I love to read. By God’s grace I am a pretty fast reader; I usually read a couple books each week. I find it helpful to summarize my thoughts on each book and I offer those thoughts in the hope that you will be encouraged to either read or pass over the given title.
Lectures to My Students by Charles Spurgeon. Just like Luther’s Tabletalk, this book find the Prince of Preaching lecturing and riffing on various matters related pastoral ministry. If there is a book on pastoral ministry overflowing with more wit and wisdom than Lectures to My Students, I have yet to find it. The book can be read cover to cover or pastors can cherry-pick those lectures most pertinent to their ministry. I’d start with these five: “The Preacher’s Private Prayer”, “Sermons – Their Matter”, “Attention!”, “Earnestness: Its Marring and Maintenance”, and “On Conversion as Our Aim.” LTMS should be read by anyone who hopes to be in the ministry or already is in the ministry.
An Infinite Journey: Growing Towards Christlikeness by Andrew Davis. I have followed Davis’ ministry ever since I read his story of reforming FBC Durham in North Carolina. So when I saw Challies’ high praise for An Infinite Journey I knew I had to pick it up. And what a book this is! Davis writes, “God has set before the Church of Jesus Christ two infinite journeys. Those two journeys have one destination, one ultimate goal, and in the end will prove to have been one and the same journey after all” (17). What are the two journeys? First, “the external journey of the worldwide advance of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ to all nations.” Second, “the internal journey of an individual Christian from being dead in sin to gloriously perfect in Christ.” Davis proceeds to offer a clear and comprehensive map for each journey with warmth and conviction. An Infinite Journey is one of the most useful books for discipling relationships I have ever read. Highly recommended!
Practicing Affirmation: God-Centered Praise of Those Who Are Not God by Sam Crabtree. I first read this book two years ago and immediately thought after finishing it, “I need to read this again – right now!” Practicing Affirmation is indeed one of those rare books that I try to reread every year. Crabtree presents a compelling case for God-centered affirmation in the life of individual Christians and the church as a whole. His thesis is quite simple: “Good affirmations are God-centered, pointing to the image of God in a person” (18). I fail, far too often, in the area of affirmation and every reading of this book proves to be timely for my life and ministry.
Family Shepherds: Calling and Equipping Men to Lead Their Homes by Voddie Baucham. Once a month the men at our church gather for biblical discussion and encouragement on all manner of topics. This year our focus is on what it means to be a faithful shepherd at home. So I read this book to see if it would be one to recommend and, after reading it, I’d have no problem doing so. Baucham’s offering is a lucid entry into the field of complementarian masculinity. Family Shepherds charts a clear course in its calling of men to lead their homes after the pattern of Scripture.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes is, hands down, my favorite character in the history of English literature. Oh to have the mind and acuity of the legendary consulting detective from 221B Baker Street! If you’ve never read The Adventures before, stop everything you are doing and get a copy. You just might be stunned by the readability and rapidity of the now infamous cases that occupy this volume.