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Every single one of these books has inspired me in some way to live courageously and go after God’s purpose for my life. In truth, everyday fear and thoughts of failure cause me to doubt whether I am truly capable of carrying out the vision He has given me.
But if He’s done it for the authors of these books, He can and will certainly do it for me. I hope these books will encourage you as well, to live courageously.
the deborah anointing: Embracing the Call to be a Woman of Wisdom and Discernment
MICHELLE MCCLAIN-WALTERS
Michelle McClain Walters is a prophet and author. Her passion is to empower a generation to exercise the authority of the Kingdom in every arena of life. Her other books include The Esther Anointing and The Anna Anointing.
Deborah was a judge, intercessor, prophetess, mother of Israel, and military strategist. She broke outside of her culture, in obedience to God to set her people free. The Deborah Anointing shows you that although you may have been trapped in tradition and locked into captivity by cultural and gender prejudices, God desires for you to break through these barriers and embrace the fullness of your purpose! – adapted from Amazon.com
Favorite Quote
“What I didn’t realize was that Deborah was a middle-aged woman who had probably gone through many seasons in her life before she became all that Scripture details. The call of God is progressive. He will mature you gradually into the fullness of His plan.”
Michelle McClain Walters
My Takeaway
Living courageously begins with knowing who you are. This book held many profound moments for me. The biggest one was that Deborah was a middle-aged woman when she began to walk in her calling. It’s never too late to become who you were created to be.
OUTRAGEOUS COURAGE: What God Can Do with Raw Obedience and Radical Faith
KRIS VALLOTTON
Kris Vallotton is a bestselling author and the Senior Associate Leader of Bethel Church. Jason Vallotton, the co-author of Outrageous Courage, is the Pastoral Care Overseer of Bethel Church in Redding, California.
Outrageous Courage is the story of Tracy Evans. From treating rebel guerillas while captive on an Asian island, to having tea in a Mozambican hut with bullets whistling by, to caring for 900 HIV-positive orphans, Tracy’s story will entrance readers, inspire in them adventurous faith, and challenge them to be radically obedient. – adapted from Amazon.com
I read this way back in 2013 and apparently I didn’t save any quotes. But I don’t think it needs any.
Tracy’s life is a true example of living courageously. Her story will open your eyes to what God can do if you surrender and trust Him completely. From beginning to end, it will challenge you to go harder after God and stir up your faith to see Him do the miraculous.
WHATEVER THE COST: Facing Your Fears, Dying to Your Dreams, and Living Powerfully
DAVID AND JASON BENHAM
Identical twins David Benham and Jason Benham, are American authors, speakers, real estate entrepreneurs, and former Minor League Baseball players. They have co-authored three books: Whatever the Cost, Living Among Lions and Miracle in Shreveport.
Whatever The Cost follows the story of highly motivated and entrepreneurial twin brothers, David and Jason Benham on a journey where they learned to die to their dreams not just once, but twice as they walked away from baseball and later as their TV series was stripped away from them just before airing. – adapted from Amazon.com
Favorite Quote
We learned that discipline was doing what we didn’t want to do in order to accomplish what we wanted to accomplish.
David Benham
My Takeaway
David and Jason’s twin rivalry makes this a fun read. Their story encouraged me to courageously pursue my purpose no matter the cost. You may have to go against the grain and die to what you thought was your dream, to fulfill God’s true purpose for your life.
15 INVALUABLE LAWS OF GROWTH: Live Them and Reach Your Potential
JOHN MAXWELL
John C. Maxwell is an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, coach, and author. His other books include The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Developing the Leader Within You, and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader.
Are there tried and true principles that are always certain to help a person grow? John Maxwell has been passionate about personal development for over fifty years. In this book, he teaches everything he has gleaned about what it takes to reach our potential. – adapted from Amazon.com
Favorite Quote
People say there are two great days in a person’s life: the day you were born and the day you discover why.
John Maxwell
My Takeaway
To live your purpose courageously, you’re going to have to grow. To do that you’ll have to be vulnerable and get uncomfortable. The laws are meant to be applied to your life so that your aim is always growth, not just goals.
QUITTER
JON ACUFF
JON ACUFF is a best-selling author of five books, including Do Over, Finish and Start. He’s a well-known public speaker, and his blogs have been read by millions.
If you’ve ever felt caught between the tension of a day job and a dream job then you need to read Quitter. All too often, we hear that dreaming big means you quit your day job, sell everything you own, and move to Guam. But what if there were a different way? – adapted from Amazon.com
Favorite Quote
“The truth is, we need to learn to fall in like with a job we don’t love because it’s actually the best way to set up your dream for success.”
Jon Acuff
My Takeaway
It takes courage to quit a job with a steady paycheck (or choose not to become an employee). When God began showing all that He wanted me to do, I was eager to get started. I wanted to quit my job. But He said to wait. In the end, the company closed and I didn’t have to quit but this book helped me to fall in “like” with my job again while I waited.
LIONESS ARISING: wake up and change your world
LISA BEVERE
Lisa Bevere is a best-selling author and passionate teacher with a unique way of weaving together biblical truths and practical application. Along with her husband, she is the founder of Messenger International. Her other books include Without Rival, Adamant and Girls with Swords.
In Lioness Arising, Lisa focuses on the image of the lioness and its characteristics as a model for women. She challenges women to find new passion, prowess, and purpose. – adapted from Amazon.com
Favorite Quote from the Book
“Live what is within you out loud.”
