Breaking Free by Beth Moore- available on Amazon.com and from Lifeway.com. This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click and purchase a book using my link, I receive a small commission at no cost to you.
Warning: this is going to be a gushy post. Be ready.
If I had to choose five books that have transformed my faith life, the Bible, Abandonment to Divine Providence, The Imitation of Christ and Breaking Free would be the top four. (I am leaving myself open to discover number five.) I first came across this book in my freshman year of college when my small group leader in a small nondenominational church suggested that it might be something that was a good fit. This book is a workbook style Bible study based on Isaiah 61 and is designed to help you break free from all sorts of strongholds- self imposed, generational, trauma induced- whatever your story may be.
When I graduated college and moved to Yakima, I was about 3 months into what would become a several year recovery from anorexia. It’s a part of my story I haven’t shared with many, but by the beginning of my senior year of college my mental health was in a tenuous state and I weighed just over one hundred pounds. Through the help of a great counselor and cognitive behavioral therapy, by graduation I was on the road to a healthy lifestyle. At this time in my life, I was living 3,000 miles from my support network, starting to teach and overwhelmed. I turned to Breaking Free again and found the spiritual healing I needed to mend my heart after a destructive romantic relationship and my own self- destructive choices.
The third time I did Breaking Free was two summers ago. This time I invited a group of women to join me, and for the last two years these women have been my spiritual community. This last time I needed to break free from my worry and fear about our four year wait for children. 3 weeks into the study I found out I was pregnant with our son. I know that may not be a direct result of this study, but each time I have gone through this book God has done hugely amazing things in my life.
So how does the book work? It is a 10 week study with five days of reading and responding per week. There are also video sessions for each week, but these can get pricey if you are not doing the study with a group who is willing to chip in. There are also verses to memorize each week and questions for group discussion. While I have done the study alone, it is WAY better with a group.
This book is amazing. It will change your life and the way you trust God.
Popcorn- 1: Beth Moore makes you work hard. You will know God’s word much better at the end of this study.
Stars- 5++++++: Like I said- top five books of my life.
