“When I am parched and dry in my own soul (and, yes, even pastors get that way sometimes) the best cure that I know is to pick up and read a good Christian biography. It floods my mind and soul with vitality, faith, and joy in God. It inspires me to read about the lives of faithful men and women that have run the race with endurance. It helps me press on myself.” ~ Tyler Scarlett
Allow me to summarize Pastor Scarlett’s 10 Benefits:
- Christian biographies remind you of the sweetness and joy of the gospel.
- Christian biographies infuse you with greater faithfulness to Christ.
- Christian biographies let you know that you are not the only one that faces problems.
- Christian biographies always have a “happy” ending.
- Christian biographies can challenge your preconceived notions about who God is and what He does.
- Christian biographies introduce you to some of your fellow “heaven-mates”.
- Christian biographies serve as a warning against the sewage and destruction of sin.
- Christian biographies reassure us that God uses ordinary people to accomplish His extraordinary purposes.
- Christian biographies show us that God, who worked in the past, is still at work in the present.
- Christian biographies increase our understanding of just how powerful our God truly is.
Now that you know why you should read Christian biographies, allow me to make a few recommendations. Below are 10 Christian biographies every Christian should read. The lives of these godly men and women will encourage, inspire and model for you a life devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ.
10 Christian Biographies Every Christian Should Read
- Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Royland Bainton
- Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George Marsden
- Spurgeon: A New Biography by Arnold Dallimore
- John Calvin: A Biography by T.H.L. Parker
- George Whitefield: The Life and Times by Arnold Dallimore
- Robert Murray M’cheyne by Andrew Bonar
- William Carey and the Missionary Vision by Daniel Webber
- D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: Fight of Faith by Iain H. Murray
- The Life of John Murray by Iain H. Murray
- Elizabeth Prentiss: More Love to Thee by Sharon James
The 10 Benefits are summarized from this post by the same title.