That said, I really wanted to take just a moment to reply to the editorial in the latest edition (Sep./Oct. 2010) by Rick Lawrence entitled “the two prodigals.” In this article Lawrence tackles the question of whether youth ministry focused on those reaching the unchurched or the churched is more demanding and worthwhile – his end conclusion is that they are both valid and challenging fields.

I’d agree with Lawrence’s evaluation of the situation but would also share my philosophy of youth ministry. I’m not suggesting it as the only way, just as a way.

In my mind the church is primarily about educating and edifying believers for the purpose of outreach. That is, the church is not primarily someplace you bring individuals who don’t agree with you or believe in Christ, but rather a place where you go to learn about Christ, to be encouraged, challenged, and strengthened and then go back into your daily life where you reach out to those you interact with every day. This seems like something that could carry over to a youth group as well – at least its regular meetings.

In my mind, then, the idea is to equip teenagers to share their faith and remain consistent to their faith in their daily lives – rather to bring individuals who don’t agree into the group and change their beliefs. Why? The simplest reason is that those who claim to be “Christians” are at least marginally (supposed to be) interested in maturing in Christ and you can take them through a path of teaching/education, whereas when you attempt to bring in a group of people who do not believe – it is likely each one will be on a separate page that could perhaps be better addressed on an individual level.

So, my suggestion is – use the regular youth meetings to train up the teenagers, use special events to bring your teens together and as outreach opportunities, and be continuously encouraging your teens to be involved in evangelism in their context – e.g. school, work, home, sports.

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I have long been a fan of first The Living Bible and then the New Living Translation (NLT). The Living Bible (LB) was a paraphrase of Scripture, the NLT was a new translation from the original languages that attempted to provide the readability of the LB while not sacrificing the accuracy of more word-for-word literal translations like the NASB or NIV. While I loved the LB – the NLT was a huge step upwards.

More recently I discovered a series of commentaries that used the NLT as their underlying text. I was confused by this. While I love the NLT – I don’t study off of it. This is because the NLT focuses on a more thought-for-thought approach than word-for-word – which is great for readability but not so great for word studies and so on. Further research led me to the discovery that the NLT had undergone a second and major revision – which unfortunately is not highly publicized. I flipped to the front of my NLT and saw instantly it was copyright in 1996 – thus being a first edition. The second edition came out in 2004. The NLTse offered significant improvements over the NLTfe – particularly in its attempts to reduce thought-for-thought while maintaining clarity and accuracy – increasing the ability for one to perform word studies, etc. off the NLT text.

So tonight I ordered a NLT Study Bible. Traditionally, I’ve used the LB and NLT Life Application Bibles (LAB)…but I wanted something more concerned with historical, literary, cultural, geographical, theological, etc. info. rather than application. In general, if one understands the meaning of the passage I find it fairly simple (usually) to apply it to my life. The LAB didn’t always provide this background information but did provide applications. The NLT Study Bible I ordered uses the Second Edition text – though this might more properly be called 2.1 – since there was another small revision implemented in more recent years that continues to refine the NLT in a few areas.

All this to say – I’d highly recommend getting your hands on a New Living Translation (NLT) bible. I am a big fan of the dynamic equivalence method utilized and the translators who worked on this text are top notch. The continued revisions are quite impressive. Kudos to Tyndale for continued excellent work in making Scripture understandable in our present context. I’ll provide more details once I receive the new book and have an opportunity to work with it a little more…

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There is a lack of biblical literacy in many, young and old, who attend Christian churches. This, sadly, occurs even amongst those in leadership positions. How is this to be remedied?

The issue is time for some – they simply lack the time or do not prioritize the time to spend in Scripture. The problem for others though is more complex – and more easily resolved – they lack the means. Jumping into Scripture can be a bit like jumping into the deep end of the pool. Some will scorn me for saying this – but there are many passages in the bible I find difficult to understand and some that throw me into a complete and depressive tizzy.

As a youth I discovered William Barclay‘s Daily Study Bible. Barclay had written commentaries on each book of the New Testament over a period of years for the Anglican church. They were divided into small daily segments for devotional reading and while fairly concise managed to hit deeply upon a wide variety of topics and to faithfully handle the Scriptures in many aspects. They were reasonable to read alongside of one’s devotional reading – unlike so many of today’s commentaries which are so voluminous that one could never make progress in reading through the entireties of the Scriptures – mired always in the details.

