Building a Foundation That Lasts
If you have recently come to faith — or you know someone who has — the question of where to start reading can feel overwhelming. There are thousands of Christian books, and not all of them are created equal. Some are profound. Some are mediocre. Some might confuse more than they clarify.
Here are five books that have stood the test of time and consistently help new believers build a strong, thoughtful, joyful faith. Each one is available as a 12-minute summary on The Scroll.
1. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
No list like this would be complete without Lewis. Written during the darkest days of World War II, Mere Christianity is the single best introduction to what Christians actually believe and why. Lewis does not argue for any particular denomination. Instead, he lays out the common ground shared by all Christians everywhere — what he calls "mere" Christianity.
What makes this book special is that Lewis was an atheist before he was a Christian. He knows every objection because he held them himself. His arguments are clear, his prose is brilliant, and his insights into human nature are devastatingly accurate. Start here.
2. The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life has sold over 50 million copies for a reason: it answers the question every new believer asks. Why am I here? What does God want from me now? Warren walks readers through 40 days of discovering God's purposes for their lives — worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and mission.
The book is practical, readable, and grounded in Scripture. It will not make you a theologian, but it will give you a framework for understanding what the Christian life is actually about day to day.
3. Knowing God by J.I. Packer
Once you have the basics, Knowing God takes you deeper. Packer's masterwork is the bridge between devotional reading and serious theology. He writes about God's attributes — His holiness, His love, His wisdom, His sovereignty — in a way that warms the heart while stretching the mind.
This is the book that teaches new Christians that theology is not a dry academic exercise. It is the most practical thing in the world, because what you believe about God shapes everything else.
4. Crazy Love by Francis Chan
Francis Chan wrote Crazy Love to wake the church up. His premise is simple and challenging: if God is who the Bible says He is — infinite, holy, all-powerful, and overflowing with love — then our response should be anything but lukewarm. Chan confronts comfortable Christianity with the radical demands of Jesus.
For new believers who are still on fire and want to stay that way, this book fans the flame. It is short, intense, and impossible to read passively.
5. The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
Written in a Bedford jail in 1678, The Pilgrim's Progress is the most widely read Christian book after the Bible itself. Bunyan tells the story of Christian, a man who flees the City of Destruction and journeys to the Celestial City. Along the way he faces the Slough of Despond, Vanity Fair, Doubting Castle, and a host of colorful characters.
It is an allegory, and every challenge Christian faces maps to a real struggle in the life of faith. Nearly 350 years later, the journey still rings true. New believers will see their own struggles on every page.
Start Anywhere, Keep Going
You do not need to read these in order. Pick the one that speaks to where you are right now. And when you finish, there are hundreds more waiting in The Scroll library.
The point is not to read everything. The point is to never stop growing.
