When it comes to faithfully following Jesus in this frantic, fallen world, you can’t do it alone. No one can. We all need assistance to stay on the right path, but oftentimes, we don’t look for help until we’re already in trouble. If you’re anything like me, you’re probably looking for ways to be more consistently faithful – and less up-and-down – in this new year. With that in mind, I’d like to share twelve resources that have been most helpful to my walk with Jesus Christ.
Before getting into the list, I need to state the obvious: the single best way to stay close to the Lord is by reading your Bible daily. Too much of the time, modern-day Christians are letting preachers and influencers tell us what they think the Bible says instead of actually reading it for themselves. If you want to take a step forward in your faith this year, make a habit of reading your Bible every day! If you’re a beginner and you don’t know how to get started, I recommend buying the NIV Study Bible by Zondervan because it offers some great notes by scholars that are easy for anyone to understand.
Additionally, if you’re looking for a longer list of resources to strengthen your faith, you can find one on The Story’s brand new website. Our Resources page is my favorite part of the whole site, and more helpful resources are being added every week!
3 Books
Live No Lies, by John Mark Comer
I’ve probably read this book five times since it came out a couple of years ago. In it, Comer explores the three main enemies that sabotage our peace: the devil, the flesh, and the world. It’s rare to find a book that’s profound without being pretentious and funny without being shallow, but that’s what you’ll find with Live No Lies.
Happy Lies, by Melissa Dougherty (available January 28)
This one won’t be out for a few more weeks, but I had the privilege of reading an advance copy because we recently had Melissa as a guest on Maybe God. This book is important because it tackles a topic that is mostly being ignored: the threat posed to Christianity by the “New Thought” movement. Most people have never heard of New Thought, but just about everyone has been influenced by it. From its inception in the 1800s, New Thought has infiltrated the American Church, leading to a counterfeit version of Christianity that prioritizes feelings and personal happiness over sound, biblical teaching. Melissa is adept at tracing the movement’s origins and explaining why Christians and churches should be wary of it. If you read Happy Lies, you’ll be shocked to learn how deep the connections run between New Thought and many of the bad ideas that are plaguing modern Christianity, but you’ll also be equipped to identify false teachings and root them out whenever they appear.
The Biggest Story Children’s Bible, by Kevin DeYoung and Don Clark
This one’s for you parents and grandparents who desperately want your kids and grandkids to grow up reading and loving the Bible. For years, my favorite children’s Bible was The Action Bible, which is great (especially for boys), but I think DeYoung and Clark have managed to top it.
3 Bible Teachers
In my mind, the best thing about the internet – especially in this post-Covid world – is the vast collection of great preaching and Bible teaching that is available to everyone, everywhere, at all times. As someone who consistently preaches and teaches 5-10 times a week, I often find myself feeling like an empty cup that’s been poured out. In those moments, I’ve been so blessed to have teachers like these who are faithful to Scripture and always engaging:
- Skip Heitzig, Calvary Church – Albuquerque, NM
- Gary Hamrik, Cornerstone Chapel – Leesburg, VA
- Paul LeBouttier, Calvary Chapel – Ontario, Canada
Note: My endorsement of these preachers doesn’t mean I always agree with everything they say, but that I believe we can trust that they are faithfully wrestling with the Word.
3 Websites
Openbible.info/topics
According to Safari (my web browser), this is my second most-visited site (behind thestory.church of course!). It’s a simple, awesome Bible study resource that allows you to ask “What does the Bible say about…” anything and everything. Have you ever wondered what the Bible says about Heaven and Hell? Gender and sexuality? Butterflies and donkeys? Ask away, and you’ll be presented with a long list of Bible references to whatever topic tickles your curiosity.
BibleHub.com
This resource is like a more advanced version of OpenBible.info. On Bible Hub, you’re able to get more “into the weeds” of a passage by studying the original Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic language in which it was written. You can also access lots of ancient and modern commentaries on any given passage – from early Church fathers like Justin Martyr and Augustine to great Reformers like John Calvin and John Wesley. A great resource to go deeper in your understanding and appreciation of Scripture!
ReasonableFaith.org
This site is home to the writings, videos, and other resources of the greatest living Christian apologist, Dr. William Lane Craig. Some of you were there when Dr. Craig spoke at The Story Church a couple of years ago, and you may have seen my interview with him on Maybe God. Dr. Craig has also debated many leading atheists (you can find those debates on YouTube), and one atheist described him as “the only Christian who puts the fear of God is me.” Check out ReasonableFaith.org and you’ll see why!
3 Shameless, Selfish Plugs
Maybe God’s YouTube Channel
The Maybe God Podcast is The Story’s in-house media ministry. It began in 2018 as an audio-only podcast, and it blew our minds how quickly it grew. Over the past year or so, we’ve made the conscious decision to shift our focus away from audio-only shows to producing more video content on YouTube. It’s been an adjustment, but I’m so proud of our team, led by TSC Media Director Julie Mirlicourtois, for making this bold move, which has allowed us to reach thousands more non-religious people with the Gospel message!
Maybe God currently has over 20,000 subscribers on YouTube, and we’re gaining an average of 1,100 new subscribers each month. I hope you’ll check it out and subscribe to receive all the latest episodes!
The Story Church Sermons
The Story is about to celebrate our 10th birthday on February 22nd, which means I – along with Pastors Geo, Dilan, and Kale, as well as a handful of special guests – have delivered over 500 messages to our congregation. You can watch or listen to virtually all of those messages on our church’s website. It might take a while, however; as you know, I have not been graced with the gift of brevity. Five hundred messages with an average length of forty minutes is equal to over 333 hours (or fourteen whole days) of preaching!
NEW! My “Reactions” Channel
A couple of weeks ago, the Maybe God team launched a brand new YouTube channel featuring yours truly. On “The Story Pastor”, I react to videos featuring atheists’ arguments against Christianity, comedians talking about God, hilarious TikTok content – basically whatever my team decides to put in front of me. We’re just getting started with this project, so we would love your support! Simply click the link above, subscribe to the channel, and check out the videos that we’ve posted. Thank you!
