My reading list tradition
A few years ago on Thanksgiving week, I started a new tradition on my blog. With no Wednesday night youth activities, I wrote a blog profiling the books I've read over the past year. I like to show you books I've read to show you a peak into my reading list, but also to give you Christmas gift recommendations for the reader in your life.
This year, though, I began reading so many books, I broke it into two different blogs. My May blog featuring books I read can be found here. The rest can be found below.
As always, I'm not chronicling everything I've read, but I'm just giving you the highlights. I'll also include Amazon links to each book, so it will be easy to order, especially for e-readers.
Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God by John Piper. I've got to admit, this book is pretty heady. Then again, what do you expect from a book by John Piper about thinking on God. Piper digs deep into our thought processes and what it means to really focus our thoughts on God. He evaluates past theologians and philosophers and their analysis of Godly thinking. If you don't want to go very deep, then skip this book. I like deep books and even this one was tough to get through at times. If, however, you're deeply analytical, this book is for you.
Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World by David Jeremiah. Honestly, I picked up this book because it was a bargain book written by David Jeremiah. I love Jeremiah's thoughts on scripture. I love his teaching and preaching. I bought it strictly based on name value. And I was disappointed. Many of the references are dated. A lot of it references his earlier book that I did not read. Jeremiah had some good points, but it was filled with so much doom and gloom that I struggled to get through it.
Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore by Thom and Joani Schultz. Fascinating book. Full disclosure: I was given this book free at a gathering of youth ministers at Group Publish HQ a few months back. That doesn't effect my thoughts on the book, but I always put that out front. It's an interesting read, full of lots of statistics about why church attendance is declining at a rapid rate. It offers some interesting solutions to the problem. Some of the ideas are solid and applicable (I love the After-word idea as well as the church dinner ideas.) Some of the ideas would be a tough sell in most churches I know. At times it does feel like a 200-page commercial for Lifetree Café, but most of the principles in the book come from that ministry. I encourage you to read it. It will open your eyes and like with any book, if you can grab two or three good ideas, it's worth it.
Where Is God When It Hurts by Philip Yancey. What a great book this is. I know it's a bit older, but the wisdom it provides is timeless. How do you deal with people in pain, who are suffering or are sick? This book explores that idea by actually talking to those people. Do you realize when people are sick we encourage them to get better and "back to normal?" But chronically or terminally sick people never will. This book gives practical ways to minister to the sick and to handle the issue yourself. It is the best book I've read in the last six months.
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. I've taught this book in a youth curriculum, but I had never read it myself. I found it on a bargain bin and picked it up. I'm so glad I did. Chapman details the love languages we and our spouse speak. When we learn our love language and our spouse's, it can vastly improve a marriage. This has now been added to my list of books engaged/newly married couples need to read.
The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman. Yes, another old book, but a good one. Coleman explores Jesus's ministry of mentoring his disciples, giving us a model for mentoring today. Mentoring was a lost art that's coming back into vogue and this book shows you practical ways to mentor someone. It draws on Jesus's life with his disciples and how they in turn mentored others.
This year, though, I began reading so many books, I broke it into two different blogs. My May blog featuring books I read can be found here. The rest can be found below.As always, I'm not chronicling everything I've read, but I'm just giving you the highlights. I'll also include Amazon links to each book, so it will be easy to order, especially for e-readers.
Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God by John Piper. I've got to admit, this book is pretty heady. Then again, what do you expect from a book by John Piper about thinking on God. Piper digs deep into our thought processes and what it means to really focus our thoughts on God. He evaluates past theologians and philosophers and their analysis of Godly thinking. If you don't want to go very deep, then skip this book. I like deep books and even this one was tough to get through at times. If, however, you're deeply analytical, this book is for you.
Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World by David Jeremiah. Honestly, I picked up this book because it was a bargain book written by David Jeremiah. I love Jeremiah's thoughts on scripture. I love his teaching and preaching. I bought it strictly based on name value. And I was disappointed. Many of the references are dated. A lot of it references his earlier book that I did not read. Jeremiah had some good points, but it was filled with so much doom and gloom that I struggled to get through it.
Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore by Thom and Joani Schultz. Fascinating book. Full disclosure: I was given this book free at a gathering of youth ministers at Group Publish HQ a few months back. That doesn't effect my thoughts on the book, but I always put that out front. It's an interesting read, full of lots of statistics about why church attendance is declining at a rapid rate. It offers some interesting solutions to the problem. Some of the ideas are solid and applicable (I love the After-word idea as well as the church dinner ideas.) Some of the ideas would be a tough sell in most churches I know. At times it does feel like a 200-page commercial for Lifetree Café, but most of the principles in the book come from that ministry. I encourage you to read it. It will open your eyes and like with any book, if you can grab two or three good ideas, it's worth it.
Where Is God When It Hurts by Philip Yancey. What a great book this is. I know it's a bit older, but the wisdom it provides is timeless. How do you deal with people in pain, who are suffering or are sick? This book explores that idea by actually talking to those people. Do you realize when people are sick we encourage them to get better and "back to normal?" But chronically or terminally sick people never will. This book gives practical ways to minister to the sick and to handle the issue yourself. It is the best book I've read in the last six months.
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. I've taught this book in a youth curriculum, but I had never read it myself. I found it on a bargain bin and picked it up. I'm so glad I did. Chapman details the love languages we and our spouse speak. When we learn our love language and our spouse's, it can vastly improve a marriage. This has now been added to my list of books engaged/newly married couples need to read.
The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman. Yes, another old book, but a good one. Coleman explores Jesus's ministry of mentoring his disciples, giving us a model for mentoring today. Mentoring was a lost art that's coming back into vogue and this book shows you practical ways to mentor someone. It draws on Jesus's life with his disciples and how they in turn mentored others.
Comments
Post a Comment