I think there is a need for such a series today and for such a series to be promoted through the church and for weekly meetings to occur in which discussion of the past week’s readings can be discussed and pondered. I have hesitated thus far in recommending the DSB as such an option for several reasons:

1. William Barclay while generally maintaining to Christian orthodoxy occasionally shows his underlying modernism – and this could be a significant concern for the new or young believer.
2. The books are becoming somewhat dated, the quotations and illustrations not always relevant (I have not had a chance to read the revised editions, but these I understand to have dropped his own translation – which was a highlight to me of the originals).
3. There is no citations and no bibliographic data providing a way for those who find a particular passage interesting or confusing to find further resources.

I have been and continue to look for such a resource to recommend to the church. Someday, I hope to write such a reference (I already have registered the domain for this purpose at layeredbible.com) but I do not have the time available to me at this juncture for such an endeavor – someday if the Lord wills, He will provide the time (I do not think I have unique insight into the Scriptures, rather I find myself more a compiler, cataloger, and synthesizer of those who have gone in the past or are now).

For the time being…I have continued my research and decided to share this research here in this post.

Options:

• Lucado, Max. Life Lessons Series. Nelson Impact.
  • Covers the New Testament only.
  • Price is extremely reasonable at $6.99/volume.
  • Not what I’m looking for. While offering some good questions, etc. it doesn’t appear to provide much literary, historical, grammatical, theological, etc. info. You can see a sample chapter here.
• The Navigators. LifeChange Series. NavPress.
  • Covers O.T. and N.T.
  • Price is extremely reasonable at $6/volume.
  • A sample is available here, unfortunately it is an introductory chapter – not an actual chapter on the text.
• Willow Creek Association. New Community Series.
  • Covers some books of both the O.T. and N.T.
  • Priced at $6/volume.
• Deepening Life Together Series. Baker Books.
  • Covers some NT books.
• MacArthur, John. John MacArthur Study Guides. Nelson Impact.
• LifeGuide Bible Studies. Inter-Varsity Press.
  • Priced at $6/volume.
• NLT Life Application Bible Studies. Tyndale House.
  • Priced at $6/volume.
• Wiersbe, Warren. Wiersbe Bible Study Series. David C. Cook.
  • Covers OT and NT.
  • Priced at $7/volume.
• Stott, John. John Stott Bible Study Series. IVP Connect.
  • Price at $6/volume.
• Wiersbe, Warren. Be Series. David C. Cook.
  • $10/volume.
• Arthur, Kay. New Inductive Series. Harvest House Publishers.
  • O.T. and N.T.
  • $7/volume.
• Blackaby, Henry, Melvin Blackaby, Thomas Blackaby. Blackaby Bible Study Series. Thomas Nelson.
  • N.T.
  • $8/volume.
• Walk Through the Bible Series. Baker Books.
  • N.T.
  • $6/volume.
• Wright, N.T. For Everyone Series. IVP Connect.
  • My Comment: I’m not a huge fan of Wright’s writing style in these commentaries. While Wright series is intended as a successor to Barclay’s volumes, thus far I’ve found them too sermonic in nature – too many stories that don’t relate directly to the text.
  • N.T.
  • $6.50/volume.

Bibliographic:

1. I reviewed somewhere around 1100 items from Christian Book Distributor’s Bible Study and Curriculums section.

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Introduction:

I’ve read a lot of books in my lifetime – some have been life-changing others time-wasting. The sheer volume of books being published each year is overwhelming – how do we choose what books to read? In this article I will attempt to create a constantly evolving corpus of volumes that might serve as a basic primer for individuals looking to progress in their personal and spiritual growth.

It will include, first and foremost, volumes which apply to all readers and which I would consider life-changing for any reader. It also includes more “niche” topic books – books which apply to a single gender or life situation – but the “niche” will be statistically significant (e.g. a good number of readers will either have experienced or will know someone who has experienced these situations). I don’t expect anyone to read all of these niche volumes – they are here primarily as a resource. I don’t know how many times I’ve been faced with difficult circumstances in my life or in my relationship with others and felt at a total loss for how to successfully travel through these dark days. Hopefully, these resources will provide some guidance.

