5-10 Must-Read Books For Your Church
Let’s pretend you had the job of creating a list of 5-10 books that you want everyone in your church to read. Let’s imagine that the majority of the people in your church read the books and that these 5-10 books radically shape the culture of your church. What 5-10 books would you put on the list?
Whether you’re a pastor or a layperson, please share you list. I think it will be fun and helpful for all of us to read your list. These lists will vary based on your theology, values, and context. What 5-10 books would you put on the list?
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In no particular order…
1. The Big Picture Story Bible by Helm
2. A Praying Life by Miller
3. The Holiness of God by Sproul
4. Desiring God by Piper
5. Knowing God by Packer
Thanks for the post, Justin!
Many of these are new so they’re on my mind; but they hit important categories. And admittedly, this is somewhat idealistic, but o.k.
1. Big Picture Story Bible
2. Humility, Mahaney
3. The Deep Things of God, Sanders
4. Counterfeit Gods, Keller
5. Let the Nations Be Glad, Piper
6. Pierced for Our Transgressions, Jeffrey
7. The Gospel and Personal Evangelism, Dever
8. Putting Amazing Back Into Grace, Horton
9. The Doctrine of the Word of God, Frame
10. The God Who Is There, Carson
1. Desiring God-Piper
2. Cross of Christ- Stott
3. Systematic Theology- Grudem
4. How People Change- Tripp
5. When Sinners Say I Do- Harvey
6. Shepherding a Child’s Heart- Tripp
7. Reason for God- Keller
8. Religious Affections- Edwards
9. Mortification of Sin- Owen
10. Jesus Storybook Bible- Jones
Jesus Storybook Bible
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God – J.I. Packer
The Trellis and the Vine – Colin Marshall
Arnold Dallimore’s 2 volume biography of George Whitefield
1. Institutes of the Christian Religion – Calvin
2. Pushing the Antithesis – Bahnsen
3. Resurrection of the Son of God – N. T. Wright
4. Doctrine of the Knowledge of God (or Doctrine of God) – John Frame
5. Lectures in Calvinism – Abraham Kuyper
6. A Survey of Christian Epistemology – Cornelius Van Til
7. Creation Regained – Al Wolters (or Heaven is a Place on Earth: Why Everything You Do Matters to God – Michael Wittmer)
8. The Gospel in Pluralist Society – Leslie Newbigin
9. God’s Big Picture – Vaughan Roberts
10. Saving Leonardo – Nancy Pearcey
In no particular order-
1. Knowing God by J.I. Packer
2. The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul
3. Desiring God by John Piper
4. Because He Loves Me by Elyse Fitzpatrick
5. Living the Cross-Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney
6. How People Change by Tim Lane and Paul Tripp
7. The Heart of Evangelism by Jerram Barrs
8. The Crisis of Caring by Jerry Bridges
9. Bible Doctrine by Wayne Grudem
10. Stop Dating the Church by Joshua Harris
Man, its tough to limit it to just 10 and try to be well-rounded but deeply grounded.
