Life + Faith

Tag: Books

  • 6 Reasons Not To Buy Books In 2019

    On my bookshelves sit over 800 books. On my Kindle sits around 250. I haven’t read them all.

    Granted, some of these books are more reference material for when required. I have plenty of commentaries and Bible dictionaries that help in Bible study or preaching preparation. However, I also have a lot of books related to the Christian faith which I haven’t read. Last year I went through a spate of buying a number of books but knew I wouldn’t be able to read them for another few months.

    So this year is the year of not buying books. Instead, I have given myself a goal of reading the many books on my shelves that are unread. Yes, that’s right, I’m not going to buy a single book this year.

    For some people this might be easy, very easy. It would help if one didn’t read. But, for someone like me who enjoys perusing secondhand book stores, or picking up a bargain from the Christian bookstore, then it is a significant challenge.

    6 reasons not to buy books in 2019

    This personal challenge is exactly that, a personal challenge. I’m not here to rope anyone else into this challenge. I just know I have enough books on my shelves that can and ought to be read. In contemplating this challenge, however, I have six reasons why I won’t be buying a book in 2019.

    First, I have enough books to read without having to buy any for 12 months. 

    I did just say this. I know, I can’t believe I said this myself.

    There are books on my shelf that I haven’t read. They should be read. They’re good books, recommended by others or bought for a particular purpose. At some point it is worth saying, “I have enough”. I have enough books to keep me reading and achieve my goals for 2019. With this being the case there isn’t a need to buy more from a pragmatic point of view. I have books to read, this will be sufficient.

    Second, I don’t want to waste money. 

    Books cost money. I have a finite supply of money. Spending money on books that I don’t need right now because I have enough reading material for the moment seems logical. I don’t want to waste my money on books that I won’t read for a number of months, or possibly years!

    The other side of this is all the money I have already spent. The sunk cost of the books I have on my shelves. If I don’t read them and they just sit there then this is also wasted money. The financial drivers of the reading endeavour do play into this decision of not buying a book in 2019.

    Third, I want to know what I need and what I don’t.

    There are books on my shelves that have sat there for years. One would think that if they haven’t been read by now, like 10 years unread, then it might be worth giving them to charity. However, I’m sure there are gems on my shelf that I’m unaware of. It would benefit me to read them, no doubt. There are also some terrible books on my shelf, no doubt. These don’t need to be read as thoroughly as others but they still need to be taken off the shelf and evaluated.

    In essence, I don’t know what is in some of these books and I would like to know what’s in them so that I can use them, learn from them, grow in some capacity or make the decision to get rid of them. I want to know what I need to keep and what I don’t need anymore.

    Fourth, I need to make space.

    Another practical reason for reading the books I already have is that I need to make space for others. While I won’t add to them this year, my bookcases are packed. There is little room for new books. Therefore, in reading more of my own books, and deciding to part with some of them, I will help my bookcases by freeing up space. Of course, doing something for a bookcase is not really truthful, it is so I can buy more in coming years. There are ulterior motives.

    Fifth, I can bless others with books I don’t need. 

    I know a few avid readers and a number of theological students who could benefit from some of the books I don’t need. Giving books away to people I know, with books that I believe would benefit them, helps them as much as it helps me. And while saying good-bye to some books sounds like a sad proposition, if it helps others then that’s great.

    Sixth, of many books there is no end. 

    As the write of Ecclesiastes reminds us, and all good students, at the end of his book of wisdom,

    “Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.” (Ecclesiastes 12:12)

    There will always be books, and in coming years I will no doubt buy more. And while being surrounded by books somehow makes me feel more intelligent than I really am there can be a weariness that comes from it. Although, apparently it is a good thing to be surrounded by more books than you can ever read. In any case, I’ll keep reading, and learn to be a little less precious about my own collection and learn to enjoy them for what they are.

