I have enjoyed another year of excellent books; here’s what I read in 2018!
This year I read fewer books than I did last year but I tried to focus more on specific areas in which I felt I needed to grow. Besides these books, I also enjoyed taking part in several online college classes (not for credit). I believe I was really helped by what I was able to study this year.
Preaching/Teaching/Bible Interpretation
Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon by Chapell, Bryan
This was a very good book on the practical steps of Bible study and sermon preparation.
Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist by Piper, John
Many people have mis-understood what John Piper means by “Christian Hedonism” and this book is Piper’s attempt to clarify what is meant by that term. I have to admit that much of what he wrote is difficult for me, but I appreciate the essence of this teaching.
If I take my wife out for the evening on our anniversary and she asks me, “Why do you do this?” the answer that honors her most is “Because nothing makes me happier tonight than to be with you.” “It’s my duty” is a dishonor to her. “It’s my joy” is an honor. There it is! The feast of Christian Hedonism.
Why Johnny Can’t Preach: The Media Have Shaped the Messengers by Gordon, T. David
This book was written in the desperation of a pastor who was diagnosed with cancer and thought he had only months to live. This diagnosis led to a very earnest and direct plea to correct much of what is wrong with sermons today. Highly recommend this book for all preachers and teachers!
On Speaking Well by Noonan, Peggy
Excellent book! More than just a dry textbook on writing and delivering speeches. Noonan delivers an excellent blend of humor, information, and practicality. I am already looking forward to reading more of Peggy Noonan’s work!
“Remember that the most moving thing in a speech is always the logic — the case you are making, the problem you are outlining, the remedy you believe in and support. Don’t try to move people by manipulating them with phony emotionalism or faux poetry. If you make your case well and clearly and with some wit and feeling, you just may find that you’ve moved your audience to tears. But never try to make them cry, try to help them think.”
Toward an Exegetical Theology: Biblical Exegesis for Preaching and Teaching by Kaiser, Walter C. Jr.
This book was very technical and “heavy” but the reward was increased in equal proportion.
A Peculiar Glory: How the Christian Scriptures Reveal Their Complete Truthfulness by Piper, John
…the Scriptures show themselves to be God’s word both by the new life they exhibit and by the new life they create.
My argument is that the glory of God in and through the Scriptures is a real, objective, self-authenticating reality. Christian faith is not a leap in the dark. It is not a guess or a wager. God is not honored if he is chosen by the flip of a coin. A leap into the unknown is no honor to one who has made himself known.
Reading the Bible Supernaturally: Seeing and Savoring the Glory of God in Scripture
In typical John Piper fashion, there is not one stone left unturned as he discusses the necessity and possibility of reading the Bible with supernatural understanding.
Wake up! Most people read half asleep. We read the Bible pretty much like we watch television — passively. …The opposite is when our minds go on alert and watch carefully. We become aggressively observant. …we see layers and dimensions and aspects of reality that before were totally unnoticed. The difference is that now the mind is engaged. You have issued a command to the brain: Look! Listen! Think about what you are seeing. Spot clues. Be aggressively observant. Be unremitting in your attentiveness. Be unwaveringly watchful. Make connections. Notice patterns. Ask questions.
Therefore, as we read the Bible, we should always be asking, Am I being changed in a way that conforms to what this author intended to communicate? Perhaps more than all the other questions we must ask as we read, this one will put us on our faces in prayer for the supernatural work of God. Which, of course, is where every hour spent reading the Bible should begin and end
Theology
Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible
I appreciate Mark Ward’s passion to understand, and help others understand, God’s Word. In relation to that goal, I think he raises some serious questions that merit our consideration.
Although the subject matter of the Bible may continually sound foreign to modern ears, the language, as much as possible, should not.
All of Grace by Spurgeon, Charles Haddon
When Charles Spurgeon decided to write this “gospel tract” he did not cut any corners! He published 140+ pages of detailed biblical arguments meant to lead an unbeliever of salvation.
