Resources
Christ's Church of the Valley recommends several resources to help further your understanding and knowledge of Christianity. Find books on topics such as prayer, Christian living, the Christian faith, small groups and parenting. CCV is an Amazon Associate which means our church benefits when you purchase from Amazon through our website.
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Second Guessing God
by Brian Jones
With the release of his first book in March 2006, Second Guessing God: Hanging On When You Can't See His Plan, Brian finally puts in book form what he's been writing, speaking, and thinking about for almost twenty years: doubt, struggle, grace, and the will to believe in the face of life's greatest storms.In Second Guessing God, Brian opens up his soul to let his readers take a peek at the beauty and tragedy of his own life - the family members he has buried, the friends he has consoled, and the strange and inspiring people he's met along the way. What we find is a journey not unlike our own, mixed with simple but profound biblical insights to point the way home even in the darkest of nights.
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Abba's Child
by Brennan Manning
The liberating message of this book is that God longs for us to know that He loves and accepts us as we are. God is our "Abba", our loving Father, who knows us far better than we know ourselves. The revelation of this book is two-fold: Sin has a far greater grip on our hearts and lives than we imagine, and God, who knows this, longs to bring us into passionate relationship with Himself.
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Becoming a Contagious Christian
by Bill Hybels, Mark Mittelberg
Becoming a Contagious Christian is not a book of theory or speculation. It's a proven action plan for impacting the spiritual lives of friends, family members, co-workers, and others.
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Building a Church of Small Groups
by Bill Donahue, Russ Robinson
A must for those leading small, life changing groups! Building a Church of Small Groups will help you formulate a vision and structure to enhance your small group and support a growing church.
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The Case for Christ
by Lee Strobel
The Case for Christ records Lee Strobel's attempt to "determine if there's credible evidence that Jesus of Nazareth really is the Son of God." The book consists primarily of interviews between Strobel and biblical scholars. Together, these interviews compose a case brief defending Jesus' divinity, and urging readers to reach a verdict of their own.
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Courageous Leadership
by Bill Hybels
Written in an easy, colorful, anecdote-sprinkled style, this is an inspiring and informative pep talk for pastors who share Hybels's conviction that when it's working right, the "local church is the hope of the world." That hope hinges, he says, on churches being led by those who "possess and deploy the spiritual gift of leadership." While not theologically deep or biblically rigorous, it is full of wise principles, useful lists and practical leadership tips.
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Find the Love of Your Life
by Neil Warren
No matter what stage of courship you are in, whether still looking or think you've found someone, whether you've been married before or not - this clear and reasoned approach will significantly increase your chances of building a happy and enduring bond.
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Fit to be Tied
by Bill Hybels, Lynne Hybels
With a realistic look at marriage and an unwillingness to settle for quick fixes, this book offers workable strategies for maintaining--or starting--a healthy, loving relationship as husband and wife.
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The Life You've Always Wanted
by John Ortberg
The heart of Christianity is transformation--a relationship with God that impacts not just our spiritual lives, but every aspect of living. John Ortberg calls readers back to the dynamic heartbeat of Christianity--God's power to bring change and growth--and reveals both the how and why of transformation.
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Mere Christianity
by C.S. Lewis
In 1943 Great Britain, when hope and the moral fabric of society were threatened by the relentless inhumanity of global war, an Oxford don was invited to give a series of radio lectures addressing the central issues of Christianity. Over half a century after the original lectures, the topic retains it urgency. Mere Christianity never flinches as it sets out a rational basis for Christianity and builds an edifice of compassionate morality atop this foundation. As Mr. Lewis clearly demonstrates, Christianity is not a religion of flitting angels and blind faith, but of free will, an innate sense of justice and the grace of God.
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NIV Study Bible
The number one study Bible available for in-depth study - Over 20,000 in-text study notes provide unparalleled scholarship and insight - In-text Maps, Charts, Diagrams, and Illustrations -- right where you want them -- no need to flip pages. - Introductions and Outlines -- provide background information for each book of the Bible.
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The One Year Bible Companion
by Tyndale House Publishers
A handbook of key questions and answers to be used in reading the Bible in one year, this is a perfect guide for the daily Bible reader--and a great resource for the first-time reader. Includes an introduction to each book of the Bible, devotional insights, and notes on difficult passages, historical settings and customs, and seeming inconsistencies in the Bible.
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Purpose Driven Life
by Rick Warren
The Purpose Driven Life discerns how living five God-ordained purposes - worship, community, discipleship, ministry and evangelism - is key to effective living. Forty short chapters are intended to be read over 40 days' time, giving readers small pieces of a purpose-discovering program to learn from.
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The Ragamuffin Gospel
by Brennan Manning
Brennan Manning wrote The Ragamuffin Gospel "for the bedraggled, beat-up, and burnt-out," the marginalized folks to whom Jesus ministered: the children, the ill, the tax collectors, the women. In other words, the ragamuffins. Manning understands better than most that behind our facades of order and self-assurance are inadequacies that can find healing only in Jesus. While the powerful and religious elite challenged him, Jesus embraced and healed and fed the needs of the ragamuffins. Jesus delivered love, healing, and, most of all, grace.
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Sacred Pathways
by Gary L. Thomas
This breakthrough book helps readers understand the unique way in which they relate to God and tells how they can make the most of their spiritual journeys. Thomas breaks down the barriers that keep Christians locked into rigid methods of worship and prayer, and places an emphasis on practical spiritual exercises for Christians of all persuasions.
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A Search for the Spiritual
by James Emory White
What about evolution? Is the Bible really credible? Why is there so much suffering? Aren't all religions essentially the same? Why do Christians commit sin? Why do Christians seem so strange? These are the sorts of questions that get answered in this book by James Emery White.
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Too Busy Not To Pray
by Hybels & Lavonne
Most of us have trouble finding time to pray. This insightful book provides numerous practical ideas that can help us to learn to slow down to be with God and having a meaningful prayer life.
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You Can Experience . . . A Purposeful Life
by James Emery White
Noted author James Emery White shows how we can find and fulfill our life's purpose. He explains that the challenges of life-survival or success-simply cannot be met without first finding purpose. Discern what really matters-and you're on your way to a life of purpose.
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