  • 10 Tips For Reading In 2019

    Taking the time to read can be a discipline, but it should also be a joy. Like anything goal-orientated, reading can require planning, persistence, patience, and purpose. There are many ways to approach reading, and there’s no rules about it, except those you make yourself.

    For me, I have an annual goal of reading 26 books. Which means, as I’m sure you can work out, I aim to average one book every two weeks by the end of the year. I’ve had this goal since 2005, which again I’m sure you can work out as being 14 years, and read 361 books in that time. Go me.

    How do I know that’s how many books I’ve read during this time? Well, I’m kinda nerdy with my books and have listed them all in a spreadsheet. Yeah, I’m like that.

    10 Tips For Reading In 2019

    But, at no time has anyone told me what rules I am to put into place to do this. That’s because there are no rules. You can read anything you like! It’s not like your English teacher is breathing fire down your back as you choose which book you want to read, or how to read it. There’s no set textbooks in life like there are in school. Just read what you like!

    But of course, some people like rules, and without any rules chaos reigns or no reading gets done as you’re stuck on where to start.

    So with this said, and for what it’s worth, here are 10 tips to influence your reading this coming year.

    1. Don’t worry about how you read. 

    There are so many ways to read these days. Whatever your reading goal, whether it be one book this coming year or 100, there are a variety of different ways to achieve this. To achieve my goal of 26 I count everything from physical form, to digital form, to even audio form. Yes, even audio form! Deal with it. While I might not be able to retain as much as I would in physical form they still count in my book (see what I did there). And, in reality, the books I listen to rarely make it into my “Top Books” posts at the end of the year (see: 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, and 2014).

    2. Think about when reading might be best for you

    I’ve worked out that there are certain periods in the year where reading probably won’t happen. At the moment my summer holidays are usually chockablock with reading but I know that come April this will have dropped off significantly. Due to life circumstance and busyness reading can fall by the wayside. I know when this happens I’m either reading really slowly or simply not at all. But, it is helpful to think about when is the best time in the day, the week, the month, or the year for reading. My audiobooks are great in the car commute and while doing the dishes at home. The evenings, if I don’t have anything on, are also a good time for reading.

    One of the biggest distractions to reading is the phone. I think this needs to be dealt with in a significant way for anyone who wants to read purposefully and regularly.

    3. Choose books you think you will like

    There are a lot of different books out there and in many different genres. Read whatever tickles you. I’d still encourage stretching yourself in another genre or area of knowledge, but to begin with and to get yourself going, just pick something you think you’ll enjoy. I know for myself, a good thriller or mystery will do me wonders during holidays times and in-between non-fiction reads. They’re often trashy quick reads, but I still enjoy them. The other area that I’ve found myself reading more is that of biography; finding out someone else’s story can be a learning experience but also just enjoyable. Pick something you think you’d like and begin.

    4. If reading a non-fiction book, read with a pencil in hand

    I read a lot of non-fiction. Things regarding theology and Christian living are more prominent on my list than anything else. And when I read these books I usually read with a pencil in hand. Books are there to be used and so underlining, writing in the margins, and even dog-earring pages are all acceptable uses of books. If you don’t like that you need to get over yourself. Don’t be so precious about your books, they’re there to be used and learnt from.

    5. Make sure you read a fiction book every so often

    I make sure I read or listen to fiction books reasonably regularly. At least a third of my list this year was fiction. I find too much non-fiction doesn’t give my brain a break. We need to remember that reading books is only one aspect of our daily and weekly reading. Add to this the emails, texts, documents, and articles and there becomes a lot more reading than we perhaps realise. Give the brain a break and read some fiction.

    6. Don’t forget the reading of Scripture

    With all the Christian reading available to us it is a temptation to believe our devotional life with God can be sustained through them. This is not so. There is no substitute for Scripture. It is through Scripture God speaks, it is through Scripture we learn of God’s instruction, it is through Scripture the Spirit works within us to shape us and convict us. If we’ve got a goal for our ‘normal reading’ then it would also be worth having a plan for our Bible reading too. I’ve written about that previously, here and here and here.

