Best Christian Podcasts and Books on Grief and Loss

Have you lost a family member or friend recently? None of us are immune to death and loss but there are resources such as Christian podcasts and books on grief and loss available to help you through it. This post is a continuation of our Hope for Grief: A Grief and Loss Collaboration Series written by Nikki Chapman of This Precious Life Blog. I hope you enjoy reading this heartfelt post.

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Grief. It’s a club that no one wants to join, but we all unwillingly join at some point in our lives. The thing with loss is no one in this life can escape it. However, you can find podcasts and books on grief and loss that can help you through the pain.

As my 12-year-old son’s cancer continued to invade his body without any signs of stopping, my grieving started weeks before his ultimate healing in 2021.  I knew there was no coming back and I could only be present for the moments we had left. 

In the weeks following his death, I craved anything that would help me understand the journey of grief and all of the emotions that I experienced with it. 

What checkboxes did I need to check off to “feel better”?  

I quickly found out that in the midst of the grieving, life wasn’t about to stop until I felt better or “got past” the hurting. It was moving on and dragging me behind..roughly. 

I flooded my nightstand and my Audible account with books and grieving and Heaven. I favored every podcast series that I could find that spoke to the hard stuff in life, grief, and emotions.

When these authors are blessed with the gift of words and inspiration and they share them with the world, I pray they know the impact they leave on those who are struggling through grief and life in general. 

Five best Christian Podcasts & Books on Grief and Loss

In this post, I’m sharing with you a few of the books on grief and loss and podcasts on grief that I read or listened to that made an impact on my grief journey, in hopes you will find them beneficial too. 

The Christian’s Journey through Grief

The Christian’s Journey Through Grief: How to Walk Through the Valley With Hope, by Carol Peters-Tanksley, MD

When I opened the pages of this book, within the first few pages, I stopped and picked up a highlighter and a pen to start taking notes and marking the key ideas that struck me.

The author, Dr. Carol Peters-Tanksley writes with knowledge and understanding of the grief process, after losing her husband. 

She walks the reader through the emotional ups and downs of grief and provides key insights into not only the journey of grief but strengthening our connection with Jesus through what are some of the hardest moments of life.

It is this book that allowed my broken heart to see the difference between “moving on” and “moving forward”.

The Hard Good

I came across The Hard Good while listening to Lisa Whittle’s podcast, Jesus Over Everything. My heart had started to feel more and more distant from Christ and the emotional rollercoaster was all-consuming.

Her book combines the honesty and guidance of allowing God to do His work in us in the worst of times. She provides a perspective that allows us to see greatness from the ashes of the hard things.

I felt like this book was truly a gift at a time when it felt like the walls were closing in, and grief was taking over, yet I wanted so badly to find my way to a better place. 

Her words provided a voice to the hardest places and gave me a new perspective on how to do the hard work to try to move forward. 

Jesus Over Everything: Podcasts on Grief

Once I finished her book, I continued to listen to her podcast, Jesus Over Everything. She continues her passion for sharing encouragement when life is overwhelming, whether it be due to loss, betrayal, conflict, or any of the hard things that life throws at us. 

Healing A Parent’s Grieving Heart

Healing A Parent’s Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas After Your Child Dies, by Dr. Alan Wolfelt

A signed copy of this book, along with his other books on grieving showed up in my mailbox shortly after my son’s death. At first, the title rubbed me the wrong way, because there’s nothing practical about life after losing a child or even a loved one.

When the grief is so fresh and the pain is overwhelming, the only thing that makes sense is sleeping and crying. Eventually, it becomes clear that life continues whether we want it to or not. That’s where this book comes in. 

Its sole purpose is to provide a list of simple tasks because even when grief rules, we often have the want to do something, anything.

For me, I woke up one morning after Cooper’s funeral and decided I needed to do something. It couldn’t be big, but something to allow me to feel somewhat human again.

So, I made the bed, showered, and got dressed. The next day, I did the same. And the next. It was something I could accomplish and that feeling was beautiful.

Dr. Wolfelt provides lists of truly simple tips to keep in mind throughout the day, like being kind to yourself and your tender heart. 

And while this book is not biblically based and is a little more clinical, performing these ideas with Christ at the forefront of your mind, encourages Christlike behavior, even while grieving. 

