
New Every Morning, by Phil Barfoot, is a 365 day devotional, specifically focused on the aspect of worship.
Content
Each devotion is written by a different worship pastor, from across the country.
While the devotionals are insightful and very interesting to read, the font was so small, it hurt my eyes, and I had to stop reading it.
Recommendation
My recommendation to the publisher is to increase the font size, so people can enjoy this well written devotional.
About the Author
Phil Barfoot
Dr. Phil Barfoot is an internationally known composer, author, and music ministry professional. He has written and created more than 40 major choral collections and musicals, including High Praises, which won a Dove Award for choral collection of the year.
He is also the author of The Ultimate Idea Book for Music Ministry, used by more than 7,000 churches and universities in the U. S. and Canada.
Phil has created and composed some of the best-selling choral music in Christian music.
He is currently the CEO and President of Celebration Concert Tours International, a Franklin, TN based choir company. He is also the CEO and President of CCT Music, a Christian Music Publishing Company. He and his wife, Sheri, have three grown children, Amy, Aaron and Adam. They reside in Franklin, TN.
