Cornerstone Church of Lakewood Ranch

Bibles & Devotionals Recommendations

Sunday Matters: 52 Devotionals to Prepare Your Heart for Church

Paul David Tripp’s Weekly Devotional Helps Readers Prepare Their Hearts for Church Christians understand the importance of attending church, but many find their attention being pulled away from worship because of family, schedule, work, finances, and other distractions. With so much on their minds, how can churchgoers prepare their hearts to offer God the worship he deserves? In Sunday Matters, Paul David Tripp shares 52 devotions about the beauty and significance of church, helping Christians engage in vibrant gathered worship each week. Each short, accessible meditation highlights an essential spiritual topic, including divine grace, gratitude, our identity in Christ, and dependence on the Lord. Over the course of a year, Sunday Matters will strengthen each believer’s personal relationship with God and fill churches with joyful, engaged, and passionate worshipers.

Glorifying and Enjoying God: 52 Devotions through the Westminster Shorter Catechism

For centuries, the Westminster Shorter Catechism has helped Christians young and old to know their “chief end.” Now, authors William Boekestein, Jonathan Landry Cruse, and Andrew J. Miller value this venerable catechism and winsomely introduce a new generation to its powerful message. Dividing the catechism into 52 brief devotions, they explain and apply each question and answer in a year’s worth of Lord’s Days. This valuable new resource is great for individual and family use for all who desire to “glorify and enjoy God forever.”

The Jesus Story Book Bible

For over a decade, The Jesus Storybook Bible has been introducing children to God’s wonderful story, and the Savior at the center of that story. Trusted and treasured for over a decade, with over 3 million copies sold, The Jesus Storybook Bible is the quintessential book for parents, grandparents, pastors, and anyone else who wants to share God’s Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love with children. What makes The Jesus Storybook Bible different from every other kids’ Bible? While other kids’ Bibles contain stories from the Old and New Testaments, The Jesus Storybook Bible tells the Story beneath all the stories in the Bible, pointing to Jesus as our Savior. From the Old Testament through the New Testament, as the Story unfolds, children will clearly see that Jesus is at the center of God's great story of salvation—and at the center of their story too. The Jesus Storybook Bible: Is beautifully written by New York Times bestselling author Sally Lloyd-Jones and illustrated by award-winning artist Jago Contains 21 stories from the Old Testament and 23 stories from the New Testament Visually brings Scripture to life for children, sharing how Jesus is at the center of our story Presents the best-loved stories of the Bible in an easy-to-understand format Is the perfect kids’ Bible for any age up to 6th grade, as well as church ministry Makes an ideal gift for Christmas, Easter, and other gift giving occasions Other titles in the Jesus Storybook Bible collection include: The Jesus Storybook Bible: A Christmas Collection the board books Found, Near, and Loved The Jesus Storybook Bible Coloring Book The Story of God's Love for You, which presents the Jesus Storybook Bible text for adults

New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional

"If you’re prone to wander, this book is for you.” ―Matt and Lauren Chandler, Lead Pastor, The Village Church, Dallas, Texas; President, Acts 29 Church Planting Network; and his wife Lauren, writer; speaker; singer "Paul's writing encourages those who have grown weary of the struggle, living under the weight of the world." ―TobyMac, hip hop recording artist; music producer; songwriter Mornings can be tough. Sometimes, a hearty breakfast and strong cup of coffee just aren’t enough. Offering more than a rush of caffeine, best-selling author Paul David Tripp wants to energize you with the most potent encouragement imaginable: the gospel. Forget “behavior modification” or feel-good aphorisms. Tripp knows that what we really need is an encounter with the living God. Then we’ll be prepared to trust in God’s goodness, rely on his grace, and live for his glory each and every day.

Patience: Waiting with Hope

Do you find your patience running thin when you are forced to wait for a green light or a dawdling child? In a culture that strives for maximum efficiency and instant gratification, it's easy to get frustrated when we are forced to wait. We expect an apology or compensation in return for our "patience." But this is bitter endurance, not true patience. We need to be reminded of patience as God intended it and how it can bring us peace in our fast-paced world. In this devotional, Megan Hill puts patience back into perspective with thirty-one daily reflections and calls to action. It's easy to see patience as what it is not and forget what patience is. Being patient is more than just not getting upset when your restaurant order is delayed. Patience is faithfulness over time. It's the diligent practice of godliness while you wait. It is a virtue that Christ embodied here on earth, and with his help, we can understand and cultivate steadfast patience ourselves.

Seeking God's Face: Praying with the Bible Through the Year

"Seeking God's Face melds prayer and Scripture into a companionable guide for becoming a participant--both listening and speaking--in the great salvation conversation that is the Christian gospel."--from the foreword by Eugene Peterson "Inspired in every sense of that word and masterfully compiled, Seeking God's Face is a prayer book always and everywhere to be treasured."--Phyllis Tickle, compiler, The Words of Jesus--A Gospel of the Sayings of Our Lord "This wonderful resource provides an easy to follow process for having a substantive conversation with God each day. I strongly recommend its use to every Christian who desires a deeper relationship with God."--Craig Van Gelder, professor of congregational mission, Luther Seminary From the very beginning of the church, Christians have found it helpful to pause for prayer during various times of the day. Whether for morning or evening devotions or other fixed-time prayers, such spiritual respites were deemed essential to worshiping God. Over the years, Christians developed a structure for such moments of worship, keyed to the time of day and season of the year. Part of its genius was the seamless integration of Scripture and prayer. This ancient practice, called the "Daily Office," has experienced a resurgence of use in our time. Seeking God's Face is a user-friendly approach to this form of prayer and devotion. Each office includes a psalm of praise, a passage of Scripture, and a brief set of prayers. An introduction to prayer-book use from Eugene Peterson is included to acclimate readers to this form. This compact edition features the same content as the original version, but in a handy pocket-size format with a leather-look cover.

ESV Student Study Bible

Winner of the ECPA Book of the Year Award for Bibles The ESV Student Study Bible is adapted from the ESV Study Bible and is ideally suited for students who are serious about God’s Word―who want to learn more about what the Bible teaches and how the Bible applies to all of life. With 12,000 clear, concise study notes, the ESV Student Study Bible provides numerous other features―including nearly 900 “Did You Know?” facts, 120 Bible character profiles, and 10 topical articles. It also features a glossary of key terms, more than 80 maps and illustrations, an extensive concordance, and 80,000 cross-references. These and many other features make it the most comprehensive and content-rich student Bible available today. Features: 5.375” x 8.25” 8-point Meta Serif OT type (Bible text); 6-point Gotham type (study notes) 1,856 pages 12,000 clear, concise study notes Introductions and timelines for each Bible book More than 80 maps and illustrations throughout 10 topical articles Nearly 900 new “Did You Know” facts 120 Bible character profiles Glossary with concise definitions of key terms 80,000 cross-references

ESV Study Bible

The ESV Study Bible was designed to help you understand the Bible in a deeper way. Extensive study notes, charts, maps, and articles make this study Bible a valuable resource for serious readers, students, and teachers of God’s Word.