Essential Reads for Restoration and Renewal
No fluff—just powerful, easy reads for restoring your passion and purpose.
Download Our Top 20 Recommended Books
Books to Read.
“Shattering the Limitations of Pain”
Jabez came to a point in his life where he chose to make a break from his past identity to change his future. He was not a total failure, nor a total success. He knew greater blessings were available if he could break through the pain. Jabez was not willing to endure living under the pain that had plundered his identity from birth. He had a vision of his future that he reached by request with five strategic truths. He needed his "me" to be blessed by Father God. He knew Father God would give him more. Do we? Jabez would not remain silent. Will we?
An easy to read book that will bring you freedom from the pain you are holding on to.
An impactful book that will encourage you to address the pain you are going through.
The Emotionally Healthy Leader by Peter Scazzero
In The Emotionally Healthy Leader, bestselling author Peter Scazzero shows leaders how to develop a deep, inner life with Christ, examining its profound implications for surviving stress, planning and decision making, building teams, creating healthy culture, influencing others, and much more. An Emotionally Healthy Leader gets beneath the surface of an issue or a problem.
Concise assessments for leaders and teams to measure their leadership health
Practical, proven strategies that have been developed over a 28-year period spent both in the local church and in equipping leaders around the world
Helpful applications of how to face your shadow, lead out of your marriage or singleness, slow down, and embrace endings for new beginnings.
An important read for leaders and pastors since it focuses on a leader’s inner life.
Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby
Experiencing God is a personal message of how Henry Blackaby has experienced God through his life. The study since its release has been translated into 47 languages and has impacted very many people and transformed many lives back to God. The book is based on scriptural realties that teach us how to relate with God.
Learn to discern when God is speaking to you.
Identify what God wants and adjust your life accordingly.
The book will guide on looking up to God, listen to Him, and to watch for what His directives are.
Gain an understanding of what Scripture teaches about interacting with God.
The Furious Longing of God by Brennan Manning
An intense longing for God is a call to realize God’s passionate love for us. The book will help you feel God’s call and will challenge you to live in God’s love. As He guided us to love each other as He loves us, to treat other people as we would like to be treated. The furious Longing of God, will teach you how to be humble.
Manning a great writer calls us to embrace our shortcomings and struggles. He mentions that people filled with light are those who have deeply gazed into their darkness.
A love story for people who are going through tough times.
A book that is based on God’s love and grace for man.
The author uses his personal experience as an alcoholic and ex-priest to show God’s love for the broken-hearted.
The Tension of Transition by Craig Cooney
Change is constant. Transitioning from one posting to another is difficult, but it may be the best thing you ever do for yourself. The before and after transition is not the scariest time, however the time in between is the scariest time. You are unsure whether to move forward or to move back. All you have to do is trust God and pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you on the right thing to do.
A book full of prophetic insights, personal stories, and helpful wisdom, that will help you know what God wants you to do.
The author writes about personal experiences and challenges him and his family faced during their time of transition that we can all learn from.
Listen to the voice of God during your time of transition.
On the Brink by Clay Werner
Ministry has many unique challenges. When the pain, frustration, and exhaustion of ministry build up in a pastor’s heart, it’s easy for him to lose sight of the incredible gifts given to him in Jesus Christ: hope and resurrection power that will strengthen him to carry on. Acknowledging the unique challenges of ministry. Pastor Clay Werner helps us reopen our eyes to the gospel’s soul-sustaining and heart-renewing comfort for church leaders. Pastor Clay offers encouragement for weary pastors.
The author is authentic and realistic about the challenges ministers and pastors face in this era.
A great read for every pastor seeking truth and hope.
The author addresses how when pastors are struggling they can always turn to God. He draws back to God and the gospel as the sources of refuge and comfort during difficult times.
Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick
If you're not daring to believe in God for the impossible, you may be sleeping through some of the best parts of your Christian Life. Steven, an amazing pastor, encourages people to believe in God for both big and small things. He calls us to pray and believe in the God we worship, that nothing is impossible for Him.
Pastor Furtik inspires us to stand still and believe in God
The book encourages Christians to live fully in faith and make visions and to dream big that God must be involved for them to be achieved.
A book that will encourage you to push on, and realize God is still working, even when things seem to be in a stand still.
Have an audacious prayer that stretches your mind and faith, learn to ask God for the impossible.
Fervent by Priscilla Shirer
Priscilla elaborates how to use prayer as a weapon, every move you make or every action you take is infused with the power of God’s Spirit. Fervent is a hands-on, knees-down, don’t-give-up action guide to practical, purposeful praying. Each chapter is crafted with prayer strategies that strike the enemy and his handiwork. A woman focused book with a plan for serious and strategic prayers.
A guide to help you invest in your prayer life
The book has clearly explained examples to create an effective prayer life.
An easy book to read, that is inspiring and practical to develop a prayer strategy.
A source of call to action for all women seeking to pray passionately and clearly.
Sifted by Wayne Cordeiro with Francis Chan & Larry Osborne
Planting and leading churches is a difficult calling. It can strain a pastor's physical and mental health, and also with your relationship with God. Wayne will help you develop a healthy balance of personal care and spiritual leadership. You may find yourself in a season of sifting. If you respond correctly, this season can be every bit as important as the time of harvest. Sifting builds the muscle of faith, giving us what we need for what lies just around the corner.
A book that guides pastors and Christian’s worker through the sifting process.
The author uses practical scenarios, and encouragement to make sure you understand sifting happens but God is in control.
A great read for pastors and ministers who are going through a tough time in ministry.
A source of healing and reflection for people who have been called to serve God.
