I love books, and reading is consistently one of the most encouraging elements of my spiritual life. But there are so many good books, and so little time!

I recently read a helpful blog on the topic, and as I wrote a comment in reply, I thought it would be worth sharing here also.

I try to think about 6 different categories of books:

1. Ministry (Books that equip me and encourage me as I serve in ministry) — currently I’m reading “Christ-Centred Preaching” by Bryan Chapel, and “Changing the World through Effective Youth Ministry” by Ken Moser.

2. Theology/Bible (commentaries, pressing theological issues from church, bible colleg  related) — currently Wayne Grudem’s “Systematic Theology”, John Stott’s BST Commentary on 2 Timothy, and “Jesus: A Biblical Defence of His Deity” by Josh McDowell.

3. Soul/Devotional (books to keep my love for Jesus healthy and vibrant) — currently “Knowing God” by J I Packer, “Humility” by CJ Mahaney and “Quiet Talks on Prayer” by SD Gordon.

4. Biography (These are usually some of the most encouraging and challenging books I read) — recently Vol 2 of John Piper’s short biography series, covering covering John Bunyan, William Cowper and David Brainerd.

5. Family (books on marriage/family/parenting) — I most recently read “Fatherhood” by Tony Payne, and “Married for God” by Christopher Ash.

6. Recreational (Novels etc — I usually only read these when I’m on holidays, or I get sucked in to them and they can be a distraction!) — I particularly love Patrick O’Brians Aubrey/Maturin novels.

I recently read and am now rereading a book called ‘The Treasure Principle’ by Randy Alcorn of Eternal Perspectives Ministries.

Here’s are some thoughts and quotes from the book.

The opening chapter is called ‘Buried Treasure’ and is focused on the prable of buried treasure in Matthew 16. Go and read it now if you are not familiar with it. Randy Alcorn says “Matthew 14:44 serves as a vivid picture of the joy of surrendering lesser treasures to find greater ones.”

He goes on to say “15 percent of everything Christ said relates to this topic (money and possessions) – more than His teachings on heaven and hell combined.”

“Why did Jesus put such emphasis on money and possessions? Because there’s a fundamental connection between our spiritual lives and how we think about and handle our money.”

“…our approach to money and possessions isn’t just important – it’s central to our spiritual lives.”

Reflecting on the parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12 he says:- “Jesus knows that money and possessions were the man’s god. He realized that the man wouldn’t serve God unless he dethroned his money idol.”

“No matter how great the value of that earthly fortune, it would be worthless in eternity…it’s exactly this kind of treasure that people waste their lives pursuing.”

“Jesus warns us not to store up treasures…because wealth will always be lost. Either it leaves us while we live, or we leave it when we die.”

“He (Jesus) instructs us to transfer our funds from earth to heaven.”

“According to Jesus, storing up earthly treasures isn’t simply wrong. It’s just plain stupid”

“He wants us to store up treasures. Because such treasures (treasures in heaven) will last.”

The Treasure Principle:-
You can’t take it with you -
but you can send it on ahead.

“If we give instead of keep, if we invest in the eternal instead of in the temporal, we store up treasures in heaven that will never stop paying dividends.”

“As you store up heavenly treasures,you’ll gain an everlasting version of what that man found in the treasure hidden in the field. JOY.”

Here’s a few books that I’ve read recently and can recommend. These are all available for between $5 and $12 (bargain!!) from Stef’s book stall on Sunday each week.

The Prodigal God, by Tim Keller

Finally read a Tim Keller book! I loved it, very engaging. His main point — there are two brothers in the parable, not just one. And thus, moralism is just as bad as the behaivour we normally call sin. Which means that both the ‘sinful’ person and the ‘moral’ person are both far from the Father, because neither is relying on his grace to meet their true need. I also loved the chapter on hope, where he looks at the biblical theme of exile and homecoming. This was the chapter where I most agreed with the comparisons I’ve heard between Tim Keller and CS Lewis.

