Reading

Reading

As believers, we know that spending time in God’s word produces life change. But other books can also impact our lives:

Before I became a Christian, I read “The Arm of the Starfish” by Madeleine L’Engle, It awoke in me a desire for the supernatural, a desire to encounter God, that I don’t remember having before that time. I recommend her books, particularly “A Wrinkle in Time” (Newberry Award Winner) for children and teenagers, and the “Crosswicks Journals” for adults (four books).

I worked a year between high school and college, and was wondering what to do with my life. “Knowing God” by J. I. Packer convinced me that knowing God intimately should be a life goal, and that heading to Moody Bible Institute was an important step in that journey. “Knowledge of the Holy” by A. W. Tozer also pointed me in the same direction.

As I was contemplating the move up here to Princeton Free Church, “The Mitford Series”, books by Jan Karon, ignited a desire to pastor in a more rural area.

Other impactful books that I would recommend:

“Windows of the Soul” by Ken Gire. He captures a number of the ways God interacts with and surprises us. You’ll recognize some of his illustrations from my sermons.

“What’s So Amazing About Grace” by Philip Yancey. This book fleshes out God’s grace to the unlovely in vivid ways; his chapters on a prostitute and a homosexual are worth the price of the book.

“Systematic Theology” by Wayne Grudem. This book has been tremendously helpful as I’ve thought through my beliefs for the upcoming ordination (transfer) council. It’s huge, not necessarily easy reading; if that puts you off, try the summary book, “Christian Beliefs” by Wayne and his son.

“Color Outside the Lines” by Howard Hendricks, and, “A Whack on the Side of the Head” by Roger Von Oech, both excellent books on creativity.

The staff is currently reading “Blue Like Jazz” by Donald Miller, an interesting (sometimes bone-jarring) story of a contemporary person’s journey towards faith.

May the Lord change your lives through a variety of avenues, including reading!