Purchasing Note:

I’ve linked these books to Amazon – b/c I have an Amazon Affiliate account and get a percentage of the sales I send to Amazon. That said, some of these books can be found for cheaper through Christian Book Distributors (CBD). Ach, it pangs me to give up my referral fees. =)

Coding:

I’m building a library I hope others can use, but it is also a library I will use. As such there are numerous volumes herein which seem to me to be the best possible volumes on a subject – however this comes from appearances, from hearsay, from reviews, from popularity, and so on. Please feel free to suggest alternative volumes. Those volumes which I have personally read are noted with an * following the title. Titles not given a full reading but at least glanced at are marked by **. All others have no markings – indicating I have not read them. Should authors, publishers, or others stumble upon these pages and desire to see these volumes moved to a * or at least a ** status, I won’t argue with free copies of the books in question.

Bibles:

• NLT (New Living Translation) Study Bible.*^[1]

Christian Living:

• Metamorpha: Jesus as a Way of Life (Kyle Strobel).*^[2]
• Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth (Richard Foster).*^[3]
• Desiring God (John Piper).*^[4]

Bible Study (General):

• Beginner:
  • How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (Douglas Stuart, Gordon Fee).*^[5]
  • The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old and New Testaments (John Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck, ed.).**^[6]
  • The New Daily Study Bible (William Barclay).**^[7]
• Advanced:
  
  • An Introduction to the Old Testament (Tremper Longman III, Raymond B. Dillard).
  • An Introduction to the New Testament (D.A. Carson, Douglas J. Moo).
  • Old Testament Theology (Bruce K. Waltke).^[8]
  • New Testament Theology (I. Howard Marshall).^[9]
  • Commentary on New Testament Use of the Old Testament (G.K. Beale, D.A. Carson, ed.).
  • The NIV Application Commentary: New Testament (Zondervan).

Church History:

• Story of Christianity** (Justo Gonzalez).^[10]
• Pagan Christianity! (Frank Viola, George Barna).
• 131 Christians Everyone Should Know (Mark Galli).

Evangelism:

• Becoming a Contagious Christian (Bill Hybels, Mark Mittelberg).**

Prayer:

• Too Busy Not to Pray (Bill Hybels).
• Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference (Philip Yancey).

Theology:

• Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Wayne Grudem).^[11]

Personal Development:

• Everyone Communicates, Few Connect (John Maxwell).
• Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives (Dr. Richard Swenson).*^[12]

Parenting:

• Grace-Based Parenting (Tim Kimmel).

Marriage:

• The Five Love Languages, Secrets to Love that Lasts (Dr. Gary Chapman).^[13]
• Love & Respect (Dr. Emerson Eggerichs).**^[14]

Finances:

Physical Health:

Mental Health:

• Depression: A Stubborn Darkness (Edward T. Welch).
• Addiction: A Banquet in the Grave (Edward T. Welch).
• Unmasking Male Depression (Dr. Archibald D. Hart).
• The Obsessive-Compulsive Trap: Real Help for a Real Disorder (Dr. Mark E. Crawford).**^[15]

College:

• How to Stay Christian in College (J. Budziszewski).

Sexuality (General):

• Every Young Man’s Battle (Stephen Arterburn, Fred Stoeker, Mike Yourkey).^[16]
• Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain (William M. Struthers). [HT: Annie Bolger]

Homosexuality:

Marital Infidelity:

Divorce:

• Living Beyond a Broken Marriage (Dr. David Hawkins).

Politics:

• The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power is Destroying the Church (Gregory Boyd).^[17]
• Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals (Shane Claiborne, Chris Haw). [HT: Evan Curry]
• Unleashing the Scripture: Freeing the Bible from Captivity to America (Stanley Hauerwas). [HT: Evan Curry]

Abortion:

Leadership:

• The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (John Maxwell).*^[18]

Social Justice:

• When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor…and Yourself (Brian Fikkert, Steve Corbett).
• Blindsided by Grace: Entering the World of Disability (Robert F. Molsberry).
• Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families & Churches (Russell D. Moore).
• On the Threshold of Hope: Opening the Door to Healing for Survivors of Sexual Abuse (Diane Mandt Langberg).
• The Hole in Our Gospel: What Does God Expect of Us? (Richard Stearns). [HT: Laura Saloiye]
• The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical (Shane Claiborne). [HT: Evan Curry]
• Evil & the Justice of God (N.T. Wright). [HT: Evan Curry]

Disability:

• Being Sick Well: Joyful Living Despite Chronic Illness (Jeffrey H. Boyd).