Investigating Jesus, by John Dickson

Loved it. John Dickson looks at the way normal historians understand Jesus, and what they know about him.  As an old history undergrad, I really enjoy John Dickson’s ‘pure historian’ viewpoint, but the best thing is that it’s not at all dry or technical. He doesn’t make much comment, because the evidence speaks for itself. I reckon this would be a great gift for someone that you’ve talked to about Jesus, but is still a bit skeptical.

The Legacy of Soverign Joy, by John Piper

Encouraging, bite sized, theological biographies (This book features Augustine, Martin Luther and John Calvin). The chapter on Augustine made me very keen to read his ‘Confessions’. The chapter on Luther was really inspiring, heaps of stuff which spurred me on in ministry. I also liked the honest examination of their faults. These are not ‘neutral’ accounts of their lives, they are themed around Piper’s own theological passions. I quite enjoy this, because Piper’s aim is to encourage, not just to recount history. There are 5 books in this series.

Religion Saves, and Nine Other Misconceptions, by Mark Driscoll

I liked this book a lot. I was expecting ‘Mark Driscoll Lite’, based on the way it’s presented — but I don’t think such a thing exists! It seems at first like a random collection of interesting and controversial topics, but he is consistent as he contrasts a ‘religious’ approach to a grace/gospel approach on each issue. I loved the chapters on Grace and Faith/Works for the very practical and encouraging theology, the chapter on birth control was helpful stuff I haven’t seen explained as well elsewhere, and I always find his perspective on the emerging church helpful.

I’m reading a booked called ‘John Calvin - Selections from his writings.’ It is a collection of letters and other writings including the Introduction to his commentary on the Psalms. These writings give some insight into the heart of the man that shows warmth and compassion. Here’s an excerpt from the Introduction to his commentary of the Psalms. He calls the Psalms “An Anatomy of All the Parts of the Soul.”

“Although the Psalms are replete with all the precepts which serve to frame our life to every part of holiness, piety, and righteousness, yet they will principally teach and train us to bear the cross, and the bearing of the cross is a genuine proof of our obedience, since by doing this we renounce the guidance of our own affections and submit ourselves entirely to God, leaving Him to govern us and to dispose of our life according to His will, so that afflictions which are the bitterest and most severe to our nature become sweet to us because they proceed from Him. In one word, not only will we here find general commendations of the goodness of God which may teach people to repose themselves in Him alone and to seek all their happiness solely in Him, and which are intended to teach devout believers with their whole hearts confidently to look to Him for help in all their necessities; but we will also find that the free remission of sins, which alone reconclies God toward us and procures for us settled peace with Him, is so set forth and magnified as that here there is nothing wanting which relates to the knowledge of eternal salvation,”

The Trellis and the Vine is an excellant book on the nature of what we are to be on about as disciples in a local church and so what we should be on about as a church. Go to the link; watch the review; buy the book and read it. You won’t regret it. It will give you a clear Biblical conviction of who disciples are and so what they are to be on about. Here’s the basic definition of ministry in summary form: “The prayerful speaking of one person to another.”

If you’re interested in some further reading or listening regarding the mission Jesus has given us to Make Disciples (following the talk at church on Sunday), here’s a few suggestions:

- You could start with my blog post!

- Here’s a message by Dann Spader on Disciplemaking in the Life of Jesus, about 45 minutes long. The best way to learn how to Make Disciples is to see how Jesus did it, and Dann does a great job of explaining this.

- Here’s “a simple, straightforward exposition of the passage” from John Piper on DesiringGod.org

- More from John Piper: “What Jesus Did After the Beginning” (A similar angle to “What did Jesus Leave Behind?”)

- The book I have learned the most from on this topic is “The Masterplan of Evangelism”, by Robert E. Coleman, which identifies the principles of Disciplemaking found in the gospels. You can read a short online summary here.

- I’ve recently read “Church Planting Movements”, by David Garrison. He tells some great stories about the way Church Planting Movements (a form of multiplying, disciplemaking ministry) are flourishing around the world.

I’ll try to post a few more…

When asked the question:-

What is the greatest hindrance to cultivating community in the American church?

