The best books of the year have now been chosen by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) for the Christian Book Award ®Program!
Presented annually to the finest in Christian publishing since 1978, the Christian Book Award program honors titles in eleven categories: Bibles, Bible Reference Works, Bible Study, Biography & Memoir, Children, Christian Living, Devotion & Gift, Faith & Culture, Ministry Resources, New Author, and Young Peoples Literature.
Here are the 2020 winners in each award category…
Book of the Year & New Author
Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament
by Mark Vroegop
Lament is how you live between the poles of a hard life and trusting God’s goodness. Lament is how we bring our sorrow to God. But it is a neglected dimension of the Christian life for many Christians today. We need to recover the practice of honest spiritual struggle that gives us permission to vocalize our pain and wrestle with our sorrow. Lament avoids trite answers and quick solutions, progressively moving us toward deeper worship and trust. Exploring how the Bible – through the psalms of lament and the book of Lamentations – gives voice to our pain, this book invites us to grieve, struggle, and tap into the rich reservoir of grace and mercy God offers in the darkest moments of our lives.
Bibles
CSB Ancient Faith Study Bible
Today’s church can be renewed by listening to yesterday’s saints. The CSB Ancient Faith Study Bible features study notes and commentary from the writings of the church fathers of the second through fifth centuries to help you understand and apply their rich, biblical insights to your life. Also included in this Bible are “Twisted Truth” call-outs describing where some ancient thinkers drifted from orthodoxy, over 25 feature articles highlighting a key selection from one of the early church fathers on an essential Christian truth, and biographies of 25 of the most influential patristic church fathers.
NLT Life Application Study Bible
Today’s number one selling Study Bible has been thoroughly updated and expanded in The Life Application Study Bible offering fresh and relevant insights. New features include – a refreshed interior design with second color for visual clarity; meaningfully updated study notes and features; and the Christian Worker’s Resource – a special supplement to enhance the reader’s ministry effectiveness. Study the stories and teachings of the Bible with study notes, overviews, vital statistics, outlines, and timelines. Grasp difficult concepts using in-text maps, charts, and diagrams. Discover how you can apply the Bible to your life today.
Bible Reference Works
Introducing Evangelical Theology
by Daniel J. Treier
This textbook offers students a biblically rich, creedally structured, ecumenically, evangelical, and ethically engaged introduction to Christian theology. Daniel Treier, coeditor of the popular Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, discusses key Scripture passages, explains Christian theology within the structure of Nicene Creed, explores the range of evangelical approaches to contested doctrines, acquaints evangelicals with other views (including Orthodox and Catholic), and integrates theological ethics with chapters on the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer. The result is a meaty but manageable introduction to the convictions and arguments shaping contemporary evangelical theology.
Bible Study
The Logic of God: 52 Essentials for the Heart and Mind
by Ravi Zacharias
We all have doubts that challenge our faith. We wonder whether the Bible still matters, or whether God is truly as loving and personal as we hope. In his first ever devotional, The Logic of God, apologist Ravi Zacharias offers 52 readings that explain how and why Christianity, the Bible, and God are still relevant, vital, and life-changing for us today. To all our dilemmas Ravi says, “I am convinced that Jesus Christ along uniquely answers the deepest questions of our hearts and minds.”
With a remarkable grasp of biblical facts and a deep understanding of the questions that trouble our hearts, Ravi tackles the most difficult topics with ease and understanding. But The Logic of God is more than intellectual; it is also personal, offering thoughtful wisdom on the ray of hope in God’s Word; why prayer matters and more. Ravi makes profound biblical truth easy to understand. And if your life is buys, this book is perfect for you. It addresses 52 topics that you can read over the course of one year or slowly digest at your own pace.
Biography & Memoir
Devotedly: The Personal Letters and Love Story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot
by Valerie Shepard
many know the heroic story of Jim Elliot’s violent death in 1956, killed along with four other missionaries by a primitive Ecuadorian tribe they were seeking to reach. Many also know the prolific legacy of Elisabeth Elliot, whose inspiring influence on generations of believers through print, broadcast, and personal testimony continues to resonate, even after her own death in 2015.
What many don’t know is the remarkable story of how these two stalwart personalities – single-mindedly devoted to pursuing God’s will for their young lives, certain their future callings would require them to sacrifice forever the blessings of marriage-found their heart intertwined. Their paths to God’s purpose led them together. In this book, their only child, Valerie Elliot Shepard unseals never-before-published letters and private journals that capture in first-person intimacy the attraction, struggle, drama, and devotion that became a most unlikely love story. A riveting read for old and young alike this moving account of their personal lives shines as a gold mine of lived-out truth, hard-fought purity, and an insider’s view on two beloved Christian figures.
Children
Laugh and Learn Bible for Little Ones
by Phil Vischer
The Laugh and Learn Bible for Little Ones is written by VeggieTales. creator Phil Vischer. This simple board book Bible is the perfect companion to the Laugh and Learn Bible for Kids or a delightful stand-alone tool that will introduce toddlers and preschoolers to beloved, gospel-focused Bible stories.
Christian Living
Untangling Emotions: God’s Gift of Emotions
by J. Alasdair Groves and Winston T. Smith
Our emotions are complex. Some of us seem able to ignore our feelings, while others feel controlled by them. But most of us would admit that we don’t always know what to do with how we feel.
The Bible teaches us that our emotions are an indispensible part of what makes us human–and play a crucial role in our relationships with God and others. Exploring how God designed emotions for our good, this book shows us how to properly engage with our emotions–even the more difficult ones like fear, anger, shame, guilt, and sorrow–so we can better understand what they reveal about our hearts and handle them wisely in everyday moments.
Devotion & Gift
Settle My Soul: 100 Quiet Moments to Meet with Jesus
by Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk
Need a break from the daily grind? Hit the pause button and embrace tranquility with this refreshing collection! Inviting you to spend quiet moments with Jesus, 100 devotions feature a meaningful message, applicable Scripture, guided prayer, thoughtful reflection questions, and plenty of journaling space to help you center your mind and heart on the Source of peace.
Faith & Culture
Free to Believe: The Battle Over Religious Liberty in America
by Luke Goodrich
Will Christian beliefs soon be marginalized as a form of bigotry? Applying biblical understanding to today’s most divisive issues, Goodrich offers a reasoned, balanced, and gospel-centered approach to religious freedom; explains why it matters; shows how it’s threatened; and gives believers practical steps for responding to conflicts in an informed, responsible, and graceful way.
Ministry Resources
The Care of Souls: Cultivating A Pastor’s Heart
by Harold Senkbell
Pastors care for a soul in the way a doctor cares for a body. In a time when many churches have lost sight of the real purpose of the church, The Care of Souls invites a new generation of pastors to form the godly habits and practical wisdom needed to minister to the hearts and souls of those committed to their care.
Harold Senkbeil helps remind pastors of the essential calling of the ministry: preaching and living out the Word of God while orienting others in the same direction. And he offers practical and fruitful advice—born out of his five decades as a pastor—that will benefit both new pastors and those with years in the pulpit.
Young Peoples Literature
Kirby McCook and the Jesus Chronicles
by Stephen Arterburn and Marcus Brotherton
In Kirby McCook and the Jesus Chronicles by Stephen Arterburn and Marcus Brotherton, 12-year-old Kirby McCook, mentored by his grandfather, leads his rambunctious friends through the Bible in this creative and fun Bible storybook. Bible stories laced with middle-grade humor help to teach kids that Jesus has been a part of the story from the beginning and can be found throughout the Bible, from Genesis through Revelation.
View all 2020 Christian Book Award® Finalists here!