Church:

• The Purpose Driven Church (Rick Warren).*^[19]

Worship:

• For All God’s Worth (N.T. Wright). [HT: Andrew Vogel]

Classics:

• Diary of an Old Soul (George MacDonald).*^[20]
• Life Together (Dietrich Bonhoeffer).**
• The Cost of Discipleship (Dietrich Bonhoeffer).**
• The Problem of Pain (C.S. Lewis).
• Pilgrim’s Progress (John Bunyan).** [HT: Kara Pickens]
• Mere Christianity (C.S. Lewis).* [HT: Martha Mackey]
• Orthodoxy (G.K. Chesterton).** [HT: Martha Mackey]

Grieving:

• Grieving the Child I Never Knew (Kathe Wunnenberg).

Suffering/Pain:

• How Long, O Lord? (D.A. Carson). [HT: Annie Bolger]
• The Gift Nobody Wants (Philip Yancey). [HT: Annie Bolger]

Conflict:

Heaven/Hell:

• Surprised by Hope (N.T. Wright).**

Gender:

• Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (John Piper ed.).**
• Man as Male and Female: A Study in Sexual Relationships from a Theological Point of View (Paul K Jewett).* [HT: Kara Pickens]

Worldview:

• The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog (James W. Sire).
• Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling (Andy Crouch). [HT: Evan Curry]

Youth Ministry:

• Purpose Driven Youth Ministry (Doug Fields).*

Missions:

• Let the Nations Be Glad (John Piper). [HT: Annie Bolger]
• From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya (Ruth Tucker). [HT: Annie Bolger]

Biography:

• No Compromise: The Life Story of Keith Green (Melody Green).*

Science:

• Science and Religion: A New Introduction (Alister E. McGrath). [HT: Andrew Vogel]

Ongoing Reading:

• Max Lucado – Facing Your Giants, Fearless*, It’s Not About Me, Cure for the Common Life, The 3:16 Promise, You! God’s Brand New Idea, The Applause of Heaven**, Just Like Jesus, Cast of Characters, In the Grip of Grace, 3:16–The Numbers of Hope, He Chose the Nails, In the Eye of the Storm, Come Thirsty, He Still Moves Stones, God Came Near, The Great House of God, Outlive Your Life, For the Tough Time, Six Hours One Friday
• John Eldredge

Fiction:

• Adam (Ted Dekker).
• Demon: A Memoir (Tosca Lee).
• The Oath (Frank Peretti).

Secondary Bible Study:

• A Short Introduction to Hermeneutics (David Jasper). [HT: Kara Pickens]
• Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament (Peter Enns). [HT: Andrew Vogel]
• Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible. (John Walton). [HT: Andrew Vogel]

Secondary Theology:

• Four Views on Hell (John F. Walvoord, Zachary J. Hayes, Clark H. Pinnock).
• Revelation: Four Views (Steven Gregg).
• Three Views on the Rapture (Richard R. Reiter, Paul D. Feinberg, Gleason L. Archer Jr., Douglas J. Moo).

Secondary Christian Living:

• Inside Out (Dr. Larry Crabb).*^[21]
• After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters (N.T. Wright). [HT: Evan Curry]

Secondary Church History:

• Getting to Know the Church Fathers: An Evangelical Introduction (Bryan M. Litfin). [HT: Annie Bolger]

Secondary Classics:

• The Great Divorce (C.S. Lewis).*

Research Sources:

• Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.
• Christian Book Distributors.

Revision History:

• 6/5/10 – Added additional footnotes. Added Obsessive-Compulsive Trap to Mental Health. Added Secondary Classics section and moved The Great Divorce (Lewis) to it.
• 6/5/10 – Split Bible Study into Beginner and Advanced sections. Created Secondary Bible Study section, moved Jasper’s Hermeneutics, Enn’s Inspiration and Incarnation, and Walton’s Ancient Near Eastern Thought to secondary.
• 6/4/10 – Installed WP-Footnotes and rewrote all footnotes using this technology, also, updated footnote content.
• 6/3/10 – Added friends feedback on various worthwhile books.

