Christian Living Articles & Interviews
Read articles and interviews on Christian living and discipleship, brought to you by IVP Extra.
Technology and the Church
These books bring together a diversity of viewpoints from some of the most thoughtful Christian voices engaging technology today, offering biblical grounding, practical guidance, and honest wrestling with hard questions. Keep reading to find resources that will equip you to engage technology faithfully as a Christian.
Soul-Nourishing Reads for Christian Moms
Featuring devotionals, insightful Bible studies, poetry, and engaging novels, this collection of Christian books provides a compassionate space for mothers to breathe. Each selection is uplifting, deeply encouraging, and thoughtfully designed to help the women you love rest, reflect, and draw closer to God on any occasion.
Presence and Play
In this article, author and illustrator Betony Coons explores how her children's book, The Unwinding Path, draws on the ancient practice of the labyrinth to help children move from the energy of the day into a peaceful awareness of God's presence, especially at bedtime. Keep reading for a reflection on the gift of helping little ones unwind into rest knowing they are deeply loved and held.
Trusting God When You’re Afraid of the Dark
If you’ve ever faced a tearful bedtime battle, you’re not alone. Nighttime can stir up big emotions in little ones. But Rachel Joy Welcher, author of Charlie Can’t Sleep!, invites parents and caregivers to see bedtime struggles in a new light. When little ones resist the dark or fear being alone, these moments can become gentle opportunities to teach our children about God’s constant presence.
Four Ideas for Family Prayer
Prayer can be daunting as a parent and as a family because what can be more intimate and vulnerable than opening ourselves with humility, hope, and honesty to the all-knowing, all-seeing God of the universe? Inspired by Kaylee Prays for the Children of the World, here are four ideas for how you can lean into the lessons of the book and create a culture of prayer in your own family.
“God Gives Good Gifts to Everyone”
What good gifts has God given your children? Amy and Rob Dixon, authors of the IVP Kids book "Penny Preaches," help parents and caregivers discern, embrace, and cultivate the vocational giftings of the children in their lives.
What Is Juneteenth? How Christians Can Engage with Black History
How can Christians engage with Juneteenth? Take this opportunity to educate yourself, your family, and your church on Black history in America and get practical ideas to become a part of the continuing story of justice and reconciliation in your community.
Helping Children Understand Lent through the Lens of Love
How can we discuss love in a way that makes sense to children? Ned Bustard, author of "Saint Valentine the Kindhearted," believes that the timing of Valentine's Day near the beginning of Lent offers the perfect opportunity to engage with your kids about the magnificent and unconditional love of God.
At the Crossroads of Faith and Work
As Christians, our work and faith are integrated seamlessly in our lives. What if we all found a way to see our vocation as way of advancing God's work? In this conversation, IVP authors Barry Rowan, Gayle Beebe, Jeff Haanen, Joanna Meyer, Ross Chapman, and Ryan Tafilowski share their insights about bringing faith and work together for the glory of God.
The Slow, Sacred Work of Lament
Lament is a profoundly spiritual act. In this article, 'Hopeful Lament' author Terra McDaniel shares how this sacred act is woven throughout Scripture and our shared histories, with wisdom for how visceral practices like walking a labyrinth can help us tend to our grief.
5 Ways Seminary Deepened My Appreciation of Different Theological Perspectives
Seminary shaped Makayla Payne in countless ways, but one of the greatest gifts it gave her was how it deepened her appreciation for different church traditions and global perspectives. Read these five ways that theological education can expand your outlook and introduce you to impactful resources for Scripture study.
How the Liturgical Church Transformed My Faith
Makayla Payne didn't expect to become Anglican, but then she experienced the historical, theological, and aesthetic depth of this liturgical tradition. Read her story of discovering the liturgical church and how she—and others—have come to appreciate this beautiful and ancient tradition.
A Conversation Between Tish Harrison Warren and Andy Crouch on Culture Making
"The only way to change culture is to create culture," says Andy Crouch in his bestselling book "Culture Making". Read this sneak peek of a new conversation between Crouch and Tish Harrison Warren from the expanded edition's new afterword.
