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Two Lifeway releases win Christian Book Awards top honors

‘Luke in the Land,’ ‘CSB Oswald Chambers Bible’ win in Bible Study, Bible categories

Becky Loyd, vice president at Lifeway, receives the 2025 Christian Book Award in the Bible study category from ECPA President Jeff Crosby for “Living in the Land” by Kristi McClelland. | photo by TennesseePhotographs.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—“Luke in the Land” and the “CSB Oswald Chambers Bible” received the 2025 Christian Book Award in their respective categories during the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) Celebration Dinner on April 29 in Nashville.

The Christian Book Award program recognizes the highest quality in Christian books and Bibles and is among the oldest and most prestigious awards programs in the religious publishing industry.

“Luke in the Land: Walking with Jesus in His First-Century World,” written by Kristi McClelland, was honored in the Bible study category. The study, released last year by Lifeway Women, includes teaching videos from locations throughout Israel.

“I am not surprised that ‘Luke in the Land’ was honored with a Christian Book Award,” said Becky Loyd, vice president at Lifeway Christian Resources. “In this study, Kristi walks through key passages in the Gospel of Luke, teaching the cultural and historical context of the text. Even if you have never been to Israel, Kristi’s knowledge and passion transport readers to the land where this history unfolded and help us to understand Jesus’ ministry in new and deeper ways.”

Andy McClean, publisher for Bibles at Lifeway, receives the 2025 Christian Book Award in the Bibles category from ECPA President Jeff Crosby for the “CSB Oswald Chambers Bible.” | photo by TennesseePhotographs.com

The “CSB Oswald Chambers Bible,” released by Holman Bibles, took the top honor in the Bible category, combining the devotionals of Oswald Chambers with the Christian Standard Bible translation.

“We are deeply honored by this award and recognition for the ‘CSB Oswald Chambers Bible’ by the highly respected ECPA. In many respects, it is a shared honor with our friends at Our Daily Bread who maintain the licensing rights to the collected works of Oswald Chambers,” said Andy McClean, publisher for Bibles and reference at Lifeway.

“They have been great partners from the very beginning, catching the vision behind this devotional Bible and sharing a mutual desire to help readers engage meaningfully with the message of Scripture alongside the timeless wisdom from Oswald Chambers. Our continued hope is that readers will find immense encouragement and insight into the biblical storyline as they journey through the pages of Scripture while being challenged by Oswald to live our ‘utmost for his Highest.’”

Five other titles published by Lifeway Christian Resources and its imprints, B&H Publishing Group and Holman Bibles, were honored as finalists.

  • “Ephesians: A Study of Faith and Practice” by Jackie Hill Perry, Jasmine Holmes and Melissa Kruger was also a finalist in the Bible study category.
  • The “CSB Men’s Daily Bible” by general editor Robert Wolgemuth was an additional finalist in the Bible category.
  • “Habakkuk: The Christian Standard Commentary” by Susan Maxwell Booth was recognized in the Bible Reference Works category.
  • “When God Makes Scribbles Beautiful” by Kate Rietema and illustrated by Jennie Poh was a finalist in the Children’s category.
  • “Advent for Exiles” by Caroline Cobb was recognized in the New Author category.

In operation since 1891, Lifeway Christian Resources is one of the leading providers of Christian resources, including Bibles, books, Bible studies, group curriculum, Christian music and movies, Vacation Bible School and church supplies, as well as camps and events for all ages. Lifeway is the world’s largest provider of Spanish Bibles. Based in Brentwood, Tennessee, Lifeway operates as a self-supporting nonprofit. For more information, visit Lifeway.com.

B&H Publishing Group, an imprint of Lifeway Christian Resources, is a team that believes Every Word Matters®. We seek to provide intentional, biblical content that positively impacts the hearts and minds of people, cultivating lifelong relationships with Jesus Christ. We publish (print and digital) in the trade, church and academic markets, as well as the CSB translation. For more information, visit BHPublishingGroup.com.

Holman Bibles is the oldest Bible publisher in North America, publishing high-quality Bibles and reference resources that are trustworthy, accessible and useful for the pursuit of lifelong discipleship. Print and digital releases include the award-winning CSB Explorer Bible for Kids and The She Reads Truth Bible and the Rainbow Study Bible with over 3 million copies sold. Holman Bibles is a division of B&H Publishing Group.

MEDIA CONTACT:  Aaron Earls, aaron.earls@lifeway.com

By Jill Waggoner, a writer for Lifeway Christian Resources

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