Published on October 5 by Thomas Nelson, Jesus Listens: Daily Devotional Prayer of Peace, Joy, and Hope by Sarah Young debuts on PW’s Religion Nonfiction list at the #1 spot. The 365-day devotional is the latest release by Young, whose past bestsellers include Jesus Always and Jesus Calling, the latter of which has sold over 35 million copies since its publication in 2004 and is currently #4 on our bestsellers list. With an initial print run of 100,000 copies, promotions for Jesus Listens included a book trailer, targeted advertising on social media, and email newsletter coverage through HarperCollins Christian Publishing’s house lists, and advertising on the Jesus Calling brand’s podcast, magazine, website, and other media outlets.
Young has never sought a public profile, and during a rare interview by email in 2012, the author discussed her health problems as well as her writing, telling PW: “The hope we can find in the Bible is a sturdy reality—no matter what is happening in our lives or in the world.”
Also debuting on PW’s Religion Nonfiction Bestsellers list, Where Do We Go From Here: How Tomorrow’s Prophecies Foreshadow Today’s Problems (Thomas Nelson) by bestselling author David Jeremiah comes in at #2 following promotions coordinated with the author’s Turning Point broadcast ministry, ads on BibleGateway, Outreach, and other Christian sites, as well as cross-divisional support on HCCP’s social media platforms and email lists. Jeremiah is senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church, a Southern Baptist church with eight satellite locations in Southern California. The new book examines the Bible to explore “how prophecies and wisdom from centuries ago still speak the truth today and point the way forward,” according to the publisher.
Michael Todd takes #3 with Crazy Faith: It’s Only Crazy Until it Happens (WaterBrook), which calls on Christians to be alert to God’s voice and choose hope over fear. He is the pastor of Transformation Church in Tulsa, which is online only at present and has 1.5 million YouTube subscribers. Promotions for the book included an appearance on the Today show in early October, interviews on the 700 Club as well as author Jennie Allen’s Made for This podcast and the Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast. Further, Todd participated in a livestream book launch event at Rich Wilkerson’s Vous Church in Miami, Fl.
Karen Kingsbury tops PW’s Religion Fiction list with Forgiving Paris (Atria), another installment to the author’s popular Baxter family series. The book follows Ashley Baxter Blake who is confronted by a mistake in her past while visiting the City of Lights, and it was promoted through author interviews in Woman’s World magazine, on the Big Impact radio show and podcast, a Facebook Live launch event, and more.