1. ^[1] I am a big fan of the NLT as a readable translation of the Bible. I have heard great things about what the Study Bible notes provides, but haven’t personally had the opportunity to read these notes. I’ve decided not to respond to the inevitable criticisms of reading a thought-for-thought translation here, but if you wish to bring up the challenge…I believe I have a good response. =) ↩
2. ^[2] An extremely even-handed, readable volume written by a young author who balances the new trends of postmodernity with our historical and evangelical legacy. I especially appreciate his challenge to the new generations to not simply abandon the “old” churches which have hurt us and his extensive bibliography which provides a great jumping off point for further reading. ↩
3. ^[3] Covers the spiritual disciples. One of the best books I have ever read on the topic – extremely practical in nature. Foster’s Quaker beliefs do place some of his writings outside of what many would comfortably define as fundamentalism. Foster also depends heavily on Quaker figures and mystical figures for his quotations and sources, which will be foreign to many. ↩
4. ^[4] It took me three or four times to read this book…and then only a period of over a year. Piper is one of our brightest contemporary theological minds…yet, his pervasive Calvinism in the beginning of the book caused me to throw the volume down several times. Once one struggles past this (for those who struggle with Calvinism) the book is quite amazing. ↩
5. ^[5] If you only read a few books off this list, make this one of them. Stuart and Fee do an amazing job of enlightening our understanding of Scripture by helping us to understand the importance and role of history, culture, and literary form amongst other items as we read. ↩
6. ^[6] I read most of this volume during my undergraduate studies at Philadelphia Biblical University. While not extensive nor providing all views on the Scriptures it does provide a great quick reference on a book. In general, I imagine the studies will be acceptable to those in most evangelistic denominations with the exception of some prophetic materials which will be heavily dispensational in slant – something which many churches differ on. ↩
7. ^[7] William Barclay is one of the best commentators I have ever read. I have never found a replacement for his DSB series of commentaries – which are written for the lay reader yet reveal insights for all. His ability to make complex truths simple, intimate knowledge of Koine Greek, deep historical and cultural knowledge – all make his commentaries timeless. Barclay does have fairly unorthodox beliefs but tends to maintain a more orthodox position within these commentaries. ↩
8. ^[8] Winner of the 2008 Bible Reference & Study Christian Book Award. See also Tony Reinke’s review. ↩
9. ^[9] Winner of the 2005 Reference Works/Commentaries Christian Book Award. See Robert J. Cara’s review here. Note that Marshall is not dispensationalist, holds a more Arminian viewpoint, and argues against the New Perspective. Volume is generally evangelical in tone. ↩
10. ^[10] Gonzalez is a hero to me. I’m still reading this volume – b/c its actually two volumes with perhaps 1400 pages – but every word is worthwhile! ↩
11. ^[11] While I haven’t personally read, I only hear good things. ↩
12. ^[12] An extremely valuable book in our American work-a-holic culture. ↩
13. ^[13] A perpetual best-seller, no personal experience. ↩
14. ^[14] Heard high praises from many and have read a good portion myself. At times is a bit redundant – but perhaps that is because we forget truths, especially in our most intimate relationships? ↩
15. ^[15] A very small and easy read with a lot of helpful information on OCD. My subjective experience is that people with this disorder (including myself) seem to be a higher percentage in churches than the general population. ↩
16. ^[16] I’ve read this book and it is a good book. Being a sheltered homeschooler it introduced me to some aspects of male sexuality I was unfamiliar with at the time. Generally, though, I expect the topics tackled are well understood in the teenage male population. ↩
17. ^[17] Not read it, but it sounds interesting. At CBD its $2.00! Has received solid reader reviews at both CBD and Amazon. ↩
18. ^[18] John Maxwell is an excellent resource on leadership, has experience in both ministry and corporate leadership and writes in a very readable/enjoyable manner. His books are fairly concise as well. ↩
19. ^[19] I know, I know. Everyone hates the Purpose Driven Church…or at least a lot of people who frequent the circles I travel in…but I insist this is due to the misapplication of Warren’s principles rather than Warren’s principles in and of themselves. Warren repeatedly warns against cookie-cutting one’s church after Saddleback, and yet this is what has occurred in many situations and this is (largely) what people revolt against. Give it a chance – its still the best and most practical guide to “doing church” I’ve read. ↩
20. ^[20] MacDonald wrote this after losing two of his adult children in the same year. He wrote it over a period of a year – one small poem each day. It is a beautifully deep and devotional work and the poems tie into each other and reflect a soul hungering after God. ↩
21. ^[21] A challenging and insightful book by psychologist Dr. Larry Crabb. I don’t agree with everything Crabb says and find psychoanalytic theory (which seems to be appropriated) only a partial perspective…but still, worthwhile. ↩