Paul Tripp said:- “The first thing that comes to mind is frenetic western-culture busyness”

He goes on to say:-”

I read a book on stress a few years back, and the author made a side comment that I thought was so insightful. He said that the highest value of materialistic western culture is not possessing. It’s actually acquiring.

If you’re a go-getter you never stop. And so the guy who is lavishly successful doesn’t quit, because there are greater levels of success. “My house could be bigger, I could drive better cars, I could have more power, I could have more money.”

And so we’ve bought an unbiblical definition of the good life of success. Our kids have to be skilled at three sports and play four musical instruments, and our house has to be lavish by whatever standard. And all of that stuff is eating time, eating energy, eating money. And it doesn’t promote community.

I think often that even the programs of a local church are too sectored and too busy. As if we’re trying to program godliness. And so the family is actually never together because they’re all in demographic groupings. Where do we have time where we are pursuing relationships with one another, living with one another, praying with one another, talking with one another?

I’ve talked to a lot of families who literally think it’s a victory to have 3 or 4 meals all together with one another in a week, because they’re so busy. Well, if in that family unit they’re not experiencing community, there’s no hope of them experiencing it outside of that family unit.”

“So we’ve just been confronted with how all of those things that aren’t evil in themselves become the complications of life that keep us away from the kind of community that we need in order to hold on to our identity.”

If you want to explore some more for yourself read The Busy Christian’s Guide to Busyness by Tim Chester

I was challenged by my own sermon a few weeks ago when I spoke on the need to have a ‘plan’ so we grow in Christ.

This was backed up by the Spirit in my preparation for last week’s sermon on Genesis 1. As I considered the wonder of God and what we learn about Him I was struck by the order you find in God’s creating and so His creation. This is clear from the repetition of many phrases as well as the numbering of the days and so on. This shows God is deliberate, planned and purposeful. I realised I need to be more deliberate, planned and purposeful in my life.

I am weak and so need a plan and a system if I am going to be disciplined in my regular personal Bible reading and prayer. To be disciplined in my Bible reading I am reading the Bible in a year.

I also have a plan for my prayer time but I needed to update the system. I have a document on my computer which is simply a table on one page which is my systematic prayer tool. It was originally inspired by a book by Don Carson called ‘A Call to Spiritual Reformation’ (see the Library for this book). It contains a very helpful system for praying regularly for the things it is good to pray for. I spent sometime over the last couple of weeks on my prayer table to update it. This has helped me immensely. It doesn’t matter what system you use but as long as you plan to pray and then pray.

http://www.thegoodbook.co.uk/A-Call-to-Spiritual-Reformation-ctsr_20/

Today I was reading Tim Chester’s blog (http://timchester.wordpress.com/) who co-wrote an excellent book called “Total Church.” His church in trying to live out their ‘church values’ weekly came up with this helpful acronym. Here it is for your you.

Each week we respond to the identity that God gives to us in his grace by trying to B. L. E. S. S. others through what we do.

B. We bless
Each week we aspire to bless others in our Christian community and local neighbourhood in word, action or gift at least three times.

L. We listen
Each week we aspire to listen to God, looking for him to guide us through his word and Spirit. And we listen to people around us to understand their stories and the story of our culture.

E. We eat
Each week we aspire to eat or have a drink with people outside our immediate family at least three times, offering friendship and community.

S. We speak
Each week we aspire to tell people the story of Jesus and our story of Jesus, making Jesus a normal part of our conversations. And we speak to God through prayer, recognising our dependence on him in all things.

S. We sabbath
Each week we aspire to spend time in rest, praise, play, partying and creativity.

TOTAL CHURCH

Just thought I’d share the two books I mentioned on Sunday in my sermon on Genesis 2:4-25.

I have found the book by Christopher Ash called “Marriage – sex in the service of God” probably the best book I’ve read on marriage. He has a more accessible version for those who would like to read a shorter and simply version – “Married for God – making your marriage the best it can be”.

MARRIAGE – SEX IN THE SERVICE OF GOD

MARRIED FOR GOD