Resources That Have Helped Me Grow in My Faith

Happy first post of 2025! These past few weeks after the holidays have felt so cozy and I still feel like I have been taking it slower than usual. Life can get so busy and it feels great to just rest and ease back into the swing of things.

In starting the new year, I have been reflecting on how I have grown in the past year and have realized that, though last year was really difficult for me, I grew a lot in my walk with the Lord. As I continue to grow in my faith daily, I wanted to share a few of the resources I have used to deepen my faith in God because they have been so helpful to me.

So, here are a few of my favourite resources that have helped me grow in my relationship with the Lord.

1. The Bible - spending time reading my Bible each day is the main thing that has grown my faith. The Bible details God's redemption story, with His unending love for us shining through. It discusses how we should live as Christians, reveals who God is, and provides answers to so many questions that we may have. I have both a CSB Study Bible as well as an NIV Women's Study Bible and love referring to both when I am studying God's Word for greater insight and understanding.

2. The Bible Recap by Tara-Leigh Cobble - Have you ever read a passage in the Bible and struggled to understand what it meant? If so, meet one of my all-time favourite resources! I was introduced to the Bible Recap last year and I have been using it frequently ever since. Basically, the author goes through the entire Bible and summarizes what is going on chapter by chapter. It is written to be used as a one-year study through the Bible, but I typically use it as a reference when I am reading through sections of the Bible.

3. Enduring Word App - This app provides commentary on the entire Bible, breaking down what each verse means, explaining any cross-references, and providing background and contextual information. If you really want to dive into the chapters you are reading, I highly recommend a commentary - this is a great one!

4. Becoming Something Podcast - This podcast is hosted by Jonathan Pokluda, a pastor at Harris Creek church in Waco, Texas. The podcast is geared towards young adults and covers a range of topics surrounding how to live life well as a Christian and it always teaches me something new.

5. Becoming Happy and Healthy by Jeanine Amapola - Y'all, Jeanine did not hold back on this book! She covers a range of topics throughout the book, all leading you to build a happier and healthier lifestyle. She provides great advice, personal stories, and writing prompts at the end to encourage personal reflection. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, learned so much from it, and definitely recommend it! If you don't want to commit to the book just yet, Jeanine also hosts the Happy and Healthy Podcast, and Meg and I love listening to it!

6. Atomic Habits - Though this isn't necessarily a Christian resource, this book is outstanding! The author discusses how to go about setting goals and creating habits to reach those goals. It changed the way I go about my daily life and has helped me to be more obedient and intentional in my walk with God. If you struggle to reach the goals you set for yourself, go grab this book!

7. Stay True Podcast - If you can't tell by now, I am a huge supporter of podcasts and Madison Prewett-Troutt's podcast is not to be left out! She covers topics around singleness, marriage, temptation, spiritual warfare, confidence, and how to navigate life in general. She speaks godly truth in each of her episodes and I have learned so much from her! She also has a few books, Made for This Moment and The Love Everybody Wants that I have loved and recommend checking out.

8. My Bible Tracker App - This app has helped me to keep track of my progress reading through the Bible and provides statistics detailing how much of the Bible I have read. I find it so satisfying to be able to check off new parts of the Bible I have read, which encourages me to continue reading the Word daily.

9. She Reads Truth Bible Studies - I have been doing the She Reads Truth Bible studies for years and continue to come back to them when I want to do a more guided study. They have studies specific to chapters of the Bible or that cover different topics, providing a large variety to choose from. I recently did their Psalms of Rest study and found so much peace in it, it was a great way to start the new year!

10. Whoa That's Good Podcast - Okay, this is the last podcast I am going to mention but I just couldn't leave it out! I have followed Sadie Robertson for years and have loved learning from her strong and encouraging faith. She brings on fellow Christians who provide such helpful advice covering a huge range of topics. I also love Sadie's books and just picked up this one and I can't wait to dive in!

Well, there you have it friends, some of my all-time favourite resources that have helped me develop a deeper relationship with God over the past few years. I hope you find them helpful in your own walk with the Lord! If you have any resources you have found particularly helpful in your faith journey, please leave them in the comments below - I am always excited to find more!

Love,

~ Sarah