This page displays every chapter from each of Frank’s published books, including FREE samples.
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I’m a huge fan of music. Those (like me) who have researched music artists and bands are familiar with what’s called a “discography.” A discography is a list of albums that a band or artist has produced. It includes the year each album was released and a listing of all the tracks on each album in order.
There are some striking differences and similarities between a musician’s work and an author’s work.
One of them is that an album is very similar to a book. In that regard, each chapter corresponds to a track from an album.
At the suggestion of a friend, what follows is the equivalent of my “discography.” For those interested, it’s a list of each of my books, the year published, and the table of contents (the “tracks” as it were). There are quite a few sample chapters from each book as well.
The books appear in chronological order, from the newest titles to the oldest.
48 Laws of Spiritual Power (Tyndale: October 18, 2022)
With 48 Laws of Spiritual Power, Viola has released another amazing book. The advice it contains is clear and full of practical insights. An absolutely essential read for anyone who is in ministry, either full-time, part-time, or spare-time. As the author says in the opening, “If you are in Christ, your entire life is a mission trip.” Organized in short digestible chapters and intriguing illustrations, Viola’s arresting conversational style is sure to keep you glued to the end. This is an important book that will navigate all Christians – especially leaders – on how to access God’s power in every aspect of their mission. ~ Christian Book Reviews
PRELUDE: Effective Ministry and Spiritual Power
LAW 1: Never Hurt God’s People
LAW 2: Do Not Be a People Pleaser
LAW 3: Beware the Empty House
LAW 4: It Takes One to Make One
LAW 7: Leave the Results with God
LAW 8: Overcome Discouragement
LAW 9: Find Spiritual Satisfaction
LAW 10: Refuse to Take Offense
LAW 11: Lower Your Expectations
LAW 12: Use Humor to Connect and Disarm
LAW 13: Be a Reservoir, Not a Canal
LAW 14: Receive Correction
LAW 15: Distinguish Between Critics
LAW 16: Expect Misunderstandings
LAW 17: Guard Against Self-Righteousness
LAW 18: Avoid Isolation
LAW 19: Develop an Instinct for the Cross
LAW 20: Don’t Put Too Much Trust in Others
LAW 21: Employ Fasting with Prayer
LAW 22: Discern the Season
LAW 23: Resist Bitterness
LAW 24: Serve in the Spirit
LAW 25: Defy the Conventional Wisdom
LAW 26: Keep Your Hands Clean
LAW 27: Unveil Christ
LAW 28: Manage Conflict
LAW 29: Do Not Compromise
LAW 30: Equip and Empower, Do Not Control
LAW 31: Remove the Religious Mask
LAW 32: Stay in School
LAW 33: Embrace Co-Working
LAW 34: Be a Channel, Not a Pond
LAW 35: Stay Faithful to Your Calling
LAW 36: Do Not Go Beyond Your Gift
LAW 37: Be Quick to Apologize
LAW 39: Do Not Defend Yourself
LAW 40: Remain Poor in Spirit
LAW 41: Rethink Success
LAW 42: Pay Attention
LAW 43: Speak to the Heart
LAW 44: Never Waste a Trial
LAW 45: Avoid Toxic People
LAW 46: Do Not Bluff
LAW 47: Put a Handle on It
LAW 48: Realize It Doesn’t Work
POSTLUDE: Straight Talk to Leaders
CODA I: The Danger of God’s Power
CODA II: Three Instruments
CODA III: When Christian Leaders Deny the Faith
CODA IV: Passing the Torch
CODA V: A Nicodemus Moment
Notes
About the Author
