“Who am I?” and “Why am I here?” are vital questions that everyone wrestles with at some stage in their journey. Ken Costa starts his book with a different question, the first thing that Jesus is recorded as saying in John’s Gospel – “What do you want?” (John 1:37). Discovery of our unique calling starts, he says, with gaining a deep understanding of our heart’s desires, our passions, and how these relate to our identity in Christ.

Christian entrepreneurs are often misunderstood. Yet Christian entrepreneurs are at the heart of the church’s mission. These dynamic, innovative followers of Jesus are making a major contribution to our society through the businesses they run, the products and services they supply, and the people they employ and influence. A Voice to be Heard explains and celebrates their work, mostly through their own words.

In this short collection of true stories, Mark Greene looks at eight different examples of how ordinary people involve God in their everyday lives – from a young hairdresser to a retired couple travelling with their bus passes, from a geography student to a banker, from a Mum who works part-time to a member of the Prime Minister’s armed protection unit. Each story takes just a few minutes to read and highlights how God works through us in our everyday situations – sometimes even when we don’t realise it.

This helpful and practical book begins by explaining the prophetic word given simultaneously by God to Loren Cunningham (founder of YWAM), Bill Bright (founder of Campus Crusade) and Francis Schaeffer (theologian and founder of L’Abri). This outlines the seven spheres of society that define modern culture and calls Christians to influence each of these spheres to change the culture within which we find ourselves. These spheres are sometimes known as the seven mountains of culture: family, government, arts and entertainment, media, business, education and church.

Jeff van Duzer is both a Christian and Dean of a Business School. Having studied business for many years, he is only too aware of the failings, shortcomings and problems with twenty-first century, capitalist business. But he is also very aware of how business generates the economic capital that enables the rest of society to flourish. This led him to ask a vital question: “What does God think about business?”.

This is a good, all round book that covers the basics well. It also includes questions for reflection and discussion, a prayer and a case study at the end of each chapter. In addition to being a good overall introduction to the topic of faith and work, there is a thought provoking chapter entitled “Work now and later”, which addresses the important eschatological topic of how our work now prepares us for the new heaven and new earth that is promised in the future.

Nobody sets out deliberately to make bad or unwise decisions. Yet every day we see all around us the consequences of poor choices, mistakes and sub-optimal thinking. Of course, we’re only human, so mistakes will happen. But what if we could understand our human nature a bit better? What if we could spot the signs of a poor decision, and then think some more about the flawed assumptions our brains are making? Risky Business explains how talented, intelligent, rational people make bad decisions every day because of unconscious bias in the way they think.

The central message of this book is that the Christian faith can be a real power for good in the global economy when it fulfils five criteria: stimulating enterprise, reducing poverty, promoting integrity, encouraging sustainability and fostering discipleship. Sadly, as Richard Higginson points out, some forms of the Christian faith are more a hindrance than a help in the global economy.

Will a regular day’s work this week have any ultimate value after Jesus returns?  Does our work on earth build anything that might last into eternity?  What if our daily work here and now is the primary way in which Christians participate in God’s renewal of creation?  In short, does our earthly work have any heavenly significance? 

Written in an approachable style, this book identifies a core problem that many of us working in the 21st century cannot easily escape. Although written by a professional church leader, whose schedule probably differs considerably from that of someone who works in a secular job, John Mark Comer first confesses that he suffers from many of the same problems that secular workers face, before going on to put his finger on one of the biggest obstacles for someone who wants to follow Jesus: hurry.

This book is an easy read, addressing some crucial issues around managing money and dealing with debt using very practical anecdotes and examples. The “money secret” is absolutely not rocket science; this is not about sophisticated financial management or how to find interest free credit – it’s about how to live free from debt. Most people at work or looking for work have borrowed money; this book provides a simple reminder of the importance of spending less than you earn and avoiding expensive credit. This is also a thought provoking read for anyone who works in financial services.

Long working hours, travel and ever-evolving gadgets connecting us to an always-on world leave many people sapped of energy and far too tired. Families and friends often get the dregs of lives worn out by work. Financial anxiety is the padlock that keeps us trapped. Sometimes we wonder whether we are in God’s will and what the long-term legacy of our life will be.

This engagingly written book is a little gem that will help you think about your work from a completely different perspective. Geoff Shattock describes his purpose in life as finding angles for people to see Jesus of Nazareth in a way they have not seen him before. In this creatively different exploration of the modern “race”, he certainly achieves that, provoking us to think differently about how to tackle the things that make our work challenging.