As this may come to a surprise to many of you (or rather will not come to surprise many of you), I am a book nerd. After talking with some of you I found it may be helpful for me to post what I am reading for this summer. Thanks to my loving wife and my self-diagnosed insomnia, I have been able to make a pretty extensive reading list for this summer. As of June 15th, I have finished the first 9 on this list. Here are some of the books I am reading:
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1) Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung
Have you ever had trouble discerning God's will for your life? This is the book for you. Kevin DeYoung is an author and pastor with a heart for people. This is not a difficult read, but it is one that will have a tremendous impact in your life.
2) Atheism Remix by R. Albert Mohler
Dr. Mohler, the President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, is by-far the leading intellect of Evangelical Christianity. Atheism Remix is a historical look at the development of atheism into the present day context and the new challenges Evangelicals are faced with. This is a very informal work, however, not very practical.
3) This Momentary Marriage by John Piper
This Momentary Marriage was the first book I have read on marriage since being married in January. Not only has it been the first book I have read since marriage, this is the best book I have read on marriage. John Piper not only grounds his work in the Bible (most important), but is also very practical and redemptive-focused in this work.
4) Chosen for Life by Sam Storms
Many of you may be unfamiliar with the doctrinal debate of Calvinism and Arminianism. I have been working through the five-points of Calvinism to see where I line up with these biblical doctrines. Sam Storms is a prolific author. I find him very easy to read, convincing, and his heart for the Word of God is unmatched. Faith and I are also reading devotionally together through his work entitled Hope of Glory.
5) Unfashionable by Tullian Tchividjian
Tchividjian (crazy name huh?) is the grandson of Billy Graham. In this work he attempts to show the dangers of Christians living in the fashion of this world. I found this work to be tremendously helpful. It is a great, convicting read.
6) Scattershot by David Lovelace
David Lovelace is the son of Richard Lovelace, a noted church historian and author. This work is a memoir into the life of the Lovelace family (four out of five are diagnosed as bi-polar). While I have my own beliefs about bi-polar/manic depressives as a biblical counselor, I appreciate greatly Lovelace's honesty and vulnurability in this work. You'll laugh, cry, and be intriguided by this work. Although the theological convictions of his father are clearly Christian in nature, David does not necessarily hold to these same convictions.
7) The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Cormac McCarthy is a southern, Gothic novelist. This work is about a father and son in a some-what apocalyptic time traveling down a deserted road. It is a nail-bitter and page turner. I like to balance reading Christian reading with regular fiction and secular works. If you are a Christian, do not abandon works done by people who are not Christians. There is a thing called common grace.
8) John Calvin: And His Passion for the Majesty of God by John Piper
As mentioned earlier, the debate of Calvinism and Arminianism are named after John Calvin and Jacob Arminius. The life of John Calvin and his deep love for God is an inspiring story. No matter where you fall in the spectrum, John Calvin is a godly model.
9) The Expository Genius of John Calvin by Steven Lawson
I was extremely interested after reading the short biography on John Calvin about his preaching method. Expository preaching is preaching seeking the author's point in its historical context prior to connecting it to the twenty-first century implications.
10) How to Argue Like Jesus by Joe Carter and John Coleman
Now I know what you are thinking: Jesus....Arguing...this sounds like an oxymoron. Based on Aristotilian marks of rhetoric, Carter and Coleman discuss how to learn persuasion from history's greatest communicator. It is a very practical and helpful work. A good tool for preachers. It is also a very helpful hermeneutical tool.
11) Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World by A.J. Jacobs
A.J. Jacobs has been known from some crazy works. He has done everything from attempting to live by the Law of the Old Testament perfectly to living as a "hot" woman for an entire month. In this work, he attempts (and succeeds) at reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica; 33,000 pages with some 44 million words. This is a retelling of his journey as he reads. Very humorous. Definitely not a Christian work and includes some foul language. However, I am reading this for a reminder of how an unbeliever thinks about various topics (including the Bible), because I have seen many people reading this work, and because it is hilarious.
12) Lectures to My Students by Charles Spurgeon
I am so glad Charles Spurgeon has written notes down from his lectures. I could not imagine being under his lectures and only having a pencil to take notes. I have underlined every other line in this book. It is full of practical help and stories for future pastors. Call it a man-crush, but I appreciate Charles Spurgeon more than any author and preacher for their works.
13) Death by Love by Mark Driscoll
This book is all about the cross of Jesus Christ and how that applies to suffering people. The book is made up of letters from Pastor Mark Driscoll (Mars Hill Church, Seattle) to real people in his congregation. It is strong worded, but brutally honest.
14) Vintage Church by Mark Driscoll
This work is all about the New Testament Church. Call it a systematic theology of the church, but it is an enjoyable read and very practical. This book will help you understand what the Bible has to say about the Church to correct all of our ignorance and misunderstandings about what we think the church is about.
15) The Mark of the Christian by Francis Schaeffer
"It is possible to be a Christian without showing the mark, but if we expect non-Christians to know that we are Christians, we must show the mark." What are the marks? I am not sure, but I can tell you after I read this. However, I would encourage you to read this very small book (techniqually a booklet). Francis Schaeffer is a very intelligent author. His works can be somewhat difficult to understand, but are philosophically deep and biblically accurate.