Hang On, Let Go (Tyndale: August 17, 2021)
An astonishing and insightful field guide for Christians who are enduring a severe trial or crisis. Viola writes with compassion, navigating the reader through their own personal storm. The writing style is compelling and clear, even poetic and humorous. Make no mistake, this isn’t your typical book about suffering. It’s a practical manual. It’s not memoir either. The author keeps the focus on the struggles of the reader and the God who can deliver. The wisdom conveyed and the emotional connection the author makes with readers as he describes his feelings, thoughts, and struggles during his own trials lends tremendous credibility to the message. This book is a lifesaver for anyone who is trying to weather a storm. ~ Christian Book Reviews
Introduction: Why You Need This Book
Part 2: Hang On
- The Stages of Your Crisis
- The Day of Trouble
- Reacting to Hurt the Wrong Way
- You Need Friends
- Intimacy with Jesus
- The Trial of Your Faith
- An Outrageous Roller Coaster
- When God Remains Anonymous
- The Hurricane Is on Its Way
- His History Is Our Destiny
- A Way Where There Is No Way
- Pleasure and Pain
- Just Hang On
- A Wrestling Match with an Angel
- Job’s Bitter Pill
- Paul and His Thorn
- An Imperfect Storm
- When You Need to Regrip
- Their Dark Nights End
- Embracing Loneliness
- God Is Near Nonetheless
- Stuck in a Holding Pattern
- The Uncertainty of the Cross
- Resurrection Territory
Part 3: Let Go
- The Art of Letting Go
- Giving Up vs. Letting Go
- The Fellowship of His Sufferings
- How to Survive Your Crisis
- Act as If
- Psalm 23 Remixed
- Outcome Independence
- A Titanic Discovery
- Passing through Fire
- The Breaking of God
- Stay in Your Lane
- Tick Your Boxes
- Walking in the Darkness
- Forgiving Others
- Hurt People Hurt People
- God’s Pruning Shears
- Peace in the Storm
- Don’t Believe Everything You Think
- Cognitive Distortions
- Don’t Look at the Wall
- The Hidden Destroyer
- Staying Detached
- Abandoning Fix-It Mode
- When God Unhides Himself
- The Story in Our Head
- Be Still and Know
- Just Breathe
- Mountain Lion Energy
- God’s Waiting Room
- Blowing Hot and Cold
- The Tears God Keeps
- Encourage Yourself in the Lord
- Six Affirmations
- How to Outsource Your Worry
- A Wall of Reminders
- The Battle Is the Lord’s
- Do You Love Your Life?
- Making Jesus First
- The Real Pandemic They Don’t Want You to Know About
- Look Up, Not Down
- When God Delays
- Reframing Rejection
- Living in the End Result
- Take Nothing Personally
- A Recipe for the Desperate
- Stop This, Start That
- Notes to Myself (Excerpts from My Journal)
- The Pieces Are Alive
- Be Resilient
- Work on Yourself
- There’s No Fix-It Plan
- In the Good Hands of God
- Give Up Control
Part 4: As the Clouds Lift
- Invaluable Lessons
- The Outcome
- Calm, Cool, and Collected
- A Special Word to Christian Workers
Appendix I: Who Brought Your Trial?
Appendix II: Next Steps
Acknowledgments
Notes
About the Author
ReGrace (Baker: March 5, 2019)
ReGrace is a book that Rick Warren asked Frank to write. It’s challenging and full of humor. A needed message for a day in which Christians regularly destroy one another on social media over disagreements in theology and politics. The historical parts are interesting, and the practical portions give illuminating instruction on how to disagree with grace. ~ Christian Books Reviews
