Pastor’s Reading List
In response to our Church Covenant and the many commands of scripture to be ever growing in the knowledge of God and spirituality, here are some suggestions for your reading list. I will normally update this list with things that I am reading as well. I have compiled this list mainly of books that I have personally read. I may also occasionally include some books that I know to be good solid books as testified to by trusted people of faith. I could list many more that are wonderful and impactful, but let’s start with these and see how we do. There are some books on the list that we have in our CHURCH LIBRARY, and some that soon will be. Keep a look out for new books in the Library.
Right Now The Pastor is Reading:
David Platt, “Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream”
Thom Rainer, “Surprising Insights from the Unchurched and Proven Ways to Reach Them”
Russell D. Moore, “The Kingdom of Christ: The New Evangelical Perspective”
David Powlison, “Seeing With New Eyes”
George Herbert, “The Complete English Works”
The Pastor’s “To Read” list:
Arturo G. Azurdia, “Spirit Empowered Preaching”
Francis Chan, “Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God”
Thom Rainer, “Simple Church” , “The Book of Church Growth”
Theology:
Wayne Grudem, “Systematic Theology”- Don’t be intimidated by the size and technical name of this book. It is written in a way so that anyone with some knowledge of the Bible can pick it up, read and understand. You can turn to any chapter you choose and not miss a beat. It is designed to appeal to laymen. Every systematic theology basically covers a wide range of doctrines giving brief descriptions of each one. This is one of my favorite.
A. W. Pink, “The Attributes of God”- This book is probably on an intermediate level, but I would challenge everyone to take on this book. It is short and powerful. Everyone could benefit from a better understanding of who God is, and this little book delivers. The chapters about 5 or 6 pages and can be read in any order. **You can get this book for free from Mt. Zion Publishers at www.mountzion.org ** This book is also available in our CHURCH LIBRARY
John Piper, “Desiring God”- This is one of the most widely read Christian books of our day. To spite its popularity, it actually deals with deep truths of God’s Word. This is a life changing book, especially if you have not read any of Piper’s other books. It is uplifting, encouraging, convicting, and educational. You will never see God or yourself the same way again after reading this book.
Christian History:
Justo Gonzalez, “The Story of Christianity”- This is a good basic overview of Christian History. It is fairly easy to read and written on a level where most people can follow it. It is a long book; I might suggest that you read it one section at a time. **Volume 2 “Reformation to the Present” is in our CHURCH LIBRARY
Thom Nettles, “By His Grace and For His Glory”- This book is subtitled: “A History of the doctrine of salvation from the reformation to the present.” And that is what it is, and much more. It really belongs in the Theology section as well. This book was pivotal in my theological development and in my decision to remain a Southern Baptist, as the book outlines the historical beliefs of Baptists through the generations. It is a little dry at times, but there are some diamonds to mine in this one.
Christian Living:
Richard Foster, “Celebration of Discipline”- This is one of the most moving and beautiful books I have read. Although I do not agree with all of Foster’s doctrine, his insights, and captivating style of writing were well worth the read. This book is kind-of a “how to” manual for spiritual growth. He discusses different spiritual disciplines, such as Prayer, and worship, and even things like silence and solitude. This book will make you excited to be with God.
Donald Whitney, “Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life”- This is a very similar book to “Celebration of Discipline.” It is written by a Southern Baptist, so it is more in line with our theology, but it lacks the beauty and excitement of Foster’s book. It truly is a ‘how to” manual for the spiritual disciplines. ** This book is in our CHURCH LIBRARY.
I would highly recommend reading at least one of these: Foster or Whitney.
A.W. Tozer, “The Pursuit of Man”- Wow! That says it all. Tozer is an exceptional writer. This little book will draw you in and change your heart. This is one of those that gets read over and over again. It is subtitled: “The Divine Conquest of the Human Heart.” It is about how God seeks after, saves, and secures believers. A must read!
John MacArthur, “Found God’s Will”- This book will revolutionize your decision making in life, especially concerning the major issues in your life. Its only about 60 pages and it can easily fit in your pocket. You can read it in one sitting, and you should. The book is basically the God-centered biblical way to discern the will of God in your life. Everyone needs to grasp the guiding principle of this book.
Marriage and Family:
Gary Thomas, “Sacred Marriage”- Every Christian couple should read this book. It sets the godly foundation for any marriage. If you follow the principles in this book, your marriage will grow by leaps and bounds.
Gary Chapman, “The Five Love Languages”- This book will open your eyes to see your spouse, children, parents, really everyone you know in a new light. Only be careful not to use this book as a formula to manipulate relationships. If used properly the principles in this book can help you communicate your love and care in a way that you never have before.
Deep Doctrines:
For those of you who want a real challenge, these books are on the deep end, and require more thought. It would also be helpful if you had some theological knowledge already.
A.W. Pink, “The Doctrine of Human Depravity,” This book had a profound impact on my theological development. Not that it changed a lot of my opinions but it expanded greatly on my understanding of this core doctrine. **You can get this book for free from Mt. Zion Publishers at www.mountzion.org **
Clarke Pinnock, “The Openness of God”- This book is espousing the heretical teaching that God does not know the future and is not absolutely sovereign over all things. It is an attempt to follow the logical conclusions of the assertions of Arminianism or Wesleyan doctrine. This book should only be read in conjunction with Ware’s “God’s Lesser Glory.”
AND
Bruce Ware, “God’s Lesser Glory”- This is Ware’s defense of the classical view of God’s Sovereignty. It was written in direct response to Pinnock’s work.
Beware of These:
There are some books that other Christians read and recommend that are empty of religious merit, and worse some that are counteractive to the advancement of the Kingdom of God. Some of these books can be found on CBD and even LifeWay. Just because LifeWay sells it does not mean that it is spiritually profitable or even safe for a believer to read.
William P Young, “The Shack”- This is a fictional work that attempts to make sense of pain and suffering with a story of a man’s experience with an incarnate form of God. It teaches universalism and distorts the Trinity.
Donald Miller, “Blue Like Jazz”- This book is an attempt to make Christianity more palatable for modern American and Western people. However, Miller goes too far reducing Christianity to a “feel good” religion based on good deeds and personal convictions. This book is especially offensive to those with more traditional beliefs and practices.