Archive for the 'Books' Category

26
Apr
08

My Top Ten (or Fifteen) Wish List for Books

So I just revised my to-read list: I am up to about 40 books that I want to read, but probably never will. 40 is an estimate- I am sure I will remember more as the day goes on.

My top ten (in no particular order):

  1. Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate by Jerry Bridges. I have heard no reviews or recommendations. I saw it on Amazon and thought the title alone was enough a reason to read it!
  2. How People Change by Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp. Someone told me they were going through this at one point a year or so again. Was it you, Kacie? I thought it sounded great!
  3. Shopping For Time by the girltalkers. Need I say more? I can’t even shop for the book because I am still shopping for the time to read it!
  4. Biblical Womanhood in the Home
  5. In My Place Condemned He Stood: Celebrating the Glory of the Atonement by J.I. Packer and Mark Dever. I am fully expecting this book to be over my head but, like I said in my earlier post today, lately I am completely in love with anything having to do with the cross and the implications of Jesus’ death to the believer!
  6. Because He Loves Me: How Christ Transforms Our Daily Lives by Elyse Fitzpatrick. I just found this one today- it’s not even released yet. It sounds wonderful, as does anything by Elyse Fitzpatrick, who my husband introduced me to during a very spiritually dark period in my life.
  7. Showing The Spirit: A Theological Explanation of 1 Corinthians 12-14 by D.A. Carson because I love and respect Sovereign Grace Ministries too much to not further investigate having always been told that the gifts of the Spirit had ceased without investigating it on my own. C.J. Mahaney recommends this resource to Pastors but if it gets too over my head I’ll just ask David for help=)
  8. When Sinners Say “I Do”: Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage by Dave Harvey. This book, along with Shopping For Time, have been on my reading list for a long time and it just hasn’t happened yet. Soon, I tell ya, soon.
  9. Why We’re Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be by Kevin DeYoung, Ted Kluck, and David Wells. I have listened to multiple sermons, read articles, and read a review of this book by Justin Taylor and I feel like I have learned so much about the Emergent Church and I want to learn more. I hate not knowing about an important issue in our culture!
  10. The Courage To Be Protestant by David Wells. Besides the fact that he has my maiden name, I have this one on my list for kinda the same reason as Why We’re Not Emergent.
  11. Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin. I just want to know how to worship God better. That seems good enough reason to read a book to me=)
  12. The Deliberate Church by Mark Dever. I am always interested in how to make the church as healthy and Gospel-centered as possible.
  13. The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment by Tim Challies because I seriously need to cultivate discernment in my own life.
  14. Humility: True Greatness by C.J. Mahaney. I have heard friends talk about this book for what seems like forever. I have always wanted to read it and I hope to get around to it really soon! Anything by C.J. Mahaney you know is going to be great!
  15. Confessions of a Reformission Rev by Mark Driscoll. I have become quite the fan of Mars Hill Church in the last few weeks. I love the church’s mission and their heart. I love to listen to the teaching of Pastor Mark Driscoll. I want to read this book to learn more about the church and their history.

Okay- that was 15 books. Sorry.

14
Apr
08

The Shack

I have been doing a little research and I am concerned with a book that is on many Christian bookstore shelves today: The Shack.

Endorsed by popular authors and entertainers such as Eugene Peterson and Michael W. Smith, The Shack seems harmless and, actually, a great fiction read for the Christian faith. Michael W. Smith says:

“The Shack is the most absorbing work of fiction I’ve read in many years. My wife and I laughed, cried and repented of our own lack of faith along the way. The Shack will leave you craving for the presence of God.”

At closer glance, however, there are many problems, mostly with the author’s portrayal of God- and the Trinity as well.

I am not a theologian so I am not even going to attempt to go into these said concerns. I have done some research but I consistently prove rather poor in articulating my studies, so I am going to leave it to the experts on this one.

Mark Driscoll has a great sermon on the Trinity (this is an amazing sermon on how every true believer in Christ must affirm the Trinity) in a sermon series called Doctrine: What Every Christian Should Believe. In this sermon he addresses in part the problems with this book and how we as Christians should feel about it. You can find that sermon here.

Albert Mohler dedicated his Friday radio program to looking at The Shack. You can find that download here.