Best Books

For this month’s book selection, I have chosen a delightful new children’s book, Your Brave Song (Tyndale Kids), written by Ann Voskamp and illustrated by Birmingham resident Amy Grimes. Your Brave Song is designed to encourage children to face their obstacles and fears with the confidence that Jesus loves them and will always be with them. 

When little Una Rayne encounters a scary storm, her mother teaches her a song about being brave. “Jesus loves you, makes you strong. In Him you’re brave and you belong.” Later that day, when Una feels alone and unwelcome at school, she remembers her mother’s song. By sharing with others, Una finds new friends and the joy of feeling God’s closeness when we are unsure and afraid. By teaching them her song, she passes on to each of her friends the message of Jesus and God’s love.

Voskamp is the author of four bestselling Christian books, including One Thousand Gifts. Amy Grimes is an artist and author in Birmingham who “spends her days creating works that bring light, hopeful stories, and wonder into homes across the world.”

-Darrel Holcombe, Owner

Sanctuary Christian Books and Gifts

Colonial Promenade, Alabaster 

www.sanctuarychristianbooksandgifts.com 

205-663-2370

Best Books

Masculinity is not just under attack; there is a concerted effort to marginalize it. As culture has embraced situational ethics and relative truth, men are losing hope and understanding of their purpose in both family and society. Life is hard, and we can’t do this alone. Masculinity by Design by James W. Bradford with Mindy Bradford is a call to manhood as designed by God. Masculinity is not only needed but necessary for a healthy home and society.

In Masculinity by Design, Bradford reflects upon the lessons he has learned from his life as he intricately weaves God’s Word into the messages. Through his unique storytelling, he calls men to rise up and assume their role as leaders in their families. Bradford, a father of three, has spent his life passionately speaking to men about their call to manhood according to God’s design. He endured a challenging home life in his early years, met the Lord in his early twenties, and lived a life of trials and traumas along the way. Through continued will and determination, he has shared every failure and success from his time in the military, president of three multimillion-dollar companies, and youth pastor to point others to the power of Jesus.

Mindy Bradford, a mother of two, is a retired special education teacher. She graduated in 1989 from Asbury University with a bachelor of arts in education. In 2009, she earned her master of science in special education from Southern Illinois University. In church, she has been part of music ministry, children’s ministry, and short-term missions, and she has been in involved in local church events. She also has volunteered in various charity groups, including FCA and Christ Philippine Mission for children. Jim and Mindy were married in November 2021 and reside in Southwest Florida.  Masculinity by Design releases on March 14, and is available for pre-order today wherever books are sold. †

Best Books

In 1687, a baby was born in colonial Maryland. She was the child of a mixed-race couple, but she was born free. Her name was Fortune Game/McGee. When she was eighteen, an unholy alliance of commerce, power, and ungodly theology changed Fortune’s life. The rules governing the positions of slavery and freedom were amended and hardened. At eighteen, she was forcibly placed in indentured servitude by a court. Her enslavement was sanctioned by law. Her enslavement was sanctioned by the church. Her enslavement was an abomination in the sight of God.

Author and Christian activist Lisa Sharon Harper is a direct descendant of Fortune. In her book, Fortune – How Race Broke My Family and the World and How to Repair It All (Brazos Press), Harper shares her family’s history. It is a captivating story of how Fortune’s descendants survived in a nation held in spiritual bondage by the chains of injustice. Each new birth marks a new generation living in the crosshairs of America’s national sin. Some thrived, and some did not. Some struggled more than others. There are some with a known history and some are shrouded in mystery. At the end of this line of men and women whose dark bodies enshrined the image of God comes Lisa Sharon Harper, calling us toward a beloved community, showing a path forward with a new vision of a just and more Christlike society.

Eight generations have passed since Fortune was born, and the echoes of racism, injustice, and exploitation are still with us today. The hypocrisy and hostility that fueled the abuse of Fortune’s dark body centuries ago are still insidiously lurking in the soul of this country. There is an ungodly lie that has seeped into the ethos of white America, including white Christianity. The lie maintains that racism is behind us, and that nothing needs to be said or done about the sins of the past and the conditions of the present. I am persuaded that the story of Harper’s family is a story that cries out to God. Perhaps God, in His abundant mercy, ordained that this nation established Black History Month in February, for the season of Lent begins soon after and God is still waiting for the church and this nation to fully repent. May God forgive us as we bring forth, by our words and deeds, the fruits of repentance.

-Darrel Holcombe, Owner

Sanctuary Christian Books and Gifts

Colonial Promenade, Alabaster 

www.sanctuarychristianbooksandgifts.com 

205-663-2370

Best Books

Nothing is more important than our relationship with the Father. But we are a weak, frail, and floundering people.

At times our wandering seems endless, and our prayers repetitive and empty. The void within our hearts burns for fulfillment and the desire to feel worthy for a deeper relationship with God cries out. This is when we call to Him. “Meet me where I am, Lord. I must start but the mountain seems too high, the cliffs too steep. I am at the foot, scraping my nails into the rock and reaching.” To know Him better, we understand we need Him to take a willing heart in hand and begin at the bottom. Meet Me Where I Am, Lord by Cindy K. Sproles will lead you in ninety-days of reflection where you will meet God where you are.

