Christian Challenge is pleased to be able to offer a fine selection of recommended books through our association with Amazon. By purchasing through our web site you will be eligible for discounts of up to 40% on some items (20% on most items). Amazon offers access to more than 3 million books, and we obviously can't recommend all of them. However, below you'll find a listing of books that we highly recommend. Click on the appropriate link to find the updated price on all books. We hope you'll find this resource helpful and that you'll come back often as we'll be updating the page with book reviews and information on other resources.

Here's a great resource for all you PDA users - Laridian Electronic Publishing. Our pastor, Nathan, has been using Laridian's Bible products on both Palm and Windows CE devices for over 5 years. He highly recommends their "My Bible" and "Pocket Bible" products as well as their "Daily Reader", "Memorize!" and "Prayer Partner" products. If you use a PDA and would like to have quick access to God's word, take a look at Laridian - you'll be glad you did!

School for Christian Workers

Students in the "Disciple's Heart" class of the School for Christian Workers are required to read from an approved Required Reading List. We've made that list available here.

Another popular class in the  School for Christian Workers is Conversational Spanish. Here are some recommended books for learning Spanish. We are currently using Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish as our textbook.

Open Door to Spanish: A Conversation Course for Beginners, Book 1 - This book is around $58.00 on Amazon.com. It includes a couple of cassette tapes along with the manual that give you the opportunity to hear the exercises by a native speaker so you'll know how they're supposed to sound. Very good resource.

Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish - This is the textbook that we're using in our School for Christian Workers. It's an excellent resource that gives you a several thousand word vocabulary in a very short time. It teaches you "keys" to automatically increasing your vocabulary - in fact, you already know a bunch of words in Spanish, you just don't know you know them!!! That's why this is a great resource for those studying Conversational Spanish. It's only around $10.50 on Amazon.com and worth every penny! 

See It and Say It In Spanish! - This is an handy little book with lots of picture associations that make it easy to remember words. It's around $6.99 on Amazon.com and is well worth the price. This book is very helpful to develop your vocabulary through picture associations, rather than long lists of words to memorize.

Bro. Buddy's pick:

Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1

This volume of writings by the early church fathers (pre Nicene Council) is an illuminating look into the beliefs, practices and heart of early Christianity. This is a must have book for all serious students of Christianity.

Recommended Reading for your Marriage

The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate 
This is a wonderful book that helps couples express their love to their spouses. What happens when the husband is saying, "Te amo" and the wife is saying, "Je vous aime"? What happens is each is saying "I love you" but in a different language! They don't understand each other and they don't feel loved! We all express our love in ways that we understand. But what if our husband or wife speaks a different "love language" than us? This book will help you express your love in a way that will make your marriage sizzle! Check it out! You'll be glad you did!

His Needs, Her Needs: Building an Affair-Proof Marriage
This is another incredible book that will help you build a solid foundation for your marriage. While the "Five Love Languages" book helps you learn how to express your love to your spouse, this book helps you understand the emotional needs each has, and how to go about meeting those needs. You'll be surprised at what you read. And you'll be amazed at how well Dr. Harley identifies needs YOU have. This is a good follow-up to the Five Love Languages book.

Here's a great book for anyone working with youth or the issues of relativism. Josh McDowell makes a strong case for absolute truth and the need to teach it to our children. Beliefs affect values, values affect actions so eventually what we believe will be seen in what we do. Excellent book!

Check back soon for more recommendations!

Recommended Authors

Elisabeth Elliot served as a missionary to Ecuador with her husband, Jim, in the mid 1950's. Jim was killed by the Auca Indians, along with four other missionaries, while trying to take the gospel to that primitive tribe. Elizabeth later worked with the Aucas, including the very men who killed her husband. She has written many books, both about this experience and many other areas. You'll enjoy her writings.

Books about/by Andrew Murray - Andrew Murray was a pastor in the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa and taught much about the deeper Christian life. His writings have influenced many.

Books by Don Richardson - Don and his wife were missionaries in New Guinea where they brought the gospel to a cannibalistic tribe. Although he encountered many cross-cultural challenges, he communicated the love of Christ to them through one of their native tribal stories. (See Peace Child.) His writings on missions are challenging and thought provoking.

Books about/by Charles Spurgeon - Charles Haddon Spurgeon was considered the "Prince of Preachers". He pastored London's Metropolitan Tabernacle from the mid to late 1800's where during his pastorate 14,692 were baptized. His extensive writings and sermons continue to challenge and inspire.  (More books about/by Charles Spurgeon.)

Books about/by Corrie Ten Boom - Corrie Ten Boom was born to a watchmaker and his wife in Holland in 1892. She never married and learned her father's trade. She was the first woman watchmaker licensed in Holland. When WWII broke out her entire family worked with the Dutch underground hiding refugees from the Nazis. In 1944 her entire family was arrested and she and her sister, Betsie, were sent to the Ravensbruck concentration camp in Germany. She was released just days after Betsie died in 1945. She shared her story in over 60 countries before her death in 1983. Her many books continue to encourage Christians around the world. 

Recommended Reading from Hebraic Foundations:

To have a better understanding of the Hebraic underpinnings of the early church, Bro. Buddy has recommended the following books:

(1) "The Messiah Texts" (Jewish Legends of Three Thousand Years) by Raphael Patai

(2) "Christianity in Talmud and Midrash" by R. Travers Herford

(3) "The New Testament and Rabbinic Judaism" by David Daube 

(4) "The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah" by Alfred Edersheim (Anything by Edersheim will be helpful.)

(5) "The Jewish Reclamation of Jesus" (An analysis & critique of the modern Jewish study of Jesus) by Donald A. Hagner

(6) "The Sages" by Ephraim E. Urbach

(7) "Judaism and the Origins of Christianity" by David Flusser (This one is a little more expensive, but well worth the purchase. Flusser passed away last year. A friend of mine helped him in some of this book. Flusser was professor emeritus of Hebrew University in Jerusalem.)

(8) "The Works of Josephus" Translated by William Whiston (This book was the first one I purchased that spoke to my studies in the Hebraics of our faith. Bought it in latter 60s.)

(9) "The Works of Philo" Translated by C. D. Yonge 

(10) "The End of History - Messiah Conspiracy" by Philip N. Moore. (May be difficult to find, but another well worth the money.)