I want to give you six recommendations for your reading list for 2011 – call it: “six for your soul”.  I recently read all six of these books, a couple of them for the second time.  All of them are written for the “person in the pew”; that is, none of them are designed as Bible college or seminary textbooks.  All of them are well written, and short enough not to be intimidating J.  All of them are soaked in Scripture and dripping with relevance and encouragement for every believer.  Here are the titles and some very brief comments about the subjects:

Recently finished reading two very good books. On the historical front, (along with Debbie) I read, “We are Lincoln Men” by David Herbert Donald; a short work about Lincoln as seen through his close relationship with several friends and colleagues. It is an easy and enjoyable read, and very informative for those might want to be introduced to this great American President. (For those who would want meatier reading, Donald wrote a major, prize-winning biography on Lincoln back in the 90’s, titled “Lincoln”. It is excellent, but much longer and much weightier going.)

The other book is by Dr. David Dockery, the President of Union University (the college that was severely damaged in the February tornado). Dockery’s book is titled: “Southern Baptist, Consensus and Renewal”, published by Broadman & Holman. For those who are lovers of the Southern Baptist Convention, and/or those who would like to learn some historical background about the Convention, this is an excellent resource. Dockery provides a marvelous primer on key parts of SBC history (and pre-SBC, Baptist history); he includes some excellent background on SBC doctrinal beliefs, and where they came from; and he offers some very pastoral counsel about future directions. It is an excellent book, about 225 pages, and will be good for your spiritual development. (Dockery’s book contains a comprehensive, yet very understandable portrait of the gospel in chapter 2 – the book is worth its price for that chapter alone. Even if you did not read the rest of the book, you would be blessed and equipped by reading Chapter 2.)

Suggested Reading: Food for the soul, good to the taste, healthy for the mind . . .

Bible Read this first, and read it most.

(I have found it helpful to read thru Psalms & Proverbs annually. There are 181 (chapters), total. That means if you read one Psalm or one chapter in Proverbs per day, you can read through the whole collection twice in a year – that would be awesome for you!)

Biographies:

His Excellency (G. Washington) Joseph Ellis
Passionate Sage (J. Adams) Joseph Ellis
American Sphinx (T. Jefferson) Joseph Ellis
(Short biographies; very well written; focusing on particular periods or situations)

Let the Trumpet Sound (M. L. King) Stephen Oates

John Piper has also written several short biographies in series called: The Swans Are Not Silent
(These are based on great heroes of the faith)

Devotional books:

The Attributes of God Arthur Pink
The Knowledge of the Holy A.W. Tozer
My Utmost for His Highest Oswald Chambers
(this one is my favorite; going through it for the third time in 08; a recognized classic)
50 Reasons why Jesus Came to Die John Piper

Men’s growth

Point Man Steve Farrar
The Measure of a Man Gene Getz
(the source book for our current men’s Bible study)

For Men Only Jeff and Shaunti Feldhahn
(excellent, short, easy-to-read resource for men to learn how women are different from men)

Quiet Strength (biography) Tony Dungy
(a rare and genuine sports celebrity who publically & unapologetically lives out his faith)

Women’s growth:

For Women Only Shaunti Feldhahn
(companion book to “For Men Only”; easy-to-read & short)
The Legacy of Biblical Womanhood Susan Hunt & Barbara Thompson
Politically Incorrect Wife Nancy Cobb/Connie Grigsby

General Spiritual Growth:

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life Donald Whitney
(primer on developing godly disciplines & godly habits)

Anything John Piper writes will be a fountain of nourishment for your spirit
Some Notables: Desiring God; Future Grace; Pleasures of God
(I think there are “short” versions of each of these – go to: desiringgod.org)

One more from Piper: Don’t Waste Your Life
(written for “everyman” & “everywoman”, alerting readers to seek God’s greater riches)

Fiction:

I don’t read a lot of fiction, though Debbie and I do choose some fiction to read to each other. My best word to you in this area is to stick to Christian fiction, and the classics.

As your pastor, I cherish this opportunity to encourage and equip you in your walk with God. As I started to write down some suggestions, I was quickly overwhelmed with the number of books that God has used to bless my life. The challenge is to keep the list manageable (and not intimidating), so I limited this edition to about 20 titles. It is a start. I admit that it reflects my preferences and my interests in reading material, so there won’t be much in the way of fiction or what I might describe as lighter reading (though I do read some of that and enjoy it). I have read each of the books on the list, and some of them more than once.

I have broken the list down into some general, topical areas. I hope this list will be useful as you seek wisdom in choosing books that will be good for you. I join you in wanting to choose reading that will nourish my soul, and equip me in my walk with God. There is some tremendous stuff out there (both sacred and secular) – more than any reader could consume in a lifetime of reading. So, my prayer is that you will be discerning.

If you are already a reader, you might want to choose two or three “topics” and one book from each. If you are not currently a reader, I pray this may be a catalyst to help you pursue this useful discipline. I recommend you start slowly and patiently, seeking to find a consistent time and place where you can nourish your mind and soul with the joy of GOOD reading – 15 minutes a day is an excellent goal at the start. For some of you, cost might be an issue. Sadly, many of these books are not available at a local library. (Perhaps we will explore purchasing some of them for our church library.) In the meantime, though my resources are not extensive, I am happy to help you in any way I can – and it would be my joy to do so.

So, check out the list, and make a plan to get started. I would love to hear how you’re doing, and what you think about the books you are reading (even if they are not on the attached list, or even if you don’t like one I have suggested J). To the extent that I can, I am also glad to give you my opinion about the “theological safety” and/or “worthiness quotient” of any book you in which you might be interested. I rejoice that God has given the gift of writing to men and women, and has given us minds to benefit from their gift. As in all things, our objective in reading ought to be to “grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 3.18)

Please pray for them. The list and contact information is here.