Lisa Bevere
My Takeaway
I have a special affinity for this book because of its name. 🙂 God is calling women to live courageously and awaken to their true identity; to live the purpose within them. But on another level, He’s also calling the church to arise like the lioness she is, the bride of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.
CHASE THE LION: IF YOUR DREAM DOESN’T SCARE YOU IT’S TOO SMALL
MARK BATTERSON
Mark Batterson is a pastor and the best-selling author of seventeen books including The Circle Maker and In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day.
Chase the Lion is a wake-up call to stop living as if the purpose of life was to simply arrive safely at death. Our dreams should scare us. They should be so big that without God they would be impossible to achieve. – adapted from Amazon.com
Favorite Quote
In every dream journey there comes a moment when you have to quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. You have to go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention.
Mark Batterson
My Takeaway
God has plans for you that are bigger than you could ever imagine. Be encouraged to go after your God-sized dreams, knowing full well that you can never do it in your own strength.
BRAVE SURRENDER: let god’s love rewrite your story
KIM WALKER SMITH
Kim Walker-Smith is a passionate worship leader and founding member of the Jesus Culture Movement.
Brave Surrender is the story of how Kim journeyed from a place of shame and fear to stages around the world where she boldly proclaims the unconditional love of God. Through her own story, Kim inspires us to experience true freedom and healing with Jesus. – adapted from Amazon.com
Favorite Quote
The Bible says we love God because He first loved us. It is very simple. If you don’t love Him, if you aren’t passionate about pursuing Him, it is because you don’t know yet how much He loves you. When you feel and hear and see the love of God, you cannot help but respond with love.
Kim Walker Smith
My Takeaway
It took true courage to surrender all of your mess to God. But as Kim describes, the key to finding my true identity is understanding how much God loves you and surrendering to that love. It’s only when you understand that not even the darkest parts of you will stop Him from loving you that you can begin to walk in your purpose without condemnation.
THROUGH THE EYES OF LOVE: ENCOURAGING OTHERS THROUGH PROPHETIC REVELATION
SHAWN BOLZ
Shawn Bolz is a best-selling author and founder of Expression58, a mission base and church in Los Angeles. His other books include Translating God (a personal favorite) and Keys to Heaven’s Economy.
Through the Eyes of Love shows us how operating from a place of love is the most effective way to walk in the Spirit. This book will help you grow in spiritual authority and learn how to speak powerful words. – adapted from Amazon.com
Favorite Quote
When you feel the genuine love of God, you no longer feel a false responsibility to religious acts, but you feel real responsibility to love
Shawn Bolz
My Takeaway
Living courageously means looking past the natural to see someone through God’s eyes and love them as He does. But it’s the way He’s called us to live. There’s a reason the two most important commandments both mention love. Through the Eyes of Love helps you to hear God in everyday situations to reach the lost with His Love.
(UN)QUALIFIED: How God Uses Broken People to Do Big Things
STEVEN FURTICK
Pastor Steven Furtick is the founder and lead pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. In addition to (Un)Qualified, he is the author of Crash the Chatterbox, Greater and Sun Stand Still.
Being unqualified is God’s favorite qualification… Our culture tells us that the answer to our failures is to fix them. The solution to our weaknesses is to hide them. The secret to our success is to appear as flawless as possible. But God’s qualifying system is different than the world’s. So is His view of our weaknesses, our purpose, and our true selves. – adapted from Amazon.com
Favorite Quote
Maybe God wants to do something beyond your abilities, and he is far less intimidated by your failures and limits than you are
Steven Furtick
My Takeaway
If you’re like me, you often feel disqualified from serving God because of things you might struggle with. But you can never be disqualified from your purpose. It was crafted just for you; you’re the only one who can do the job.
LOVE DOES: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World
BOB GOFF
Bob Goff is an attorney and the founder of Restore International, a nonprofit organization that endeavors to address atrocities and injustices throughout the world. Bob is also the author of Everybody Always.
When Love Does, life gets interesting. Each day turns into a hilarious, whimsical, meaningful chance that makes faith simple and real. Each chapter is a story that forms a book, a life. And this is one life you don’t want to miss. Light and fun, unique and profound, the lessons drawn from Bob’s life and attitude just might inspire you to be secretly incredible, too. – adapted from Amazon.com
Favorite Quote
“I used to think you had to be special for God to use you, but now I know you simply need to say yes.”
Bob Goff
My Takeaway
All God wants from us is a “yes”. Total surrender. Don’t worry about the things that need fixing. Give Him permission to use what He can now and let Him take care of the rest.
ragamuffin gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out
BRENNAN MANNING
Brennan Manning is an author and speaker who leads spiritual retreats for people of all ages. His other books include Abba’s Child and Ruthless Trust.
In our heads, we believe in God’s grace but we continue to see Him as keeping score of our failures and our successes. Yet, His grace is unconditional. We come to Him as “ragamuffins – dirty, bedraggled, and beat-up.” And when we sit at His feet, He smiles upon us, the chosen objects of His “furious love.” – adapted from Amazon.com
Favorite Quote
Genuine self-acceptance is not derived from the power of positive thinking, mind games or pop psychology. IT IS AN ACT OF FAITH in the God of grace.
Brennan Manning
My Takeaway
Self-acceptance comes from knowing that in all your mess and with all your flaws the Perfect God who created the universe will never stop loving you. We’re all ragamuffins.
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