    7. Try books outside your interests or current knowledge

    I can’t say reading any deep philosophy or sociology or psychology grabs me. I think it would be terribly boring. The same goes for apologetics or Creation-science or marriage books in the Christian world. Yet, I know that it would be good for me to do so. Every now and then I try to read something that I wouldn’t normally read and it is usually beneficial. If you don’t think you’ll like history then read some. If you don’t think you’ll like science fiction then read some. If you don’t think you’ll like sport biographies then read some (they’re awesome). I’ll try to do that too.

    8. Be willing to not finish a book

    You don’t have to finish every book you start. You really don’t. I know the English teacher said you did, but you really don’t. They’re disposable. If you’re not getting anything out of it, or it’s gone boring, stop wasting your time and give it to the op-shop.

    9. Join Goodreads or write down what you read

    I am on Goodreads, which is like a social media platform for book lovers. I record the books I read on here, give them a rating, see what my ‘friends’ are reading, and offer the odd review. It’s pretty good and I enjoy looking at the stats page every so often. It can calculate how many books I’ve read, how many pages, when they were published and so on.

    I mean, the other thing to do here is start a spreadsheet. Did I mention that before? It’s nerdy but it’s awesome.

    Or, just use a pen and a notebook.

    Whatever way you decide to go, I think the writing down of books read helps you know what you’ve read so you won’t pick it up again. But the biggest advantage I find is that it encourages you to keep reading.

    10. The world will not end if you don’t meet your goal

    Hey, if you don’t get to the goal you set this coming year don’t worry. The world is not ending, you can always try next year. What is more important is just giving it a go. You never know, you may learn something interesting, you may learn something that impacts your life, you may even find that you enjoy reading.

    However you do it I hope you have a great reading year in 2019. Thanks for reading this.

  • My Top Books of 2018

    At this stage of the year every pretentious writer worth their while comes out with the most arrogant of posts. Knowing they’ve read more than most of their friends they willingly share this information in a list, highlighting their favourites reads of the year just gone. Adding to this pretentiousness I offer my not-so-humble addition for the fifth year running (for previous years see: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 ).

    Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my top books for 2018.

    Enjoy.

    My Top Books of 2018

    This is one of the books I used in preparation for preaching a series on Ruth. I think it is fantastic.

    It’s more of a devotional commentary and gives good insight into the book. It teaches the meta-narrative themes of Ruth and provides devotional material to personally ponder. It’s very helpful in understanding the book of Ruth, who God is, and the implications of the story. It’s also helpful in teaching how to read Old Testament scripture in narrative form.

    I preached through the book of Ruth in February and March. This was the main commentary I used, which was excellent.

    Ruth: The King Is Coming by Daniel Block is part of the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament series. This particular commentary gives a good outline of all the textual, cultural, and literary issues of the book. It walks the reader through the text and its structure in a accessible way. It raises the theological issues and conclusions of the book too. It was very helpful in thinking through the book of Ruth and and a useful preaching tool.

    The writer, Jason Lloyd, has been an NBA beat journalist for years. He was the Cleveland beat writer during the time of LeBron’s coming, going, and return to the Cavs. He gives a fascinating insight into the way the club operated during this time and how the club dealt with the superstar.

    While there is biographical material of LeBron himself, the real insight of the book comes in the form of team strategy. That is, the management of an NBA team and what strategic moves the back office uses to build a winning team.

    This was a great book, worth reading, and some good sports writing.

    This is one of the best modern Christian books you’ll ever read.

    I rate it highly. So highly that I made it the first book in our church internship program.

    The Prodigal God is a short book that takes the reader through the parable of The Prodigal Son. Each chapter not only reveals the content of the parable in a fresh way but is powerfully mind-blowing and heart-convicting for your soul.

    If you’re looking for a great read and something that will encourage you in your Christian faith then this is well worth getting your hands on. It’s short too.

    I re-read this book this year and found it helpful again. This is 25 chapters of leadership thinking by the President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The cover of the book is pretty crass, like any leadership book with the authors picture on the front. But inside it’s worth a look and a read. I find Mohler particularly clear and insightful when it comes to wrestling with leadership as a Christian and as a Christian leader.

    I hadn’t read anything by the late RC Sproul until I read this book. I know he’s been around for many many years and very highly regarded. I was blown away by the content in this book, now over 30 years old. From start to finish Sproul outlines the holiness of God. He moves from creation to mystery, from the Old Testament to the New. He shows just how large an impact God’s holiness has in the relationship he has with his creatures, and just how patient, gracious, and merciful he is.

    For a more comprehensive review you can go here.

    I have no way near the experience of suffering as Cole or other friends of mine have. Yet, as a pastor, and someone who is now reaching the stage of life where hearing of death and divorce has become more regular, I have found this book quite amazing. It is so comprehensive in understanding the pain of suffering and grief and so deep and rich in biblical truth. This is a pastoral book, an encouraging book, and a helpful book for anyone who is, has, and will suffer in this life (read: all of us). No wonder it won World Magazine’s Accessible Theology Book of the Year.

    Thanks for reading along, hope you find something in there to read in the coming 12 months. If you’d like to read more about what I’ve read you can do so here.

    My Top Books: Yearly Series
    2014
    2015
    2016
    2017
    2018 (this post)
    2019
    2020
    2021
    2022
    2024
    2025

  • The Holiness of God by RC Sproul

    The Holiness of God by RC Sproul is a well known and highly regarded book. Like Packer’s ‘Knowing God’ and Piper’s ‘Desiring God’, my understanding is that this is Sproul’s flagship book. The one that put him on the map at least. I can see why.

    Sproul is terrific, from start to finish, in outlining the holiness of God. He starts by talking about God’s holiness in relation to his creation. He leaves us with dealing with the mystery of God’s holiness. He speaks of how the Old Testament shows so clearly that holiness is a huge factor in the way he relates to his creatures. And, by through understanding holiness more we see just how patient, gracious, and merciful he is to each one of us.

    I found his chapters in dealing the the justice of God and holiness, and also his approach to some tough passages of the Bible very helpful. For example, he deals with how Aaron’s sons die when they offer the wrong fire to God. This is because of God’s holiness. He also tackles the passage where one of the Ark bearers seems to stop the Ark of the Covenant from falling. In touching the Ark the man dies. This is again because of holiness. In each of these chapters it was highlighted to me just how holy God is and just how unholy I am. Hence, the greater appreciation for God’s patience, graciousness and mercy.

    I don’t think holiness is a theme or characteristic of God spoken of much these days. Nor is it applied very well either. Perhaps the only time we hear of holiness is when we are told to obey God’s ways, yet this is often heard as rules and regulations. There’s always a danger in trying to encourage people toward holiness and godliness because it can often be heard as works-righteousness. Sadly, this distorts the gospel and is a poor witness. While our faith may impact our lives we don’t pursue the holiness God requires of us.

    And when I say, ‘of what God requires of us’, I want to make sure that we are clear on what I mean.

    This is not saying that we need to be holy in order to attain salvation, in order to be made right with God. No, Christianity is not a works-based faith. It is a faith built on the ‘rightness’ of Jesus Christ, and the work he has done on the cross. As Sproul articulates so in the final chapters of his book,

    “That a saint [a believer] is a sinner is obvious. How then can he be just? The saint is just because he has been justified. In and of himself he is not just. He is made just in the sight of God by the righteousness of Christ. This is what justification by faith is about. When we put our personal trust for our salvation in Christ and in Him alone, then God transfers to our account all the righteousness of Jesus. His justness becomes ours when we believe in Him. It is a legal transaction. The transfer of righteousness is like an accounting transaction where no real property is exchanged. That is, God puts Jesus’ righteousness in my account while I am still a sinner.” (p212)

    The calling we have as believers is to follow Jesus and become more like him. An aspect of this, and as Sproul strongly prioritises as number one, is that of holiness. We are to become more holy as believers. We are seeking to do away with sin in our lives and continue to live lives that are transforming us into the likeness of Jesus. The likeness of God. Holiness is then sought as a sinner-saint. We continue to examine our own lives in light of God’s holiness and know we have a lot of work to do.

