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The Mercy King: How the Kindness of Jesus Heals Your Sin, Shame, and Weakness
Jesus is not waiting for you to fix yourself before coming to him. He is already running in your direction. Mercy has come looking for you; all you need to do is receive it.
The Bible tells us that God's mercies are new every morning. It's not just poetic language; it's a reflection of who he is. His mercy is personal. It pursues you.
In The Mercy King, you'll encounter Jesus as he actually is--gentle, welcoming, and full of mercy--and discover that it's in your weakness, not your strength, that he draws near to heal, forgive, and make you whole. Empathetic, relatable, and deeply moving, The Mercy King will help
See how Jesus' heart is most tender toward the most wounded parts of you--your pain, doubt, and failuresRecognize the ways subtle idols like control, recognition, and success mask your deeper ache--and learn how to let them goLay down the exhausting demands of performance and take up Christ's invitation to his gentle, freeing yokeReceive the unshakable identity given to you in Christ so you no longer have to prove your worthDiscover how God's mercy can awaken what feels dead insideRekindle your faith, desire, and joy
In an age when finding rest for our souls seems impossible, The Mercy King shows you how to see Jesus as he is and how to embrace his new mercies every day.
The Bible tells us that God's mercies are new every morning. It's not just poetic language; it's a reflection of who he is. His mercy is personal. It pursues you.
In The Mercy King, you'll encounter Jesus as he actually is--gentle, welcoming, and full of mercy--and discover that it's in your weakness, not your strength, that he draws near to heal, forgive, and make you whole. Empathetic, relatable, and deeply moving, The Mercy King will help
See how Jesus' heart is most tender toward the most wounded parts of you--your pain, doubt, and failuresRecognize the ways subtle idols like control, recognition, and success mask your deeper ache--and learn how to let them goLay down the exhausting demands of performance and take up Christ's invitation to his gentle, freeing yokeReceive the unshakable identity given to you in Christ so you no longer have to prove your worthDiscover how God's mercy can awaken what feels dead insideRekindle your faith, desire, and joy
In an age when finding rest for our souls seems impossible, The Mercy King shows you how to see Jesus as he is and how to embrace his new mercies every day.
- GenresFaith
240 pages, Paperback
Published June 2, 2026
About the author
Scott Sauls
22 books214 followersScott Sauls is a pastor and author living in Nashville, Tennessee. Scott has served as senior pastor of Nashville's Christ Presbyterian Church, lead and preaching pastor of New York City's Redeemer Presbyterian Church, and was founding and senior pastor of Oak Hills Presbyterian Church in Kansas city and Riverside Church in St. Louis. Scott is also a frequent keynote speaker at conferences, leadership retreats, and to university students. He writes regularly on his blog at scottsauls.com and can also be found on Twitter at @scottsauls.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 13, 2026
4.5 ⭐️s || Something beautiful happens when a weary woman picks up a book about the mercy of Christ. She’s changed, chapter by chapter. 🥹
This book met me during a season of the Lord showing me all the striving I’ve been doing in my relationship with Him.
Scott’s words were gentle but convicting. They were laced with the mercy that exudes from our mercy King. Free of condemnation and urging me straight to the feet of our Savior with my sin, shame, and weakness.
The pages of my well-loved copy are filled with highlights, “amens,” prayers, and “aha” moments scribbled vigorously in the margins.
If you find yourself needing a reminder of Christ’s invitation to the weary and heavy-laden, I hope these pages meet you the way they met me. 💛
This book met me during a season of the Lord showing me all the striving I’ve been doing in my relationship with Him.
Scott’s words were gentle but convicting. They were laced with the mercy that exudes from our mercy King. Free of condemnation and urging me straight to the feet of our Savior with my sin, shame, and weakness.
The pages of my well-loved copy are filled with highlights, “amens,” prayers, and “aha” moments scribbled vigorously in the margins.
If you find yourself needing a reminder of Christ’s invitation to the weary and heavy-laden, I hope these pages meet you the way they met me. 💛
June 13, 2026
I cannot recommend The Mercy King: How the Kindness of Jesus Heals Your Sin, Shame, and Weakness highly enough. This book is a profound, soul-restoring gift for anyone who has ever felt exhausted by performance-driven faith, weighed down by shame, or simply longed for a truer picture of who Jesus really is.
Scott Sauls writes with the wisdom of a pastor who has walked through the valleys himself. He beautifully dismantles the subtle idols of control, success, and self-reliance that so many of us chase, revealing instead the tender, pursuing heart of the Mercy King. Far from a distant or demanding figure, Jesus emerges in these pages as gentle, welcoming, and relentlessly kind—especially toward our weakest, most broken places. 
What sets this book apart is its deep honesty paired with unwavering hope. Sauls doesn’t gloss over sin, suffering, or doubt; he shows how Christ’s mercy is stronger than our shame and more patient than our failures. Each chapter felt like a personal invitation to lay down my burdens and receive the healing grace that is new every morning. I found myself highlighting passage after passage, often pausing just to breathe in the freedom these truths offer.