Meet Me Where I Am, Lord is a refreshing way to enter the throne room and feel the touch of an ever-present God. Sproles is proud of her mountain heritage. Born, raised, and still living in the Appalachian Mountains, her desire is for the “old ways” of the mountain people and life to never be forgotten. She is an author, storyteller, speaker, and conference teacher. Sproles is the cofounder of Christian Devotions Ministries and served as a project lead manager for Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas and Iron Stream Media. She is the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference, the executive editor for ChristianDevotions.us and InspireaFire.com. She also is a mentor and editor with Write Right, a private editing service.

Sproles is a best-selling and award-winning author. Her first novel, Mercy’s Rain was named IndieFab Book of the Year and her second, Liar’s Winter, was named Golden Scroll Book of the Year and was also a Carol Award finalist. Her latest book, What Momma Left Behind, was the 2021 Christian Market Novel of the Year. Her devotions have been published across the eastern seaboard and she writes monthly eldercare articles for The Voice Magazine.

Meet Me Where I Am, Lord publishes on February 28, 2023, and is available for pre-order today wherever books are sold. †

Best Books

Disappointment bruises the bravest of souls. The nagging ache of uncertainty causes us to grow weary and afraid to hope. Doubt entices us to wonder if God is good when life is not. Yet, our hard questions can become opportunities for Jesus to show us who He is. 

Perhaps you know Thomas for his bouts with doubt. But Jesus knew Thomas for the courage to question and the bravery to believe. When a crisis of faith revealed his deepest doubts, Jesus met Thomas’s deepest longings.

Angela Donadio and Hubert Morris, co-authors of Brave Enough to Believe, bring two unique perspectives to flip the script on the story of Thomas. Whether you are a seeker, skeptic, or seasoned leader, you will learn to live untangled from uncertainty, leverage adversity, and lead with confidence through challenging circumstances. Thomas exchanged his uncertainty for a life of tenacious faith. When we encounter Jesus, we can too.

In addition to being an author, Donadio is a speaker and host of the Make Life Matter Podcast. A seasoned Bible teacher and ordained minister, she empowers women in Africa and serves alongside her husband, Dale, to lead a multi-ethnic church. Morris, an ordained minister for more than 50 years, has served as a pastor, presbyter, and university vice president. He has taken the Gospel to Africa, China, Haiti, and Sri Lanka and is currently the president of Assist Ministries, Inc.

Discover Jesus’ invitation to come closer when doubt drives us away.  Learn more about Brave Enough to Believe at www.ironstreammedia.com. †

Best Books

At the beginning of each new year, most of us take a moment to reflect on ways we may restructure our life. We commit to take better care of our health, change our behavior, or reorganize our financial priorities. Some of us will also reflect on our spiritual life and consider ways to strengthen our journey with Jesus. Among the latter, the most common resolution is to read and study the Bible with greater intensity.

In her new book, 52 Weeks in the Word (Moody Publishers), Trillia J. Newbell has written an excellent resource to accompany those who aspire to read the Bible through in one year. Each week she suggests a section of Scripture to read. There is an introduction to the section, and she provides a series of questions which prompts the reader to reflect more deeply about the passage of scripture they have engaged. What does the passage mean? What does it tell us about Jesus and his gospel? What did you learn about God and His character from the verses? How might you apply the verses to your life? Space for notetaking is also provided with each section.

Although January is an excellent time to start 52 Weeks in the Word, it is not necessary to start at the beginning of the year. Nor does one have to stay on the fifty-two week/one year schedule. A reader can start any time and go as fast or as slow as they wish. Newbell’s companion for reading the Bible is adaptable to whatever pace you desire. I personally think a slower, more thoughtful and sustained study of each week’s scriptures may prove to be more beneficial for many readers.

As we enter a new year, perhaps 52 Weeks in the Word can be a valuable resource for your engagement with the scriptures. May God bless 2023 with His peace and power as we encounter afresh the salvation history found in the Word of God for the people of God.

-Darrel Holcombe, Owner

Sanctuary Christian Books and Gifts

Colonial Promenade, Alabaster 

www.sanctuarychristianbooksandgifts.com 

205-663-2370

Best Books

Each Autumn I browse through all the new Christmas books for children, looking for the one that I like best. I have four grandchildren, so the ritual is of considerable significance. This year I have chosen a lovely book that will undoubtedly enrich the hearts of many children this Christmas.

The Good News of Christmas: Celebrating the Glory of Christ’s Birth Story (Harvest House) tells the story of how God promised His people long ago that He would send a savior. After many centuries, the long-anticipated Messiah came to save the world and usher in the kingdom of heaven.