4. Honoring Those with Whom You Disagree
6. The Shocking Beliefs of C. S. Lewis
7. The Shocking Beliefs of Jonathan Edwards
8. The Shocking Beliefs of Martin Luther
9. The Shocking Beliefs of John Calvin
10. The Shocking Beliefs of Augustine
11. The Shocking Beliefs of John Wesley
12. The Shocking Beliefs of Charles Spurgeon
13. The Shocking Beliefs of D. L. Moody
14. Seven Shocking Statements by Billy Graham
15. The New Tolerance
16. You Just Might Be a Pharisee If
17. Twenty Reasons Why the Christian Right and the Christian Left Won’t Adopt Me
18. So You Think You Disagree?
19. The Art of Being a Jerk Online
20. Warning: The World Is Watching How We Christians Treat One Another
21. Misrepresentations
22. Possessing a Mind to Suffer
23. The Essentials of Our Faith
24. Who Are the Real Heretics?
25. They Are Our Teachers
Acknowledgments
Notes: A Word to Scholars
Insurgence (Baker: June 5, 2018)
What Pagan Christianity did in redefining and revolutionizing “church,” Insurgence does in redefining and revolutionizing “kingdom.” This is a daunting, engrossing powerhouse that’s accessible to all audiences. I predict it will become one of the author’s most iconic works and the new benchmark on the kingdom of God. Penetrating and full of insight. Revolutionary from start to finish, Insurgence astonishes and delivers. A masterstroke of spiritual genius. ~ Christian Books Reviews
A Warning Before You Read Further
PART I THREE DIFFERENT GOSPELS
PART II UNVEILING THE KING’S BEAUTY
PART III THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM
PART IV ENTERING AND ENJOYING THE KINGDOM
PART V OUR GLORIOUS LIBERTY
PART VI ADVANCING THE KINGDOM
Notes
Acknowledgments
Jesus Speaks (Thomas Nelson: August 9, 2016)
The Christian analog to the Lennon-McCartney brand, Sweet and Viola offer the third book in their JESUS trilogy. Jesus Speaks is a masterful study on hearing God’s voice. Mixing the personal with the scriptural, Viola and Sweet offer a comprehensive and practical look at recognizing the voice of Christ. This book emerges at the pinnacle of the authors’ creative output and stands as an entrancing statement by the duo. One of the most anticipated books of the Summer, I predict it will be the new touchstone in its field and the gold standard for practical spirituality. Ignore it at your own peril. ~ Christian Books Reviews
Introduction: The Whispers of God’s Voice
Volume 1: Hearing the Voice of the Resurrected
Jesus in the Stories of Scripture
Chapter 1: The Unexpected Voice of Jesus
Jesus’ First Appearance: Jesus Speaks to Mary in the Garden
Chapter 2: The Hidden Voice of Jesus
Jesus’ Second Appearance: Jesus Speaks to Two
Disciples on the Emmaus Road
Chapter 3: The Elusive Voice of Jesus
Jesus’ Third Appearance: Jesus Speaks to His Disciples in a Closed Room
Chapter 4: The Challenging Voice of Jesus
Jesus’ Fourth Appearance: Jesus Speaks to Thomas
Chapter 5: The Forgiving Voice of Jesus
Jesus’ Fifth Appearance: Jesus Speaks to Peter
Chapter 6: The Blinding Voice of Jesus
Jesus’ Sixth Appearance: Jesus Speaks to Paul on the Road to Damascus
Chapter 7: The Missional Voice of Jesus
Jesus’ Seventh Appearance: Jesus’ Ascension
Chapter 8: The Godstruck Voice of Jesus:
Jesus Eighth Appearance: Jesus Speaks Through the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
Volume 2: Hearing the Voice That Has No Words
Part 1: Tuning Your Ears to Hear
Chapter 9: Become Poor in Spirit
Chapter 10: Reject Condemnation
Chapter 11: Always Remain a Child
Chapter 12: Exercise Faith
Chapter 13: Increasing Your Faith to Hear
Chapter 14: Be Willing to Respond
Chapter 15: Have the Right Motive
Part 2: Hearing Jesus Today
Chapter 16: What the Forty Days Teach Us
Chapter 17: The Lord’s Voice in Scripture
Chapter 18: Spiritual Instincts
Chapter 19: What Does It Look Like?