For every church member :
1. God’s words, Jim Packer
2. Knowing God, Jim Packer
3. Holiness of God, R C Sproul
4. Mystery of the Holy Spirit, R C Sproul
5. Biography of Martyn Lloyd Jones, Iain Murray
6. John Stott on Ephesians
7. Life in the Spirit, in marriage, home and work (Lloyd-Jones on Ephesians 5/6)
8. The Christian Life, A doctrinal introduction, Sinclair Ferguson
9. According to Plan, Graham Goldsworthy
10. Search the Scriptures OR This Morning with God – whichever is available
1. What is the Gospel? (Greg Gilbert)
2. Living the Cross-Centered Life (C.J. Mahaney)
3. The Holiness of God (R.C. Sproul)
4. Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands (Paul Tripp)
5. God is the Gospel (John Piper)
6. Don’t Waste Your Life (John Piper)
7. Humility (C.J. Mahaney)
8. Every Thought Captive (Richard Pratt)
9. 9 Marks of a Healthy Church (Mark Dever)
10. Scripture Alone (James White)
5-10 Must-Read Books For Your Church – http://tinyurl.com/36bvlot
1. Desiring God, Piper
2. The Autobiography of George Muller, Muller
3. The Trellis and the Vine, Marshall, Payne
4. What is the Gospel, Gilbert
5. The Gospel & Personal Evangelism, Dever
6. Our Sufficiency in Christ, Macarthur
7. The Deliberate Church, Dever
8. Shepherding the Child’s Heart, Tripp
9. How People Change, Lane & Tripp
10. Don’t Waste Your Life, Piper
5-10 Must-Read Books For Your Church http://bit.ly/9qCFul
Add your ideas to the list: http://bit.ly/cwqhW2
1. Don’t Waste Your Life – Piper
2. The Prodigal God – Keller
3. Death by Love – Driscoll
4. Systematic Theology – Grudem
5. Apologetics to the glory of God – Frame
6. The Pleasures of God – Piper
7. Shepherding Your Child’s Heart – Tripp
8. Humility – Mahaney
9. Treasure Principle – Alcorn
10. Knowing God – Packer
In no particular order:
What’s a Healthy Church Member – Anyabwile
Calvin’s Institutes – Calvin
Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God – Packer
The Grand Inquisitor – Dostoyevksy
When I Don’t Desire God – Piper
The Lord’s Supper – t. Watson
Mere Christianity – C.S. Lewis
Shepherding a Child’s Heart – Tripp
In Christ Alone – Ferguson
Holiness of God – Sproul
Many great books listed (though some seem heady for a whole church. “Institutes of the Christian Religion.” Really?) so I just want to mention one other: “Culture Making” by Andy Crouch. (http://www.culture-making.com/about/book/)
I’m enjoying checking out these lists, and so are many others. Keep them coming. I’m surprised at how heady/thick some of the lists are. I may post my list next week.
1. The Bible (I do not mean this in a sarcastic tone, but I am amazed at how many people based on all of these stats and surveys I read, claim to not read it often or at all.)
2. Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit – Francis Chan
3. The Holiness of God – R.C. Sproul
4. Crazy Love – Francis Chan
5. Mere Christianity – C.S. Lewis
6. Knowing God – J.I. Packer
7. The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind – Mark Noll
8. Mere Churchianity – Michael Spencer
9. The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism – Tim Keller
10. Just Do Something: How to Make a Decision Without Dreams, Visions, Fleeces, Open Doors, Random Bible Verses, Casting Lots, Liver Shivers, Writing in the Sky, etc. – Kevin DeYoung
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I picked one (or two) each on Church, Gospel, Edification, Bible Study and Theology.
I tried to pick books that an average church member could make it through and
Nine Marks of a Healthy Church (Dever)
The Gospel According to Jesus (MacArthur) or The Gospel and Personal Evangelism (Dever)
Instruments in the Redeemers Hands (Tripp)
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Whitney)
Know the Truth (Milne) or Concise Theology (Packer)
1. For the love of God (Vol 1 and 2) by Don Carson
2. C T Studd Cricketer and Pioneer by Norman Grubb
3. Answering God by Eugene Peterson
4. Knowing God by Jim Packer
5. More by Simon Ponsonby
6. Crazy Love by Francis Chan
7. The Lord of the Rings by Tolkein
8. God’s smuggler by Brother Andrew
9. The Radical Disciple by Stott
10. The Secret Diary of Adrian Plass aged 37 and 3/4
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1. Knowing God by JI Packer
2. A Praying Life by Paul Miller
3. Love Walked Among Us by Paul Miller
4. Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
5. Deep Church by Jim Belcher
6. Salvation Belongs to Our God by John Frame
7. Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands by Paul Tripp
8. Reason for God by Tim Keller
9. Stop Dating the Church by Josh Harris
10. Designed for Dignity by Richard Pratt