If you’ve ever wondered whether God’s love is truly for you—in all your messiness and imperfection—this book will meet you right there and point you to the One who draws nearest in your weakness. It’s empathetic, theologically rich, and incredibly practical. I finished it feeling lighter, more seen, and more in love with Jesus than ever.
A must-read for every weary believer. This is easily one of the most encouraging and transformative books I’ve read in years. Buy it, read it slowly, and let the Mercy King meet you in its pages. You won’t regret it.
Scott Sauls writes with the wisdom of a pastor who has walked through the valleys himself. He beautifully dismantles the subtle idols of control, success, and self-reliance that so many of us chase, revealing instead the tender, pursuing heart of the Mercy King. Far from a distant or demanding figure, Jesus emerges in these pages as gentle, welcoming, and relentlessly kind—especially toward our weakest, most broken places. 
What sets this book apart is its deep honesty paired with unwavering hope. Sauls doesn’t gloss over sin, suffering, or doubt; he shows how Christ’s mercy is stronger than our shame and more patient than our failures. Each chapter felt like a personal invitation to lay down my burdens and receive the healing grace that is new every morning. I found myself highlighting passage after passage, often pausing just to breathe in the freedom these truths offer.
If you’ve ever wondered whether God’s love is truly for you—in all your messiness and imperfection—this book will meet you right there and point you to the One who draws nearest in your weakness. It’s empathetic, theologically rich, and incredibly practical. I finished it feeling lighter, more seen, and more in love with Jesus than ever.
A must-read for every weary believer. This is easily one of the most encouraging and transformative books I’ve read in years. Buy it, read it slowly, and let the Mercy King meet you in its pages. You won’t regret it.
July 30, 2026
The Mercy King brings comfort to the weary Christian who feels marooned to their anxiety and fears. When hope feels intangible, Sauls reminds us to take heart: the Mercy King is here. The longings we carry often expose our greatest desires. Although idolatry is the disease which distorts our relationship with God, he reminds us that “worship is the cure.” As with our desires, our suffering can lead to wrestling with God’s sovereignty. Through this pastoral read, Sauls reminds us of the kindness of God found even in our sorrow.
One of my favorite parts in chapter five is when he imagines what Jesus would say to Jairus: “When you arrive in heaven, I don’t want it to feel like a stranger's house. I want it to feel like a home, like something your soul has already started to know.” Beautiful. I hope you run to Amazon to get yourself a copy.
Key quotes:
Quotes:
"God’s wrath is an expression of his deep love, a form of moral opposition to what harms us…His anger toward sin is rooted in his commitment to heal and restore."
"(Jesus) redefines rest not as the absence of work but as an act of receiving."
"Children live freely because they trust that the weight of the world is not on their shoulders. They assume—rightly—that someone else, someone stronger and more capable, is carrying the load."
"If Jesus has already carried our greatest burden, why do we still insist on carrying the smaller ones alone?"
"We are the outsiders who have been brought in, most of us gentiles who once peered in from the temple’s outer courts, now welcomed into the very holy of holies."
One of my favorite parts in chapter five is when he imagines what Jesus would say to Jairus: “When you arrive in heaven, I don’t want it to feel like a stranger's house. I want it to feel like a home, like something your soul has already started to know.” Beautiful. I hope you run to Amazon to get yourself a copy.
Key quotes:
Quotes:
"God’s wrath is an expression of his deep love, a form of moral opposition to what harms us…His anger toward sin is rooted in his commitment to heal and restore."
"(Jesus) redefines rest not as the absence of work but as an act of receiving."
"Children live freely because they trust that the weight of the world is not on their shoulders. They assume—rightly—that someone else, someone stronger and more capable, is carrying the load."
"If Jesus has already carried our greatest burden, why do we still insist on carrying the smaller ones alone?"
"We are the outsiders who have been brought in, most of us gentiles who once peered in from the temple’s outer courts, now welcomed into the very holy of holies."
June 19, 2026
Excellent!
Well Scott Sauls you've out done yourself once again. Excellent and timely message as this book truly spoke to me, it's as if you've been reading my mail. I'd say God Bless You Scott, but He already has.
Well Scott Sauls you've out done yourself once again. Excellent and timely message as this book truly spoke to me, it's as if you've been reading my mail. I'd say God Bless You Scott, but He already has.
June 27, 2026
outstanding and definitely worth reading
A book that brings realism in the messed up world each of us inhabits.
It opens the door to s better future.
A book that brings realism in the messed up world each of us inhabits.
It opens the door to s better future.
June 28, 2026
4.5 stars
August 16, 2026
Saul navigates the right mix of pastoral and practical tone in this. Looking forward to coming back to this!
September 16, 2026
Timely
As I am finishing this book, I am sitting with my mother, holding her hand as she slips into eternity.
Thank you for the encouragement, the reminder, and the truth.
As I am finishing this book, I am sitting with my mother, holding her hand as she slips into eternity.
Thank you for the encouragement, the reminder, and the truth.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews