I recently heard someone say, “Humans largely remain the same except for the people they meet and the books they read.” As a Christian I believe there’s more to it than that, namely the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in one’s life, but the point is reading books leaves a big impression on one’s life.
In the past I have shot from the hip with most of my reading, jumping into books that I’m interested in or that seem beneficial to my life and ministry. But I have begun to realize the lack of balance and shortsightedness this can bring to the content entering my mind and heart.
So this year I have taken the time to create a comprehensive reading list for 2019. I’ve done so by researching new books, looking at “best of” lists, soliciting recommendations from others, looking at classics from the past, etc. And in doing so I have sought to bring a balance of themes and content to my reading list.
Below is an inventory of the books I plan to read in 2019. My goal is to read 60+ books, but the exact books could change to some degree depending on circumstances throughout the year. I will do so by reading many of these books on Kindle, some hard copy, and a few on Audible. But because I find that there is minimal help in cyberspace for Christian reading lists with balance and depth I wanted to share my plan for 2019…
1. Administration 1: “Death by Meeting” by Patrick Lencioni
2. Administration 2: “Church Business” by Nathan Freeland
3. Administration 3: “The Effective Executive” by Peter Drucker
4. Apologetics: “Apologetics at the Cross” by Joshua Chatraw & Mark Allen
5. Christian classic 1: “The Confessions” by Augustine
6. Christian classic 2: “Orthodoxy” by G.K. Chesterton
7. Christian classic 3: “The Mortification of Sin” by John Owen
8. Christian history: “Christianity at the Crossroads: How the Second Century Shaped the Future of the Church” by Michael Kruger
9. Christian living: “The Pursuit of God” by A.W. Tozer
10. Church 1: “When Narcissism Comes to Church: Loving God and others in the culture of a personality disorder” by David Orrison
11. Church 2: “An Unstoppable Force: Daring to Become the Church God Had in Mind” by Erwin McManus
12. Church history: “Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity” by Mark Noll
13. Counseling: ”Biblical Counseling Basics: Roots, Beliefs, and Future” by Jeremy Lelek
14. Culture 1: “Gay Girl, Good God” by Jackie Hill Perry
15. Culture 2: “The Coddling of the American Mind” by Greg Lukianoff & Jonathan Haidt
16. Culture 3: “How the Nations Rage: Rethinking Faith and Politics in a Divided Age” by Jonathan Leeman
17. Discipleship: “Eschatological Discipleship: Leading Christians to Understand Their Historical and Cultural Context” by Trevin Wax
18. Finance 1: “The Church Money Manual: Best Practices for Finance and Stewardship” by J. Clif Christopher
19. Finance 2: “Not Your Parents’ Offering Plate: A New Vision for Financial Stewardship” by J Clif Christopher
20. Eschatology: “Middleism Eschatology: An Answer to the Preterism Heresy” by Stephen Whitsett
21. Ethics: “Ethics for Christian Ministry: Moral Formation for Twenty-First Century Leaders” by Joe Trull & Robert Creech
22. Evangelism: “Evangelism in a Skeptical World” by Sam Chan
23. Gospel: “A Gospel Primer: Learning to See the Glories of God’s Love” by Milton Vincent
24. Heaven & Hell: “Unseen Realities: Heaven, Hell, Angels and Demons” by R.C. Sproul
25. Holiness 1: “The Holiness of God” by R.C. Sproul
26. Holiness 2: “The Knowledge of the Holy” by A.W. Tozer
27. Holy Spirit: “The Holy Spirit” by Sinclair Ferguson
28. Human Resources: “HR Matters: What you don’t know can hurt your ministry” by Cindy Powell
29. Humility: “The Blessing of Humility” by Jerry Bridges
30. Leadership 1: “Replenish: Leading from a Healthy Soul” by Lance Witt & John Ortberg
31. Leadership 2: “The Preacher’s Portrait” by John Stott
32. Leadership 3: “Good to Great” by Jim Collins
33. Leadership 4: “The Pastor: A Memoir” by Eugene Peterson
34. Marriage & family 1: “Give Them Grace” by Elyse Fitzpatrick & Jessica Thompson
35. Marriage & family 2: “The Disciple-Making Parent” by Chap Bettis
36. Marriage & family 3: “The Marriage Builder” by Larry Crabb
37. Marriage & family 4: “Hero: Being the strong father your children need” by Meg Meekers
38. Missions: “A Light to the Nations” by Michael Goheen
39. Morality: “Disciplines of a Godly Man” by R. Kent Hughes
40. Old Testament 1: “Is God a Moral Monster?: Making Sense of the Old Testament God” by Paul Copan
41. Old Testament 2: “A Tale of Three Kings” by Gene Edwards
42. Origins: “Six Days” by Ken Ham
43. Personal Growth: “You Are What You Love” by James K.A. Smith
44. Prayer: “Praying the Bible” by Donald Whitney
45. Preaching 1: “Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism” by Timothy Keller
46. Preaching 2: “Why Johnny Can’t Preach: The Media Have Shaped the Messengers” by T. David Gordon
47. Productivity: “Do More Better” by Tim Challies
48. Sexuality: “Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions about Life and Sexuality” by Nancy Pearcey
49. Shepherding: “Suffering: Gospel Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense” by Paul David Tripp
50. Soteriology: “The Extent of the Atonement” by David Allen
51. Spiritual gifts: “Spiritual Gifts: What They Are and Why They Matter” by Thomas Schreiner
52. Spiritual growth 1: “Spiritual Growth” by Arthur Pink
53. Spiritual growth 2: “All that’s Good: Recovering the Lost Art of Discernment” by Hannah Anderson
54. Spiritual growth 3: “Identity Theft: Reclaiming the Truth of our Identity in Christ” by Melissa Kruger & Jen Wilkin
55. Stewardship: “Smart Money Smart Kids” by Dave Ramsey
56. Theology 1: “The King in His Beauty: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments” (on-going read throughout the year)
57. Trinity: “Delighting in the Trinity” by Michael Reeves
58. Through the Bible 1: Chronological
59. Through the Bible 2: “Foundations for Kids: A 260 Day Reading Plan for Kids” by Robby Gallaty (Family Worship Time)
60. Worship: “Worship: The Ultimate Priority” by John MacArthur
ON THE RESERVE SHELF…
“The Matheny Manifesto” by Mike Matheny
“Killing England” by Bill O’Reilly
“Bringing Up Boys” by James Dobson
“Shepherding a Child’s Heart” by Ted Tripp
“Fools Talk: Recovering the Art of Christian Persuasion” by Os Guinness
“Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand
“Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters” by Meg Meekers
“The Kings Cross” by Timothy Keller
“The Gospel” by Ray Ortlund