2023 Christian Book Award® Winners

The New York Times bestselling author of Get Out of Your Head offers practical solutions for creating true community, the kind that's crucial to our mental and spiritual health.

In a world that's both more connected and more isolating than ever before, we're often tempted to do life alone, whether because we're so busy or because relationships feel risky and hard. But science confirms that consistent, meaningful connection with others has a powerful impact on our well-being. We are meant to live known and loved. But so many are hiding behind emotional walls that we're experiencing an epidemic of loneliness.

In Find Your People, bestselling author Jennie Allen draws on fascinating insights from science and history, timeless biblical truth, and vulnerable stories from her own life to help you:

• Overcome the barriers to making new friends and learn to initiate with easy-to-follow steps
• Find simple ways to press through awkward to get to authentic in conversations
• Understand how conflict can strengthen relationships rather than destroy them
• Identify the type of friend you are and the types of friends you need
• Learn the five practical ingredients you need to have the type of friends you've always longed for

• Help kids explore the who, what, when, where, and why of God's Word!Words of Christ in red * Full-color images, illustrations, timelines, profiles, maps, and aids * Book introductions * "Christ in Context" * Key memory verses * Glossary and concordance * QR codes * Ages 6 to 12 * Size: 6" x 9" x 2" * 1472 pages, hardcover from B&H

Are you familiar with the apocryphal gospels, acts, epistles, and apocalypses? Even if they didn't make it into the canon, they do provide salient clues as to how the gospel was received in early Greco-Roman culture and the heterodoxies swirling around the church. Eminent authorities from here and abroad focus on what is most significant. 400 pages, hardcover. Zondervan.

Too often, believers shy away from studying Revelation---but we're missing out! In this accessible yet robust guide, Guthrie explains that John's prophecy is less about when Jesus will return and more about who we're meant to be---and what we can expect to endure---as we wait for his coming to establish his kingdom. 272 pages, softcover from Crossway.

In November 2020, widely read author and blogger Tim Challies lost his 20-year-old son unexpectedly. A twenty-year-old student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, he had been participating in a school activity when he fell unconscious and collapsed to the ground.

Tim, an author and blogger, began to process his loss through writing. In Seasons of Sorrow, Tim shares real-time reflections from the first year of grief—through the seasons from fall to summer—introducing readers to what he describes as the "ministry of sorrow."

• See how God is sovereign over loss and that he is good in loss
• Discover how you can pass through times of grief while keeping your faith
• Learn how biblical doctrine can work itself out even in life’s most difficult situations
• Understand how it is possible to love God more after loss than you loved him before

In The Biggest Story Bible Storybook by Kevin DeYoung, and illustrator Don Clark, young readers will hear the memorable retelling of 104 of the Bibles' greatest stories. Beginning in Genesis and ending in Revelation, readers will learn how each of these stories fit into the overarching storyline of the Bible. Each story is beautifully illustrated and concludes with a thoughtful prayer. Hardcover, 528 pages. Ages 6 to 12 years old.

In Our God is Bigger Than That! by Michelle Medlock Adans, Eva Marie Everson, and illustrator, Anna Jones, it is sun rise on the farm, and each of the baby farm animals share their fears along the way. But as they all soon discover that God is much bigger than any of their fears. When the sun sets on the farm, the farmer's little girl is headed off to bed, but is afraid of the dark. She, too, faces her fear by repeating the stanza: "God's greater than your greatest fear. He knows just where you're at. No matter what you face in life-Our God is bigger than that!". This thought is repeated throughout the book, bringing little ones comforted truth. Hardcover, 32 pages. Ages 2 to 6 years old

"A philosophy professor at Calvin College delivers a lyrical exploration of how faith intersects with history and time. He posits that many Christians live 'nowhen' and 'imagine themselves wholly governed by timeless principles. . . .' This incisive and eloquent volume will expand readers' minds,"---Publishers Weekly. 208 pages, hardcover. Brazos.

Deepen your walk with the Lord by overcoming the hurdles keeping you from interacting with him! Beloved pastor and best-selling author Charles Stanley offers 100 powerful prayers for those moments when emotions take over, life is difficult, others need intercession, the Lord is calling you to do something, and more. 240 pages, hardcover from Zondervan.

Charting the path forward for our churches and ministries in providing care-not a cure- for our non-straight sisters and brothers who are living lives of costly obedience to Jesus.

At the start of the gay rights movement in 1969, evangelicalism's leading voices cast a vision for gay people who turn to Jesus. It was C.S. Lewis, Billy Graham, Francis Schaeffer and John Stott who were among the most respected leaders within theologically orthodox Protestantism. We see with them a positive pastoral approach toward gay people, an approach that viewed homosexuality as a fallen condition experienced by some Christians who needed care more than cure.

With the birth and rise of the ex-gay movement, the focus shifted from care to cure. As a result, there are an estimated 700,000 people alive today who underwent conversion therapy in the United States alone. Many of these patients were treated by faith-based, testimony-driven parachurch ministries centered on the ex-gay script. Despite the best of intentions, the movement ended with very troubling results. Yet the ex-gay movement died not because it had the wrong sex ethic. It died because it was founded on a practice that diminished the beauty of the gospel.

Yet even after the closure of the ex-gay umbrella organization Exodus International in 2013, the ex-gay script continues to walk about as the undead among us, pressuring people like me to say, "I used to be gay, but I'm not gay anymore. Now I'm just same-sex attracted."

For orthodox Christians, the way forward is to take a close look at our history. It is time again to focus with our Neo-Evangelical fathers on caring over attempting to cure.

Our Changing and Complex World will Create a Remnant of Renewed Christian Leaders.

For much of recent history individuals and institutions could plan, execute, and flourish with their visions of a better world. Volatile, complex forces could be addressed and confronted with planning and management. But crisis is a great revealer. It knocks us off our thrones. It uncovers the weaknesses in our strategies and brings to light our myths and idols. Our past strategies run aground, smashed by unpredictable and chaotic waves.

There is always opportunity in the midst of the chaos of a crisis. The history of the church tells us that crisis always precedes renewal, and the framework of renewal offers us new ways forward. A Non-Anxious Presence shows how that renewal happens and offers churches and leaders strategic ways to awaken the Church and see our culture changed for Christ.

Inhale deeply, lean into God's Word, and discover why every exhale can be an invitation to pray! Graphic designer Tucker quiets anxiety with this beautifully illustrated guide connecting your body, mind, and spirit to peace. Establish a new reliance upon Christ using 80 breath prayers, full-color illustrations, and a guide toward intimate connection with God. 208 pages, hardcover from Nelson.

How to Pray: A Guide for Young Explorers by Pete Greig, with Gemma Hunt, Tweens will develop a deeper understanding of and appreciation for prayer as they discover its life-giving, life-changing power, in this entertaining, relatable, and practical activities. Paperback, 288 pages. Recommended for ages 9 to 12 years old.