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I’m going to throw my respectability to the wind – at least in the eyes of many – when I suggest that Answers in Genesis is a great resource ministry. Why would that be? Because I am thereby endorsing at least the option of youth earth creationism. Yes, that most radical of all heresies (to the scientist) – above and beyond even those pseudo-sciences of old earth creationism and intelligent design.

Think I am hyperbolizing? Read Steven Pinker‘s introduction to What Is Your Dangerous Idea? – a tome that encourages scientists to verbalize hypotheses they have and believe will some day be established. Pinker argues for this freedom and yet at the very same time offers a damning condemnation of intelligent design.

The idea that an intelligent person could look at the evidence and believe in youth earth creationism seems unfathomable to many scientists and the lambasting of individuals who do is rampant. So, anyways, I’m stepping out on a limb here. I’d like to think I am fairly intelligent. I also believe that I do not have a pre-existing commitment to a six-day, young earth, creationist viewpoint. I find that such a commitment is not necessary to my personal faith (though Answers in Genesis would argue differently – suggesting that the abandonment of a literal six day creation has gravely negative results)…Still, I find myself more convinced (I like to think) on a scientific and logistical level by creationist/intelligent design theories than by evolutionary theories.

Answers in Genesis is one of the premier institutions if you want to learn about young earth creationism. If you need resources or are simply interested in exploring what those of us who are readily characterized as religious fanatics and ignoramuses think – AiG is a great resource.

AiG offers numerous resources online for free – including articles and ebooks. They have a massive collection of videos, books, and magazines available covering every aspect of this debate and resources that more generally address scientific and christian topics. They also have built a simply magnificent museum in Kentucky – one I highly recommend visiting.

So, go give them a look. I’m not going to say I agree 100% with everything they say – but I do think they are doing good work in trying to offer an alternative to evolutionary theory.

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One of his earliest books was Desiring God with the provocative subtitle of “meditations of a christian hedonist.” For those not familiar with the word – a hedonist is someone who pursues pleasure – as such the title seems antithetical to how many Christians (and non-Christians) perceive the Christian faith. Yet within the pages of this book one finds not a call to shallow living but a call to deeper living and a vision of a faith that stretches farther and deeper than many of us had previously imagined. Piper is extremely orthodox and conservative (in an evangelical fashion) theologically but his writings push readers to imagine and understand their traditional faith in deeper (not necessarily new) ways.

It took me several years to read John Piper’s Desiring God…and I am a fairly avaricious reader. The first several times I tried I threw the book down in disgust due to Piper’s heavily deterministic, predestinatory, Calvinistic/Augistinian bent, but at last I struggled through and found that he had much worthwhile to say even if his ideas in this one area were disturbing to me. But even from here, it would be another year or two until I finished this hefty volume – not because of its sheer length but because of its content. So many books are filled with fluff essentially regurgitating the same statements in different guises – each page of Piper’s Desiring God is filled with challenging, convicting, uplifting, need-to-think-this-over content…there is no fluff. This means that I would only read a few pages each day – there was just so much to chew on.

Whether you are a Christian or not I would recommend John Piper’s Desiring God. He does a great job at laying out an exciting vision of the Christian life.

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Caveat: I am recommending not only books that I believe are right on but also books which I believe are so thought provoking that the challenges to our thinking are worth the risks. The reader of the book must take it upon himself to wrestle with the fallible interpretations of like offered by each author.