How Studying the Bible Together Builds Vital Spiritual Community
In our lonely culture, community is more vital now than ever. But how do we pursue it? Studying the Bible together is one way to build life-giving spiritual community. Learn practical ways of participating in church small groups that foster spiritual growth, friendship, and connection.
A Conversation on Christian Singleness with Danielle Treweek
What does church history and the Bible have to say about the meaning of singleness? In this interview, author Danielle Treweek talks about the misconceptions our society and the church perpetuates about single people and offers an eschatological vision of singleness that is both hopeful and profound.
Approaching the News with Intellectual Virtue
As Christians, how should we approach the news of the world? Author Travis Dickinson shares how our culture's addiction to the news is not only unnecessary, but it is not good for the soul. Instead, we should strive to have an open mind and practice intellectual virtue as we wrestle with ideas and biases that we encounter from the culture around us.
A Conversation on Defiant Faith with Bill and Will Kynes
How can we as Christians practice defiant faith in the face of suffering? In their book "Wrestling with Job," Bill Kynes, a lifelong pastor, and his son Will Kynes, a Job scholar, guide readers on a journey through the book of Job. In this interview, they discuss their writing process, their personal connections to the book, and Job's powerful lessons on perseverance.
The Search for Meaning: Finding Your Purpose in Life
What is life all about? Watch this video of Os Guinness as he engages with young adults looking for purpose, then get a sneak peek into his book "The Great Quest." Whether you're a student looking forward to life after school or you're still searching for purpose as an adult, it's never too late to seek meaning in this life through an honest exploration of God and faith.
Four Things I Wish I'd Known About Anxiety
You or someone you love struggles with anxiety. The good news is that there is hope. Learn from pastor Jason Cusick's experience with anxiety and discover these four practical tips for taking control of anxious thoughts and patterns with Jesus' help.
Spiritual Formation and Books: Reading as a Spiritual Practice
How do we grow closer to God? As Christians, we desire to become more like Christ. What does it look like to devote ourselves to spiritual formation? IVP's divisional vice president and associate publisher Cindy Bunch dives into what Christian spiritual formation really is and how books play an important role in our spiritual growth.
5 Things I Wish I Knew About Becoming an Adult
Getting old is weird, and the transition from young adult to full-blown adult can be brutal. Trying to navigate this very formative decade can just be straight up challenging. Sharing insights from her book The Gap Decade, author Katie Schnack gives five tips for twenty-somethings trying to be "real adults."
Hope to Carry On: Inviting God into Our Mental Health Journey
Christians who struggle with their mental health often hear conflicting messages about how their spiritual life and conditions like depression and anxiety relate. But according to author Diana Gruver, we can find a middle road where Christian faith and mental health are integrated in healthy ways. Listen in as she begins a life-giving conversation about the role faith can play in our mental health journey.
A Conversation on Life's Transitions with D. Michael Lindsay
In this interview, Michael Lindsay explores the seven stages of transition he writes about in his book Hinge Moments. With vulnerability and insight, he shares how he has navigated his own vocational transition from president of Gordon College to president-elect of Taylor University.
A Conversation on Motherhood and Academia with Nancy Wang Yuen and Deshonna Collier-Goubil
In this interview, Power Women editors Nancy Wang Yuen and Deshonna Collier-Goubil discuss how they navigate the call to both the academy and motherhood as Christian women. If you've ever wanted to hear from women on a similar vocational journey who come from different backgrounds, academic disciplines, and stages of parenting and career, this interview will be refreshing.
Politics, Christian Discipleship, and Seeking the Common Good
As a publishing house, IVP desires to speak thoughtfully and in a balanced but bold manner into questions on the integration of faith, discipleship, and politics. What constitutes the common good and building a just society—not only in election years, but every year? Books are vehicles for promoting liberty, for shedding light on darkness. In this article, former IVP publisher Jeff Crosby shows how in a time when many of us are distracted by clickbait and popular opinion, books still have a tremendous impact.