It is not an attempt at quick decisionism but true conversion.
Not God Enough: Why Your Small God Leads to Big Problems by Greear, J.D.
I know there are plenty of points on which I disagree with J.D. Greear, but for the subject matter of this book, much of what he wrote was excellent and was an incredible blessing to me!
The real God is not a god who simply completes us and makes us feel sentimental during worship; he is a God who humbles us and transforms us from the inside out. When you really see him, you’ll either love him or hate him. The one thing you will not be is bored.
[God’s] forgiveness is not like me forgiving my kids for reading with a flashlight after bedtime. It is more like me adopting into my family a terrorist who murdered one of my children.
Favor: Finding Life at the Center of God’s Affection by Gilbert, Greg
Another short, but good, book on a very needed subject in Christianity.
…are we really supposed to try to determine how much God loves and favors us each day based on how well the day goes? What a crushing burden that would be to bear!
God’s favor isn’t about parking spots or money or houses or success or relational peace. It’s about eternal blessings and riches that are beyond anything you could ever ask or imagine.
Mere Christianity by Lewis, C.S.
Of course it goes without saying that C.S. Lewis was an incredible intelectual and had a tremendous gift for writing. This book was full of insightful and quotable truths on religion and morality. However, I wish he would have more directly addressed how a person can have salvation.
Consequently atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be a word without meaning.
Christian Living
Death by Living: Life Is Meant to Be Spent by Wilson, N.D.
I always enjoy N.D. Wilson! This book was no exception!
Life is a story. Why do we die? Because we live. Why do we live? Because our Maker opened His mouth and began to tell a story.
Looming Transitions: Starting and Finishing Well in Cross-Cultural Service by Young, Amy
As an overseas missionary, I have to say that though there is no book that can prepare a missionary thoroughly for the challenges he will face, this book excellently points out dangers and gives practical advice for navigating the transitions.
Aprendendo Diariamente com Cristo by Lima, Elinaldo Renovato de
Biography/History
Education of a Wandering Man by L’Amour, Louis
What an amazing life this Louis L’Amour lived! His incredible passion to educate himself challenged me to never stop learning! This one quote nicely sums up what drove Louis L’Amour’s life:
No one can “get” an education, for of necessity education is a continuing process.
When Character Was King: A Story of Ronald Reagan by Noonan, Peggy
An absolutely masterfully written biography of President Ronald Reagan!
When you re strong you can be “weak.” When you know you are strong, you can trust yourself to make the first move, the first appeal, a request or a plea. Reagan trusted himself and his motives, and when you trust yourself like that, you can hold all options open. But when you fear you are weak or fear the world thinks you are weak, you are more inclined to make a great show of being “strong”…
Life
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Newport, Cal
I found a lot of helpful information in this book. This one quote I found especially apropos to ministry work:
In the absence of clear indicators of what it means to be productive and valuable in their jobs, many knowledge workers turn back toward an industrial indicator of productivity: doing lots of stuff in a visible manner.
The Vanishing American Adult: Our Coming-of-Age Crisis — and How to Rebuild a Culture of Self-Reliance by Sasse, Ben
I don’t get into politics much, but I am a huge fan of Nebraskan Senator, Ben Sasse. He is a level-headed Christian who isn’t worried about being politically correct.
In this book, he discusses how American society has gotten to such a terrible state in which so many 20–30-year-olds don’t know how to be adults. The first half of the book is a very interesting history of educational philosophy in America and the second half of the book is full of good advice on how to raise kids who won’t be part of the problem.
Excellent book — informative, helpful, and enjoyable!
Fiction
The Swiss Family Robinson by Wyss, Johann David (audiobook)
The Legend of Sam Miracle (Outlaws of Time #1) by Wilson, N.D. (audiobook)
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I’m always adding books to my wishlist, so if you have any recommendations, I’d love to hear from you!