Seeing Beautiful Again

Seeing Beautiful Again: 50 Devotions to Find Redemption in Every Part of Your Story, by Lysa Terkeurst

Regardless of the type of grief, you may be experiencing, this devotional is a gift for those doing their best to move forward from a hard place.

While this was not written specifically for those who have lost loved ones, it does speak to those who have experienced losses of all kinds. 

Lysa beautifully shares wisdom about finding hope even when life throws us a whole bucket of lemons.

I ordered this to give to a friend, but when it came in the first page caught my attention when she writes about wondering if there will ever be a feeling of normal again when the suffering seems forever long.

And in the most private moments, the need to scream words not used around Bible friends at the unfairness of it all. 

While I don’t know Lysa personally, I’m pretty sure she wrote this for me and all the other millions of women who stand in this place. The place that contains both heartbreak and hope. 

Of course, she keeps Jesus at the forefront of every devotion, allowing God to speak to us through her words and our tears. 

During my workdays, in between the millions of meetings, I often have a podcast streaming in the background.

In the moments when I feel like emotions are creeping up and the enemy is ready to pounce, I listen to the Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast for a moment of uplifting.  

• 3 Questions to Ask When Faith Feels Impossible  
• Consider This: What Does the Bible Say About Death and Dying?
• Breathe Again: How to Live Well When Life Falls Apart, Niki Hardy
• “How Can I Believe God Protects Me When Tragedy Strikes?” With Lysa TerKeurst and Dr. Joel Muddamalle

We are now a year out from my son’s death and life is moving forward full steam ahead. But grief has a funny way of turning up when we least expect it to, leaving us knocked down once again.

Breathe Again

Breathe Again: How to Live Well When Life Falls Apart by Niki Hardy

Niki reminds us beautifully in this book that life doesn’t have to be pain-free to still be full. She provides a personal narrative about her life with loss but gives us the gift of practical advice in seeing God’s truth over the myths of suffering.

In her book, she speaks the truth that we sometimes forget when the darkness of grief is imprisoning us from God’s love for us. And despite our sometimes crappy circumstances, reminds us there is joy, peace, and comfort waiting for us. 

I enjoyed this book because it is very entwined in God’s truth, but she adds a fantastic element of humor that allows the reader to smile and even laugh (because it is okay to laugh, even on hard days). 

My Time in Heaven, By Richard Sigmund

When Cooper took the hand of Jesus and headed onto his next place of eternity, it occurred to me that I didn’t know much about Heaven.

Growing up Catholic, there wasn’t much talk of Heaven other than named as the place we all want to be when we pass from this earth.

I had already listened to Randy Alcorn’s book Heaven and Heaven for Kids but wanted to know more from actual accounts so I could visualize Cooper in Heaven.

I wanted to know what he saw in this magical place and other than what I had seen and read in The Shack, I had no clue. 

I turned this audiobook on during a long drive to Memphis, where my 12-year-old took his last breath, I listened to My Time In Heaven, where Richard describes in beautiful and great detail his experience of heaven after dying and coming back.

It left me feeling less afraid of the thought of death, especially since my son had already experienced it and was living his best days in this miraculous place.

It is truly a beautiful recount of his experience in the place with Jesus and I can still visualize my kiddo in this place with his Father in Heaven. I’m thankful to Richard Sigmund for giving me the gift of this book. 

READ OUR MINI EBOOK ON LOSS

Hi! I’m Nikki, the creator of This Precious Life Blog. I’m a Christian blogger and writer while I’m not doing my IT consultant daytime gig.

In 2018, my nine-year-old son was diagnosed with stage IV cancer, it was then that I knew our story of faith would serve as inspiration to others and my blog This Precious Life blog became a reality. 

In 2021, my son’s journey with cancer ended at our second home at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Sharing our story of childhood cancer, hope, heartbreak, faith, and grief continues to be my passion.

There are truly hundreds of Christian books on grief and the grieving process and the two absolute truths are; that every person’s grief journey is their own.

Your Turn

No one walks the path of grief the same as another, all grieve in different ways. Secondly, you are never alone, no matter how lonely of a place the grief journey can be. Turn to God’s word and find Bible verses about grief to help you heal. Jesus is there in the waiting and the hurting, wanting to take your hard place and make something beautiful from it. I pray you can join me and others in finding your way to peace and hope, even in tough moments.

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