• Metamorpha: Jesus as a Way of Life – Wow. A supremely readable, yet deeply intelligent primer on the Christian faith. Written by a young voice (Kyle Strobel) it manages to embrace the best of real Christian spirituality while challenging the separatism currently occurring in churches between the young and old.
• Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist – I am a voracious reader and yet it took me well over a year to read this book. John Piper, without a doubt, is one of the most profound voices within modern Christianity. Every page of this book is packed with wisdom, Scripture, and the voices of our past. This book is readable – but expect to take it a few pages at a time – there is just too much to process on every single page. Piper’s essential argument is that man was designed for pleasure – but that that pleasure is to be found in God.
• Inside Out – Larry Crabb is a controversial figure within Christianity. As a psychologist he finds many Christian doors closed. His background and admiration for Freud doesn’t help anything. That said, he has made a sincere effort to understand how the science of the mind fits into the Scriptures. Most won’t agree with everything he suggests in this book, but everyone will be challenged by the heavy emphasis he places on the reality of our brokenness as human beings and the need for a supernatural healing.
• The Purpose Driven® Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? – Rick Warren and Saddleback Church have become extremely influential in American Evangelical Christianity. His Purpose Driven Church book has formed the basic plans for many churches around the nation – and his youth pastor Doug Field’s book Purpose Driven Youth Ministry has done the same for youth ministries. Now Warren has released what may be considered his basic philosophy of life. Written in a forty day devotional format the book offers Warren’s understanding of the biblical worldview and how it affects our lives.
• Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth – Richard Foster comes from a Quaker background and is a continuous student of the historical methods of connecting with God spiritually. He helps us understand the way that spirituality integrates into our lives – more than just over prayers before meals. He divides the practices we can use to connect to God into three sections – inward (meditation, prayer…), outward (simplicity, solitude…), and corporate (confession, worship…). A great starting point for experiential Christianity.
• A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Green, Incarnational, Depressed-yet-Hopeful, Emergent, Unfinished CHRISTIAN – Yeah, the book has a really long title, and it is a bit dry at times with lots of footnotes. But Brian D. McLaren is one of the leading thinkers in the emerging church movement and is important to understand whether you agree with his theology or not – and he makes an awful lot of good points, even if you don’t buy the whole load.
• How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth – I’m sure glad I’m not the only one who struggles with understanding Scripture. This extremely readable and informative little volume by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart is a must-read for new and experienced students of the Bible alike.
• The Story of Christianity – I must admit that Justo Gonzalez is one of my heroes. This book – originally two separate volumes – is a monumental achievement in itself. Numbering around a thousand pages it was an extremely readable and balanced history of the Christian faith from start to present. I would suggest that having at least a rudimentary understanding of Christian history can profoundly affect (in a positive way) our understanding of the gospel and interaction with fellow believers as well as the world at large.
• American Evangelical Story, The: A History of the Movement – Douglas A. Sweeney offers a readable and fairly comprehensive history of American Evangelicalism. A must read for evangelicals.
• The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict Fully Updated To Answer The Questions Challenging Christians Today – Josh McDowell’s extensive research into the Christian faith in an attempt to establish an apologetic defense. Essentially, an encyclopedia on the historical/scientific/evidentiary reasons for belief. Covers topics such as the biblical text, the historical Jesus, and biblical criticism.
• Life Application Study Bible NLT – Whether one gets a Life Application Study Bible is not so much my concern – though there are a number of useful maps, charts, study notes, and etc. in the Life Application Study Bible…But I do think a New Living Translation (NLT) Bible is an excellent addition to any library. I am assuming one already has a word-for-word literal translation such as the NASB, NIV, or NKJV. These Bibles are excellent for understanding the minutaie of the text, but I find the NLT provides a more readable translation for devotional reading. Sure, when one hits a controversial passage pull out your NASB and lexicon and dive into the words and commentaries…But for the larger context/story flow I personally enjoy the NLT.

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Stephen Lawhead is a prolific author. As a teen I always wanted to read his fantasy books but never had the opportunity. I recently borrowed his historical novel, The Iron Lance, from my local library (Pennwood). I’m sure if the librarians stumble across this post they curse my name – the book is long overdue. But in my defense – the volume totals nearly five hundred pages and it’s not a oversize font![1. Libraries generally max out your fine. I realized I could keep returning it and getting new fines or just hold onto it and return it when I was all done and pay my fine once. Keeping it is cheaper. Of course, I could also just return it on time...and pay no fine] I’m a fan now and intend to read all his volumes – historical novels and otherwise.

