A Personal Reading List
It's Thanksgiving Eve. That means, starting tomorrow, Christmas season will be in full gear.
Last year I waited until late in that season to put out this list, but decided this year to put together this particular post a little early. What will follow is simply a list of books I've read over the last year. It won't be exhaustive. I will just hit the highlights. Included with each book will be a link to Amazon as well as a brief review and/or description of the book.
I want you to see what I've been reading, but I also want to provide a list in case you have a reader on your Christmas shopping list. I hope this list helps you with a few Christmas presents this year.
(By the way, as an aside, I got about half of these books for free on my Amazon Kindle. You just have to keep an eye on the top 100 free books list. I got three Francis Chan books for free over Easter weekend.)
Happy Thanksgiving and an early Merry Christmas.
The Christian Athiest by Craig Groeschel. The subtitle says it all: Believing in God but living as if he doesn't exist. Groeschel explores different areas in our life where our faith doesn't match our words. From worrying to witnessing, he tackles a lot of issues that hit home for me. This is a great book for believers who love Jesus but sometimes struggle to live that out.
Slave by John MacArthur. MacArthur delves into the idea that we are all slaves to something - either slaves of sin or slaves of Christ. He sheds new light on old scriptures, especially concerning how most Bibles use servant when the correct translation is slave. MacArthur drifts heavily into Calvinism for a couple of chapters, but it's a good read just for the scripture disection it does. I don't agree with everything he wrote, but appreciate the insight he brings.
The Jesus You Can't Ignore by John MacArthur. I actually read this before Slave. In the Jesus You Can't Ignore, MacArthur shows the times Jesus wasn't nice or particulary cordial to the Pharisees and teachers of the law. He portrays a realistic Jesus that sometimes is missing in preaching and books. It's a bit of an older book, but it will open your eyes to what Jesus really said and taught.
Shrewd by Rick Lawrence. I have to give full disclosure. I was on the launch team for this book. I got to read an advance copy and then write a review for the book on Amazon. It's a great book, and if you go to Amazon, you can see my review there. It deals with an odd concept to many of us: Jesus tells us to be shrewd. It gives you a whole new perspective on the scripture and teaches you some key ways to leverage people and situations in your life.
Sifted by Rick Lawrence. I got this book free as part of a promotion for Shrewd, but I had wanted to read it for close to a year. It deals with Jesus' conversation with Peter just before his arrest and trial. Satan wants to sift Peter, and Jesus is going to let him. We don't always think about that. Jesus allowed Satan to sift Peter like wheat. Sometimes we get sifted too. This book allows you to look at areas in your life that aren't going well and realize Jesus is still in control. I have never not enjoyed a Rick Lawrence book. This is no exception.
Wild at Heart by John Eldredge. This is a book for men. Eldredge seeks to awaken the man within our hearts. Men tend to be emasculated today, but Eldredge seeks to embrace are masculinity in a healthy, biblical way. One great insight from this book: we give evil a pass. Sometimes things happen because of evil forces, not because someone was abused, hurt, oppressed or unhappy. I loved this book.
His Needs, Her Needs by Willard Harley, Jr. This is an old book. I read the 15th anniversary edition and even that was a few years old. I had to train myself to read regularly, so I'm still catching up on some older, good books. This one fits in that category. It's primary goal is to affair-proof your marriage. It details 10 needs (5 usually high with men and 5 usually high with women) and how we can meet those needs. Meeting those needs helps marriages avoid affairs. A lot of good, practical stuff in there for couples married 3 weeks, 3 months, 3 years or 3 decades.
Erasing Hell by Francis Chan. Hell is real. What does scripture say about it? What is fact and what is fiction? That's Chan's aim. I'm not sure I agree with all his ideas, but it's an enlightening book, mainly written to answer Rob Bell's book on the same subject. I loved Chan's heart in the book - writing about Hell to make us realize how important sharing Christ is today. It's worth checking out.
In the Presence of My Enemies by Gracia Burnham. I had a hard time putting this book down. It might be the best book I read all year. The book details the kidnapping and year-long hostage situation faced by two American missionaries in the Philippines by Islamic terrorists. It's an amazing journey into captivity, our hearts as believers and ultimately forgiveness. It reads almost like a novel as well. Great book.
Creating an Intimate Marriage by Jim Burns. This is another book about marriage and how to make it passionate and exciting. I don't think we can read enough books about that. More practical stuff you can do to improve your marriage. Great read.
10 People Every Christian Should Know by Warren Wiersbe. This is really just a small sampling of a larger book by Wiersbe where he profiles 50 people. However, 10 People is a quick read and hits some the modern heavyweights in our faith, including Charles Spurgeon, Dwight Moody and Oswald Chambers. It's not a full biography on any of them, but it gives you a taste of their life and their faith. The Kindle edition is pretty cheap too.