Chapter 20: Wisdom
Chapter 21: The Body of Christ
Chapter 22: Visions and Dreams
Chapter 23: The Audible Voice
Chapter 24: The Conscience
Chapter 25: Another Look at Jesus
Chapter 26: Four Ways to Recognize the Lord’s Voice
Chapter 27: Practical Steps to Receiving a Word from the Lord
Chapter 28: Take Time for Quiet
Chapter 29: Hearing the Voice in the Morning
Chapter 30: Hearing the Voice While Walking
Chapter 31: Hearing the Voice in Worship
Chapter 32: Personalizing the Voice in Scripture
Chapter 33: Sharpening Your Spiritual Instincts
Part 3: The Challenges of Listening for the Lord’s Voice
Chapter 34: The Price of Following the Lord’s Voice
Chapter 35: The Challenge of Our Expectations
Chapter 36: The Danger of Arrogance
Chapter 37: The Danger of Counterfeit Voices
Chapter 38: The Danger of Forcing a Word from God
Chapter 39: The Danger of Misunderstanding
Chapter 40: The Danger of Misrepresenting God
Chapter 41: The Danger of Religious Jealousy
Chapter 42: The Danger of Misinterpreting Dry Spells and Dark Nights
Chapter 43: The Goal of It All
Appendix: Jesus Speaks After His Ascension
Notes
About the Authors
The Day I Met Jesus (Baker: March 3, 2015)
This book is a literary masterpiece. Viola and DeMuth are titans of creative writing, and in this astounding book, they are at their incendiary best. The Day I Met Jesus brings the reader into windswept grandeur, a soul-stirring journey of first-century figures and the Man, Jesus, who transformed their lives. The book is a durable body of work, nothing less than awe-inspiring. A great display of color, engaging story, and drama. At points, it contains a flair of passion. A spellbinding presentation. As one endorser put it (Leonard Sweet), the book is “elegant, stimulating, rewarding, this probe into Jesus’ relationship with women packages the best of biblical scholarship and theology in the spellbinding wraps of storytelling.” ~ Christian Books Reviews
Why We Wrote This Book
Preface from Frank Viola
Preface from Mary DeMuth
Introducing Five Amazing Encounters
1. Diary of a Woman Caught in Adultery
2. Diary of a Prostitute Who Loved Much
3. Diary of a Desperate Samaritan Woman
4. Diary of a Woman with a Flow of Blood
5. Diary of a the Woman Whom Jesus Loved
6. One More Thing
Talking It Over
The Veronica Project
Notes
Jesus Now (David C. Cook: May 1, 2014)
Viola’s release explores the present-day ministry of Christ. A CBA best-seller, Jesus Now is a uniquely blended composition forging a creative exposition of the seven ministries of Jesus today. A fresh offering in a neglected genre and subject. Ground-breaking and sod-turning, written with stringent clarity and balance. “Tight but loose” describes this volume well. ~ Christian Books Reviews
Foreword by Leonard Sweet
Introduction: What is Jesus Doing Now?
1. Great High Priest
2. Chief Shepherd
3. Heavenly Bridegroom
4. Author and Finisher of Our Faith
5. Builder of Ekklesia
7. Lord of the World
Acknowledgements
God’s Favorite Place on Earth (David C. Cook: May 1, 2013)
Viola’s crowning achievement. A new kind of Christian literature called biblical narrative. The book broke new ground in forming an exotic stew of historical fiction, spiritual prose, and practical application. Spellbinding and unchartered, profound and moving, poetic and electrifying, the book marks the apex of Viola’s evolution as a writer. Laced with exquisite writing and sophisticated theological concepts woven into story, God’s Favorite Place is a stunningly elegant, magnificent and brilliant piece of work, a towering triumph in spiritual literature. ~ Christian Books Reviews
Introducing an Amazing Village
Facts About Bethany
2. Awed in Bethany
3. Awakened in Bethany
5. Ascended in Bethany
6. Anticipating Bethany
Talking It Over
Notes
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Looking for More?
Bible Credits
Jesus: A Theography (Thomas Nelson: October 2, 2012)
Viola teams up with Leonard Sweet again to create a majestic, magisterial, astonishing tome that unfolds the Jesus story throughout the entire Bible. The book contains plenty of the old magic that is found in Jesus Manifesto, but it’s a heavier, more crushing, pulsating and robust work. Viola’s rousing chapter on what Christ was doing before creation charts entirely new directions. Sweet’s chapter on the micro-view of the Genesis creation is a beautifully written lyric. The two literary titans have given the Christian audience another unique look at Jesus. ~ Christian Books Reviews
2. Christ in Creation: The Macro Version
3. Christ in Creation: The Micro Version
4. Jesus’ Birth and Boyhood
5. Jesus’ Missing Years
6. Jesus’ Preparation for Ministry
7. Jesus’ Baptism and Temptation
8. Jesus Chooses His Disciples
9. Jesus’ Mission Statement
10. Jesus: Healer and Miracle-Worker
11. Jesus: Teacher and Preacher
12. The Human Jesus
13. Jesus’ Trial and Crucifixion
14. The Atonement and the Harrowing of Hell
15. The Resurrection, Ascension, and Pentecost
16. The Return of the King
Conclusion: The Jesus Spirit
Appendix: Post-Apostolic Witnesses
Notes
About the Authors
Revise Us Again (David C. Cook: April 1, 2011)
Incredibly edgy and on the money, this book hacks the victorious Christian life by presenting fresh and insightful chapters on neglected aspects of the spiritual journey. An atomic rethink that’s infectious. Some of the chapters push the boundaries with subtle brilliance. ~ Christian Books Reviews