The Iron Lance is part of a trilogy about The Celtic Crusades. In this first volume Lawhead follows several different storylines. The first is a macro view of the historical environment – the battles and political intrigures in the crusade that took Jerusalem. The second (and largest) focuses in on Murdo Ranulfson who is forced to stay at home while everyone else goes on Crusade, but in the end must travel to Jerusalem as well due to dark circumstances at home. A third tells of a mysterious secret order in nineteenth century England which appears to be a latter incarnation of the Cele De, a monastic order, which Murdo encounters on his journeys. Finall, the story at times returns back to the homeland to discuss the fate of the womenfolk left behind under the cruel oversight of corrupt churchmen.

The book feels epic in scope and the writing is both detailed and attractive. While not the thrill-a-minute offered by writers like Michael Crichton or Frank Peretti, for those who enjoy historical novels (such as those by Jeff Shaara) it will be a sheer joy to read. Lawhead manages to bring many famous characters and events to life – something which is extremely difficult during the especially convoluted middle ages when rulers and kingdoms are made and deposed faster than one can blink.

It is worth noting that Lawhead comes from a Christian background, yet he spares few blows when striking at the hypocrisy and bloody carnage perpetrated on behalf of the Church and in the name of Christ. While he attempts to balance the cruelty portrayed on all sides he isn’t afraid to note the boredom and lechery so common. His book, in fact, seems almost anti-Christian as times but much later in the book he significantly develops Christian themes. In part, he is only being faithful to the history of the times – which was thoroughly permeated with Christianity amongst the Western nations. For those who are Christians the read will be both challenging and encouraging. For those who aren’t, he treads lightly and doesn’t preach to the reader. Preferring only to illuminate beliefs and systems within a narrative that carries it own apart from the religious elements[2. Unfortunately, many Christian novels are written to portray a point rather than carrying a point in their portrayal. The former is fine, but it is oftentimes done so poorly that the work cannot be considered art or even good writing. Lawhead does not succumb to any such foibles.]

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Talking to God? In theory it sounds great – in practice its not very easy. Why? Well, we all have our reasons. I struggle because He doesn’t speak back to me in a loud booming voice. Sometimes I say, “God, could you speak up a bit?” I’m not being sarcastic – but it is the cry of my heart. It’s hard to hear His voice sometimes. Then there is knowing what to talk about…and feeling like you are just repeating yourself over and over and over again. Sometimes I feel like I should just go out and do it – rather than sit silently and wait upon His leading – especially because I have a hard time hearing Him. Of course, all this is extremely complicated for me because of my struggles with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (which I’ve chronicled here). In any case, we struggle with talking to God – and yet in theory – it should be one of the most important practices of our lives.

If given the chance to speak with Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, George Bush, Bill Clinton, George Clooney, Liam Neeson – or any famous person – wouldn’t we jump on the opportunity? Yet God begs us to sit and talk with Him and we are too busy, too distracted, or too bored. I’m not trying to make us feel guilty – nothing of the sort – I just ponder the irony of it. We are so eager to talk to one another, but someone who is so much bigger than us garners so little of our attention.

Well, I can’t claim my prayer life is amazing – in fact it is a continuous struggle. But I have found a website that has helped me significantly in my prayer life. It’s run by Irish Jesuits and its called Sacred Space.[1. Yes, I am a Protestant - yes, I think there is a lot we can learn from Catholics - and a lot they can learn from us. No, I'm not for compromise, but I am for conversation which leads to a more whole and healthy understanding of ourselves and God. I think breaking off into so many denominations and fractions has been a tremendous mistake - something reflected by some of our great church leaders who attempted reform within their respective churches, not by leaving them. When we isolate ourselves into groups that only believe exactly as we do we abandon our ability to converse and grow holistically.] They offer guided prayer meditations. Its not liturgical prayers, it is suggestions on topics to pray and contemplate on. They help us remember to take time to simply sit before God, to praise Him for His goodness, to see His work in our lives, to repent of our sins, to ask for our needs, to learn of His limitless love. Its all done is a soft and beautiful way and takes only ten minutes to work through (though one could spend much longer). I highly recommend it!

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