    Again, the trouble with talking this way is often we find ourselves slipping into a regulated or rules based faith. Yet, we must constantly remind ourselves that the heart of the holiness transformation is for the joy of being with God, knowing God, and being made right by God.

    In reading this book, and thinking about it further, I have found myself appreciating the impact it has on my heart and mind. I have particularly found myself thinking about the undeserved grace God gives to us in light of his holiness. Furthermore, it is his holiness that impacts so many areas of the biblical storyline. In fact, from Genesis 3 right through to the end of the New Testament this theme of holiness plays a significant role.

    I think this book inspires a greater understanding of God. A deeper appreciation for his grace and mercy, a real understanding of our sin and sinful nature and the impact of that on our relationship with God and this world. And then, the way God’s justice plays out because of his holiness. There are so many aspects to our faith and theology that this book speaks into. And is so helpful in our personal walk with Jesus, and our own transformation toward holiness.

    I couldn’t recommend it more.

  • Are You Walking WITH God?

    The book, With: Reimagining The Way You Relate To God by Skye Jethani, was probably the best book I read last year. It was just brilliant. It was challenging and helpful in thinking about what it is to relate and commune with God. It’s a book I’ve made our interns at church read. And more recently, it’s a book I’ve quoted in one of my sermons when talking about what it is to grow as a follower of Jesus.

    Are You Walking WITH God_

    One of the helpful ways Jethani frames this idea of walking WITH Jesus is by highlighting how we perceive our relationship with God. In doing this he talks of four postures:

    First – Life from God

    These are people seeking blessing and gifts from God, but aren’t particularly interested in God himself. God is seen as a combination of a “divine butler and a cosmic therapist”.

    Second – Life over God

    Here people have lost the wonder and mystery of God and his world. Instead they seek to earn God’s favour through formulas and proven controllables. Those who believe God operates this way will seek to put the right techniques in place for faith, church, and life so a relationship with God can occur.

    Third – Life for God

    This is the posture of being concerned with serving God and expending all energy in doing something for God. Whether it be service or mission this posture highlights those who believe a relationship with God is founded on the things done. Identity is wrapped up in doing and service for God.

    Fourth – Life under God

    People who have a posture of life under God sees God in cause and effect terms. Through obedience to his commands God will bless life, family, and the nation. In this posture the believer is to determine what God approves and make sure they remain within those boundaries in order for God to uphold his part of the deal.

    I find that these postures are fairly accurate in terms of how people think about their faith and relationship with God. But as Jethani rightly outlines, our relationship with God is exactly that, WITH God. It is a relationship, not a religious exercise with rules and rituals. And so, when speaking about being with God Jethani says,

    “The life with God posture is predicated on the view that relationship is at the core of the cosmos: God the Father with God the Son with God the Holy Spirit. And so we should not be surprised to discover that when God desired to restore his broken relationship with people, he sent his Son to dwell with us. His plan to restore his creation was not to send a list of rules and rituals to follow, nor was it the implementation of useful principles. He did not send a genie to grant us our desires, nor did he give us a task to accomplish. Instead God himself came to be with us–to walk with us once again as he had done in Eden in the beginning. Jesus entered into our dark existence to share our broken world and to illuminate a different way forward. His coming was a sudden and glorious catastrophe of good.”

    How about you, do you walk WITH God? Or, do you find your relationship with God is depicted through another posture?