Five Books Every Christian Should Read

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With my review of Eileen Button's The Waiting Place earlier this week, this blog is embarking on a new phase that will see a lot more activity and a greater concentration on book reviews.

With that in mind, I'm going to share with you five books I've read that I think every Christian should read. (If you're interested, here's my list on Amazon.)

1. The Bible - I know this one probably seems like a cop-out, but too few of us really read the Bible. I struggle with it just like everyone else, but I can say that I read it more consistently now than I ever have before. A few years ago, I prayed that God would give me a greater love for His Word, and He did. (You can read about it here.)
   
   It's the Word of God. It is more important than any other book we'll ever read, and as it shapes us, it shapes the lens through which we read everything else. We should read it in big chunks and study it down to the briefest statement.
   
   I like the NASB because it is a word-for-word translation. The NIV - because it translates ideas more than individual words - is generally easier to read in large sections.


2. unChristian by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons - The information in this book may not be news to some people, but for those of us who have grown up in the traditional church culture, it can be world-altering. David Kinnaman of the Barna Group provides in-depth research into the attitudes and reactions of teens and young adults toward the church.


3. Crazy Love by Francis Chan - unChristian was the beginning of a journey for me and several other folks in my life. God had begun to alter my perceptions of faith and the church not long before reading it, and those changed perceptions were solidified upon reading it.
   
   But Crazy Love took it one step further, showing me what I ought to be doing with those new perceptions. It was no longer enough to follow the rules and be part of the institution of the Church. I had to love God with everything, and that love wouldn't make sense to most people. Read my review here.


4. Forgotten God by Francis Chan - Yes, it's another Francis Chan book. Yes, I'm a big fan. But this one was the next step on my journey. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live the life God has called us to live. The Holy Spirit does things beyond imagining. We've put Him in a box and written off the miraculous, or - worse - we've forgotten about Him altogether. We neglect Him to our detriment and that of the Church as a whole. Read the review.


5. Radical by David Platt - Pastor of a megachurch in Alabama, Platt challenges us to turn our backs on the American dream and embrace the call of God to go against the culture around us, focusing first on the Kingdom. Though the book has its flaws - it loses some steam in the middle - its premise is powerful, and for me, was the culmination of many things God had been teaching on this literary journey.

Take the time to read these - especially the first! - and you will be challenged. Your perceptions will be altered. And maybe - hopefully - you'll begin to think a little more like Christ.