Church & Community
Reading List
Sodom Had No Bible
-Leonard Ravenhill-
Ravenhill was an Englishman who came to America after the Second World War. He is widely known as one of the greatest voices for revival in the 20th Century. Anything by Ravenhill will inspire, convict, challenge and generally kick the reader in the pants.
Real Christians Don’t Dance
-John Fischer-
John Fischer was a prominent character in the early “Jesus Music” days of the 1960's and has become a contributing editor for CCM magazine. These two books are compilations of some of his editorials and make for some excellent reading on practical and applied Christianity. Humorous and scathing, no reader leaves un-challenged.
The Company Of The Committed
-Elton Trueblood-
Anything by Elton Trueblood is worth the time and money to find and read. He was a theologian who was committed to making the depths of the workings of God understandable to anyone who wanted to read about it. Both of these are life-foundation books.
Healing The Wounded Spirit
-John & Paul Sandford-
Pioneers in the field of Inner Healing, John and Paula are committed to giving practical application to solid Biblical teaching on outward change rooted in inward transformation. Their writings are easy to read and filled with the “how-to’s” of seeing the inner man changed into the Likeness of Christ.
Disappointment With God
-Philip Yancey-
In Disappointment With God Yancey deals skillfully and forthrightly with 3 questions that many Christians wonder but seldom ask aloud: Is God unfair? Is God silent? Is God hidden? This is the only book I have ever read three times and I cannot recommend it highly enough, especially for those who are going through difficult times in their Christian walk.
Purity of Heart Is To Will One Thing
-Soren Kierkegaard-
Anything by Elton Trueblood is worth the time and money to find and read. He was a theologian who was committed to making the depths of the workings of God understandable to anyone who wanted to read about it. Both of these are life-foundation books.
The Normal Christian Life
-Watchman Nee-
Watchman Nee was a Chinese man who became a Christian in his late teens. He poured himself into Christianity and his writings are devotional classics. The two listed here should be required reading for every serious Christian. The Normal Christian Life also has a study guide to help use it as a group study book.
The Cost Of Discipleship
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer-
Executed by Hitler for his opposition to the war, Bonhoeffer has become considered a “modern saint” for his fight against tyranny and his passion for radical commitment to the cause of Christ. Bonhoeffer gave up the relative security of World War II America so he could return to his native Germany and be a voice against Hitler’s madness. He felt it was necessary to suffer with the saints so he could be an accepted voice when the horrors were over and the time to rebuild arrived.
Christian Devotion
-John Baillie-
One of the happiest accidental discoveries I have ever made in a used book store. Baillie deals with amazingly simple issues and examines them with a spiritual depth that is awe-inspiring. His chapter on “When We Lie Down” makes us feel safe going to sleep. His next chapter on “While We Sleep” makes the prospect of sleep feel like opening a gift from the Father. His next chapter on “When We Wake” helps us look at the new day as the first episode in a much anticipated mini-series. This book brings centeredness and peace to everyday issues and reveals the Hand of God in the commonplace.
Dedication and Leadership
-Douglas Hyde-
Hyde was the director of the Communist Party in France until his conversion in the mid-twentieth century. This book deals with the reason for the expansion (at that time) of Communism contrasted with the apathy of the Christian church. Rooted in a call to passion and commitment, this book gives practical steps to greater effectiveness.
The Philippian Fragment
-Calvin Miller-
These two books by Calvin Miller are the funniest Christian books I have ever read, both of which carry a message that pierces the heart. Miller masterfully lowers the walls around our hearts by finding comedy in things every church leader has experienced. These are hysterical and powerful reads.
a tALE oF tHREE kINGS
-Gene Edwards-
These are the only books by Edwards that I recommend but I do recommend these without reservation. Crucified by Christians identifies the real culprit behind the difficulties of life and relationships and it is probably not who or what you are thinking. The Prisoner in the Third Cell deals with the question by John the Baptist of “Are you the Christ or do we look for another” and Jesus’ answer “Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me.” Answering the question of “is it possible to be offended with God” with honesty, clarity and practicality this book has a twist at the end which will require some tissue. A Tale of Three Kings follows the lives of Saul, David and Solomon and their reactions to common issues of life that we all face and then asks the question of who we want to be like in our responses. All three of these books deal very well with issues of offense, “fairness” and forgiveness.