LMW Summer Reads - with special discount code

Well here we are, on the brink of that great British unknown, our glorious summer! Whatever the weather, and let’s be honest we could get just about anything and everything from sunshine to snow (and probably all in the same day), we will all I’m sure be aiming to get away for a holiday, break and some downtime. If you are anything like me, that downtime will include a period of catching up on reading (I don’t do enough of that in my day job!), recharging my batteries and refocusing my mind.

I also know that it will be easier for some than for others to maximise that time of relaxation. My boys are now 18 and 21 but I remember the times that they were constantly on the go and in need of attention and occupying, a time when I’d struggle to read a road sign never mind a book!

So how do we get the best out of the time we do get to read while we are away? Our regular reading / quiet time goes out of the window as our routine changes to accommodate our holiday. Well, study guides, daily devotionals and books focused on topical subjects are a great place to start. They tend to be written in a way that means they can be approached a little at a time, there is no compulsion to push on and read numerous chapters in one go. They allow us to take bite size pieces of reading each day and clearly and properly understand what God wants us to hear. And sometimes it can take a combination of types of reading for us to find what we need to sustain us. Maybe a daily devotional (either individual or family) coupled with something that is more of a reading book.The former keeps our Bible focus, while the latter enables us to explore a topic or area we’d like to understand more.

So let me help with some ideas for this coming summer for you and for your family.

Refreshed – John Hindley

Holidays often give us an opportunity to rest and reflect. However, when our normal routines and habits are suspended, it can be hard to spend time with God.

These 30 devotions have been specifically designed to help you to rest in the Lord’s goodness and glory during your time away so that you can return home feeling refreshed spiritually as well as physically.

Author John Hindley, who also wrote Serving without Sinking, says this:

“I want to help you find rest, peace, joy, hope and renewed zeal. We go away to be refreshed. Christ is the one who sets his Spirit in our hearts to cause streams of living water to well up within us and flow from us . Sometimes we rest away from Jesus, but how much better to rest with and in him? He is where our true refreshment is found.”

You can pick and choose which devotions to read depending on the type of holiday you are on (for example, city break or beach) and there are optional family activities and questions linked to each devotion giving other family members an opportunity to reflect alongside you.

12 Things God Can’t Do – Nick Tucker

What’s the secret to truly trusting God so that we can rest easy at night? How can we have the same faith and confidence as David who said: “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety” (Ps 4:8)?

The answer lies in focusing on God’s greatness. When we consider God’s greatness, we usually tend to think about what God can do. However, this book explores 12 things that God can’t do. They all express aspects of his nature and character which we can embrace with relief, celebrate with joy and worship with awe. You will marvel both at God’s otherness and at how he became one of us in the person of Jesus.

Read this book to grow in faith, live with confidence and rest easy at night, trusting in the God who never sleeps.

The Air We Breathe – Glen Scrivener

Is Christianity history? Or is Christian history the deepest explanation of the modern world?

Today in the west, many consider the church to be dead or dying. Christianity is seen as outdated, bigoted and responsible for many of society’s problems. This leaves many believers embarrassed about their faith and many outsiders wary of religion. But what if the Christian message is not the enemy of our modern Western values, but the very thing that makes sense of them?

In this fascinating book, Glen Scrivener takes readers on a journey to discover how the teachings of Jesus not only turned the ancient world upside down, but continue to underpin the way we think of life, worth, and meaning. Far from being a relic from the past, the distinctive ideas of Christianity, such as freedom, kindness, progress and equality, are a crucial part of the air that we breathe. As author Glen Scrivener says in his introduction: “The extraordinary impact of Christianity is seen in the fact that we don’t notice it”.

This is a book for both believers and sceptics—giving Christians confidence to be open about their faith and showing non-Christians the ways in which the message of Jesus makes sense of their most cherished beliefs. Whoever you are, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation for the values you hold dear as you discover the power and profundity of Jesus and his revolution.

For Children – His Grace is Enough – Melissa Kruger

This illustrated, rhyming book will help parents explain to children the unique and wonderful Christian message of God’s grace—that Jesus offers forgiveness and allows us to move on from our mistakes.

It can be used to share the heart of the Christian faith with children or to remind them that Jesus is the person to run to when they mess up.

Children will learn that God’s grace is enough to cleanse and change us every day.

For Teens – Who Am I and Why Do I Matter? – Chris Morphew

(with Free discussion Guide)

Sooner or later, kids ask big questions about themselves and their faith: Who am I? Where do I fit in? Am I good enough? What do people think of me? What does God think of me?

Christian Studies teacher and school chaplain Chris Morphew has been answering big questions from kids for over a decade. In this warm, empathetic book, he shows children how to embrace and enjoy their identity as those loved by God and made in his image. He also gives lots of practical advice on how to remember what God says about who they really are.

Lively stories and illustrations make this book easy for 9-13s to engage with. Readers will be helped to replace fear and anxiety with faith and confidence as they find their self-worth in what God says about them.

Use code lmws22 to get an extra 10% off on The Good Book Company website. Use the code at the point of checkout.

Dean Faulkner is the Sales and Events Manager for UK & Europe at The Good Book Company.