I hope that helps. Like I said, it's not an exhaustive list, just a few highlights. Happy hunting and reading.
Last year I waited until late in that season to put out this list, but decided this year to put together this particular post a little early. What will follow is simply a list of books I've read over the last year. It won't be exhaustive. I will just hit the highlights. Included with each book will be a link to Amazon as well as a brief review and/or description of the book.
I want you to see what I've been reading, but I also want to provide a list in case you have a reader on your Christmas shopping list. I hope this list helps you with a few Christmas presents this year.
(By the way, as an aside, I got about half of these books for free on my Amazon Kindle. You just have to keep an eye on the top 100 free books list. I got three Francis Chan books for free over Easter weekend.)
Happy Thanksgiving and an early Merry Christmas.
The Christian Athiest by Craig Groeschel. The subtitle says it all: Believing in God but living as if he doesn't exist. Groeschel explores different areas in our life where our faith doesn't match our words. From worrying to witnessing, he tackles a lot of issues that hit home for me. This is a great book for believers who love Jesus but sometimes struggle to live that out.
Slave by John MacArthur. MacArthur delves into the idea that we are all slaves to something - either slaves of sin or slaves of Christ. He sheds new light on old scriptures, especially concerning how most Bibles use servant when the correct translation is slave. MacArthur drifts heavily into Calvinism for a couple of chapters, but it's a good read just for the scripture disection it does. I don't agree with everything he wrote, but appreciate the insight he brings.
The Jesus You Can't Ignore by John MacArthur. I actually read this before Slave. In the Jesus You Can't Ignore, MacArthur shows the times Jesus wasn't nice or particulary cordial to the Pharisees and teachers of the law. He portrays a realistic Jesus that sometimes is missing in preaching and books. It's a bit of an older book, but it will open your eyes to what Jesus really said and taught.
Shrewd by Rick Lawrence. I have to give full disclosure. I was on the launch team for this book. I got to read an advance copy and then write a review for the book on Amazon. It's a great book, and if you go to Amazon, you can see my review there. It deals with an odd concept to many of us: Jesus tells us to be shrewd. It gives you a whole new perspective on the scripture and teaches you some key ways to leverage people and situations in your life.
Sifted by Rick Lawrence. I got this book free as part of a promotion for Shrewd, but I had wanted to read it for close to a year. It deals with Jesus' conversation with Peter just before his arrest and trial. Satan wants to sift Peter, and Jesus is going to let him. We don't always think about that. Jesus allowed Satan to sift Peter like wheat. Sometimes we get sifted too. This book allows you to look at areas in your life that aren't going well and realize Jesus is still in control. I have never not enjoyed a Rick Lawrence book. This is no exception.
Wild at Heart by John Eldredge. This is a book for men. Eldredge seeks to awaken the man within our hearts. Men tend to be emasculated today, but Eldredge seeks to embrace are masculinity in a healthy, biblical way. One great insight from this book: we give evil a pass. Sometimes things happen because of evil forces, not because someone was abused, hurt, oppressed or unhappy. I loved this book.
His Needs, Her Needs by Willard Harley, Jr. This is an old book. I read the 15th anniversary edition and even that was a few years old. I had to train myself to read regularly, so I'm still catching up on some older, good books. This one fits in that category. It's primary goal is to affair-proof your marriage. It details 10 needs (5 usually high with men and 5 usually high with women) and how we can meet those needs. Meeting those needs helps marriages avoid affairs. A lot of good, practical stuff in there for couples married 3 weeks, 3 months, 3 years or 3 decades.
Erasing Hell by Francis Chan. Hell is real. What does scripture say about it? What is fact and what is fiction? That's Chan's aim. I'm not sure I agree with all his ideas, but it's an enlightening book, mainly written to answer Rob Bell's book on the same subject. I loved Chan's heart in the book - writing about Hell to make us realize how important sharing Christ is today. It's worth checking out.
In the Presence of My Enemies by Gracia Burnham. I had a hard time putting this book down. It might be the best book I read all year. The book details the kidnapping and year-long hostage situation faced by two American missionaries in the Philippines by Islamic terrorists. It's an amazing journey into captivity, our hearts as believers and ultimately forgiveness. It reads almost like a novel as well. Great book.
Creating an Intimate Marriage by Jim Burns. This is another book about marriage and how to make it passionate and exciting. I don't think we can read enough books about that. More practical stuff you can do to improve your marriage. Great read.
10 People Every Christian Should Know by Warren Wiersbe. This is really just a small sampling of a larger book by Wiersbe where he profiles 50 people. However, 10 People is a quick read and hits some the modern heavyweights in our faith, including Charles Spurgeon, Dwight Moody and Oswald Chambers. It's not a full biography on any of them, but it gives you a taste of their life and their faith. The Kindle edition is pretty cheap too.
I hope that helps. Like I said, it's not an exhaustive list, just a few highlights. Happy hunting and reading.
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