Introduction
2. The Lord Told Me
3. Let Me Pray About It
4. Spiritual Conversational Styles
5. What’s Wrong with Our Gospel?
6. The Felt-Presence of God
7. Captured by the Same Spirit You Oppose
8. The God of Unseen Endings
9. Stripping Down to Christ Alone
10. Your Christ Is Too Small
Acknowledgements
Notes
About the Author
Jesus Manifesto (Thomas Nelson: June 1, 2010)
Viola teams up with Leonard Sweet for the first time. The book contains crushing power and clever riffs focusing on the captivating glories of Jesus. Chapter 2, “A Bottle in the Ocean,” is a composition that gradually builds its crescendo before culminating into a breathless climax. Chapter 3, “If God Wrote Your Biography,” is a uniquely creative piece that creates an other-worldly effect. The book’s tempo speeds up as its electrifying message unfolds. Viola and Sweet make for a poetic and prophetic pair, kicking the supremacy of Christ into the stratosphere. Presents Jesus beyond the realms of anything you could possibly imagine. The legacy of the Viola/Sweet brand stands unparalleled. ~ Christian Books Reviews
Introduction: “Who Do You Say That I Am?”
1. The Occupation of All Things
2. A Bottle in the Ocean
3. If God Wrote Your Biography
4. A Violin Called Messiah
5. A Ditch on Either Side
6. His Face or Your Face?
7. A Collision of Two Empires
9. A House of Figs
10. Who Is This Lord of Yours?
Afterword: A Personal Letter from Your Lord
Notes
Connecting
About the Authors
Finding Organic Church (David C. Cook: September 1, 2009)
Released in 2009, this is Viola’s final contribution in his “ReChurch” project. It’s the nuts-and-bolts manual on Christian community and apostolic ministry. From its founding to its development and its perseverance. The book is dominated by Viola’s rich and varied experiences in Christian community. Yet it’s also packed full of Scripture, sketching out the consistent patterns contained, but not easily found, throughout the New Testament. A practical manual on founding Christian communities. ~ Christian Books Reviews