The angelic visitation of Mary, the journey to Bethlehem, the birth of Jesus, and the visitations by shepherds and wise men from afar are simply told and beautifully illustrated. The Good News of Christmas adheres tightly to the actual events as portrayed in the scriptures and does not deviate from the biblical story. The illustrations by Sian James are realistic, yet rich and colorful enough to appeal to a young child. 

In the closing pages of The Good News of Christmas, Rousseaux Brasseur explains why the ancient Christmas story is not only historically true but is also good news for us today. If we open our hearts to the good news of Jesus and his kingdom, we too can receive the glorious Christmas gift from God – the good news of Jesus Christ.

-Darrel Holcombe, Owner

Sanctuary Christian Books and Gifts

Colonial Promenade, Alabaster 

www.sanctuarychristianbooksandgifts.com 

205-663-2370

Best Books

The Readable Bible is Scripture the way it would look if the biblical writers had been sitting in front of a computer when God spoke through them.

There hasn’t been a cover-to-cover Bible formatting update in the last one hundred years! Just think of how much differently we format today than in the 1920s. The Readable Bible is primarily a word-for-word translation that arranges the text in the easy-to-read formats of today’s books. It’s the best of both worlds: accurate yet understandable.

One day in 2008, Rod Laughlin was standing in an airport bookstore looking for a book to read. He asked himself, Why am I looking for something to read when I have a Bible in my briefcase? The answer came quickly: The Bible is hard to read. He thought, You’re a seminary graduate, a pastor, a Bible teacher! Why is it so hard to read? He walked over to the how-to book section and started browsing. Unlike the Bible, all the books presented information in formats that made it easy to understand. 

On the plane, Laughlin wondered, What would the Bible look like if God spoke through Moses, David, and Paul today? After arriving home, Laughlin went through the Bible and identified over two dozen categories of information, all presented in paragraph form. Now he had a new mission—to create a new Bible version that presents the original text and uses modern formatting to make it clear and easy to grasp. The Readable Bible is available now as a full Bible, in 27 books, and as a 27-book set. Learn more at www.ironstreammedia.com. †

Best Books

One night long ago, near a small village called Bethlehem, a group of shepherds was guarding a flock of sheep. Shepherding was a job held only by those on the margins of society. Shepherds were usually poor, uneducated, and devoid of any sense of respectability. They were a band of nobodies simply trying to survive. Then the unimaginable happened. A terrifying angel. Tidings of great joy. Skies filled by angelic heralds of a Messiah. God scanned the world and chose a raggedy band of poor shepherds to welcome the birth of His Son.

Making Room in Advent (InterVarsity Press) by Bette Dickinson is a beautifully written and illustrated Advent devotional that celebrates the people and events of the birth of Jesus. The devotion involving the shepherds is just one example of Dickinson’s emphasis on how the story of Jesus, from the very beginning, reveals God’s orientation toward the outcast, the poor, and the seemingly insignificant. From the Annunciation to Jesus’ childhood trip to the Temple, the author selects twenty-five stories that lead us to a greater appreciation for the wonder of Christ’s birth. Each devotion includes an original work of art, a reading with scripture, a question for reflection, and a prayer.

Christmas can be a frantic and busy time of the year. We all feel the pull of distraction from the meaning of Christmas. Making Room in Advent is a wonderful resource designed to help us focus and reflect on the story of Jesus’ birth and what it means for us today. In a sense, are we not all shepherds? Are we not all of humble estate – unworthy recipients of God’s attention and grace? This Christmas, may we do what those poor shepherds did on that dark night long ago. May we, with wonder and humility, bow before the Messiah and worship.

-Darrel Holcombe, Owner
Sanctuary Christian Books and Gifts
Colonial Promenade, Alabaster
www.sanctuarychristianbooksandgifts.com
205-663-2370

Best Books

Alabama Devotions
Title Town, USA! Few cities in sports have been able to claim that nickname. Boston. Pittsburgh. Green Bay. Add Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to that list!

With more than five NCAA national championships since 2009, the Alabama football team certainly deserves its spot among the greatest in sports history. And, of course, Bama fans love to relive the glory moments—long runs by a star running back, deep passes from a Heisman-winning quarterback, key stops by an All-American defender. Relive some of those key plays and pivotal moments in Alabama Devotions and let award-winning sportswriter Del Duduit show you something deeper about each. You’ll discover there is more than just victory on the football field. These forty devotions highlight a memorable biblical or spiritual lesson in each play dear to the hearts of Bama fans.

Auburn Devotions
With a winning percentage that ranks among the top fifteen in college football history, Auburn has given its fans much to cheer about for more than one hundred years. Two NCAA championships. More than 15 conferences titles. Nearly eight hundred wins. Three Heisman trophy winners. With good reason, fans love their Tigers. They win- and win often. In Auburn Devotions, Duduit will show you there’s more than just victory on the football field. These forty devotions highlight a memorable biblical or spiritual lesson in each play dear to the hearts of Tigers fans.
Whether you shout Roll Tide or War Eagle, grab your foam finger and relive your favorite plays with an added biblical twist in Alabama Devotions or Auburn Devotions.†