Every year, I make it a point to read more books than the previous year, covering various topics of Christian living and theology. Below are the most helpful books I have read this year, along with a few highlights about them. I would encourage you to prayerfully consider adding these to your list. If you struggle with being able to sit and read, consider a membership to Audible through Amazon. I have now been reading both through Kindle editions and/or Audible, and have grown to love audiobooks. Whether you are on a walk, working out at the gym, or doing chores around the house, you can accomplish much reading through Audible.
Most importantly, commit to a Bible reading plan for the year. There are several options in the YouVersion Bible App, such as: Bible in a Year, Chronological Bible in a Year, and Bible in 90 Days. Develop a consistent plan and set a dedicated time every day to read the Word of God and meditate upon what you have read throughout the day.
More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell
The author of this book offers an excellent introduction by sharing his experience of coming to a saving faith relationship with Jesus Christ. Like many who come to faith, they may have doubts about Christianity or may even end up on the extreme of becoming an atheist. Many people today claim to be Christian, but are truly not, based on their fruit. This can often become a problem for the body of Christ because if there are people who profess to be Christians but genuinely are not, they leave a negative mark on the church as a whole.
Thankfully, the author of this book met an individual who was a genuine Christian and recognized something unique about them. Initially, he thought they were just more into their religion. However, after further conversation, he discovered that what had changed them was simply Jesus Christ. In the name of Christianity, aside from false converts, you will find people within the church who are simply religious, and then you will find people who are genuinely all about Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 (NLT), "The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This ‘letter’ is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.” Paul was a very intellectual man, yet he stressed the importance of being a living epistle. Paul knew that it would not be intellect alone that would be key to evangelizing the lost. He knew that it would be a matter of the lost seeing those who are in Christ, living Christ-like lives.
The author of this book was then challenged by an individual to study the Bible and try to disprove it. They originally thought it would be easy with their intellectual mind; however, God had different plans. "I could come to only one conclusion: If I were to remain intellectually honest, I had to admit that the Old and New Testament documents were some of the most reliable writings in all of antiquity. And if they were reliable, what about this man Jesus, whom I had dismissed as a mere carpenter in an out-of-the-way town in a tiny, oppressed country, a man who had gotten caught up in his own visions of grandeur? I had to admit that Jesus Christ was more than a carpenter. He was all He claimed to be." (page 31)
As believers, we must live as living epistles and be prepared in and out of season to give an account. We should not feel intimidated when someone more intellectual challenges our faith. We must be empowered by the Holy Spirit, who will give us the right words to say to the individual. We could be speaking to someone who has a similar story to the author of this book: someone who was lost, looking for what was missing in their life, and searching in all the wrong places, until through your witness and seed-sowing, they came to faith in Jesus Christ!
A Hunger for God by John Piper
We are living in a time where there is much carnality in the American church. Many churches are forfeiting the true doctrine of the faith and turning a blind eye to what God's Word calls sin. As a result, many are lacking a true hunger for God. While I would disagree with John Piper on his Calvinistic views, this book contains much wisdom that I believe will help believers cultivate a greater hunger for God.
John Piper writes, "If you don't feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Your soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great."
As believers, we must taste and see that the Lord is good, always. When you truly realize all that you have in Jesus Christ, and set your mind on those things, the more you will walk in being fully satisfied in Him alone.
The world, and the extreme prosperity gospel, will tell you that to be happy you need to be healthy and wealthy. While God is our healer and provider, our earthly circumstances are not the basis for our joy. Only a Spirit-filled life, while truly resting in all that God has done for us and who He is, will bring us true joy and satisfaction in life. To be a truly happy person is to be satisfied in the fact that Jesus is enough!
Hell's Best Kept Secret by Ray Comfort
Living in an age of watered-down Biblical teaching, many believers are ill-equipped to evangelize the lost Biblically. While living a godly life and sharing the love of Jesus with others is one of the best testimonies to be a good witness for Christ, we must also be prepared to give an account for the Gospel.
This book, along with the next one, will prepare you to evangelize Biblically when you encounter unbelievers. While your testimony of God transforming your life cannot be argued, you may have people approach you with other questions about the faith.
Ray Comfort's book will help equip you for when you encounter unbelievers who may be atheists or from other religions, who might ask challenging questions. The best way to defend the faith is to be rooted in God's Word. The more you study His Word, the more equipped you will be.
Ray Comfort says, "Every song has a composer, every book has an author, every car has a maker, every painting has a painter, and every building has a builder. So it isn't irrational to take this simple logic a little further and say that nature must have had a Maker. It would be irrational to believe that it made itself."
Not All Roads Lead to Heaven: Sharing an Exclusive Jesus in an Inclusive World by Dr. Robert Jeffries
The world today will say that all roads lead to God, but that is not true because the Bible says that Jesus is the only way! Dr. Jeffries' book will Biblically equip you to evangelize the lost in this world, who may be wrapped up in other religions or New Age beliefs. This is an excellent book to go through along with Ray Comfort's book as previously mentioned.
The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee
Many Christians have settled for a lifestyle less than what the early church lived. Watchman Nee does a wonderful job explaining the true and full impact of the complete work of Jesus Christ in the believer's life, along with the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit, who will equip believers for a God-glorifying life! Watchman Nee writes, "Our old history ends with the Cross; our new history begins with the resurrection."
Redeeming Productivity: Getting More Done for the Glory of God by Reagan Rose
There are many books written on how to be more productive with our time. Many people are making goals for the new year. However, there are very few books written that provide Biblical principles for productivity. Psalm 90:12 says, "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." As believers, we are on a mission to fulfill all that God has for us for the purpose of His Kingdom. This book will help you maintain a Christian balance on being more productive in the new year.
Please note that all of these authors are fellow brothers in the Lord. In Christianity, there are many secondary issues. While I endorse these books above, that does not mean I agree with the authors on their stances on secondary issues such as the continuation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit or views on the end times. We all agree on the very fundamental essentials of the faith, which is the foundation for true unity.
