New Kensington, PA. February 2026 – It Doesn’t Have to Be This Hard: How We Are Transformed by the Holy Spirit has just been awarded a prestigious 2026 Illumination Award (Bronze) in the “Theology” category. This is yet another accolade for the newest book by best-selling author and award-winning theologian, Mike Nappa.
It Doesn’t Have to Be This Hard (Whitaker House) is the fascinating culmination of Nappa’s deep-dive study into all 246 direct references to the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. It’s available wherever Christian books are sold, and is published in multiple formats (paperback, audiobook, e-book, and a Spanish language edition).
According to the 2025 American Worldview Inventory research study:
- A supermajority of American Christians (70%) say they do not “believe in the living presence and power of the Holy Spirit.”
- Additionally, two-thirds (67%) do not believe “the God of the Bible provides them with power or guidance.”
Mike Nappa speaks directly into this situation by asking the question, “What does the Holy Spirit actually DO?” Warm, biblically-grounded, and superbly-written, Nappa’s answer may surprise you.
Mike Nappa is currently available for interviews in all media (print, TV, radio, internet, podcast), as well as public speaking engagements. To access all Media Pro resources for this book (including high-resolution images, full media kit, author credentials, and more), visit: Nappaland.com/mediapros. Listen to one of Mike Nappa’s appearances on Moody Radio – click here.
Contacts:
Alec Smart, alecsmart@nappaland.com
Kate MacGregor, kate.macgregor@whitakerhouse.com
