Before I tell
you my choice for top book of 2014, let me share with you a couple of
honourable mentions.
Honourable
Mentions:
Books from the Building Healthy Churches series:
- Church Elders: How to Shepherd God's People Like Jesus by Jeramie Rinne
- Sound Doctrine: How a Church Grows in the Love and Holiness of God by Bobby Jamieson
- Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God's Word Today by David Helm
- Evangelism: How the Whole Church Speaks of Jesus by J. Mack Stiles
I found these books extremely
helpful. They are concise, well-written, and deal with subject matter that I
find particularly important. The various authors are clearly passionate about their
particular topic. And their passion is matched by their competency. Get your
hands on all the books from this series and you will not be disappointed.
A Brief Theology of Sport by Lincoln Harvey:
Another short and well-written book
on a topic that is dear to my heart. This read was eye-opening and
heart-filling for a one-time athlete wannabe theologian like myself. I really
appreciate the authors approach and hope this book encourages more discussion
on this topic.
The Deliberate Church by Mark Dever and Paul Alexander:
I really appreciate Mark Dever and his ministry with
9Marks. This books articulates a philosophy of ministry that reflects much of
what I think church should be about. I’m greatly encouraged having read this
book.
Books on preaching from the Old Testament:
- Jesus on Every Page by David Murray
- Is Jesus in the Old Testament? by Ian M. Duguid
- Joshua: No Falling Words by Dale Ralph Davis
I the summer of 2014, I had my first opportunity to
preach a series from the Old Testament. I was thoroughly stretched by the task,
and thoroughly enjoyed the whole process. These three books were invaluable to
me and left a lasting impression. Whether you preach or not, these were great
reads.
The English Language’s master wordsmith:
- The Tempest by William Shakespeare
- King Lear by William Shakespeare
- Othello by William Shakespeare
- Henry V by William Shakespeare
- Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare
- The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
- As You Like It by William Shakespeare
- Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
As your eyes return to their normal
position, having rolled back into your skull, and after you pick yourself up
from the fetal position that bad memories from highschool English class forced
you in to, let me suggest to you that Shakespeare is indeed one of the greats.
And, if you’re willing, reading a play or two just might leave you pleasantly
surprised. I’m looking forward to more of these in 2015.
The Ortlunds and my top two books of
2014:
- Edwards on the Christian Life by Dane Ortlund
- The Gospel: How the Church Portrays the Beauty of Jesus by Ray Ortlund
This is called keeping it in the
family. I cannot say enough about these two books by Ray Ortlund and his son
Dane. The Gospel is a heart-warming
and soul-stirring look at the gospel and the impact it can have on a church, on
the church’s members, and on those the church comes in contact with. Not much
more than 100 pages, this book is nevertheless a heavyweight. Readable and
memorable, The Gospel left me
convicted and convinced; convicted by my lack of gospel-ness and convinced that
the gospel can overcome that very shortcoming. Ray writes about the gospel in
such a way that Jesus indeed looks beautiful. Get this book. Read it. And then
pass it on. Edwards on the Christian Life
was a book that I anticipated reading when I first heard it would be added to
the Theologians on the Christian Life series. When I finally got my hands on it
my expectations were resoundingly surpassed. What a book! If Jonathan Edwards
is the theological juggernaut that people suggest – and I believe he is, and if
we all should be reading him – and I believe we should, than I cannot think of
a better place
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