Unstuck by Mike Jobe
Some of us are stuck for short seasons of time. But others surrender to a life of being continually trapped and frustrated. The hang-ups of our past, fear of failure, victim mindsets, broken relationships, disappointment with ourselves, together with the lack of fresh encounters with God, have left many of us struggling and unable to move into our next season. Identify the symptoms of a stuck life while discovering new ways to move to your next season.
Unstuck is a wake-up call for all those tired of being stuck.
A guide to not going before God or lagging behind Him.
The beginning of a new season will happen, make room for God in your life.
A great read featuring Pastor and author Mike Jobe showing you how to be free and become what God wants you to be.
It's not Supposed to be This Way by Lysa Terkeurst
New York Times bestselling author Lysa TerKeurst unveils her heart amid shattering circumstances and shows readers how to live assuredly when life doesn't turn out like they expected. What do you do when God’s timing seems questionable, His lack of intervention hurtful, and His promises doubtful? God realizes your pain. Go through a tough time in confidence and faith and know that God is with you.
Discover how to better process unmet expectations.
Learn how to discover the three stages of the enemy.
Know how to encourage a friend and teach them how to navigate difficult times, through God’s truth.
The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan
A Publishers Weekly highly recommended author, writes about the Sabbath Day and resting on this day. One day of the week that should be set aside for resting, resetting and worship. Whatever you are called to do in this world, do it whole heartedly, give it your best and rest on the sabbath day. Remember that the heart of God is pleased by honest work.
A book that repurposes the sabbath day and resting in a busy world.
The author writes on how to keep the sabbath by observing both time and what God wants.
This gives us advice on restoring the sabbath.
Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table by Louie Giglio
Discover how to break free from the chains of negative thinking and experience true freedom from unhealthy thoughts and emotions. The Enemy is constantly seeking to fill your mind with destructive and harmful thoughts; whether of fear, worry, insecurity, anxiety, temptation, envy. It’s all too easy for Satan to manipulate his way into a seat at the table intended for only you and Jesus, and to try making himself at home in your mind. It’s an ongoing battle, but one you can win!
Drawing from the Bible, the book gives biblical insights on canceling the lies that will wreck your life.
A great read to the right steps to live in Christ.
The author elaborates how to embrace your true purpose in life even in challenging circumstances and times.
Biblical insights from ending destructive thinking.
Replenish by Lance Witt
This book teaches pastors and leaders how to thrive in their interior life and to remain spiritually healthy. For the many ministry leaders who feel alone, in over their heads, or simply worn out, this book will offer welcome relief and a healthy way forward. The author discusses ways to live well so you can be a great leader. The author discusses seven topics that should help pastors and ministry leaders improve productivity while preventing burnout.
The book will help you become a high-performing individual.
A resource from a pastor to help other pastors do ministry without losing their soul.
A critical read for every pastor or ministry leader.
A book that will remind you what is important in ministry.
Didn’t See It Coming by Carey Nieuwhof
Founding Pastor of one of North America's most influential churches, Carey Nieuwhof wants to help you avoid and overcome life's seven hardest and most crippling challenges: cynicism, compromise, disconnectedness, irrelevance, pride, burnout, and emptiness.
The author discusses the seven challenges pastors are likely to experience.
A great read to becoming self-aware.
Carey provides clear tools and guidelines for anticipation and avoidance.
Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud
A book that will encourage you to push on and make necessary tough decisions even when things seem to be okay. Cloud challenges readers to achieve the personal and professional growth they both desire and deserve. Dr. Cloud gives crucial insight on how to make those tough decisions that are standing in the way of a more successful business and, ultimately, a better life.
The author discusses specific strategies for ending things well.
Get a deep dive into understanding what pruning means.
Understand strategies that you can implement in your professional and personal life when something needs to end and you to move forward.
Understand when to prune healthy branches that are not the best ones.
Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala with Dean Merill
Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire shows what the Holy Spirit can do when believers get serious about prayer and the gospel. Read a great testimony of how Pastor Jim Cymbala led his congregation of around 20 people in prayer and God started answering their prayers and now the congregation has grown to more than ten thousand. God moves in life-changing ways when we set aside our own agendas, take him at his word, and listen for his voice.
A call back to the word of God and to prayer.
A story of a great church and a great pastor.
God moves in life-changing ways and this book reveals what happens when we pray and listen to His voice.
At Your Best by Carey Nieuwhof
Influential podcast host and thought leader Carey Nieuwhof understands the challenges of constant pressure. After a season of burnout almost took him out, he discovered how to get time, energy, and priorities working in his favor. This approach freed up more than one thousand productive hours a year for him and can do the same for you.
Break the pattern of overpromising and never accomplishing enough.
Master the art of saying no, without losing friends or influence.
Develop a personalized plan to recapture each day so you can break free from the trap of endless to-dos.
Winning the War in Your Mind by Craig Groeschel
We've all tried to think our way out of bad habits and unhealthy thought patterns, only to find ourselves stuck with an out-of-control mind and off-track daily life. Drawing on the Bible and brain science, Groeschel lays out practical strategies that will free you from the grip of destructive thinking and enable you to live the life of peace that God intends you to live.
Learn how your brain works and see how to rewire your “ruts”.
While this book is an easy read, you may want to read slowly as there are a lot of nuggets to digest.
Powerful quotes are littered throughout the book to help refocus on the key thoughts.
Mad Church Disease by Anne Marie Miller
Does serving in the church hurt your relationship with Christ? As the daughter of a pastor, Anne saw firsthand the struggles leaders face and the toll it takes on their families. As a church leader, she was hospitalized because stress began wreaking havoc on her body. She was flooded with over a thousand responses from people pouring out their stories of pain.
Each chapter ends with powerful interviews from ministry leaders.
Has several checklists & interactive questions to keep readers engaged.
Author recounts her struggles not only with burnout but also her experience with church hurt.
As an Amazon Affiliate, SGC earns off qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you