Preface
Introduction: Reclaiming the Biblical Narrative
Part One: Planting the Seed — Biblical Principles for Church Planting
1. The Divine Pattern of Church Formation
2. Restoring the Itinerant Worker
3. The Master Plan of Church Planting
4. Apostolic Covering vs. Apostolic Help
5. The Modern House Church Movement
6. Restoration or Revolution?
Part Two: Tilling the Ground — Answers to Questions
7. Can the New Testament Example Be Applied Today?
8. Was Paul an Exception?
9. Is Church Planting Elitist?
10. Can’t Anyone Start an Organic Church?
11. Wasn’t Paul the Last Apostle?
12. Don’t Apostles Perform Signs and Wonders?
Part Three: Cultivating the Soil — Practical Steps for Beginning
13. Discovering Organic Church
14. Five Unmovable Principles
15. Learning How to Meet
16. Corporate Singing
17. Building Community
18. Twelve Essential Ingredients
Part Four: Pulling the Weeds — Health and Development
19. The Growth Stages of an Organic Church
20. The Seasons of an Organic Church
21. The Diseases of an Organic Church I
22. The Diseases of an Organic Church II
23. How an Apostolic Worker Cares for a Church
24. The Journey Ahead
Acknowledgments
Bibliography
About the Author
From Eternity to Here (David C. Cook: March 1, 2009)
Viola’s magnum opus. A sublime and sophisticated spiritual progression built around a mesmerizing narrative. If it was a piece of music, it would contain a huge, epic sound. Some chapters are sprawling and searing. Others are calculated to deliver a swift kick to the solar plexus. A literary and theological masterpiece that highlights the hidden but obvious riches in God’s Word. The Viola opus hit the CBA best-seller list straight out of the gate. A landmark book on missional theology that’s unparalleled. ~ Christian Books Reviews
Introduction: Disclosing the Divine Story
Part One: A Forgotten Woman – The Bride of Christ
1. The Hidden Romance of the Bible
2. A Woman Inside of a Man
3. A Close-Up of the First Eve
4. The Mystery of the Ages
5. A Close-Up of the Second Eve
6. The Divine Frustration
7. Fallen Yet Cherished
8. Loving Extravagantly
9. The Preparation of the Bride
10. The Ultimate Wedding
11. The Wife of God
Part Two: An Eternal Quest – The House of God
12. The Story of a Homeless God
13. God’s Quest from Adam to Jacob
14. God’s Quest from Moses to Solomon
15. God’s Quest from Jesus to John
16. Fleeing the City of Bondage
17. Leaving the City of Religion
18. Exiting the Desert of Waste
19. God’s Building Site
20. God Finds His Home
Part Three: A New Species – The Body of Christ and The Family of God
21. Invasion from Another Universe
22. The New Species in the Gospels
23. The New Species in Acts
24. The New Species in Galatians and Romans
25. The New Species in Corinthians
26. The New Species in Colossians and Ephesians
27. What Does It Look Like Today?
Afterword: One Man’s Journey into a Deep Ecclesiology
Acknowledgments
Bibliography
About the Author
Reimagining Church (David C. Cook: August 1, 2008)
Released in 2008, Viola’s constructive sequel to the much-hailed Pagan Christianity, this book veers off into a more ambitious progression in ecclesiological thinking. The book combines gut-level experience, on-the-ground practicality, and razor-sharp biblical exegesis with high-octane theology. Edgy, raw and real. Viola is at the top of his game in this volume. It contains a power and clarity that’s startling. ~ Christian Books Reviews
Introduction: Toward a New Kind of Church
Part One: Community and Gatherings
1. Reimagining the Church as an Organism
2. Reimagining the Church Meeting
3. Reimagining the Lord’s Supper
4. Reimagining the Gathering Place
5. Reimagining the Family of God
6. Reimagining Church Unity
7. Church Practice and God’s Eternal Purpose
Part Two: Leadership and Accountability
8. Reimagining Leadership
9. Reimagining Oversight
10. Reimagining Decision-Making
11. Reimagining Spiritual Covering
12. Reimagining Authority and Submission
13. Reimagining Denominational Covering
14. Reimagining the Apostolic Tradition
15. Where Do We Go from Here?
Appendix: Objections and Responses about Leadership
Bibliography
Notes
Pagan Christianity (Tyndale: January 1, 2008)
Released in 2008, this evocative title put Viola’s expertise in church history on the grid. Viola teamed up with research heavy-weight George Barna to create a formidable, devastating, prophetically written tour de force on ecclesiology. From the jolting opening to the challenging ending, this is a bittersweet, compelling, and dramatic progression of historical and challenging content. Love it or lump it, you can’t read it and remain settled. This book sparked a revolution that set the stage for Viola’s other groundbreaking works, establishing him as a voice that couldn’t be ignored. Pagan Christianity is a milestone of raw passion and energy. ~ Christian Books Reviews
Acknowledgments
Preface by Frank Viola
Introduction: What Happened to the Church? by George Barna
Some Definitions
1. Have We Really Been Doing It by the Book?
2. The Church Building
3. The Order of Worship
4. The Sermon
5. The Pastor
6. Sunday Morning Costumes
7. Ministers of Music
8. Tithing and Clergy Salaries
9. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
10. Christian Education
11. Reapproaching the New Testament
12. A Second Glance at the Savior
Afterword: The Next Step
Final Thoughts: Q&A with Frank Viola and George Barna
Summary of Origins
Key Figures in Church History
Bibliography
About the Authors
==> CLICK HERE TO ORDER ANY OF THE BOOKS
Books in the Queue
The Untold Story of the New Testament Church – Revised and Expanded (slated to release in 2025)
The next Titan (projected release date 2026 or 2027)
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